His Reverie (Reverie #1)(14)

I’m going somewhere though. I need to. Not sure where but I don’t want to stay here anymore. I need a fresh start.

I need a new life.

The Hales have designated parking for employees and I walk along the graveled driveway toward the small lot. My car and Michael’s is still there, along with a few others, including Heather’s. She just graduated high school and she works inside the house, as assistant to Mrs. Hale’s assistant, which we all think is hilarious. Michael loves to give her grief for being the assistant to the assistant.

I think Michael is hot for Heather and I can’t blame him. She’s all long limbs and straight dark hair with exotic features. She feeds him snippets of information about the Hales, specifically Valerie Hale. What Heather sees in Michael I don’t know but those two are always flirting. She’s way out of his league.

Just like Reverie Hale is out of mine.

I’m about to turn into the lot when I hear a noise come from the other side of the driveway. Turning, I catch a flash of red, then blonde. My entire body goes still as I watch someone run into the thick pine trees that line that side of the property.

It’s Reverie.

Without thought I take off, hoping to catch up with her. The sun is low, casting beams of saturated gold light through the thick pine trees and if I look toward my left, I’m blinded. There are so many trails here I don’t know which one she took and so I head down the middle one that goes straight through the trees.

She’s fast. I don’t see her anywhere and I run for a while then stop, looking all around me. I try to calm my breathing, my racing heart. I’m worried that I can’t find her. My gut tells me she’s upset and I want to know why.

I want to be the one who reassures her.

A breeze rustles through the pines, the branches swaying to and fro and I glance to my right. I see her, her long hair trailing behind her as she jogs through the trees. I follow her, thankful I can keep her in sight, slowing down when I see she is as well. The trees give way to an open spot and I watch as she drops to the ground, disappearing from view.

Holy shit. Did she faint? Hurt herself? I increase my pace, coming to a stop at the edge of the clearing to find her sitting on a fallen log, her body bent forward, her forehead pressed against her knees. She’s covering her face with her hands and her shoulders are gently shaking.

She’s crying. Should I stay? Ask her if she’s all right? I should probably go. I don’t know her, not really, and I’m clearly infringing on a private moment.

Backing up, I start to turn and leave but I step on a branch, the crack loud in the otherwise quiet forest. I pause, my back to her as I close my eyes and hang my head. I’m caught and I know it.

“Go away,” she says with a sniff.

I slowly turn to face her and her eyes widen when she spots me. Who did she think I really was? “Are you okay?”

She wipes at her eyes with the back of her hand, another loud sniff escaping her. Her nose is red, her eyes are glittering with unshed tears. She looks…beautiful despite the pain emanating from her. “I’m fine. I just…I want some privacy please.”

Always polite, even when she should tell me to get the hell away from her. “I don’t feel right leaving you out here all alone.”

Reverie drops her hands into her lap and makes an exasperated noise. “I’m out here alone all the time. Don’t worry about me.”

“Are you sure?” I don’t want to leave her. She looks so sad, so lost.

“Fine. You want to stay? Stay. I don’t care.” She throws her hands up, then flicks her hair over her shoulder. I’m staring at her, I can’t help it because she’s wearing this red strapless dress that exposes all sorts of skin and she looks….

Freaking amazing.

“You hate it too, huh?” She stands and gestures at the dress. “Do I look trashy? Like a prostitute? That’s what my mom said. She told me I couldn’t come to her stupid party looking like this. She said I looked like…like…”

I stand there, scared out of my mind as a sob escapes her and she slaps her hand over her mouth, trying to stop it. But there’s no use. She’s full on ugly crying now as she reaches for the hem of her skirt with both hands and starts to yank it up. “I hate her,” she cries. “I just wanted to look pretty for once and she never lets me. I want to burn this stupid dress. Burn it!”

There’s a flash of slender thighs and then—holy God—the palest pink panties I’ve ever seen. I lunge toward her, my hands batting her skirt down, holding hers to keep them from lifting her skirt again and she glares up at me, her tear-stained face making my heart ache as I stare at her. “Calm down,” I murmur as I grip her trembling hands. “It’s okay.”

“Oh no,” she whispers, her face crumpling again. “Y-you must think I’m s-so dumb.”

Crying girls. I just…I don’t know how to deal with them. Yeah, I had a girlfriend before jail but nothing serious. That’s how I look at my life. Before jail and after jail.

I hate it.

“You’re not dumb,” I say, keeping my voice soft so I don’t scare her. She’s shaking and I pull her toward me, wishing I could console her. “I just think you’re really upset.”

Reverie dips her head, her hair falling forward, concealing her from me. Her hands are small, her fingers slender as they curl around mine. Warmth spreads through my body at her touch, at her nearness. We’re standing toe to toe and her chest is so close to mine we’re almost touching. “You should probably go back home,” I suggest, knowing it’s the right thing to say, though it’s the last thing I want.