The Resurrection of Aubrey Miller(20)

A crooked smile forms on his face as he watches my fierce monologue, not a hint of embarrassment in his expression. “Did you just make a joke, Raven?”
Cue middle finger.
Another chuckle passes under his breath as I slip on the brown leather. “I thought you weren’t trying to be a saint. I would say that offering your jacket is pretty…saintly.” He grins and shrugs as I slowly take in his scent, the smell threatening the defenses of my Level 3 security. With the fresh cut grass all around me and the smell of his fresh laundry, the combination produces a familiar fragrance that just is Kaeleb. It’s almost enough to overwhelm the lock on my bin, but I must have mentally added a deadbolt because his access has luckily been denied.
After exhaling a breath of relief, I give him the tiniest of smiles, situating myself in his jacket and then sliding my backpack over both shoulders as Kaeleb does the same. “I can be funny, you know.”
“I know you’re funny,” he replies, his eyes finding the ground in front of us as we begin to walk.
“You don’t know anything about me,” I snap, probably a little too defensively.
“Don’t I?” He stops his long strides and, therefore, so do I. We’re never going to make it to class at this rate.
I turn to tell him this, but as soon as our eyes meet the words escape me, his hazel-brown eyes stealing my breath. They’re narrowed, as if he’s trying to strip me clean of my blackened veil. Almost as though he’s searching my darkness.
“No, you don’t,” I reply quickly.
Fear works its way into my throat as he continues to scan me closely before tilting his head. “Hmm…interesting.” His hand rises and once again skims the scarred area alongside my chin. “I would say that I know you better than you think I do.”
My brain jolts to life, sending out an emergency distress signal that more Level 3 memories, possibly even Level 4, may be breached. This is not good.
I ignore the way his touch riles every single one of my nerve endings, and turn on my heel, offering him nothing more as I continue on to class. I can hear his backpack shuffling as he walks behind me, but thankfully he makes no attempt to catch up.
Traveling the rest of the way separately, we finally arrive, barely making it to class on time. Once we’re accounted for, we make our way out to the fielded area where most of our exercises are performed, and as we begin to congregate, I strategically place as many people in between us as I can. I refuse to look at him, but his presence continues to suffocate me no matter how far away from him I stand.
“Alrighty kids! We’re going to buddy up today.” A series of groans follow as Dr. Palmer begins calling out the corresponding names in groups of two. His pudgy finger taps up and down on top of his clipboard with each announcement.
My heart rate triples, increasing the pressure in my chest. I always get paired up with Kaeleb. Every. Single. Time.
“McMadden and Miller.”
Sigh.
I turn and hesitantly begin weaving my way through my brilliant protection plan.
Damn my last name. I should have taken Linda’s.
Squeezing by the only person left between us, my eyes stay focused on Kaeleb’s boots in front of me. Strands of black with my latest plum-accented coloring whip across my face, the breeze picking up and chilling me to the bone. Threading my fingers through my hair, I gather it together and tuck the heap behind my collar, then wrap Kaeleb’s jacket tightly around me, hoping to harbor some of the rapidly fading warmth.
“You okay? You look more pale than usual.”
Squinting, I lift my head and shield my hand with my eyes, finally locking gazes with Kaeleb.
“I’m fine, just cold.”
I’m also extremely short of breath and might be experiencing a mild heart attack, but I leave that unsaid.
“Okay guys, it’s time to start.” A hush blankets the crowd of students as Dr. Palmer chucks his clipboard to the ground. “Today is going to be less physical and more of an emotional exercise.”
Shit.
“I need you and your partner to sit on the ground in front of one another.”
Swallowing deeply, I attempt to calm my erratic breathing as I turn, finally facing Kaeleb and meeting his eyes briefly before slowly descending to the take my seat. His face remains expressionless as he makes his move to sit cross-legged on the grass in front of me, scooting closer until our knees are touching.
“Now, please take each other’s hands. This is a time of trust and connecting with one another.”
Fuck. Me.
My eyes close on their own as I timidly reach forward. Every nerve ending becomes hypersensitive as the heat from his approaching hand surges over mine, emanating a spark that spreads throughout my body. It rushes along my arms, leaving behind goose bumps as it passes, causing the hairs to stand on end. Soon Kaeleb’s hand slides into mine, palm against palm as his fingers curl themselves, gripping me securely.
“I like to call this the Bubble Exercise. As you hold onto your partner, imagine a bubble containing only the two of you, just you and them, safely inside. Nothing can escape into the environment around you. This is your haven to speak freely. There is no judgment inside the bubble, only the release of something about yourself that you want to express. A secret of sorts. You may decide amongst yourselves who goes first. It is up to you what you choose to reveal to the other.”
I clutch Kaeleb’s hands like a vise, my eyes shooting open only to find the face directly in front of me giving away absolutely nothing—completely void of emotion as he stares back at me. Palmer clasps his hands together, and his voice sends my heart into my throat with his next command.