Of the Trees(58)

She whipped out her phone again, pulling up a text to Laney.



Cassie: Text me every hour. I’m worried about you.



She waited, staring at her phone until it buzzed softly in her hand.



Laney: Yes, Mom



Silence for a moment, then words popped up on her screen.



Laney: I love you, too





Cassie awoke the next morning confused, the scent of lavender assailing her. Her phone was still laying in her half open hand. Her eyes flew open, and she was faced with a swath of dark hair, splayed haphazardly on her pillow.

“Laney?” she mumbled, the words coming out through a croak. Her friend grunted, flipping over in the bed. Her eyes were screwed shut, and she reached up with the back of her hand to scrub over them. “How did you get in here?”

“The window,” Laney said, groaning at bit. “What time is it?”

There was a dead leaf in her hair, and Cassie reached over to pluck it out. “No idea, early. When did you get here?”

“Middle of the night,” she answered, yawning. “I told Mom I was coming here.”

“No, you didn’t,” Cassie argued. “I called her. You told her you were with Ryan.”

Laney’s eyes finally opened, and she smirked at Cassie. “Yeah, I know. Thanks for that. I meant later, I called when I knew I wouldn’t be home by curfew.”

“Since when do you have a curfew?”

“Since I got myself a boyfriend, apparently.”

Cassie hummed, pulling her lip through her teeth. Laney squinted over at her, shifting uncomfortably.

“You were asleep when I got in, snoring a bit. It’s okay, right?” she asked softly. Cassie frowned at her in confusion. “That I’m here, I mean. I know we—”

“No, it’s fine,” Cassie said. She rustled under the covers, bringing her hands under her cheek as she watched her friend. Laney glanced over at her, shooting her a quick, nervous smile in thanks. “So you were with Corey?”

Laney hummed in acknowledgment. “You knew that, though,” she murmured. “That’s why you freaked out and called Mom and Ryan.”

“I texted Ryan,” Cassie corrected as an afterthought.

“He texted back though, right? He called me, wanted to make sure I was okay.”

Cassie felt a small smile grow. Of course he did. Her stomach twisted, and she swallowed hard. “He texted me. Just to tell me you weren’t with him. He was probably worried about you, too.”

“I think he was more worried about you,” Laney said. She flipped to her stomach, her cheek resting on the pillow as she watched her friend. “Do you love him?”

Cassie stiffened, the heat of a blush overtaking her face. “What kind of thing is that to ask?”

“A normal thing! The other night, in the clearing, you and Aidan.” Cassie felt all the air leave her lungs, the sensation of her skin crawling making her shift in discomfort. “I’ve seen the picture.”

“Who hasn’t?” Cassie said.

“It looked intense.”

“Like you and Corey?” Cassie asked, studying her friend’s face. She stared back evenly, agreeing with a small tilt of her head.

“Yes, like that.”

“Something’s not right with him, Laney,” Cassie whispered, almost afraid of her friend’s reaction. To her surprise, a sly grin overtook her features.

“I know.”

“He’s dangerous,” Cassie pressed. Laney let out a soft laugh.

“No, he’s not,” Laney insisted softly. “Not to me. And not to you.”

“Jess—”

Laney shook her head, cutting her off. “Cassie, you don’t understand what happened that night, I promise you that.”

“That I know,” Cassie said, chewing on her lower lip. “But you do?”

“Maybe. I could show you if you trusted me,” Laney said, her voice soft. Cassie opened her mouth to respond, intent on telling her friend she should be talking to the police, explaining it to them, but Laney cut her off with a look. “With Corey, it is intense, almost overwhelming. It takes me over. It looked like that was happening for you, too. With Aidan.”

Cassie swallowed hard and flipped to her back. Her ceiling was flat and white and allowed her thoughts no place to hide. She huffed, knowing her friend wouldn’t tell her anything about what happened to Jessica until she was ready. “It was. But, I didn’t like it. It was too much, too fast.”

“And you love Ryan.”

“I didn’t say that,” Cassie murmured, though a delicious and terrible thrill coursed through her at the thought. “But it’s not like it matters anyway.”

“So if it were between Aidan and Ryan?” Laney asked leadingly. Cassie shrugged, burrowing further under her covers. She was suddenly warm, flushed all over, the image of Ryan hovering over her, her back pressed to the sharp bark of a tree filled her mind. “He’s going hiking today. He mentioned it to me.”

Disappointment and longing warred in her chest. Her stomach caved at the thought that he would be highlighting that map and her feet wouldn’t have followed the line. They had completed every mile together so far. She felt a surge of disappointed anger. It wasn’t right that he should get to finish alone. It was their thing. They did it together. Every path and step had been taken with each other.