Of the Trees(68)



There was more she could have done. Cassie was sure of it. There was more she could still do. The nervous agitation that had her chewing her lip all day made her limbs tremble. She wanted to get up and run, not into the woods where she knew Laney wouldn’t be, but to the carnival grounds, to some carnival, anywhere, to search for her friend.

What if she hated it? The romanticism of the moment—running to Corey and giving up everything to follow him— what if it wasn’t what she wanted anymore? Would she be allowed to just leave? Cassie didn’t think so. Like a cult, they had pulled her in, and Cassie knew they wouldn’t let her out.

The anxiety that provoked left her jittery and shaking. Cassie looked up when her parents came in; they paused on the threshold when they saw the pressed forms of their daughter and Ryan. Cassie cleared her throat and sat up.

“We’re heading to bed,” Cathy said, her eyes locked with Cassie. There was a silent understanding there. “Just call if you need us.”

“Lock up after Ryan leaves,” her father said, following his wife up the stairs. Cassie heard the soft plodding of their footsteps, but not the close of their door. It would be left open tonight. Cassie wasn’t surprised. She collapsed back into Ryan, her lip once more between her teeth.

“Will you stop that,” he murmured, twisting a bit to look down at her. She blinked up at him in confusion. He tugged at the lower swell of her lip until she released it from between her teeth. She pressed her lips together, her tongue darting out to moisten them, and then she sighed, resisting the twitch that made her want to drag the flesh back between her teeth. She tucked her face against his shoulder.

The air around them stilled. Ryan had picked up his book, but he hadn’t turned the page in a long time. Cassie doubted he was actually reading it. It started to rain again, the soft splatters on the bay window soothing, drawing Cassie into a trance-like state. Her breathing evened out, slowed, paced with Ryan’s. Deep breath in, hold, release; her body melding closer to his with each exhale. He was warm and solid next to her—not pushy, not grabby. His fingers were gentle on her side, dallying on her waist and circling up to her shoulder. Hypnotic.

“Where do you think they are?” Ryan asked, putting the book down. Cassie looked up at him, only to find him staring off across the darkened room. Only the lamp next to him was still lit, and it left him glowing in a soft, golden light. She was reminded of just last night, how he held her together, how he was still willing to. Her breathing hitched as she watched him. “You said they worked the carnival, right? Do you think they still are?”

“Well, they weren’t, not for the last few weeks anyway,” Cassie answered, her focus drawn to his lips as he talked. “But maybe now, maybe they got what they came for.”

“Laney?”

Cassie nodded, and Ryan sighed. She could feel the warmth of his breath across her face. “Thank you for staying with me today.”

He smiled, lifting one shoulder in acknowledgment. “It’s no big deal.”

“It is,” Cassie murmured. He hadn’t asked her about Aidan, about what happened that night after the dance. She knew that he would, knew that she should tell him at some point. For now, he seemed willing to let it lie. She reached out for his hand, the one that had been injured that night. “How does it feel?”

He watched her fingers trace the outline of the tendons on his injured hand, knowing what she meant. “It’s fine. It was just a sprain.”

“How did it happen?” She watched as his throat bobbed, remembering, as she was, that night.

“I was in the bathroom. It was stupid really. Someone slammed a door.”

“Did you see who?”

“No, it just happened,” he answered, frowning. “But it must have been someone, even though I didn’t see anyone. The door slammed really hard like it was forced.”

“Not the wind?”

“There was none,” Ryan answered. Cassie felt her brow wrinkle, wondering, just how much of an accident it really was. Aidan was there that night, cornering her, watching her. She brought Ryan’s hand to her mouth and kissed his knuckles softly, letting his fingers fall back into her lap. He turned toward her, bending low. His fingers were on her face again, tugging at the lip she didn’t even realize she had pulled back between her teeth. “And stop doing that.”

She could feel the breath of his whisper against her mouth. She closed her eyes as he moved closer, pressing a soft kiss to her bottom lip. He moved over her slowly, bringing his hand to her cheek. He captured her lips, teased her into a long, slow kiss before he broke them apart, leaning back. She looked at him, and found him staring back at her, questioning her. She leaned toward him, slanting her mouth over his.

They kissed, slowly and softly, for several minutes, Ryan pausing when he felt her smile against his mouth.

“What?” he whispered, his fingers tracing a path from her cheek to her neck. Cassie shook her head, her eyes fluttering open. She kissed him quickly, catching the corner of his mouth.

“This is your thing now, isn’t it?” she asked, a gentle smile playing on her lips. His brows drew together in adorable confusion. “Kissing me and not saying anything about it. It’s your thing.”

He grinned, ducking his head and sitting back.

“I didn’t say I wanted you to stop,” Cassie teased, leaning into his chest. He kissed the tip of her nose, breathing a soft laugh. “It’s much better than when your thing was broken Ferris wheels.”

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