Page 157 of Finding Delaware

“I’ll take care of him,” he promises, holding my gaze as Christian tugs him down next to Huck.

“I know you will.”

Adjusting my deflating dick, I make my way over to the tree he pointed out and stand below it with my arms crossed. A shadow moves on the branches above.

“Arya, get down here. Now.”

There’s a rustle of leaves before she fucking caws at me like a damned crow or some shit, and something hard bounces off the side of my face.

“Ouch! Did you just throw an acorn at me?”

She giggles, scrambling further up the tree, and I curse under my breath as I jump up to grab onto the lowest branch, pulling myself up and over. I haven’t climbed a tree in years, but it doesn’t take long before I’m closing in on where she’s perched, her face turned upwards. The hem of my sweatpantssnags, ripping the leg, and when I growl in frustration, she lets out a screamed cackle as she turns and tries to get higher.

“Oh, no, you don’t.”

Wrapping my arms around her waist, I yank her down against my chest. We fall against the trunk when she struggles, laughing like this is a damn game, and then she gasps with a finger pointed up above.

“Look, Tay Bae! Look at that!”

Following her finger, I let out an exasperated sigh. “Yes, I’ve seen the sky before. Fascinating. Will you get down?”

“I wish I were up there,” she responds dreamily, both arms lifted above her head as she smiles and relaxes in my hold.

“In the sky? Or space?”

“Wherever isn’t here.”

The way she says that makes me pause.

“What–” Exhaling sharply, I let my head fall back against the tree. “What do you mean by that? Goddammit, Arya, I want to get back to my...Huckslee.”

Boyfriendalmost falls from my lips, but something holds me back.

She hums, going limp in my arms until I’m forced to slide into a crouched position. “I was watching you two, you know.”

Shit. “That’s not creepy at all.”

“I wish I had that.” Her fingers lace through mine as she settles in between my legs on the broad branch. Normally, I’d be shaking her off, but the melancholy in her tone is setting off alarms.

“Had what?”

“Love.”

My mouth falls open and shuts, momentarily at a loss for words. I’m still antsy from leaving Huck, but his laugh carries over the breeze, telling me he’s fine, so I lean back against the trunk and get comfortable, tightening my arms around her.

“You’ve only been with Christian a few weeks. Love doesn’t grow on trees.”

Is that how the saying goes?

Her head rolls to the side, cold cheek pressed against my shoulder. In the dim light of the moon, tears glisten on her face. “He loves what my body can do for him, but I don’t think he’ll ever loveme. As a person. No one ever does.”

Fuck. I am such an asshole.

“That’s not true,” I say firmly, thumbing away the tears. “Salem loves you. Owen loves you. And trust me, Christian wouldn’t be spending all his time with you if he didn’t care about you.”

“But you don’t like me.” She pokes my peck, sniffling. “And I don’t even know what I did to make you hate me. Or Xed.”

It’s official. I am worse than scum.

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