Page 51 of Shadow and Skulls

“It’s not too late to take the classes,” I offer, trying to soothe the worry on the face.

My heart slows when she raises to her elbows, bringing her nose a few inches from mine.

“It’s not that. I’ve been studying.” She lets out a harsh laugh, throwing herself back against the pillows.

We both stare at the ceiling. “You’ve been studying?”

“I haven’t wanted to be in school for a long time now.” She rolls to her side, her eyes heavy on the side of my face. “I’m not worried about the test. It’s just that it seems so insignificant compared to what’s happening between us.”

“So, you don’t regret it?” I ask, not specifying whether I’m talking about her quitting school or us.

The room illuminates as her smile rises like the sun on the horizon. I settle my gaze over her face, wondering how I got so lucky to be the one to witness its beauty this morning.

“I’ll never regret anything again. Everything I’ve done … everything that’s happened to me, it all brought me to you.” Her gaze lingers on mine a few seconds before she slides off the bed. “I’m going to take a quick shower.”

When the bathroom door closes behind her, I literally pinch myself. I’ve been watching Kelsie for a few weeks now, and that is the brightest I’ve seen that girl smile. The woman who got into my bed last night isn’t the same one who just left it. Yeah, I’m a good lover, but I can’t take the credit for her transformation.

I think she learned something new about herself when she chose to join me in my bed. It was the first time she’s made such a bold choice on her own. Something so simple, yet most of us take it for granted.

She’s stepping into herself, into being a woman. I think she’s finally realized she is the creator of her life.

God, I’m excited to get to know this version of her.

That is if the club lets me live after this.

Chapter Fourteen

Kelsie

One week. That’s how long we have, because there’s no way the club is going to let me see him after they find out he’s been lying to them. It would be tough to convince them even if he hadn’t been dishonest.

He grabs my hand across the table. “Hey, everything is going to work out the way it’s supposed to.”

I swallow the lump in my throat before speaking. “I know this is going to sound stupid, but I … I don’t want to be away from you.”

Tank stands, motioning with his hand for me to slide farther into the booth so he can sit beside me. His arm falls across the back of the seat, his hand cupping the back of my neck lightly.

“Remember when I told you I’d wait for you forever? I meant that shit. I wasn’t just talking about sex.”

“They’ll never understand,” I cry into my hands.

He pushes my plate back, resting his arm on the table to shield me on all sides from the other patrons. “I don’t think weeven fully understand this, so we can’t blame them for not being onboard right now, can we?”

He’s right. I shake my head, wiping my nose with a napkin. “No. I guess not,” I reluctantly agree.

“This is real, little shadow. They’ll eventually see it.”

I laugh harshly. “How? Because they’ll never let me spend time with you to show them.”

“Even when we’re not together, it will be there. They’ll notice it.”

The chatter around us and the clank of dishes being gathered fills the silence.

He grabs my chin, holding me still. “I’m crazy enough to have my friends dig into your past … do you really think I’m going to walk away from this without you? I showed you the trailer. That’s where I’ll be until we can be together. I’m asking you to have faith in me.”

My gaze bounces over his face as he holds me firmly. If he would have asked me this, before I came to live with Lily and Dan, I wouldn’t have been able to do it. Because up until that point I’d never been able to put my faith in anyone. Every single person in my life had let me down.

I need to continue my faith in them … and maybe it’s time to extend it to someone new.

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