Page 70 of Light As A Feather
“I know. But you and I both know that moving helps you clear your head. We’ve done nothing but lie around for the last two days.”
“I’m not sure about this…”
“Look,” I say, lifting the sabre with the obvious red tip in one hand and a mask in the other. “Safety first.”
He pulls his lip between his teeth, looking from me to the equipment.
“You’re not going to hurt me, Thorne. Whatever you’re keeping bottled up might though.” I hold up my hand as he opens his mouth to likely deny that he’s hiding anything. “I don’t want to pry, and I know you’re not purposely keeping something from me, but the truth remains the same. This is for you, but it’s also for me.” I toss him the mask and put mine on.
Reluctantly, he slips it on and grabs his tipped sabre. “My dad would be horrified if he could see us out here, not even properly suited up.”
“I trust you. Besides, you’ve already died, and well…I know you won’t hurt me. Come on, Thorne, it’s fine.” I maneuver so I can swat his ass.
“That one doesn’t count.” He spins on his heel to face me.
“Whatever you say, sir.”
“Don’t start with that, or we’ll be playing a very different game.”
“Stop trying to distract me. You’re not getting out of this.” I lunge at him, and he very easily parries.
“Fine, but you asked for it.” He attacks and lands the flat of it on the side of my thigh. The sting is nothing when I can see that spark lighting in his eyes.
“That all you got?” I prod, retreating a few steps. “Come on.”
“If you insist.” He advances on me, and the determination in his shoulders sends a tingle down my spine. He’s all fluid, muscular grace, a lifetime of training making his movements as natural as walking. He’s a work of art. Beautiful and awe-inspiring. I’ve had these thoughts before watching him raise medals in his fist and winning championships. Hawthorne Addams is something to behold.
Right now, that shine is dulled by whatever’s happening between Jayden and him. I know that I must have something to do with it, but I’m secure enough in our relationship right now that I’m not going to try to wedge myself between them. Jayden will have to bear the brunt of burning their bond down if I’m the source of their rift, because I have no intention of forcing Thorne to choose.
In my distraction, he lands a hit on my side. “Get your head in the game, Nightingale. Don’t make it too easy for me.”
Lunging at him, I think I have a clear shot at hitting my mark, but he turns just in time, and I stumble forward. Of course, I don’t fall because he pulls me against him.
Our hearts pound together for several seconds, heat building between our touching bodies. Instead of lighting a fire, I slip beneath his arm and land a direct hit on his chest.
“That’s what happens when you underestimate me.”
“I know better than to do that. Maybe I just like your scrappy side.”
“Do you?” I tease.
“Well, I love every side of you.”
“Then you must know that you can talk to me about anything.” I shift the sabre so it’s pointed behind my shoulder and close the distance between us once again so I can look into his eyes. His golden brown skin shines with a slight sheen of sweat, his lips part as he breathes just a bit heavier, and the sunin his eyes reveals the deep well of pain he holds there. “I can handle anything. It’s you and me.”
Lifting his mask, he walks over to where the water waits for us. Gulping it down, it’s obvious he’s buying time to decide whether he should.
“I want to be here for you.” I take a seat on the steps and pat the wood surface next to me. He takes the seat to my left, and it reminds me of summer evenings watching sunsets. Muscle memory urges me to hook my elbow around his, and he slips his leg beneath mine so our ankles interlock. Like always, the house looms large and all-seeing behind us; the forest hushes, waiting to consume our secrets and free us of their burden.
“Something’s going on with Jayden,” he admits.
“Yeah, I figured,” I sigh. “It’s me, right?”
“It’s not that simple. It has to be something bigger than that. I’ve never seen this side of him.”
I’m silent and trying my hardest not to judge.Keyword trying.
“I know you think that he’s had this grand plan to steal me away from you. But I meant it when I said we were just friends. Even if he harbored feelings for me, he’d accepted that nothing was going to happen between us. His commitment to our friendship was real.” He hangs his head. “But lately, something’s gotten into him. He’s not acting like himself.”
