Page 13 of Enchanted Kisses
“I can’t believe I slept so late. I never do that. I never miss my classes, either.” I scrambled from the bed and grabbed my robe, wrestling my arms through the sleeves. “If I hurry and dress, we can go together.”
Raysa’s brows went up. “Lil, it’s fine to miss a class here and there. You treat college like high school, but it’s not the same. No one cares if you show up or not. And you weren’t feeling well. Your dad and I—”
“Oh my gosh! Dad!” My heart drummed. “How was he? Was he worried?” Stress of any kind could set him off. It was why I’d always kept a form of order to my life and his.
“He was fine.Everythingis fine. Relax.” Her tone was slow and calm. “I’ll go to your professors, see what you missed and bring any assignments by later. There’s no reason to panic.”
“Right.” I nodded and slowed my breathing. I hadn’t meant to get so worked up. “It’s just…I don’t remember last night—Caiden bringing me home, going to bed, getting this bump.”
I rubbed my head. The lump was gone, and my hair smelled like strawberries instead of my usual coconut-scented shampoo.
“Maybe some rest will help you to remember. I’m dying to hear all the details.” Raysa winked and fake-kissed each of my cheeks. “I’ll call you later.” She stopped at the mirror to straighten her yellow dress, which matched the natural highlights in her hair.
“Hey, Rays? What should I do about Caiden? I don’t know if I can forgive him as easily as you have.”
“Let him apologize and explain himself. You might feel differently after you hear him out.”
Her advice always seemed so simple. But could I follow it? If I let Caiden back in, I risked being hurt by him again.
“Good luck on your test,” I said as she exited my room.
She waved and disappeared down the hallway.
I stared blankly at my lime-colored walls for a while, trying to recall last night’s events. The only thing I could remember were swirls of gold and a bubble of warmth that smelled like flowers, which made no sense at all.
I let out an exhausted breath. Raysa was right. I needed to rest. I also needed a shower. I felt like I’d rolled around in the grass, and if Caiden stopped by, I didn’t want to be in my pajamas. Not that he hadn’t seen me in them plenty of times before, but that was when we were close. I didn’t know what we were now.
One coconut-scented lather and rinse later, I searched my closet for something to wear. Nothing too fixed up, but nothing sloppy. Although no outfit would make my wavy hair look any less bedhead—it really had a mind of its own.
I’d narrowed my choices down to two outfits—a sundress that was sexy but sweet, or a white eyelet blouse and my favorite cut-off jeans shorts. Choosing the shorts and blouse, I finished my look with mascara and lip gloss before I headed outside.
In the backyard, the bright sun heated my skin. Blue skies stretched as far as I could see, and a cool breeze carried the scent of the trees and nearby ocean.
Last night had been so cold—thatI could remember. How was today so beautiful?
I gazed at the woods and imagined myself immersed in the trees. Nature always did more for me than lying in bed. I could go to the tree fort that Caiden and I had found one day while strolling along a trail on the property.
The decrepit structure wasn’t safe to use but I was in awe. I’d always wanted a tree house when I was a child. The next day we went back with tools and reinforced the fort so I could use it as a nature retreat. I didn’t care that it might be silly for someone my age to have a tree fort and Caiden didn’t seem to mind, either.
A platform with no walls, the fort was nothing elaborate like I’d seen on the TV seriesTreehouse Masters,but it was the most peaceful place to me—a private escape where I could get away from the chaos of my life and clear my head.
I hadn’t been there since Caiden disappeared. Maybe it was the perfect neutral territory for us to hash things out.
I texted him where I’d be in case he came by soon. He should be on his way, given he had my car. The thought of seeing him sent a thrill to my heart. I pushed the feeling down, hating how my body reacted when my mind was set on making him earn my forgiveness—starting with having him trek through the woods to get to me. Not that it would be a challenge unless he couldn’t find his way, although I doubted he could forget.
We’d spent so much time at the fort—doing homework, or watching the stars in the winter when the trees lost most of their leaves. We’d snuggle under a blanket together and Caiden would tell fables he’d heard from his youth. Tales about mythical beings called sentries and the two realms they guarded. His stories were always so extraordinary, albeit a bit dark when he’d describe the Realm of Death. I’d listen with my eyes closed and lose myself in his words, watching the narrative play in my mind like a movie.
Before entering the woods, I stopped at the butterfly garden and watched a few plump caterpillars eat their way up a milkweed plant. Soon, they’d form chrysalises and reemerge as butterflies. The transformation was almost magical.
“Eat up, little caterpillars,” I told them before entering the woods.
The trail leading to the fort was overgrown but passable. I meandered around saw palmetto and pine trees, crunching mounds of dead leaves under my low-top Converse sneakers.
The pine and oak incensing the air had me breathing deeper. Birds chirped and a squirrel climbed the branches of a nearby tree. Ahead, a bunny nibbled on a leaf until it spotted me and hopped away.
When I reached the end of the trail, I pushed a palm frond aside and stepped into the clearing.
A tall oak stood proud in the center, even though part of its strong branches had been covered with boards. From this vantage point, the eight-foot-wide square platform looked small.
