Page 127 of Enchanted Kisses
With my head down, tears fell to my dress, darkening the tulle like raindrops. I wrapped my arms around myself in a hug and rocked back and forth, praying to wake up.
A hand brushed hair from my face.
Caiden.
“Why are you still here?” I asked through tears. “Go get Raysa.”
He didn’t move. “She’s still in the Truce Realm. My father kept her there all night.”
That jogged some sense into me. “Is she okay?” I sniffled, then wiped my eyes and cheeks.
“She’s fine. Better than fine. The Truce Realm is quite amazing. While there, she and my father have to negotiate until they agree. They can’t fight or use their powers. It’s the ideal location for a collaboration between realms.”
I nodded, remembering reading that in my book.
My book!
“Will you take me home?Please. Just drop me off there, and then you can come right back here or wherever.”
Seeming reluctant, Caiden glanced at the manor rooftop in the distance.
“Forget it. Maybe someone else can do it. Is Laken still here?” I stood.
“He’s with Raysa. And she asked me to take you to her flat. But if you’d rather go elsewhere, I suppose I could do that.” He ran his hand over his mouth—something I’d never seen him do before. His features showed lines of worry or maybe exhaustion, I wasn’t sure which.
“Then let’s go.” I put my hands out to Caiden.
I tried to think about something else when his warm fingers intertwined with mine. The trickling water. The tinkling chimes. The flowers covering the bench where I’d fallen asleep. Purple and white perennials covered it and me but oddly, nothing else.
“Where to?” Caiden asked as mist swirled around us.
“Brunswick, Georgia.”
34
Kiss Me
When I opened my eyes, we stood hand in hand in my bedroom. I caught our image in the mirror above the dresser. We looked like we’d just gotten back from a wild costume party. How much simpler life would be if that were the case.
I let go of his hands, which fell to his sides like dead weight.
“You can go now,” I told him, not hiding the spite in my tone.
I opened my closet and tugged at a bag on the top shelf. Crammed in between a stack of jeans I barely wore, it sprang free and nearly hit me in the head. One of Caiden’s old T-shirts fell out, landing somewhere behind me.
I’d forgotten it was in the bag from our last camping trip. We took a few during the summer after graduation, never going far. The Jekyll Island Campground was our favorite, but on our last trip it poured and everything I brought got soaked. Caiden had one dry shirt, which he gave me to wear. I’d had it ever since.
I set the bag down and turned for the T-shirt. It laid crumpled on the floor next to Caiden’s black shoes.
“Why are you still here?” I snapped. “Don’t you have to get back toBianca?”
I grabbed the shirt and tossed it into the open bag.
Caiden pulled it out. “This is mine. How did you get it?”
He must have owned the shirt before we met or he wouldn’t have remembered it.
I snatched it from his hand. “Never mind how I got it. It’s mine now and it’s coming with me.” If he wanted it, he’d have to fight me for it.
