Page 139 of Soul So Dark
Slowly, Jesse reaches for my hand again. I let him draw me in, and at the last second, he turns me around and pulls my back to his chest. He wraps one arm around my stomach and crosses the other over my shoulders, and as soon as he envelopes me in his warmth, I remember the Shapeshift show back in high school, and I remember exactly how he felt. But I can’t tell whether it’s eerie or serendipitous. Because I also remember the last time that I was in this clearing, and then what happened out in the woods.
How many kids have come up here since that night to park their cars and drink and play games likeManhunt?It’s like stepping through a portal; the dense trees are still pitch black like the maw of a giant monster, the night breeze still smells the same, and the rusted out burn barrel lays on its side on the far end of the overlook.
But after all this time, maybe this is where I’m supposed to be…with him.
“So,” Jesse murmurs against my temple, “what happened to you?”
“My sister died.” It comes out as a quiet, monotone statement. It’s been years, but I still decide to leave the murder part for another time.
“I have a sister, too,” he replies softly.
I’m relieved that he shifts the focus back to himself.
“Are you all close?”
“Practically the same person, except she can be even meaner than I am.”
I turn to look up at him. “Are you mean?”
The residual glow from the distant light pole casts a glint in his eye. “Sometimes, but only when someone tries to take what’s mine.”
He presses his lips to my cheek, lingering there before trailing slow kisses down my jawline. A jolt of electricity shoots through my belly all the way down to my legs as his fingers move across my throat and over my breastbone, dipping past the edge of my shirt. But then I turn and take a step back.
Then another…and another…
There’s a spark behind his eyes as he starts after me, matching my pace. “Did I scare you, Dallas?”
A smile dances across my lips as I shake my head and continue backtracking across the gravel.
“Are you going to run from me?”
I’m not on the track team anymore, but I’m probably still faster than you,I laugh to myself.
My eyes dart to the trees.
“I wouldn’t,” he warns.
“Why not?” Maybe I want to see what it’s like running through those woods again. Maybe this time I won’t be afraid.
“Because you don’t know what’ll happen when I catch you.”
I hesitate for a moment, and then lunge to the side. But I don’t tear across the clearing into the woods. Instead, I wait for Jesse’s impeccable reflexes as he swings his arm out, catching me around the waist. I let out a cackle as he jerks me to his chest and lifts me off the ground.
“Nice fake-out,” he chuckles as he lumbers toward my car, still holding me in his vice grip.
My back hits the Civic and I wrap my arm around his neck, pulling his lips to mine. He smells really good—like spearmint—and he tastes even better.
“Can I go home with you?” Jesse murmurs between kisses.
Absolutely.
I rake my fingers through his hair, pulling back slightly. “Are you going to disappear after?”
There’s no way I’m letting that happen this time.
“Not if you ask me to stay.” He presses me harder against the car. “But I changed my mind, I’m not waiting to get to your house.”
He reaches for the door handle and jerks it open. As soon as he lowers me back down, I turn and duck into the back seat. The door slams shut and Jesse grabs me behind the knee. My back hits the seat and he comes down on top of me like a wave crashing on a beach. I dig my fingertips into the muscles on his back and pull him closer, relishing the feeling of his body against mine as my tongue dances with his.
