Broken but not lost

Chapter 29, FLYNN

It's been 4 months since the massacre of Briars' people.

We buried Freya under the only tree to be found, after, she eventually forgave me.

We never found Neo's body, even after looking at every face in the bloody pile of bodies.

We only stopped looking when Briar said we looked enough. She still hates herself for giving up, but I know that he was gone for good if he wasn't in that mess.

Somewhere along the way, I think she realized that as well, but won't admit it.

Her smile has dimmed. It's still beautiful... but not the same as it was. No matter what I say or do, it hasn't been the same since that night.

She burned Kai's body. I laid him in his own bonfire and handed Briar the match. I had never seen her look so relieved.

As if she knew she was on my mind, Briar appears behind me, kissing down my neck. "What are you thinking about?" She asks against my skin.

I groan as she sucks on the sweet spot where my shoulder meets my neck. "Well now I can't remember if I tried." I tease.

"Mm." She mumbles. "At least now I know I'm the only thing you're thinking of."

I grab the arm wrapped around my front and spin her onto my lap. "You're always the only thing I'm thinking of." I say, giving her thigh a squeeze as I go in for a kiss.

She stops me with a finger to my lips. I cross my eyes to look down at it, then back up to her blue eyes. "Put my shoes on first." She grins.

I sigh, picking her up easily and sliding her next to me. I grab her boots, kneeling before her and propping one foot up and slip one on her foot, I tie the laces, then move on to the next. "You know..." I start, "all this ordering me around won't last for much longer. Not when I get you under me again." I say the last sentence as I tug her closer to me.

She gasps at the movement and it's music to my ears. She smirks at my statement and leans down to kiss me.

We haven't had sex since the night before everything happened, which I don't mind.

We tease each other, touch each other, but nothing more than a hand against cloth.

Every time we almost take it further, she hesitates; which is enough for me to know she's not ready. Whenever that happens, I pull her into me and hold her until the urge for us each goes away, or at least until one of us falls asleep.

She seems grateful for it, so I know I'm at least doing that right.

It is odd because she seems horny all the time, but I can't really blame her. After everything she's been through, she deserves to know she has a choice in whether we move things further or not.

If she stops, I stop. If she goes, I go. If I'm unsure of what she wants, she directs me, showing me it's okay.

I never take it further than she wants.

Finishing our kiss, Briar stands and drags me up with her by the collar of my shirt. She pecks my lips before tapping my chest and turning. "Let's go hunting, shall we?" She says.

She begins walking and I follow behind her, picking up my spear as she does the same. I stomp out the miniature fire we have going, and follow her lead out of the motel.

We finally found a small city, on both sides of the border, and chose where we would stay until we could figure out what we wanted to do.

It wasn't far from my own capital, but far enough.