The next morning I am greeted by birdsong and a gentle rustling in the draping curtain of willow branches that surround us. My eyes flutter open. I haven’t been asleep, not exactly. It’s more like a period of extended relaxation. Something I didn’t discover until Sam taught me to close my eyes and drift away.
He stirs beside me, and I peek at him when I think he’s not looking, just a quick sideways glance. He’s studying the river, soft brown eyes serious, watching it crash against the rocks. The sun is bright today, and the tree branches above our heads sway in a slight breeze, sending rippling shadows over his face. They paint a halo over his brown curls. He was so comforting last night. His arms around me, solid and reassuring, chasing away the horrible images my mind insisted on dredging up again and again.
A faint blush colors my cheeks at the thought of how nervous I’d been last night. How we had slowly graduated from hand holding…to this. To me being cradled in his arms.
He turns his head, catches me looking and smiles. I fidget and look away, looking at my feet, at the river, at the tall trees around us. Anything to keep him from seeing how self conscious I am. What does he see when he looks at me? What if he regrets it now, what if he doesn’t want me to stay with him again? I can’t stand another night in the house…
He says, “What are you thinking right now? This very minute.”
I hesitate.“ I just wanted to say…thanks for letting me stay with you. I can’t stay in that house again. I just can’t do it. Even if I don’t sleep…”
He says eagerly, “Don’t then. Stay with me, every night.”
His arms tighten around me, sending a pleasant chill all through me.
“Really?” I smile at him and then duck my head, feeling suddenly shy. Maybe it will always be this way. Maybe I can sleep by his side in the grass every night.“Thanks.”
“Of course.” He sounds happy. “It’s lonely here too, so I’m glad of the company.”
I think of him waiting by the river for seven years, all alone, and tears sting my eyes.
Finally I force myself to look at him, to meet his dark eyes. “I don’t know why you waited for me.”
He looks startled. “You think you’re not worth it?”
I fidget, running my fingers over the soft fabric of my sweater, avoiding his gaze as he stares down at me. “Not for seven years.”
“Breanna…”
I feel gentle fingers under my chin. He tilts my face up so I have to meet his eyes. “You are worth it. Worth every second.”
His hand on my face stirs a flutter of actively in my stomach, and it’s suddenly hard to catch my breath. His soft brown eyes are on mine. We’re so close that his breath tickles my cheek. Then he leans in and brushes my lips with his, sending tingles over my skin, creating a deep ache in my chest when he pulls away.
I find my voice now, even if it’s a little shaky. “I’m glad you did.”
Sam smiles, and he leans in and kisses me again. This time the kiss is deeper, firmer. His mouth is hot on mine, and I run my fingers through his dark curls, losing myself to the sensation.
When I start to get up later he begs me to stay, asks if we can spend the day together. I know I should be concentrating on trying to contact my parents, but it’s almost impossible to resist him. I don’t know if I want to.
We spend the day together picking out shapes in the clouds, lying in the cool grass, dipping our toes in the river. I haven’t been this happy in weeks. Even while I was alive.
YOU ARE READING
Shoot Me Down
Horror"I am going to haunt you forever." That's the promise that Breanne makes her killer. He cannot dump her body in the river and simply have his crime washed away. The detectives assigned to her case can't seem to pin anything on him, and her parents a...
