Page 127 of Red

“Like when we touch. It’s happened since I met you. Now it’s faint when we’re in the same room. I used it to find you.”

His face changes, and a small smile hints at the corners of his lips. “I didn’t know you felt them too.”

“It freaked me right out, actually.”

“Me too.” He laughs, and it fills me with happiness.

“Why didn’t you give Graden the books?” I ask.

The sound of water rushing grows the lower we get. My hands cling to each thin tree trunk as we walk.

“They don’t need to read them.”

“That’s it?”

“Did you think it was something else?”

“I wasn’t sure.” I lower myself and leap down onto the rocks below.

“How’d you find this?”

“Unlike you, I’ve had a lot of time to wander.” Years of time.

We step out of the trees, and Stark gasps. I smile. The waterfall isn’t ginormous, but a rock path goes right behind it. I grab his hand and walk him toward the mist. Under the falls, the noise bounces off the rocks as water flows fast over the edge from above into a pool. Farther away, the water calms and leaks into a small stream.

After Stark takes it all in, we walk past the falls, out of the noise, and onto a large rock ledge. I take a seat and pull out the snacks I brought.

“I can’t say I expected this for our first date.” He takes a bite out of the sandwich I hand him.

“You’re mad at me. I wanted to do something.” I keep my eyes on my own food, knowing his are on my face.

“I’m not,” he defends. It’s not much of a defense.

“What would you call not talking or sleeping with me then?”

“I don’t know.”

“Good answer.” I poke his shoulder. We sit in silence, mist filling the air a few feet away. I lean back and let the sun hit my face.

“It’s a lot, with the assault on the humans, which I’ve learned you were much more a part of than you said, and other things. You don’t talk to me,” he says.

“You like rules,” I say.

“I like you safe.”

Will he still like me after this?

Chapter 38

“I’m going to tell you a story.”

My explanation is ready. I prepared, this time, on the hike over. Clearing my throat with a sip of water, I stand up and move away from the large rocky ledge. Tiny bits of grass stick out along the cracks.

Stark’s eyes watch me. “A story?” He stays down on the gray rock, turning around to face me with his knees bent and arms loose around them.

“About me.” I pull in a breath and try to relax my limbs. “When I was fifteen, my entire world changed.”

“Your mom?” His eyes soften.