AllFreeNovel
Share Us
I’ve never felt so alive.
“Be careful,” Xi says as I sit beside him. “No barriers here.”
When I’m finally sitting on the edge, I realize there’s something under us. Another layer of cliff that would catch us if we slipped. It’s not as dangerous as I thought it would be and I feel myself relaxing.
I play with some pebbles next to me, both of us listening to the falls for a few minutes.
“You said you had a bad day.” My voice is a little raspy, but he hears me even over the sound of crashing water because he’s listening.
That’s the thing with this man. He listens. It’s beautiful and dangerous, as I must constantly be careful what I wish for.
“Yeah,” he huffs. He removes his hat to rake his fingers through his hair before settling it back on.
“Would you like to talk about it?” In the dark of the evening and the noise of the fall, I hope he will allow himself to open up to me. He thinks that I can’t handle it. He thinks I probably wouldn’t last a minute in his world, with his problems. He’s right, but I can still be here for him.
His hand grabs mine on the dusty ground, his fingers threading through my own. “Bad things are happening on the North Shore. Things that put everyone in danger.”
There’s always somethingthingshould define, and Xi is avoiding that on purpose.
For a minute here, I had forgotten that this beautiful piece of paradise is on the North Shore of the falls. His reminder twists my stomach.
“Are you involved in them?” I ask in a whisper.
I know what Xi does. I know he’s a dealer. Ultimately, it’s not the end of the world. Illegal, yes, but surely just a pawn in a big game. He’s not part of any of the gangs that plague the North Shore with dangerous activities.
Or I would know…right?
His lack of response makes me doubt. “Xi,” I ask with a tone that betrays my fear. “You’re not…you’re not involved, right? In the…stuffthat is dangerous.” For lack of a better word, and considering I’m too ignorant to know, that’s as thorough as my question can be.
We hear all sorts of sordid stories in Stoneview, and it’s hard to always differentiate stupid rumors from what truly happens in this town. All we really know is that there are two gangs, and they’re both as bad as the other.
Ignoring my question, he stares at the silver water below us. “Are you really that scared of the North Shore?”
Deciding that if one of us starts being honest it would help us move forward, I go for the truth. “Yes. I have bad memories here.”
He doesn’t ask me what. He simply takes it in silently.
“Sometimes,” he says low. “It scares me too.”
I feel my muscles tense at the admission. “Because of what could happen to you?”
He shakes his head. “Because of the man it’s turning me into.”
I put a hand on his cheek, forcing him to look at me. “One place doesn’t define you. It’s who you are inside, your hopes and dreams, that do.”
He snorts, his eyes darting away. “They’ve all been crushed, Alex. All that’s left is bitterness.”
“Good thing I’m as sweet as a cupcake, then, isn’t it?” I smile, giving him the kindness he so desperately needs.
Without warning, Xi grabs my waist and pulls me onto his lap.
This conversation is over, just because he decided so. A glimpse of how he truly feels inside, and he’s done opening up to me.
“You’re wearing leggings,” he whispers as his hand slides under my trench coat and his thumb goes under the elastic waistband of my leggings. “I prefer skirts.”
“I can’t wear skirts all the time. Leggings are more comfortable, and I look fine in them.”
“You look perfect in anything, baby.” His hand slides under my leggings and my underwear. “I’m talking about access to your beautiful pussy.”
