Page 74 of Cloudless
She laughs as my arms finally catch up with my brain and wind around her waist. “Because you’re perfect, and that scares the hell out of me.”
My fingers glide through the silky strands of hair around her face as my voice falls to a whisper. “I’m not perfect.”
She makes a disbelieving noise as the cool night air fills the space between us. “You seem pretty perfect to me. Why would you wantme, Kam? This isn’t a way for me to get you to say I’m perfect, too. I’m not. Look at my life. I’m practically a single mom to two seven-year-olds. What college hockey star in his right mind would want to dive headfirst into that?”
A smile pulls at my lips despite a piece of my heart breaking every time a fresh tear rolls down her face. My arms tighten around her so our chests are nearly touching. The need to dispel the space she’s put between us grows with every breath I take. “I guess I’m not in my right mind, then. I want it all, Sunshine. Every messy, beautiful piece.”
She shakes her head like that’s the stupidest thing she’s ever heard. Her voice holds a sadness that tears me up inside. “Why? How could you possibly want that?”
“Because I want you.” Determination shines brightly in my eyes and through my voice. “And I want those two seven-year-olds, too. I’ve decided I want you in my life. No, Ineedyou in my life. And I will do that in any way I can.” I search her eyes as I pull her closer. “Will you let me do that?”
Her eyes shutter closed before they open once again. Fresh tears stream down her face that I don’t bother wiping away. I need them to fall to my chest and brand me like I’ve been needing her to do for all these weeks.
Her eyes flicker back and forth between mine before a calmness takes control of her. She sags against my chest and lets out a deep breath. “Okay. But only if you’re sure.”
“I’ve never been more sure of anything.” I push a few stray strands of hair out of her face. “Now that we’ve got that settled. Are you ready to eat?”
She wipes a few lingering tears from her cheeks as a smile breaks through her darkness. “I was born ready.”
CHAPTER 33
JUST THE WIND
LILA
A chill runs down my spine as the bushes on my side of the truck rustle. We’ve been up here long enough for me to know it’s not from the gentle breeze that’s blowing through my hair.
My spine turns ramrod straight as my eyes swivel around in the darkness. “Did you hear that?”
The darkness cloaks the trees in a moonlit silhouette as I inch toward the safety Kam provides. I was thankful for the dim lamp Kam brought when my only thought was stargazing. Now I wish for a police grade spotlight to illuminate the trees.
I shiver as Kam chuckles next to me. “It’s just the wind. Nothing to worry about.”
I clench my teeth as the sound happens again. “You are so full of shit, Kamden Stryker. That isnotthe wind.” I whimper as the sound moves farther to my right. An involuntary squeak escapes my lips as I plaster my side to Kam’s.
His answering chuckle vibrates through me as he slips his arms around my waist. His soft voice against my ear sends another round of chills down my spine for an entirely different reason. “Yeah, you’re right. I don’t think that’s the wind.”
My mind briefly flashes to our empty Tupperware containers sitting abandoned by our feet as my voice falls to a strainedwhisper. “Do you think our food attracted some bears or something?”
The secure pressure of his arms at my waist offers only momentary relief from my anxiety before a shuffling sound coming from the tree line threatens my sanity.
The reflection of two eyes staring right at me from the trees sends a bolt of panic through me. I squirm backwards until my butt is nestled firmly on Kam’s lap. His hand slips over my mouth to contain the scream that’s begging to be set free as the eyes disappear into the dense trees.
His breath tickles my ear as he makes shushing sounds as the eyes multiply around us. “It’s okay.” Faint silhouettes of tall creatures move through the trees as our single lamp illuminates the edge of the dark void.
His hand muffles my words as I tuck my legs to my chest. “Nothing about this is okay.”
A smile lifts his voice that I find wholly inappropriate for our current situation. “Just trust me.”
Even with his hand over my mouth and arms around my waist, I turn on his lap to get a good look at his eyes. The humor I find in them relieves some of the anxiety in mine.
His chuckle vibrates through me as he whispers, “Don’t look at me like that. You’re going to like our visitors. I promise.” I want to ask how he can promise such a thing when he inclines his head toward the tree line. “Just wait.”
I roll my eyes as I reluctantly focus my attention back on the tree line. My ears ring as I fight my body's natural instinct to tuck tail and run the hell away from the scary creatures in the woods.
I nearly jump out of my skin as the click of Kam turning the lamp off reverberates through me. The accusatory glare I shoot over my shoulder is lost to the darkness that envelopes us like ink.
The shuffling sounds grow more numerous now that the blanket of darkness stretches through the small clearing.
