Page 22 of Love Off the Rocks
“Yeah, well.” Her voice wavers and I see a tear fall through the air and land on the tip of her shoe, making a dent in the dust left there by the path.
“Mags.” I tilt her face up so I can see her. “I never, ever wanted to hurt you. Or us.”
She turns her head to the side, not meeting my eyes. The tears stay in hers. I take a chance and pull her into my arms for a hug. Her slight body stiff before finally melting into me as she slides her arms around my waist and buries her face in my chest.
I use the opportunity to sniff the top of her head, something I’ve not been able to do for the last five years. I’ve missed it every day. She still smells the same. Like fruit and vanilla, and all Mags. I can’t help but wonder if she still tastes the same? Fucks the same? Moans the same when she comes? Would she still ride my dick with the same abandon?
My cock starts to harden.
She pushes away suddenly. “Oh no,” she says, circling her index finger at me. “There will be none of that.”
“None of what?”
“That. You. Your body. Your dick. Those feelings. Nope. Not happening, Devlin.” She spins and storms down the path, then immediately disappears.
11
Mags
One minute I’m in Dev’s arms, feeling safe and—dare I say—loved. Turned on at the feel of his hardening dick.
The next I’m careening down a hill.
Hill is putting it nicely.
This feels more like a cliff.
The back of my tank scrunches up as I go. Countless elements of nature poking at my back and pulling my hair. Sharp edges and broken twigs ripping my clothes. Loose rocks and dirt fill my mouth.
My only conscious thought, as I continue to fall, is this must be a mountain. I’m careening down the side of a mountain.
Heading for god knows where.
My final resting place?
Dev won’t rescue me. Not after what I’ve said, how I’ve been. I’m going to die when I reach the bottom of this—
My breath whooshes from my body like a slam to my lungs. Piercing cold envelops my limbs. Surrounding sounds muddle and fade as comprehension slowly seeps in.
Fuck.
I found the stream.
12
Mags
I grab at the shoreline to claw my way out. Pulling my head out of the water first to catch my breath. My body numbs. I thought I knew what cold was until I was submersed in a stream originating from the thaw of snow atop Mount Olympus.
I scream for Dev, not even sure if he can hear me. Or if he even cares.
Like magic, he appears. I look up to see Dev in the water, and he’s pulling me out, touching me everywhere at once.
“Are you okay? Mags? Talk to me? What happened? Are you hurt?”
“Cold.” My teeth chatter.
He half carries, half drags me up to shore, grabs my lost hoodie from atop his backpack and wraps it around me. “Let’s get you into the sun.” He tosses his backpack over his shoulder, then scoops me back into his arms and begins walking up the shoreline toward a patch of sun.
