Page 41 of Burned By Sin
“She mentioned last night,I sign.How would she even know?”
Addy frowns, her eyes lifting in thought. “She’s probably bluffing. Gossip spreads fast around here, especially with your name attached.”Her lips soften into a small smile. “Don’t let her make you doubt yourself.”
Flopping back in the beanbag, I inhale slowly through my nose. She’s right. Klara thrives on attention and on getting reactions. It’s what gets her through each day. I know that what I have with Rhys is real, whether the rest of the world wants to accept it or not.
The tension in my shoulders finally starts to fade. I watch thesunlight spilling through the library’s domed skylight, realizing how much I’ve missed coming here. The smell of paper draws out memories of safety and comfort. Addy nudges my foot, her smile patient as if she’s waiting for something.
“You still owe me the juicy details,” she signs. I groan, rolling my eyes, but the laughter that bubbles up feels lighter this time.
“You’re relentless,” I say out loud, shaking my head. Going back to signing, I keep the conversation to ourselves. You never know who is listening in around here.“Clay is a private person. He won’t want his business shared all over campus.”
“It’s hardly all over campus. It’s just me,”Addy pouts. I grin, but make no move to fill in the gaps she’s asking for. Addy is the closest friend I have, but she has more influence than she thinks. She’s popular amongst certain crowds, and not the best at keeping secrets. The small voice in my mind is warning me against oversharing. I just want to keep this for myself.
“Okay fine,”Addy holds up her hands in defeat.“Can I at least ask how Clayton is doing? After the whole locker thing, then leaving and then coming back. I’m kind of Team Clay over here.”
“Really? I hadn’t noticed,”I narrow my eyes, my expression dripping with sarcasm. Relenting, I sit upright and twist my lips.“He’s okay. He makes slight headway and then reverts back into himself. Sometimes it feels like it’s two steps forward, five steps back with him. But he’s here, and he’s not letting Rhys push him around.”
Catching Addy’s frown, I lick my lips, worrying that I’ve said too much. Guilt slithers along my spine, cold enough to make me wrap my arms around myself. So much for Clay’s privacy. It must be impossible for him to work on himself when Rhys is always around, ready to put him down again. I’m the reason Clay is in Rhys’ orbit, and vice versa. I should make more effort to smooth out their differences. Waving my hand through the air, I reset the conversation.
“We’re all works in progress. No matter what I’ve gotten myself into, it’ll work itself out in the end.”
Still, Addy doesn’t look convinced. She nudges herself forward, balancing on the edge of her beanbag to reach across and squeeze my arm. Like a light has turned on behind her eyes, her face brightens and the smile she gives me in nothing short of manic.
“Leave it with me. I have an idea.”
Chapter Twenty Five
I pull up outside Rhys’ house in my truck, the orange paint reflecting the sun’s rays. It’s supposed to be clear skies and somewhat warmer today, or in the very least, not snowing. At least, that’s what Addy told me, after thumping on my door with a picnic basket in hand and strict orders.
I don’t know much about Harper’s roommate, especially her feelings towards me or her intentions. Perhaps she’s enjoying watching the sitcom that is Harper’s life, but I won’t say no to having Harper to myself. In fact, it couldn’t have come at a better time.
Right on cue, Harper appears, leaving Rhys’ house with a bounce in her step. A lilac dress skims her thighs beneath her black leather jacket. Her hair is braided over her shoulder for a change, the pink ends bouncing with each step in her biker boots. Noticing me, her green eyes narrow as her smile grows, curious but happy to play along as she nears the truck.
“Hop in, Beautiful. We’re going on a date.” She reads my lips as they move, her head tilting.
“I thought I was meeting Addy for a girl’s afternoon?” she queries, leaning against my open window on her forearms. I lean down to kiss her temple with a shrug.
“You’ve been set up, but I’ll try my best to talk about boys and compare breast sizes.” A laugh bubble of laughter bursts from her and she bops me on the nose.
“Oh Clay. Luckily for you, I’m not that kind of girl.” Rounding the truck, she hops into the passenger seat and dives into her bag for her receivers. I watch her click them into place with a small snap, marveling in her quiet resilience for the hundredth time. Even in the midst of a faceless threat, she still manages to find a smile for me. Just before I press on the accelerator, a figure leans in the house doorway, Rhys silently delivering threats across the distance with his eyes. I make sure to throw up a middle finger as we speed away.
“What is this place?” Harper blinks up, eyes wide with wonder at the scene before us. Greenery bursts through rocky outcrops on either side of a roaring waterfall. A wide stream rushes by, broken by giant stones that act as stepping paths toward the manmade woodlands on the far side. Overhead, a glass dome encloses the lush foliage, shielding it from the winter chill. Along the far wall of the dome, a massive image has been pasted against the glass, a seamless illusion of endless fields and forests stretching to the horizon.
“They’re calling it the Terra Nova Project,” I say with a grin, impressing myself. “It’s an education center for environmental sustainability.”
Reaching for her hand, I pull her onto the first rock and help her hop across the stream. With the picnic basket hooked in my arm, I drop from stone to stone, steadying her waist every chance I get. She doesn’t complain. Not even when I use both hands to pull her close, any excuse to touch her after what I saw the other night. Rhys claims Harper as if he has every right to, so why shouldn’t I?
“This isawesome, Clay,” Harper says, keeping her hand in mine even when she doesn’t need to anymore.
“I can’t take the credit. Addy planned the whole thing.”
We follow a marked trail through the trees, no words needed. Birds sing overhead in the thick canopy, the shade breaking up the soft, filtered sunlight. The air smells green and alive, unlike anything from my old neighborhood, where even weeds didn’t bother fighting the concrete. Even the raccoons knew better than to dig through our trash. They’d starve before finding anything worth stealing.
The trail climbs upward, each step providing me with a dangerously good view of Harper’s creamy thighs. It’s a form of torture. I grab a water bottle from the basket and hand it to her, trying to play it cool. Her responding smile is everything. My gaze lingers long enough to follow the path of water as it slides down her throat, leaving me torn between pushing her against the nearest tree and reminding myself not to screw this up by moving too fast. Wavershit is the one who’s going to burn out quick. I’m the one who’s going to stay the course.
Reaching the top of a slope, we find ourselves above the waterfall we’d seen upon entering. Couples are scattered across the grassy overlook, picnicking on blankets just like we’re planning to do. I steer Harper toward a quiet patch, away from curious eyes.
“You hungry?” she asks, pulling the checked blanket from the basket and giving it a little shake.
