I roll my eyes and mutter, “The thought has crossed my mind.”
Then, to myself, I add, “Both of them.”
I swear he hears me by the way his eyes light up. Needing some distance to gather myself, I say over my shoulder, “Don’t keep up,” as I race down the steps of Taeolyn.
The courtyard is empty this early in the morning; the only sound is the crunch of gravel beneath my shoes. I push myself into a punishing pace, desperately trying and failing to outpace Anders. In all the years I have attended this academy, I have never once seen him run, yet here he is, annoyingly keeping up with me, stride for stride.
At least he’s quiet. It seems we both get lost in our own thoughts, with only the rhythm of our breathing breaking the stillness. I navigate through the trails that I know as well as my own heartbeat,having spent eleven years familiarizing myself with every twist and turn. The silence between us gives me time to process the events from last night.
As I replay each moment with astonishing clarity, my confusing emotions only grow. The way his intense gaze seared every inch of me, the unspoken tension building between us, and the way our mouths hovered just within reach. He wanted me just as much as I wanted him. If those students hadn’t interrupted, we would have kissed. So why did he treat me like that? It doesn't make any sense. The more I think about whatever emotion he’s hiding, whatever keeps him locked away behind a mask of indifference, the more it fuels my desire to draw it out of him.
It might be hypocritical of me, but it’s maddening. I know I’m doing the same thing; hiding my feelings and pretending to hate him when I’m just annoyed at him…at myself, but I’ll admit there’s something between us, something far beyond a typical Bond. Whatever it is, it’s intense and all-consuming. Something that keeps drawing us together, no matter how hard we push away.
One of these days, neither of us will be able to ignore it anymore. The constant back and forth, the facades of hatred and annoyance, and the boundaries we’ve built between us will all come crashing down. And I think that day is coming sooner than either of us is prepared for.
The cool breeze kisses my skin as I work myself into a sweat, my sports bra doing little to soak up the sweat beading up and sliding down my spine. Still, I push myself harder, faster, willing each of my pounding steps to drive away the unrelenting, tiresome thoughts.
We run past all the other dorms on our left, and just beyond the wards, I know there’s a trail that leads around the backside of the lake. I don’t bother alerting Anders to my plan to leave the protection of the school grounds. He can follow me or not.
I feel the wards cling to me as I run through, as if checking my identity, before releasing me. I shudder, shaking off the sticky feeling as I keep going, continuing along the hidden trail.
Our footsteps feel louder out here as I find the rocky footpath tothe lake, slowing down only so I don’t roll my ankle on the uneven ground. I miss running at home. The forest floors on Kyrr are spongy from constant rainfall. Here, the ground is packed and dry, and my joints rebel against me.
It’s a good thing Aolyn and I have separate bathing chambers, because the amount of time I spend soaking my muscles at night would never give her time to shower.
The path veers right, shrinking to the width of my shoulders. Large boulders line each side, winding up a hillside to overlook the lake below. I don’t bother looking back—not here. It’s too risky.
I reduce my pace to a slow jog. I can feel the heat of Anders behind me, but he remains silent nonetheless. I shouldn’t be scared out here, but running in the gray light of dawn isn’t the safest idea either.
Baedyn not only has Aticats, but several other creatures that could find me high on the food chain, especially with my height. White lions with wings and beaks were also said to roam here once upon a time, although I don't believe in folklore. Nevertheless, most stories contain some element of truth.
Ahead of me, a shadow of a creature on all fours sulks off the path, its form momentarily coalescing before turning to fix a large pair of yellow eyes on me. My heart hammers as fear grips me, and I let out a piercing scream that echoes off the boulders. In a split second, my feet lose their grip, sliding helplessly on the gravel as I flail backward. Just as I brace for impact, a slick, solid stomach breaks my fall.
Holy shit.
Anders chuckles softly above me. “Scared of foxes?” he teases, his eyes sparkling as he looks down at me, my body braced awkwardly against him.
A fox?My mind struggles to reconcile the creature I thought I saw with a measly fox.
As Anders helps me regain my footing, his hands glide over my bare skin, trailing a current of warmth and emotions that sends a jolt through me. I take a moment to steady my breath, glancing back along the path, searching for the animal.
I swear it wasn’t a fox.I shake my head, blaming my lack of sleep.
Surely, I would recognize a fox. I often see them in the forest near my home. I draw in another shaky breath as my disbelief claws at me. It couldn’t have been.
“Want me to check?” he offers, placing a hand on my shoulder. My shoulder instinctively rises, shaking him off as I nod. Our bodies brush against each other as we switch places on the path. I extend my hands, awkwardly attempting to flatten my body as we pivot.
Once we’re both back on the path, Anders faces me with an annoying smirk playing on his lips. He tsks. “Who knew she was scared of foxes?” he muses. “I thought it was just?—”
Before he can finish, he stumbles backward. In a reflexive attempt to catch him, I reach out only to find myself pulled down atop him. We both emit a grunting noise as Anders falls, and I land squarely onto his solid frame.
“Oh my gods.” I press my palms into his very bare, well-defined chest. “Are you okay?” My voice comes out strained with concern as I search him for signs of injury.
“There’s a...boulder...there,” he groans between gritted teeth. His strong hands wrap around my hips, his fingers pressing into my lower back, holding me in place. “Are you okay? Sorry, I didn’t mean to pull you down.”
I nod, feeling a rush of embarrassment as I attempt to shift my knee to ease myself off him. Instead, I accidentally nail him squarely between the legs. He curses softly, his grip only tightening on my hips as a pained expression deepens his features. My hand slips on his slick, warm chest, bringing us flush once more. The closeness sets my heart racing for all the wrong reasons.
“Shit. Sorry.” My cheeks flush in embarrassment as I fumble for the right words. “That was totally an accident.” He has his eyes tightly shut, one hand draped over his mouth as he groans, yet somehow, he maintains a steady grip on me. “Sorry,” I whisper, hoping to reassure him amidst the awkwardness.
