Page 57 of River & Rue

“Hey, you’re okay.”

I draw her trembling body against mine and pass my palm over her tangled hair and down her spine. I repeat the movement until her breathing deepens and her shaking eases. When she loops her arms around me and relaxes, I feel like a lunar halo encircling my very own moon.

Resting my cheek on her head, I give myself a moment to marvel at how she feels. How she fits.

“I’m okay? Promise?”

The words puff warmly right over my heart, and the organ kicks like it wants to break out and jump into her mouth.

“I swear it. Dan found that tin last week and ate two of the gummies thinking they were weed. He said it was a mellow trip, so yours should be even mellower.”

Her face nuzzles into my chest. “I thought LSD came on tab thingies or sugar cubes. Like in the movies.”

I nod. “It’s much more common and probably why the gummies aren’t very potent. Kirk might have done it on purpose to avoid having someone take too much. Either way, he’s an asshole for not labeling them.”

“Yeah, eff that guy! I’m super-duper mad at him.”

Her arms fall lax around my waist. I can’t convince myself to let go of her yet, so when she leans back to look at me, her hips press firmly to mine. Her spine arches, the gaping robe offering an unobstructed view of her barely contained breasts and hard nipples pressing against the thin material of her bathing suit.

I close my eyes tightly.

Kirk’s feet, Kirk’s feet, Kirk’s feet.

“It makes sense now,” she says, breathy and soft.

Steeling myself, I look down at her. Her pupils are fully blown, only a thin ring of blue around the edges.

“What does?”

“Why you’re so sparkly.”

I smile at the awe in her voice. “That’s a normal effect of the drug. It’s called halos or aura.”

Her eyes round. “Auras? Like what Ivy sees?”

I shake my head, huffing laughter. “I don’t think so.”

“She said my aura was explosive.”

“That doesn’t surprise me at all.”

Rue lets loose an unhinged giggle, the effervescent sound making me feel high. She grabs my face in her warm palms, forcefully moves my cheeks around, then smooshes them toward my mouth.

“River, River, River. Your aura is raining and your eyes are gold glitter. You smell like sugar and lemons and trees.” She frowns. “That was supposed to rhyme.”

She pulls my lower lip down and lets it snap against my teeth, then does it four more times in rapid succession. I could easily let her do this all night, but we have a long walk ahead of us. I need to get her home before the hallucinations peak.

I capture her hand, tamping down a smile when she pouts.

“I think it’s time we head to the cabin. Sound good?”

The pout reverts to a grin and her arms rocket into the air. A fist misses my chin by millimeters.

“Adventure time!”

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