Red Nights - Shari J. Ryan Page 0,25

It’s like the image of the fire has been burnt into my mind. Red nights; that’s what I’m left with now.” I look over at him, watching as his focus traces lines between the stars.

“I don’t see the red, but I get it.” Minutes pass as he watches the stars. I watch him. “I’ve lost someone…people too.” He rolls onto his side to face me. “I can’t say I know exactly what you’re going through, but it will get easier to accept. The pain may never go away, but you’ll become so used to it that you learn how to live with it.” He sweeps a strand of hair off of my face. “I’m not trying to sound like a know-it-all, especially since I’m still dealing with my own demons, but I’m just sharing what I’ve been told and what I’m learning. I know you’ll eventually find peace, but it may take a while. The red will eventually fade away, too.” I wish he’d tell me about his pain and why he sounds so knowledgeable on the subject. Whatever it is, it’s becoming clearer by the minute that he understands for unfortunate reasons.

“I hope so,” I say.

“I’m really glad I ran into you the other night,” he says, his voice almost getting lost in a breeze.

“And I’m sort of glad you’re not a creep,” I reply, rolling onto my side to face him.

“Only sort of glad?” Quiet laughter fills the space between us. “Are you into that sort of thing? Finding creeps in the park, then making them fall for you and those pretty blue eyes of yours.”

If he’s the creep, then yes…I’m definitely into that sort of thing.

“I don’t know. I’ve gotten kind of good at it, so maybe it is my thing.” A small smile tugs at my lips. He’s definitely making my heart ache just a little bit less; in this moment, we lock eyes—his are soft, clear, understanding—okay, maybe a lot less. His eyes have this power over me. They make it feel like the world all around me is fading away.

“Maybe it is.” His hand reaches for my face, the touch of his fingertips feathering across my cheek force chills down my spine, all the way to my toes. There’s no sound or wind between the trees now, just the whispers of his breath tickling my ears.

He leans in and I want to skip to the good part, crash my lips into his and wrap my arms around him until it’s hard to breathe. But slow is good. “Is this okay?” he asks.

I bite the corner of my lip and close my eyes. “Yes,” I whisper.

I feel him move in closer as his breath teases my mouth. “What about this?” he asks, making me ache for contact.

“Ye—” The word doesn’t have a chance to escape before his lips connect with mine, the fullness of his mouth taking in mine entirely. Everything is soft and easy at first—gentle, to test the waters. But I wrap my arms around his neck, pulling myself into him, needing every bit of his struggling breaths to mix with mine, to help me to feel whole and alive again. His hand cups the nape of my neck, the force between us intensifying as his tongue sweeps across my parting lips. The flutters in my stomach become explosive. A forgotten sensation rips through my insides, making me dizzy with emotion. My mouth welcomes his, our tongues twisting and curling together, mine exploring his mouth as his explores mine. As if we’ve discovered new life in an unexplored territory.

I liquefy against him, fitting myself between his arms, forgetting everything that has brought me to this moment and relishing in the desire of being lost here forever.

He makes me forget.

Everything.

CHAPTER SIX

I WANT TO SHUT everything off and focus on nothing but his lips, but the sun is creeping in between the blinds, bringing along a day I’m not sure I want to start. Between facing Aspen, dealing with Tanner’s dozens of texts and missed calls, and going back to work, I can already feel the panic ripping through me.

With lazy movements, I feel around for my phone on the nightstand, clicking the display, feeling my heart speed up as I scroll through the missed texts from Tanner. Each one filled with more concern than the last. Do I seem like such a flight-risk that everyone needs to keep checking up on me? It’s the last text message though that makes my heart pound. Everything