[ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]
.I draped a blanket over him, shoved the guitar under the bed, and turned off the lights.I laid next to him, cozying up to his side, and shut my eyes.Listened to his light breathing, matching my own to meet it.But, like the nights before, I didn’t want to sleep.Didn’t want to see Scott leave me again.At some point I drifted off, only to be awoken a short time later by a humming.It took a moment for my head to register it was Scott murmuring into my neck.I feigned sleep, trying to catch his words, but they were unclear and too soon he’d finished.Left a kiss at my hairline.His arms slid around my waist and he pressed his body tight against mine.The contact warm.Loving.What am I missing here?Late into the night, I peeled back the blanket, found my bag, and snuck out the backyard.I took Lily for a short walk, and then curled up with her in the shed.The light worked in here, though covered in webs.From my bag I pulled out a book, and though the idea was to read, the words on the page swirled and merged into thoughts of Scott.His holding me—how could he be so distant and at the same time so not? I want to understand.Something was wrong, and I wanted to help make it right.I must have fallen to sleep, because the next thing I knew, Lily barked and my neck cricked as I jumped.She waggled her tail and nudged the food bowl with her nose.“Right, right.Just a sec.Jeez, my limbs are stiff.” I got up and fed her.Rounded up her leash, ready to take her for a walk.A loud yell came from the house, freezing me to the spot.Scott!Leaving everything behind, I raced into the house.Took the stairs two—three at a time.His room was empty.“Scott?”A loud banging came from across the hall.I came into the room and stopped.The sewing machine lay broken on the floor.Scott next to it, clothes piled in his arms, eyes shut.Shit.“Scott?”He looked up at me with a deep breath.“Thought… your bag… gone.You’re here.”“Of course I’m here.” I sunk to my knees next to him, cradled his head to my chest.I love you.I love you.I love you.Dizzied with concern and confusion, I kissed his forehead, lifted his chin and seeked his gaze.“Trust me, Scotty.Please tell me what’s going on.”He let out a contorted half-sob and pushed himself closer to me.His heavy breaths were warm through my top.“Please, Scotty.”He pulled back, shaking his head.“You wouldn’t wish it on me.”Huh? “What wouldn’t I wish?”“You wouldn’t wish it on your worst enemy.You’d never wish it on me.” He kicked his foot against the broken machine.“Not any other way.Never.You…” Another sob.“As much as I loathe the situation.I really love her.Thought she was getting better.Fixed my pants.But—but…” he stared at the clothes now in his lap.“I don’t understand,” I said, my frown growing.“I’m here to listen.Take a deep breath—start again.”“No, I can’t tell you.”“Yes you can, Scott.We work through things together.Not this way.Don’t let me see you struggling alone.Don’t push me away.It hurts.”Scott bowed his head.Sat silent.Then in a broken, frightened whisper he spoke, “These are his.She’s fixing his clothes.She still needs me and I’m—and I’m—”“What?” I probed gently.He looked up, met my eyes, his own rimmed with tears.The words fell, barely audible off his tongue.“I’m turning invisible.”Chapter FourteenSCOTTSHOULDN'T HAVE SAID a thing.Rune looked stunned.At loss for words.But the shock lasted only a moment.He curled his head to his chest, body shaking.Gave a strained half-cry half-sigh with an edge to it I couldn’t place.He fell back onto the clothes and floor where he suddenly let out a viscous gut-wrenching sob.I sidled closer to him.Through squinted eyes, Rune looked at me.“I’m so, so relieved.”Relieved? Had he misheard? “What— ?”He pulled me into an almost violent hold.Whispered in my ear, words that had me holding my breath.“You’re not turning invisible, Scotty.”“What? But—”Again he interrupted me, this time with a kiss.“I didn’t suck my aura back in.Lily ran off before I could do that.That invisibility—it doesn’t last.Same with the locket.When it’s just me, or around you, I don’t think about sucking it in so much, since we both can see everything anyway.”His words sounded as if they came from far off, I wasn’t sure I could believe them.“So,” I said, tentatively, “Lily’s not invisible?”Rune jumped up off the floor.Pulled me up and dragged me with him downstairs to Lily in the backyard.He handed me the line.“Let’s introduce her to your mom.”With nervous steps, I went inside.Mom was just coming out of the shower.She turned to me as I called out to her.“Yes, Scott?”Her gaze dropped to Lily, but she didn’t say a thing.“So… me and Rune got a dog.”“I see that.What’s it doing inside?”“Lily.I wanted to show her to you.”Mom nodded, her gaze searching for floor.Lily snuggled into my legs, a comforting pressure.“Just as long as you keep it out back.”“Lily.Her.” But my insistence was lost in my tone—light, like Rune’s laugh: relieved.She’s not invisible.I’m not next.We returned to the garden.Dropped onto the bench outside, with Lily still at my side.Rune fidgeted with his thumbs, and I knew he was working up to ask something.His dark gaze met mine.“I need to understand something.”I inclined my head, my heart slowing at his serious expression.“Why didn’t you trust me to talk about this earlier? Because I’ve been agonizing for weeks what went wrong between us.I couldn’t understand what I’d done.I thought—think I might be losing you.”“What! ” my voice came out a yell.“No, Rune.No—never.”“You were so distant.Hardly touched me.I—”Now it was my turn to interrupt him.I stole his hand, yanking him off the bench.Charged off the property, past the jeep, down the road.I didn’t know why I needed to walk—just that I did
[ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]