“I think that’s a great idea,” he says as I make a promise to myself and to all the children who have been affected by this monster that I will not stop hunting until he’s buried 10 feet under.
----------
We sit in silence as we watch the afternoon sunset and watch the day quickly turn to night. The heat in the air disappears so we make our way over to the campfire.
After a quick dinner of...I don’t really know what it was, to tell the truth, we sit side by side around the fire soaking up the heat. A nervous expression crosses Rylan’s face as he quickly looks to me then back to the fire.
“What’s up?” I ask with a smirk, loving that I’m finally able to start reading him.
He digs into his pocket and pulls out a long silver chain before holding it out and dropping it into my hand. He watches me as I study the chain and a flutter begins circling my stomach. “Is that a safety bullet?” I ask referring to the lump of twisted metal that’s hanging off the end of the chain.
“Yes,” he states flatly.
Watching the confusion on my face, he digs into his pocket and pulls out two more bullets. Holding one up, he says. “This is the bullet from the first time I ever shot a gun. I’ve kept it as a reminder of where I started and how far I’ve come. This,” he says, holding the other one out, “is the bullet from the first time I got shot. I like to think it helps to keep me grounded. I guess it’s a way to remind me that I’m not invincible and to always keep learning.”
“Okay,” I say, knowing he has more to say. “We’re coming back to the whole you got shot thing.”
He rolls his eyes and indicates toward the bullet in my hand. “Do you remember the first time you shot a gun?”
“Ha. yes,” I scoff. “I wasn’t holding it correctly and got the worst kickback. My shoulder was aching all week.”
“I know, I saw it, it was awful,” he laughs. “Anyway,” he continues, pointing towards the bullet in my hand. “That’s your first bullet.”
The strangest feeling flutters through me as I stare down at the bullet in my hand, which he has gone to the effort of making into a chain. “And you’ve just been holding on to it all this time?”
He avoids my question as he looks away. “I was waiting for when the meaning wouldn’t be lost on you,” he explains. “As for this,” he adds holding up his other bullet. “Let’s hope you never have to carry one of these.”
“Yeah,” I whisper to myself, looping the chain around my neck and looking down at the bullet sitting firmly against my chest. “No one has ever done something like that for me, thank you.”
“No big deal. I wanted a new way to keep you motivated,” he says, shrugging it off.
The flutter in my stomach rises high into my chest, filling it to the brim, as I take in what it is he has done for me. I lay back on the hard ground, holding my bullet firmly in my hand, gazing up at the bright, starry night. “It’s beautiful,” I whisper to myself, not sure if I’m referring to the night sky or the bullet.
Rylan turns towards me, gazing at me as the glow from the fire lights up his glorious face and highlights his hard jawline. “Yeah. It is,” he agrees and I suddenly don’t think he is referring to either the sky or the bullet.
A soft smile spreads over my lips, warming my exhausted body. “You know, you’re not as scary as you make yourself out to be,” I tell him.
“I know,” he says with a smile in his voice. “It’s just easier that way.”
“What do you mean?” I ask on a yawn.
“The boys. I’m not that much older than you guys and if I was a pushover, I never would have gained their respect.”
“I think you would have,” I counter. “It’s your skills they admire.”
“Are you suggesting I should be a little nicer?” he asks with a raised eyebrow.
I can’t help but laugh. “No,” I say. “It’s fun watching Luke and Alex crap themselves every time you look at them.”
“And you don’t?” he grins.
“Nope,” I say with a shake of my head as another yawn takes over. “I know better.”
His eyes bore into mine and something tells me he’s happy his training techniques don’t intimidate me. “Go to sleep, Bianca,” he smiles, taking his eyes from mine and looking up to the stars.
“Okay.”
I lay on my side watching as Rylan looks into the fire, lost in his own thoughts as I struggle to fall asleep. My mind reeling from the emotional roller coaster Rylan has taken me on.
Chapter 30
I struggle to fill my lungs as a weight presses down on my chest. I gasp for air as my eyes flutter open to the bright light of the early morning. His scent hits me first, closely followed by the rough sensation of his stubble itching against my shoulder as he slowly breathes in and out. His arm thrown over my chest.
Holy crap.
I roll in his arms to allow myself to breathe easier. The movement causes him to pull me in tighter as he sleeps. A guilty smile plasters itself on my face as I enjoy the amazing feeling of being held in his strong arms. I lay quietly, not wanting to disturb him so I can prolong this moment as much as possible as I wonder how the hell I ended up on the other side of the fire during the night.
I lay watching his beautiful face, like an absolute creeper just long enough for the sun to completely poke its head out from behind the mountains. When the urge to pee hits me hard and fast, I curse my body and take one last moment to enjoy being in his arms before I begin to untangle myself from him.
I reach around my body, grabbing hold of his hand and begin lifting it in hopes I can sneak out from under him. The movement jostles him awake and his body immediately stiffens, locking me in his arms once again. He blinks awake and quickly props himself up on one elbow. He looks down at me with uncertainty in his eyes. His gaze turns into one of lust as he looks deep into my eyes. He drops his face closer to mine and there’s no doubt in my mind that he’s going to kiss me.
I lay motionless, as I watch the struggle behind his eyes as he fights his inner demons while I pray he takes the risk and brings his lips to mine. He takes a deep breath and regret flashes in his eyes before he rips them away from mine. I let out a shaky breath as he rolls away from me with unbelievable speed, getting up, and heading for the lake. He stands before it, hands laced behind his head, breathing heavily as he looks out to the water.
I get up from the ground and dust myself off as I take a few calming breaths. I grab my shoes, toothbrush, and a bottle of water before walking out into the forest with the need to clear my head. Taking advantage of my privacy, I take the chance to pee and freshen up.
I walk back to the campsite, taking my time and sit down on the same log from yesterday, on the opposite side of the lake from Rylan. I sit for ten minutes before he comes up to me with another map and my red pen. “Same deal as yesterday,” he says, handing the items over and quickly scurrying away.
I study the map and begin to work out the best route back, taking in the one rule of not crossing the same paths as yesterday. Twenty minutes later, I have my route mapped out. I stand up, grab my things and head past Rylan who’s patiently waiting for me. “Let’s go,” I say as I pass him, not looking back.
He stands and follows me into the trees. “Can I take a look at that?” he asks, motioning for the map.
I silently hand it back to him with my eyes flicking to watch him as he studies the map. He nods to himself and hands it back. He falls into step beside me and we walk in silence, neither willing to say a word.
The sun’s rays are shining down on us hard, and despite the heat, the only thing I can seem to concentrate on is the thick tension between me and Rylan. By midday I’ve crossed off half the tasks on my ‘things to do’ list when we come across a creek where Rylan decides is a good spot to sit for lunch. I drop my things beside him and make my way over to the creek and follow it down to where it opens up into a large open pool of water, so clear you can see the pebbles and rocks lining the ground. It�
��s absolutely mesmerizing.
I bend down and scoop some water into my hands and splash my face. The cool water does wonders for my mood. I stand and turn just in time to see a smirking Rylan standing too close behind me. A surprised gasp flies from my mouth as his arms snake around my body, lifting me high into the air and throwing me deep into the water.
I swim to the surface, gasping for breath as the cold water sinks right into my bones.
“What the hell?” I screech.
I find Rylan doubled over laughing so hard that he struggles to catch his breath. I drag myself out of the water with a scowl on my face as water runs off my body. “Shit, I’m sorry,” he laughs with a sparkle in his eyes that has me melting. “I don’t know what came over me. I just couldn’t help myself.”
I shoot him another glare as I storm past him and pull off my dripping shirt before trying to wring it out. I shake out my hair and make a big deal of drying off, throwing in a few huffs and puffs every now and then. Rylan turns back to the water to give me some privacy as I stand here in a bra and shorts, flicking my long hair about.
With his back turned to me, I take the opportunity that I will never get again and charge as fast as I can. Knowing I wouldn’t be able to lift him, I change tactics. I wrap my arms around his waist and throw us both into the water.
I hardly make it to the surface before the laughter comes shooting out of my mouth. I look over at Rylan who’s watching me in shock. “I’m sorry,” I say while putting on a deep voice to mimic his. “I don’t know what came over me, I just couldn’t help myself.”
Rylan’s face quickly turns from shock into one of complete and utter mischief as his eyes begin to sparkle. He looks me right in the eye as we tread the crystal-clear water “You’re dead.”
Uh oh.
I dive under the water and hastily try to make my escape, but Rylan is just too fast. He grabs my ankle and yanks me back to him before catching me around my waist. With my back to his chest, he swims us up to the surface. “Apologize,” he demands.
“No,” I laugh, struggling to get out of his tight hold. He ducks us down under the water, repeating the process until I’m begging him to stop.
He lets me go and we take advantage of the water, cooling down and relaxing before we have to keep going. I push my tummy up to the surface, floating on my back and watching the clouds as Rylan swims over to the shore, standing waist-deep and pulls off his shirt, wringing it out and throwing it over into the sun to dry.
He turns around and I get my first good look at his amazing torso, even more defined than I could have possibly imagined. “What are you doing?” he asks.
“Watching the clouds,” I respond while trying not to gawk at his glorious body.
He glances up at the sky as though there’s some kind of puzzle that he’s missing. “Yeah, I got that. Why?”
“It relaxes me. It’s something Millie and I used to do with Dad. He would take us to the park and we’d run around all day before collapsing on the ground in exhaustion. Then we’d lay there for ages watching the clouds and arguing over what we saw,” I say, smiling at the fond memory.
Rylan doesn’t respond, just pushes himself back into the water and rolls onto his back, floating while looking up into the sky. I smile to myself knowing that he’s doing this for no other reason but to make me happy.
I float for what seems like forever, waving my hands in the water to keep me moving when my head crashes into Rylan’s waist causing us both to fall out of our floating positions. Rylan’s arms automatically go around me while my hands shoot up his arms and land on his shoulders. “You okay?” he murmurs.
Unable to form a sentence, I give him a slight nod as he stares down at me. I’m captivated by his gaze as he holds onto me, not letting go. The feel of his naked chest against my skin will forever be burned in my memory.
Our chests rise and fall as our breathing gets heavier. He reaches up and tucks a stray strand of hair behind my ear as his eyes flash down to my lips. “Fuck it,” he murmurs and brings his lips down, kissing me as if his life depends on it. My lips easily move against his as he groans in pleasure, spurring me on. My arms snake up around his neck as his tighten around my waist, pulling me in closer.
I kiss him with everything I have, knowing this opportunity may never come around again. His lips are moving more urgently now and I’m hungry for more. He doesn’t disappoint, giving me everything he’s got as the most amazing feeling settles over me. I hope this moment never ends.
All too soon, he breaks away, resting his forehead on mine as we catch our breath. “Come on,” he whispers. “We’ve got to get going.”
I give him a slight nod and he breaks away, making his way out of the water. He walks over to grab his shirt and pulls it over his head. Not once does he look back at me as he goes on to grab his things.
I follow him out of the water and put my shirt back on, pleasantly surprised that it’s just about dry. I do my best to follow along with his prompts, but my mind is spinning. I can’t believe that just happened. The moment I’ve been waiting months for and it was just as amazing as I had imagined. I find myself pressing my fingers to my swollen lips in an absolute dream state.
Rylan grabs my bag and hands it to me, breaking me out of my thoughts. I take it from him murmuring a pathetic “thanks,” as I realize he hasn’t said a word since we stepped out of the water. I try to catch his eye to make sure everything is okay, but he turns his back and avoids looking at me and I know instantly, he regrets it.
The most magical moment to ever happen to me and the man I’m in love with regrets it…perfect.
I lead the way out, with Rylan trailing behind me for the final part of my Navigation Test, wondering where I could have possibly gone wrong. A sole tear falls down my cheek as my heart shatters for the second time in four days.
----------
Two hours later, I throw my bag into the back seat of the SUV and haul myself up into the passenger seat. Rylan starts the engine, swings the car around, and drives back to the main road before coming to the highway and starting the long trip back to the academy. “Look, Bianca,” Rylan starts.
“Don’t,” I say cutting him off. “I got it. Like it never happened.”
“Bianca,” he says, not buying my casual attitude. “You’re my student. It should have never happened. Hell, this whole trip wasn’t supposed to happen.”
Ouch. That one hurt.
“Like I said, Rylan,” I say with a stern tone to my voice while reaching back into my bag and pulling out my phone, this time grabbing my earphones as well. “I get it.”
I put my earphones in and hit play, putting an end to any conversation. I turn my body so I’m facing away from him, bring my knees up, and curl into myself. I sit like this, ignoring the uncomfortable cramping in my body until we pull into the Academy parking lot.
I pull my earphones out and sit in silence as he pulls into the parking spot and brings the car to a stop. Neither one of us makes a move to exit the car and I know without a doubt he has a full list of things he wants to say.
I wait a few moments and when it seems like nothing is going to be said I let out a disappointed sigh and grab my bag. “Bianca, wait,” he says as my hand hovers over the door handle.
I sit back in the chair and hesitantly look at him, afraid of what I might see in his eyes and just as expected, the only thing I find is regret. “I’m sorry,” he says, barely meeting my eyes. “I shouldn’t have taken advantage of you like that.”
“You know that’s not what happened,” I say, annoyed that he’s ignoring whatever this thing is between us. “Why can’t you just admit that there’s something here?” I ask with my heart on my sleeve as I indicate to the space between us.
“Bianca,” he sighs. “There’s not. You’re my student, that’s it. You were there and I took an opportunity that I shouldn’t have.”
I shake my head in disbelief as my heart silently breaks. “That meant something, Rylan,” I tell
him, not ready to give in just yet as I feel my eyes growing heavy with unshed tears. “That’s not the way you kiss someone if you’re just letting off steam. I could feel it and I know you felt it, too.”
His eyes fill with emotion and I realize I’m right, he feels that connection between us no matter how much he wants to deny it’s there. He looks away from me, putting a stop to the conversation. “You should go,” he tells me as he starts the engine once again.
I give him one last lingering look before taking my things and closing the door behind me. I step away from his car and force myself to keep walking, leaving my heart behind and refusing to look back. I hear his car back out of the spot and take off down the road, far away from the Academy and far away from me.
----------
I collapse on my bed, ignoring the million questions I’m getting from Jacinta as she begs for information on the navigation test. I fall into a deep sleep as exhaustion takes over my body. Exhaustion from the physical marathon I’ve put my body through or exhaustion from the emotional one? I’m not quite sure.
I wake at 7 pm and throw myself into a shower, taking pleasure in the feel of the hot water on my skin. I scrub my body trying to rid myself of the feel of Rylan’s body pressed up against mine, but the memory is ingrained deep within.
I head down to the cafeteria for some decent food as my tummy rumbles. I find Jacinta and sit down next to her and she immediately launches into her questions. The second I try to answer, the emotional floodgates open and a sob comes pouring out. Jacinta takes one look at my face, scoops up my dinner, and drags me back to our room.
She sits me on my bed and curls up beside me as the tears run their course, knowing I won’t be able to get a word in until it stops. Twenty minutes later, I wipe away my last tear. I eat as many bites of dinner as I can before spilling every last detail of my navigation test from the first fight, to the bullet chain which I hold tightly in my grip, the near morning kiss to the actual afternoon kiss. She listens intently to every detail of my story with her mouth hanging wide open.
Soul and Disaster: Slayer Academy (Book 1) Page 22
