Independence

by Shelly Crane

  I wrapped my arms around his middle just like I had my father and let him squeeze me and kiss my hair. A part of me almost hated being so dependent on him, but he was right. He always kept me together and I needed to cling to that, not push it away.

  After I felt like I had taken all the time I could, I turned to go inside, but found Mrs. T coming outside with the trash. As soon as she saw me she started to cry. She opened her arms for me and, like the little girl I felt, I ran to her.

  She cried and I cried, but eventually we parted and I said I'd be back the next day. When I was walking away, I couldn't help but touch Beck's Dodge Neon…and was smacked with a vision.

  Caleb rushed forward. I held on and watched as Beck and Ralph made the mountain pass, laughing and singing to the radio. They got to the last exit before taking the highway when the car broke down. Ralph was furious. He was saying there was no way that they were out of gas because he'd just filled up in town. But they were bone dry and not a person or house in sight. The pass wasn't used very often unless you had a summer house up there or something.

  They were alive!

  So they started walking. And as the days dragged on, they ran out of water and food and eventually, lost their way. They were in a small alcove or cave on the mountain side in the valley. Ralph was worse off because he had refused to take the last bit of water, giving it to Beck instead. As I looked at the vision, and saw Beck's face, dirty, sad, defeated and beautiful as she brushed back Ralph's hair, I knew there was still a chance for me to save her.

  I glanced up at Caleb, who nodded, having seen the vision. He was ready to go, too. Ready to take me to save my friends.

  And just like that I joined hands with Caleb and we ran all the way to his uncle's house. We bypassed Dad's house because he would try to stop me and Bish would try to go with me. No one else was dying or being hurt for me. This was my mess and my fight.

  Well, and Caleb's by association.

  He laughed at my thought.

  We had no clothes to change into and nothing with us, but as we jumped into Caleb's uncle's black SUV, I didn't care. I just wanted to get there. We were hours away and then still had to try to find them.

  Caleb said we would stop for some supplies on the way as he flew in reverse down the driveway and then zoomed down the street.

  We did just that.

  About an hour into our drive we stopped at a little gas station for some water bottles and food. More than enough food, because Beck and Ralph would need to eat once we found them. And we would find them.

  We drove for hours. Caleb blared the radio and sang along, toying with my fingers in my lap. He did anything but talk about Beck and I was grateful. I kicked my shoes off and pulled them into the seat under me. I pulled the hood up on his hoodie and snuggled in for the long ride.

  But my vision had been vague. So when we reached the last gas station before heading into the backside of the mountain, we stopped to fill up and get another gas can to fill up as well, just in case. We knew it was the last gas station because the sign that stated so was bigger than the freaking store was.

  He gave me his debit card and wrote the code on my hand. I smiled and tried not to laugh. Now that's love; your bank card and pin code.

  I slipped back on my shoes and went to the bathroom while he pumped. I was getting us both a drink when I heard him.

  Grab a couple of honey buns, too, babe. I've got a hankering.

  I laughed at him in my mind. Then I better grab about ten then, 'cause I ain't sharing.

  Aho! Well, you better get ten more 'cause I ain't sharing either.

  Fine! I will!

  I heard his laugh. Will you grab me a couple sticks of beef jerky, too, pretty please?

  Of course, my love.

  I did that and grabbed a few honey buns, along with some crackers and Gatorades, too. My arms were loaded down when I flung it all onto the counter. The attendant's raised brow was not in jest and I cleared my throat in apology. He swiped everything with annoyance and stuffed it into the bag. I swiped the card and punched in the code.

  When he handed me the receipt I grabbed our spoils and met Caleb outside, where he had pulled the car right up to the door. I hopped in.

  "I texted your dad and mine to let them know what was going on," he admitted. "Didn't want them to worry."

  "Thank you," I said in relief. "I hadn't even thought to do that." I pulled his beef jerky out and handed it to him along with his huge can of Arizona sweet tea. I laughed and pointed to the can. "See? It's fate that you go to Arizona."

  He chuckled a little, but it was reserved. I sent him a questioning look. "It's nothing. I mean…it's something, but you're not allowed to know it yet. We can't talk about the future right now, remember? You're not supposed to know until the wedding."

  I smiled good naturedly and nibbled my honey bun as he plowed through two long sticks of jerky.

  About an hour later he pulled off the side of the road. I saw in his mind that he wanted to sleep. "We're sleeping here?"

  "No hotels, babe."

  "I know…but…"

  He gave me a sympathetic smile. "I know, but we can't look for them in the dark. We'll sleep here. It's not in the valley yet, so we may have a little traffic, but no one should mess with us. First thing in the morning, we'll get up and go find her."

  "Nobody will mess with us, huh? Ever seen The Hills Have Eyes? The Chainsaw Massacre? Psycho!"

  He laughed. "Yes, but I'll murder anyone who comes near you, do you hear me?" I nodded with a smirk. "You trust me, don't you?"

  "Of course."

  He took the keys and got out, hopping into the back seat. He locked the doors and beckoned me to him by waggling his fingers. I climbed over the center console and almost made it before my Converse slipped on the leather. I fell, a giggling heap, into his lap.

  He chuckled, all husky and amused, as he helped me up only to place me on his lap, one of my legs on either side of him. He smiled and reached over to remove my shoes one at a time. Slowly. He let them fall with a thud to the SUV floorboard and never took his eyes off me as he pulled my socks off, too.

  I stopped giggling at the intimate gesture.

  That part of me that I had discovered earlier, the part that was all of a sudden so attuned to Caleb's body and every movement, was wide awake now. He pushed my hoodie down from my head. I understood why the store clerk had been so weird now. He probably thought I was going to rob him or something. Caleb smoothed my hair back and let his fingers barely graze my neck. I gulped.

  "You all right to sleep here?" he asked, his voice low. "We can lie down in the back if you want, but…"

  "No," I said. I felt my eyes go wide at the rasping of my voice. He noticed, too, and sucked his lip into his mouth. I watched. "I want to stay right here."

  "OK. Whatever you want."

  I laid my head down in the dip of his shoulder and neck. I inhaled and exhaled harshly. He smelled amazing. The scent caused me physical problems. My body was rethinking some things. It wanted Caleb in all ways and it was making it hard for me to keep my head on straight. Rationally, we were going to get married anyway, right? That was a fact, but I wanted to keep to the Ace's tradition. And I wanted to keep to my tradition. It wasn't religion or old fashioned-ness or parents sheltering me or any other reason. It was just my decision. But as I felt Caleb's fingers graze the top of my hand, I shivered from that small touch alone because I was so wound tight and attuned to him.

  My heart hitched, my lungs beckoned me to take another whiff of him, my fingers curled into his shirt without even asking me first.

  He leaned his head against mine. "Welcome to my world, Maggie."

  I sighed. "I can't believe it's been like this for you the whole time."

  "Believe it." He chuckled, the movement shaking his chest and me on it. "It's Heaven and Hell."

  He turned the radio on and Where I Belong by Switchfoot began to play.

  I sat up a bit and looked into his face. "W
e're going to find them, right?"

  He cupped my face and promised, "We won't stop until we find them."

  I licked my lips. "Thank you for being so…you."

  He smiled. Not a smirk, a smile that was real and full of the love that was my constant. He leaned forward to kiss me and pulled back after one small taste. He licked his bottom lip. "I know," I groaned. "I taste like honey buns."

  "Baby," he told me, his eyes lidded and dark, "you always taste like honey buns."

  And then he went in for the kill.

  We both groaned at the same time, and our mouths opened to each other's at the same time, and I gasped while he sucked in a quick breath. I put my arms around his neck while he pulled me closer with his hands on my hips.

  And then they slowly moved away from my hips and he gripped my bottom to lift me to him even more. I gasped in a good way and loved that he hadn't asked for permission. This was a first. A good first. I was Caleb's and he was mine. I didn't plan on asking for permission either, so when I found that his breath caught every time I lifted using my knees, I kept doing that.

  The windows began to shake and rattle a little as I felt my control slipping, but we ignored it.

  Soon, he was pulling the too hot hoodie from my body and tossing it in the seat next to us. I was only wearing a white tank underneath and the suddenly cool air made me shiver with goose bumps. He took my hand and kissed the pads of my fingers, and then the inside of my wrist, and then the inside of my elbow.

  I closed my eyes, my lips parted on their own.

  He kept going and eventually made it to my bare shoulder. He pulled the thick strap down and kissed me there, too. When he bit into the flesh there softly, I almost accused him right there of lying to me about me being his first girlfriend, because he was way too good at this. But then his imprinted body knew me inside and out. It knew exactly what to do to drive me insane for him.

  So I felt it out to see if I could do the same to him.

  As if on instinct, I leaned forward to nibble under his chin. It was coarse and scratchy, but in a very good way. He leaned his head back on the seat and let out a smothered moan as his hands gripped me tighter.

  "Hell, Maggie," he repeated his earlier sentiment.

  Why was it so hot when he said it like that?

  I moved my attention to the spot under his ear and he made a completely new noise I'd never heard before. It fueled me, spurred me on. So I took his earlobe into my mouth and bit down gently.

  The noise had more than doubled by then. I felt powerful. For once in my life, I felt like I was out of control in the most controlled way, and I smiled against his skin.

  Chapter Four

  Caleb

  She was doing this thing with her tongue. I couldn’t handle another second of it. I was about to lose it in every way. I moved my face to connect with hers once more and then her tongue was mine. But that was worse. Oh, man, so much worse.

  This was beyond making out, or kissing, or…whatever else you wanted to label it. And my body was singing for it. But she was upset about her friend, and her body had finally just gotten calmed down enough after all that drama to start feeling her need for me in full force. It wasn't right to let her do this.

  It pained me, but I took one last long pull from her mouth and then released her. I still gripped her in my hands, but her mouth was free. I started immediately so she'd understand that this wasn't rejection. "Baby, there's a line. A very fine line, and we are straddling that line right now. If we cross it, I won't be able to go back. You feel so good. Your body, your lips, your skin…all of it. I'm drowning in you. So, please, we've got to just hold on a minute."

  She hesitated and I barely breathed waiting for her words. "What if I don't want to stop?" she asked breathlessly.

  My heart skidded to the pace of a dead man. "Maggie…"

  "I know." She squeezed her eyes tight. The war waging in her was waging in me, too. I could practically taste it in the air. "I know I've always thought that I'd wait. And you said your kind waits until marriage, too. I just… I feel… We're going to get married anyway, right? This isn't puppy love. I know I'm going to marry you, so I don't think it matters when we both…want to."

  I stared. It was all my muddled brain would do. Then finally, "It's just too much for you right now. With your body…reacting to the imprint so strongly and your friend and all the stuff that happened in London. I just think we should wait. My number one issue with the scenario though is the fact that we're out in the mountains, looking for your lost friend, and we're in the backseat of my uncle's SUV. I refuse to be a cliché teenager." I tried to smile, but she seemed deflated. "Baby, I don't want that for our first memory together, do you?"

  "No, I don't," she sighed. "So the tyrant is protecting me…from myself?" she asked softly.

  "It looks that way," I chuckled. I pressed my nose to hers and exhaled. But if she was ready for more, so was I. "But there's plenty we can do, lots of things that straddle the line." Her eager glazed eyes had me pulling her tighter once more.

  "Show me," she demanded eagerly and kissed me again, her lips soft, but demanding.

  And so I did. My fingers dug into the jeaned flesh of her backside and thighs, and I showed her exactly what I meant. I inched the innocent strap on her tank top a little lower on her arm, and as I melded our minds I realized how amazing our ease with each other was. Maggie trusted me with every inch and piece of her and that was a very satisfying thing.

  A long while later, she was snuggled into my chest, a satisfied little purring kitten. I let my fingers tangle in her hair and rub her scalp. I thought she'd go right to sleep…afterwards…but she was still wide awake. I started to get worried and went digging in her mind to make sure she wasn't upset, that she didn't think I'd gone too far. But when I found her replaying it all in her mind as a hazy, dreamy movie, I knew it wasn't that.

  I had effectively taken her mind off Beck for a while, and that's what I had wanted. Mission accomplished. I grinned smugly and satisfactorily.

  The tap on our window made us both jump. Maggie covered her arms and chest though she was still wearing all of her clothes, as she had been the whole time.

  I sighed and rolled down the windows when I saw the blue flashing lights. "Officer?"

  "Kid, you've got to know that parking and making out isn't allowed, especially this time of night."

  "We're trying to sleep, not make out. We're on a road trip."

  "Is that so?" he said slowly and tapped his flashlight to the window. "The fogged up windows beg to differ."

  Maggie huffed barely. I looked at him and felt the chagrin on my face. "OK, there may have been some making out, but now, we're sleeping. We're heading into the valley tomorrow."

  "What for?"

  "Our friends came up here and are lost."

  His brow drew together. "You mean the two they just called the search off for?"

  "Yes, sir."

  He grimaced. "I know it's sad to see something like that happen to your friends, but accidents happen sometimes. I won't stop you, but I think it's best if you go home and be with your families. You won't find those kids out here. We scoured every surface."

  Maggie spoke up. "And I thank you for looking, but I'll always wonder if we don’t at least look once."

  He nodded. "I'll be up and down this highway all night." He pointed. "Sleep. No more hanky panky."

  "Yes, sir," I said and chuckled silently at Maggie's pink cheeks.

  He left and I couldn't stop the laugh that escaped. She gave me a pouty look and pushed my chest playfully. "Not funny."

  "Oh, it's hilarious."

  "Oh, my gosh," she whispered in a groan. "So embarrassing."

  "Are you OK?" I asked, but smiled. "With everything."

  "You mean…everything?" she said coyly and smiled, too.

  "Exactly."

  "I'm perfect," she whispered. "Better than fine. I know I was kind of…crazy before. I'm sorry. I felt a little out of control, a
nd you're right, I just feel so strange about everything and this thing in my body…just wants you." She shook her head. "Thank you for not taking advantage, for knowing me inside out and understanding that I'm such a girl sometimes."

  I chuckled. "I love that you're a girl." She smiled and waited, knowing I had more to say. "I know the pull of our bodies is crazy, but my first priority is to protect you. I'll never hurt you in any way."

  "I know." She smiled, thinking about the events of the night. "I like to straddle the line with you, though."

  I growled my words, "Oh, we're going to do more line straddling soon. It's a fact."

  She giggled and man, it was sexy. "Caleb Maxwell." She shook her head.

  "Maggie Camille," I whispered and let her borough in once more. This time, we slept.

  I woke to a nuzzling at my neck. I moved my hands to find Maggie under them and still in my lap. She lifted her face and smiled before lifting her arms over her head and stretching.

  Hell…

  I gripped her sides through her thin shirt and watched her as she looked around. And I saw the change come over her. She saw where we were and remembered what we were doing there. The afterglow was over, but that was OK. It was time to get to work.

  I lifted her off my lap and set her to the side to help her put her socks and shoes back on. She watched me, biting her thumb nail, and smiled softly until I was done. "Ready?" I asked her, knowing the answer.

  "Ready."

  We climbed up front and I sped down into the valley. She handed me another jerky stick and tore into a honey bun. Her eyes peeled the hills apart.

  The hours passed as we drove. The terrain was beginning to get ridiculous, even on the road. The cabins that Ralph had been heading up to were all the way through the valley and up the mountainside. The SUV handled it just fine, but I had to pay attention extra hard on the thin roads, which didn't let me look around much. Even I was beginning to get discouraged.

  But when we came up on Ralph's car, Maggie was just done.