by S. K Munt
Finn whipped around and gasped when she saw that Paige had fainted, and that Bailey had only just barely caught her head and shoulders before she could hit the ground. Oh no! She thought, sprinting off after Bailey, and congratulating herself for having packed her blue cargo shorts and her holy old sneakers. She exhausted herself trying to impress me! Which means if she’s hurt, it’s all my fault!
‘Paige!’ she cried, rushing to Bailey’s side so she could stroked Paige’s hair out of her face. Paige’s forehead and upper lip were beaded with sweat and her cheeks were flushed, but her eyes were partially open and squinting against the glare. ‘Are you okay? You didn’t have an aneurism, did you?’
‘Rack off all of you- I’m fine,’ Paige grumbled, wrestling out of Bailey’s hold in a lame attempt to prove that she could stand unassisted. She swayed a little and groaned as she caught her face in her hands, but she swayed in Reeve’s direction who thankfully steadied her as Bailey ducked under her arm and came up so that he was bracing all of her weight across one of his shoulders, proving that he was a lot stronger than he looked because Paige wasn’t light. ‘How many times do I have to tell you? It’ll only get easier if I practice!’
‘We know, we know… but you’ve just proven that you’ve had a hell of a lot of practice since I last saw you try that on something…’ Bailey insisted, as he began to guide Paige back in the direction of her house, which was nestled in a clearing at the lower end of the valley. ‘But you’ve also given yourself a headache, which means practice is over, and you’re not gonna fight me on that, because you have a guest to entertain, and I don’t think any of us want her spending the rest of the weekend playing nursemaid to you, do we?’
‘Oh Finn… I’m sorry. I didn’t even think of that…’ Paige tried to look at Finn over Bailey’s shoulder, but she was squinting so hard against the glare that she missed Finn by two feet, and ended up addressing a leafless, scrawny tree to Bailey’s left instead- which Finn tried not to take too personally. ‘I’m probably a bit weaker today, because I had such a late night last night, but if you give me a couple of hours to sleep this off-’
‘Don’t even worry about me,’ Finn said, hurrying to keep up with all those long-legged people. ‘I saw some books-’
‘Don’t be silly,’ Bailey said. ‘You can read anytime. I’ll take Paige inside and set her up with some painkillers, and Reeve will take you for that ride okay?’
‘Huh?’ Finn practically yelped the question. ‘But I thought we-’
‘Well that’s what I was gonna say, before Paige blacked out,’ Bailey was puffing from exertion. ‘I’m not really that great a rider. I’m okay, but I can’t gallop like Reeve can, and I wouldn’t feel safe trying to do so with you on with me too, not with how rocky the land is here.’ He glanced over at Reeve. ‘You’re right to take her, aren’t you? There’s something I need to get from your place anyway, so if you could keep Finn entertained for a while, we can meet at Paige’s after.’
‘No problem…’ Reeve said easily, and just like that, Finn’s fate was sealed. ‘There was something I kind of wanted to talk to Finn about anyway, so I guess I might as well do it while giving her a tour of Shardia, hmm?’
Huh? Finn thought, blinking a little. He wants to talk to me about something? What? Oh no… he hasn’t noticed how I respond to him, has he? I’ll die if this little tour turns into him apologising for giving me the wrong idea or something!
‘Shardia?’ Paige mumbled. ‘What’s that?’
‘I’ll explain,’ Bailey said, grinning at Finn. ‘I’ll see you soon. And I wouldn’t trust you with a soul alive aside from Reeve, so don’t worry- you’re in safe hands!’
Finn tried to smile back in response, but her hard swallowing sabotaged it, turning her smile into a grimace as Reeve took her hand and pulled her in two very different directions at once that just happened to be in the same direction: the place she longed to be, and the place she most feared being: Alone with Reeve Hayes.
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
Reeve chattered away as he led her up to the stables on the other side of the paddock, and then saddled up to the horse he introduced to her as being Sorrenson, before boosting her so that her foot could slide into the stirrup, giving her the leverage she needed to swing her leg over the saddle.
‘You’re a natural,’ Reeve hoisted himself up on the saddle in front of her, making her cringe and bite her lip as she felt his weight settle between her legs the way Bailey’s had a few minutes beforehand. ‘Must be all the dancing, hey?’
Finn tittered and then bit her lip harder when Reeve sought out her hands and then loosely wrapped them around him. ‘I doubt it. I barely ever get to dance anymore. In fact, I’m actually a little sore from last night, now that I think about it.’ She noticed then that Reeve’s entire body was trembling and leaned back a little, so she could access him- noting that even though he’d gathered up the reins with practiced ease, his knuckles appeared to be white around them. ‘Hey, are you okay?’
‘Of course…’ Reeve said, glancing at her before he pulled on the horse’s reins to get her nose pointing out the stable door. ‘Why?’
‘You’re shaking.’ Finn winced. ‘Did that scene with Paige rattle you? Because we can put this ride off until later, if you’re not up to it.’
But Reeve chuckled. ‘Huh? No I’m cool. If anything, I’m used to Paige giving us heart attacks.’ He reached back and patted her thigh in what he probably intended to be a reassuring gesture, but all it did was make Finn wish she could squeeze her legs together to cut off the thrill that raced through her again as the warmth of his hand seeped into her bare skin. ‘Trust me- there’s no reason for you to be scared or nervous, okay? This’ll be fun.’
Finn nodded and said softly: ‘Okay- I trust you,’ which was true. Problem was though, that she didn’t trust herself. And she was going to go on being scared and nervous, until she knew what it was that Reeve wanted to talk to her about.
But it can’t be that serious or embarrassing right? she thought, anxiously biting her lip. Not if he’s promising this’ll be fun?
It should have been harder to talk while they were riding along because Reeve went quite fast, but he truly was a competent rider, and proved that by babbling away, pointing out several things to her from the saddle as they bounced along, like the most recently born foal, who was staggering around its mother’s legs like a drunk, and the small dock that they’d pulled up in the night before, which Finn hadn’t actually seen much of due to the darkness. The boat wasn’t there anymore, because it had gone ahead to take Bailey’s parents and younger brother and sister onto the island where they lived, but once they’d rounded the mountain on a rocky trail which was actually narrow enough to make her nervous for real, Reeve pulled the horse to a stop and then slid off it, directing her to walk to the craggy edge of the bluff, where he stood and pointed across the channel before them, indicating to another island, which looked tiny from there. ‘See that?’ he asked. ‘That’s Bailey’s place. And that tiny white blip bobbing just in front of it, is the boat. Usually, it lives here or on Whitecap, and we all use our smaller boats to go back and for the between our islands, but Bailey’s dad is gonna do a service is on it, so it’s staying out there for a few days.’
‘Wow...’ Finn breathed, sitting on the edge of a flat rock and tucking her legs behind her so she could lean out over the cliff’s edge while keeping her centre of gravity safely behind her. They were on the exact opposite side of the peek to where Reeve’s house had been built, which made it feel like they were on a deserted island, completely removed from the rest of the human race. ‘That’s so far away! No wonder you guys never bothered coming into the Pen for school… the people on Whitecap that did were a lot closer!’
‘I wish I had though,’ Reeve confessed, sitting on the rock beside hers, which meant that he was sitting just a little below her. ‘In fact, I think about how different things would have been if I had all the time...’
‘Don’t assume that you would have gotten a superior education on the mainland,’ Finn joked. ‘I get that’s how Paige feels about the school on Whitecap now, but the Pen one is even worse these days, and even back in the day, the only people that did well were the kids who were destined to do well anyway, you know?’
‘I didn’t really mean from an educational point of view, because as far as I’m concerned, the majority of our generation is screwed now anyhow...’ Reeve confessed. ‘I just meant from a social perspective, you know?’
‘You’re talking about Bailey again right?’ Finn asked, staring out thoughtfully at Bailey’s isolated isle. She sighed. ‘I wonder if he knows how lucky he is, to have so many people looking out for him?’
‘I hope he doesn’t,’ Reeve admitted. ‘Might make him feel like a charity case or something.’ Reeve cleared his throat, and began to sift through the loose rocks scattered around the base of his boulder. ‘So, Paige has already brought you up to speed on all that, huh? About how shy he is and stuff? And how down he’s been since the EMP took out the wi-fi and all of his dreams of becoming an IT whiz after?’
‘Last night,’ Finn admitted. ‘After you guys left.’ She frowned down at her companion. ‘She didn’t mention how lofty his ambitions were though. Was he that good with computers?’
‘More like a genius,’ Reeve winced. ‘I can’t even imagine what he’s gone through since. I mean, I liked gaming… but he could have been the next Steve Jobs, if he’d had the chance.’
‘Impressive…’ Finn smirked, remembering the way she’d struggled to work their old, cheap, and virus-riddled laptop before going back to using her mother’s even older electric typewriter to write on. Genius-smart, sweet, owns a massive island with a cattle ranch, cute… and yet he needs my approval for his self-esteem? That’s nuts! ‘Anything else cool I should know about him?’
‘I think we’re all hoping you stick around long enough to figure it all out for yourself,’ Reeve said, winking again. Finn bit her lip and glanced back out at the water self-consciously, not sure what to say to that, but luckily for her, Reeve went back to sifting through the rocks. ‘So… do you uh... do you like him?’
‘I do...’ Finn was careful to keep her eyes on the horizon as she answered as honestly as she could: ‘He’s sweet and very cute…’
‘Good…’ Reeve hesitated before he cocked his head to the side and asked: ‘But why do I feel like there’s a but in there?’
Finn chuckled and lowered her eyes to the water below, where it was crashing into the base of the cliff. Oh… if only he knew that he was the ‘but’ of that particular in-joke! ‘Well… I do worry that we’re incompatible. I mean, me being fixed up with a guy who’s not confident around girls is sort of like the blind leading the blind, you know? Because I don’t have much dating experience myself.’
‘Really?’
‘Is the way I’ve been blushing like crazy since last night not proof of just how new I am to this?’ Finn joked self-consciously averting her eyes again. ‘Or did you just assume I had rosacea and a stutter?’
Reeve laughed. ‘Well, you’d still be cute, even if you did.’ Reeve leaned forward a little then, and the shift in movement caught Finn’s eye, meaning she was looking right at his lips as he whispered: ‘Can I ask you something else then? Something a bit more personal?’
Finn blinked, wondering how much more personal he could get then asking her if she liked his cousin. Her heart had assumed that he probably could though, and had started racing all over again in anticipation. ‘Like wh-what?’
‘Like…’ Reeve wet his lips and then leaned a little closer as he asked softly: ‘Have you ever been kissed before, Finn Monroe?’
Finn had, but as she lowered her gaze to meet Reeve’s green gaze then and felt his magnetic pull drawing her face towards his, she couldn’t help but feel like she hadn’t been- not in the way that counted, anyhow. And just like that, Finn felt the world kind of tilt beneath her, like the rock beneath her had become a seesaw that was about to send her sliding down into his lap.
What are you doing? A voice inside Finn’s head screamed at her in the nick of time, displacing the gravity that she’d felt pulling her directly into Reeve’s arms. That wasn’t an invitation- it was a question! And if it was anything else, it was probably a test- one you’re gonna fail if you don’t pull yourself together!
A startled laugh escaped Finn’s lips as she pretended to have temporarily lost her balance, but she wrenched her eyes off of Reeve’s lips and made herself look him in his green eyes as she said as confidently as she could manage: ‘Yes, Reeve Hayes, I have been kissed before. A couple of times actually- nosy.’ She shrugged as she pulled her hoody up over the back of her head, downplaying her experience for fear of sounding like a slut. ‘Though not for a long time now… and more often as a result of a game of Spin the Bottle, than out of passion or anything...’
‘Oh.’ Reeve’s expression became indecipherable again, and his pronounced cheekbones blushed red as he leaned back and said: ‘Well that’s a good start, I guess. Bailey has been too you know- so it’s not totally like the blind leading the blind.’
‘He has? Well. That’s…’ but Finn chuckled and looked back up at Bailey’s island again, face flaming as she realised that if Bailey had kissed other girls before, then there was a very good chance that he was probably going to try and kiss her before the weekend was through, which made her palms feel clammy again. What would she do if he did? Kiss him back- or back out? ‘Actually truth be told, I’m not really sure what to do with that…’
I’ll bet he’s good at it though, especially if he’s had experience… Finn mused, remembering how soft and supple looking Bailey’s lips were. Then, because she couldn’t help herself, she darted another look at Reeve’s mouth, and felt herself pressing her lips together in reflex. I’ll bet they both are. Why do I get the feeling though, that Reeve’s gone a lot further than kissing, though?
‘Sorry for being nosy,’ Reeve confessed with a feeble smile, ‘that’s just how I am though. People are always telling me that I have boundary issues, and though you’d assume being aware of that would help me control it- it doesn’t. And I think I’m worse when it comes to the people I love best you know? Like Bailey- who isn’t just my cousin and the best guy I know, but my best mate too.’
Finn’s heart fluttered, touched by how openly Reeve was willing to discuss his fondness for another guy. ‘Wow,’ she said, shaking her head. ‘That’s so-’
‘Gay?’ Reeve smirked. ‘Yeah we get that a lot. But it’s not-’
‘I was going to say brave,’ Finn interrupted him, ‘and screw anyone who says otherwise. I don’t know any guys masculine enough to admit they have feelings at all, let alone feelings for a mate, so it’s refreshing to meet someone with the stones to say it proudly.’
Reeve’s eyebrows lifted. ‘It is?’
Finn nodded. ‘More guys should be like you.’ She swallowed hard at the sharp way he looked at her then, forcing her to add in a rush: ‘And Bailey of course- who clearly thinks the world of you too.’
Reeve’s lip twitched. ‘It’s nice to have our friendship appreciated for once. Even our other cousins give us shit about it.’
‘They’re probably just jealous.’ Finn drew her knees to her chest, hugging them. ‘I would kill for a friend like that…’
Reeve bit his lip. ‘Speaking of your friends…’ he cocked his head. ‘I noticed that you and Shelly were hanging out last night...?’
‘And…?’ Finn asked, her stomach cartwheeling as it occurred to her that maybe it was her friend that Reeve wanted to talk to her about all along: her pretty, tall, blonde, popular friend. Had he been watching her the night before, while Bailey had been watching Finn?
‘And well…. that struck me as being weird,’ Reeve said, frowning a little. ‘Especially seeing as how you and Shelly were with one another the last time I saw you together…?’
‘Oh.’ Finn exhaled a relieved brea
th so hard she was surprised she didn’t push one of the waves below back onto itself. ‘Yeah well…’ Finn glanced down at her lap and shrugged, sort of mortified to be reminded of the fact that the most embarrassing thing anyone had ever said to her, had been said in front of a witness with a long memory. ‘Finding a friend in Laidlaw is kind of like finding someone to breed with on the Shards you know? Slim pickings. Besides, I love Shelly- I mean Mischa- the way you love Bailey, and I have since the second half of first grade.’ She sighed. ‘It’s still pretty one-sided nowadays, but it has gotten better since the Strike.’
Reeve looked relieved. ‘So she apologised for the shitty things she said that night?’
Finn snorted. ‘No. But I guess when friends are old enough… some things are supposed to go without saying, you know? You don’t buy the same outfit unless it’s because you both agree to match one day, you stay away from the other one’s partner…’ she let that sentence dangle in the air, just in case he had been testing her before. ‘And you forgive the most embarrassing screw-ups, and act like they never even happened, right?’ She smiled at Reeve. ‘I mean, I’ll bet that’s how it is for you and Bailey, yeah?’
‘Pretty much...’ Reeve squinted out at Bailey’s island and smiled. ‘Though we share clothes more than we argue over them…’
Finn laughed. ‘Well, so long as you don’t try and share girlfriends, I think you’ll be fine.’
‘Yeah no…’ Reeve’s eyes dropped to the rocks below, and Finn was struck by the perfection and singularity of his facial features. Not just because they were symmetrical, but because his eyes, lips, cheekbones and brows all had the exact same barely-there tilt to them that had been applied as subtly as brushstrokes, giving him an angular look that was softened by his large eyes and shallow dimples, but kept masculine thanks to his strong jaw and straight nose. ‘No... god. I can’t think of anything worse than falling for a girl who likes the both of us…’ Reeve continued. ‘I’m way too jealous by nature to stand for only having half a girl’s interest, for starters and even if I wasn’t... I reckon I’d sooner throw myself off this cliff than hurt him.’
