Burning Bridges (26 page)

“
And A is for Ayden,
”
I sang.
”
We smiled at each other—these big, ridiculous smiles that could have lasted all day. I
’
d only wished this moment could last
for eternity
.

I cleared my throat and picked up the newspaper, leaning in to him again, and pointing to a word.
“
You know the letters now, but you must recognize them or else there is no sense in the song. I
’
ve heard you use big words before, you
’
re no
t
really illiterate.
”

He glanced down at me and said,
“
My father can read some, so I guess I
’
ve picked up on a few things.
”

“
That
’
s good.
”
I grinned and turned back to the paper.
“
Do you know this word?
”

He stared at the paper for a long moment before shaking his head. I could only imagine the embarrassment, a girl teaching him how to read. But I didn
’
t mind one bit, I
’
d alway
s wanted to be a teacher anyway
.

“
T-h-a-t. That,
”
I said to him.
“
Say it.
”

“
That,
”
he whispered.
I caught him staring down at my lips and quickly looked away. He might
’
ve just been trying to see the way I had said it, but then again, it could have been something else on his mind.

“
And this one. C-o-a-c-h. Coach, a teacher.
”

“
Coach,
”
he said with a smile.

“
Right. See if you can do this one.
”
I pointed down to a random
spot
on the paper without looking away from him.

He glanced down, and then back up at me.
“
Love,
”
was all he said. I searched his deep violet irises that went on for miles
,
and he sat staring into mine. For the millionth time that day, I was speechless.

On the boulder, I felt his hand take mine again. This time, we weren
’
t singing
and
I saw something in his eyes. Compassion, empathy…love. I looked away before it became too much and glanced down at the paper.
“
Love, yes, that
’
s correct. You
’
re a fast learner, Ayden Grey.
”

“
I
suppose
I have a fast teacher
,
then.
”
His hand was still in mine and I felt the need to
cry
out that I didn
’
t want him to ever let go. If I had to hide out by a river for a million years for that to happen, I would do it.

I let his hand slip from my mine and stood.
“
I guess I should take my leave now.
”

He stood too, and nodded.
“
I guess.
”
Though, something told me he didn
’
t want me to leave. Every cell in my body
was telling me
to stay.

I went to him and hugged him before I had time to doubt myself. He was warm and smelled of a fresh garden, light and airy, yet strong and captivating. There was a moment he had hesitated, but h
e quickly wrapped his arms around me in a comforting embrace
.
“
Thank you,
”
I heard him whisper.

I giggled and broke the
hug
.
“
Keep the paper. I can come back tomorrow if…
”

“
I would like that,
”
he said. He raked his fingers through his long, dark curls and gave me a crooked grin I
’
d never seen on him before.
Very cocky,
I thought.

Laughing to myself, I took a step away from him and closer to the forest.
“
Don
’
t you go getting any ideas, Mr. Ayden Grey. I
’
m a good girl.
”

His hands dropped from his hair and he held them up.
“
I just want to learn my ABCs.
”
He flashed me the grin again and I rolled my eyes.

“
Until tomorrow,
”
I whispered.

He nodded, his eyes full with longing.
“
Tomorrow it is.
”

“
And you keep practicing.
”

He watched me
. Not with a look you gave a teacher or a friend, but one you
’
d give to your spouse or consort.
“
Oh, I will,
”
he said.

Before disappearing into the forest and returning to the palace, I looked back at him and
confessed
,
“
I think you are the only mystery
I
’
ve begun to figure out, Grey
.
”

E I G H T E E N

Echo

T
here were only eight days left now. Instead of counting them on my fingers, I could count them in my head. Eight days felt like eight hours, and every second leading up to my
wedding
was crucial, or so my mother said. If I could freeze time for a day, or maybe even two, I
’
d run
away with Ayden and never return. I
’
d take his hand in mine and he
’
d promise me forever. As crazy as it sounded, I wanted it; I wanted that one day.

For the past two days, Ayden and I had met at the river and I
’
d read to him while he listened. We sang the song I taught him and laughed so hard we were rolling in the sand. Absentmindedly, we
’
d hold hands, but we never pulled away unless we had to. Noah had been questioning my whereabouts as usual, but I made sure I was never followed.

It was different with Ayden. We talked more about each other than we did
about
ABCs, and he didn
’
t make any advances to kiss me, no matter how much I wanted him to at times.

I
’
d learned about his mother and her illness
, the reason why he
’
d asked for the medication
I eventually snuck past Meredith.
He spoke of
his mother
with such fondness in his voice and I always laughed about her old ways
, which, according to Ayden, were always genuine
. She seemed like a great mother, regardless of her illness, and it made me wonder what life would have been like had I grown up with Ayden in Old Haven. The thought made me smile. Would we have been together? Maybe we would be the ones getting married in eight days.

“
What are you thinking about?
”
Ayden asked me.

I turned to him and frowned.
“
My wedding. In eight days.
”

“
You
’
re counting.
”

“
Not really.
”
I sighed and faced the river.
“
I
’
m overwhelmed all the time, and my family is just so…them. It
’
s almost as if I
’
m—
”

“
Suffocating,
”
he offered.

I nodded and turned around to face him.
“
Yeah, exactly.
”
He ran his thumb over one of my knuckles and I smiled.
“
So tell me more about Old Haven.
”

He laughed.
“
What do you want to know?
”

“
Everything.
”
I sat closer to him in the sand and held his hands tighter.
“
Is there life outside of Old Haven?
”
He furrowed his forehead and I rolled my eyes.
“
I mean, have you ever gone past the walls that confine you?
”

He shook his head.
“
No, never. For a girl so young, you sure are a dreamer.
”
He smiled and
I
bit my lips.

“
I
’
m not a girl anymore, Ayden. I turn eighteen tomorrow.
”
I stared down at the sand.
“
And then I
’
ll be married in seven days.
”

Silence consumed us, and then he finally let go of my hand and reached for my face. He caressed my cheek ever
so
softly and said,
“
How do you do it?
”

“
How do you mean?
”
I whispered, leaning into his hands.

“
This.
”
He let me go and motioned to the river, the sky.
“
You
’
re so different from everything
here;
it
’
s almost as if you don
’
t belong…
”

I looked away and
my face
blanched
. Why was everyone saying that?
“
Can I confide in you?
”
I asked. He nodded slowly.
“
I really don
’
t believe I belong here. I
’
m just so lost, Ayden.
”

“
But you won
’
t be for long,
”
he said. I glanced at him, but his attention was on the river.
“
Everything and everyone has a place to be, Echo. It
’
s just a matter of how they get there and when. You have a place; you just have to find it.
”

I stared at him and no
dded slowly.
“
That
’
s how I feel.
So wise now, are you?
”
I pushed his shoulder and he fell back into the sand. I thought I might
’
ve been too rough, but he laughed and picked up a handful of sand, his eyes never moving from mine.

“
Ayden, do—
”
He
threw
the
sand at me and
I shrieked as the tiny grains found their way down the front of my dress.
I sat with my hands unmoving and mouth agape.

“
You should really return it.
”
Ayden shook his head at my dress.
“
That
’
s some bad quality.
”

A single raindrop fell from the heavens, and I stared up at the sky as m
illions more began their descent
. It was a light drizzle
at
first, but it didn
’
t stay that way for long. Ayden got up to
stand
and I quickly dragged him back down.
“
Oh, no.
This is war
.
”
I grabbed the collar of his shirt and pushed sand down his chest
, laughing giddily at his reaction
. His eyes lit up as he
chuckled
and
he
tackled me do the ground. Wet sand covered us from crown to sole and stuck to our bodies
like paste
.

Ayden leaned over me and I stared up at him in bewilderment.
“
You are so much like me, Ayden. I think it is why I don
’
t understand you much, I don
’
t even understand myself.
”
Thunder rolled and the sky darkened. Yet, we lay staring at each other in the wet sand as if it was sunny and our being together wasn
’
t forbidden.

“
I understand you, Echo,
”
he said over the thunder. His eyes glanced down at my lips and I smiled.

“
Do you
,
now? What is my favorite color?
”

“
Blue. Like the sky and your eyes.
”
His hands touched my lips and I felt them tremble.

“
How did you…
”

“
Lucky guess.
”

I laughed and
rolled him over in the sand, leaning down and staring
into his violet
irises
. I
’
d never touched him in any way other than holding his hands, so when my
fingers
came out and touched his damp lips, I believe I was more startled than he was. I smiled, his warm breath just below my fingertips.
“
Do you believe in second chances, Ayden?
”
I
said to him
. The thunder was rolling louder and a strong wind began to pick up.

He covered my hand with his and I watched as he slowly kissed each of my
knuckles
. My heart just about leaped out of my chest.
“
Not until I met you,
”
he said.

I smiled, absolutely hypnotized by his lips. I leaned in and he watched me. There was a flicker of doubt and I caught myself.
“
What am I doing?
”

“
Being a fool,
”
Ayden said with a smile.
“
But I
’
ll be one with you.
”
His hand on my cheek slid behind my neck and he brought me closer.

Our lips touched briefly and I felt myself begin to panic.
“
We shouldn
’
t,
”
I whispered against lips that sought mine out. But even as I said the words, I
’
d
been leaning in closer to him. Brushing away th
e
hairs on my wet cheeks, he
brought
my lips to his and I could have sworn
I physically felt all my inhibitions melt away
. His lips were soft and sweet, like
saccharine
strawberries dipped in
molten, white
chocolate. I pushed myself down on him as he kissed me with a
soft-spoken
compassion
and ran his hands through my hair
.
I smiled against his lips
. W
hen we broke apart
,
we were both laughing hysterically.

“
I
’
m so sorry,
”
I whispered, still smiling
in a complete haze
.

T
he rain slowed to a drizzle
again and he
said,
“
I
’
ve wanted to kiss you since the first day.
”
It must
’
ve taken him a lot to say it; he didn
’
t strike me for an emotional man.

I touched his lips again and frowned.
“
First day? What about that first time we met?
You were angry at me for something, weren
’
t you?
”

He frowned and said,
“
That wasn
’
t about you.
”
When he caught my confusion, he said,
“
I stole from your kitchen and the Servant Keeper caught me. I didn
’
t—
”

“
You don
’
t have to explain an
ything to me. Your life is hard;
it
’
s understandable.
”
Whatever it had been about, Ayden didn
’
t have
to elaborate. I was curious, of course, but had I been put in that positioned, I would have been ashamed.

“
I
’
m ashamed,
”
he suddenly said, as if he
’
d read my mind.
“
Things are hard, Echo, but that
’
s still no excuse to take the easy way out. It
’
s a poor—
”

“
Stop.
”
I shook my head and laced my fingers through his.
“
If you
’
re going to say you
’
re a horrible person, you
’
re not. If you
’
re going to say it
’
s a poor excuse, it wasn
’
t. If you
’
re ashamed, don
’
t be. We are not only judged by our actions, Ayden, but
by
our thoughts. Your thoughts were pure—you did it for your family, you did it for love. If that
’
s not a good excuse, then I don
’
t know what is.
”