Page 59 of Rest In Knotty Pieces

She looks down at it and up at me. The broken uncertainty makes me want to howl.

Maybe being out here was too soon, but just when I think she won’t, she takes the stick.

She opens her mouth, and I try not to tense, waiting to see if she’s going to speak. I know we’re all waiting.

“I can sharpen the point if you want to stab someone.”

She looks so puzzled, but then she smiles. It was worth it. Every single second.

I fall back, tripping over my feet and star fishing onto the ground. She rushes to me, dropping the stick.

I grab her around the neck, lean up, and kiss her cheek.

We both freeze, her eyes dart to mine.

“I am not taking that back. I have wanted to do that since I first saw you,” I say in defiance.

She trembles.

“You can run now, I’ll allow it.”

She scampers back, but then her fingers lift, touching the spot on her cheek where I kissed her.

I lay back with a contented sigh as she scurries to catch up with Roseland.

“Proud of yourself?”

“So, so proud. She blushed, she smiled, she was adorable, and I got to kiss her.”

King crouches near my head and makes a humming sound. I know that sound intimately.

“What is it?” I ask, sitting up and twisting until we’re nose to nose.

“I think we’re being followed, but I have no evidence. Just a vague feeling.”

He holds out a hand and pulls me up off the ground.

“Have you told the others?”

“No, you know they don’t tend to take us seriously.”

“I’ll go. Tonight. Just have a look around.”

I lean up and press my lips to his.

“Now you’ve been kissed by the lips that kissed her.”

King lets out a rumble of a laugh, but Cyn is watching us, so he puts his hands in his pockets and walks off, leaving me alone.

“Little cousin,” Rory says, approaching again.

“Old and ugly cousin.”

Rory growls and swipes at me. I dodge his attempt easily.

“I can’t help but feel I walked into a parallel world and that something terrible this way comes.”

“How so?” I say as we fall into an easy walk, side by side.