Page 6

“A surprise? What kind of surprise?”

Shoving my leg with his foot, he playfully snapped. “Just get up, enough with all the questions.”

“This better be good.” Swinging my legs off the lounge chair, I grabbed my sun dress and slipped it over my head. “Do I need shoes for this?”

“Yeah, and bring your towel.” Birch jogged to the patio doors and yelled inside. “Mom, Cyprus and I will be back in a bit!”

Valentina stepped to the screen door, wiping flour-covered hands on a dish towel. “Where are you two going?”

His mother was amazing. She came from Italy, and nothing she ever made came from a box. The woman would spend hours kneading dough for pasta, breads, and everything in between. For the past year she had even been home schooling me.

Since Nick still didn't have any new answers about who I was, I couldn't enroll in Birch's school. We were all guessing that I was the same age as Birch, but we didn't know for sure, and we didn't know why or how I ended up out in the woods. Nick and Valentina had decided it was best for me to just stay there where it was safe.

It still hurt to not know who I was exactly, but I was happy living there. They treated me like I was their daughter, not once did I ever feel like I didn't belong.

Each day the pain I felt became lighter, and less of a burden to my emotions. It never went away, but it wasn't always in the front of my mind. I was beginning to feel at home, like this was the family I was meant to have all along.

Drawing her hand over Birch's forehead, she pushed his hair back out of his face. “I don't want you two out causing trouble, Birch.” Her long brown hair fell around her face, the thick braid swinging down over her shoulder and swaying back and forth. Eyeing us both curiously, she arched a brow in wonder.

Swatting her hand away, he ruffled his hair back into place. “No, Mom, I want to show her. . .” Whispering, he leaned in closer and covered his mouth so I couldn't hear what he was saying.

His mom smiled and nodded her head. “Just be careful.” Birch turned and started back towards me, but stopped short as his mother spoke. “Dinner is at six, don't be late, your father is having guests tonight.”

“Got it, six o'clock, no problem.” Grinning, he walked quickly, snatching my wrist as he passed by and headed towards the woods. “Come on, you're going to love this.”

We hiked for a bit through the trees and thick foliage. Birch kept glancing at me with excited eyes and a big toothy smile. But he refused to tell me where he was taking me.

“It's just a little bit further.”

Wiping sweat off my forehead, I groaned. “That's what you said twenty minutes ago.”

“I swear, it really is.” Stopping at a ridge, he turned to face me. “Okay, close your eyes.”

“What? Why?”

“Just close your eyes, Cyprus. Trust me, it will be worth it.”

Stuffing my arms into my ribs, I kicked my hip out. “Alright, but if you're messing with me, and I open my eyes to a dead animal or something—”

Holding out his hand, he cut me off. “It's not a dead animal, I promise. Just shut your eyes.”

Pursing my lips, I did what he asked, and closed them tight. I felt his hands curl gently around my wrists, and butterflies began to swarm in my belly. His touch had started to affect me differently lately than it used to.

Most of the time he would give me a playful punch or he would tug my hair and laugh. Birch liked to mess with me, teasing me with stupid pranks and things only an immature boy would find funny.

Normally I would yell at him, hitting him back and storming off annoyed. Then something changed, he stopped his games and his touch became tender and delicate. He would look at me with more in his eyes than just a kid who got his jollies out of being a pain in the ass.

What I don't think he realized was that I had started to enjoy his touch, to crave that tiny bit of intimacy. I found myself brushing my shoulder against his if we passed in the hall just to get that warm and fuzzy feeling in my gut. I would wait for him to be in the kitchen and would purposely go and get something out of a cupboard he was near just so I could smell his cologne or graze his body in some way.

It was stupid, I knew that. All the little ways I manipulated my position just to feel his skin on mine. I couldn't help it, it was like I was falling into this rabbit hole of desire I couldn't explain and didn't understand.

But his touch today was so different. He initiated this contact, he brought his fingers to my skin and I sensed a change. Right then, when he gripped my wrists and held my arms, everything inside my body screamed with delight.

Birch's fingertips were careful and soft as the pads of his fingers pressed against my pulse. There was no strength or force behind it, no joking tickle or blindsided wet finger in my ear.

His skin sizzled against mine, forcing a tingle to run up my arm and curl around my ribs. My heart slammed around inside my chest, thudding so loudly I thought he might be able to hear it where he stood.

Guiding me forward, he pulled me along. “Don't open them, keep them closed.”