Page 77 of Bleed the Shadows

She wrapped her arms around me and rested her head on my shoulder and I felt like the world disappeared around us. I smelled the strawberry body wash on her skin and the fresh scent of her shampoo and I felt like maybe I’d come home for the first time in my adult life.

All the things we hadn’t been able to say moved between us, a tidal wave that made me want to stop the clock and stay there in the gymnasium, letting it wash over me forever.

I brushed her ear with my lips.

I love you. I really, really love you.

The words were right there, on the tip of my tongue, seeping out of my heart like a dam about to crack.

But right then she didn’t seem like my killer, she seemed like Poe’s little bird, more fragile than she’d ever let on. One wrong word and she might fly away forever, so I just closed my eyes and held her tight, lying to myself that it could be enough.

47

MAEVE

I was still shakenfrom the dance when we dropped Owen off at Remy’s parents’ house. We’d already dropped off Maddy, Owen’s date, and Remy and I had both made an effort not to watch as Owen walked her to the door.

We’d sat in the front seat in awkward silence instead, waiting for Owen to say goodnight before taking him home.

Now Remy and I were alone again in the front seat of the Hummer, the silence thick and heavy between us.

I couldn’t speak for him, but the slow dance had scared the shit out of me. Up until then, I’d been able to tell myself I was having fun with the Butchers, that we’d just been thrown together by a set of weird circumstances and were just making the best of it.

Even my fantasies about staying, about having a real relationship with the three men who’d hunted me in the tunnels, had felt like exactly that: fantasies.

But swaying in the high school gymnasium with Remy’s arms around me hadn’t felt like a fantasy. It had felt terrifyingly real, my emotions raw enough that tears had sprung to my eyes and my heart had raced with fear.

“Want to get ice cream?”

I turned to look at him and my heart skipped a beat. He was always beautiful, but tonight he looked elegant in black slacks and a deep green button-down shirt that set off his eyes, his blond hair still unruly enough to make him look rakish. “Ice cream?”

He smiled. “Yeah. Isn’t ice cream a thing people do on dates?”

“I guess so.” I nodded. “Sure, let’s get ice cream.”

It was cold outside, but the Hummer was nice and toasty. Ice cream sounded good.

We drove to a local stand that was open late just outside of town and ordered double scoops. Remy got double chocolate chunk and chocolate chip, I got chocolate peanut butter and butter pecan, which Remy called an old lady ice cream flavor.

Sucked to be him if he didn’t know how good butter pecan was.

“Overlook?” Remy asked when we got back in the Hummer.

“Sure.” The ice cream had been a good idea. It had broken the spell of our dance, and we talked about how weird it was to see our younger siblings grow up while we licked our ice cream and Remy drove us up the mountain to the overlook.

There were a couple other cars there, pointed at a view of the valley below, a few lights still twinkling under a crescent moon.

Remy parked the Hummer at the far end of the small lot and turned off the engine.

“I haven’t been up here in forever,” I said, finishing off my cone. “It’s so pretty.”

“It is. And quiet.” He turned to look at me. “Thanks for coming with me tonight.”

“Thanks for inviting me. It was really fun.”

“Everything’s fun with you.”

Embarrassed, I looked out the windshield. “Stop.”