Page 8 of Cinder & Secrets (Ink & Ashes #2)

Charlotte

River: I can’t stop thinking about that kiss, Red.

Red... It’s something he started calling me the night we met, and even though I pretend to hate it, secretly, I love it. I think more than anything, I just love that he thought enough of me to give me a nickname at all.

I glance up to find him watching me from across the room where he’s lounging casually on the couch, his legs stretched out in front of him.

I fight against the smile that tugs at my lips, my gaze darting to Lyric, who is so entranced by Kai that I could probably start singing at the top of my lungs and she wouldn’t notice.

Maisie, on the other hand, who surprised us by coming with Kai, is not so easily distracted.

Imagine my shock when I finally emerged from the bathroom to find her standing in the living room.

Me: Me neither.

I quickly press send, watching him glance down at his phone.

“Who are you talking to?” Maisie is quick to ask. As I said, not so easily distracted. And given that she’s sitting right next to me, there’s little I can hide from her.

“No one.” I’m careful to keep my voice low.

I don’t know what happened tonight.

It was like one second River was acting like we were complete strangers, and the next, he was pinning me to the bathroom door and kissing me like I was the very air his lungs needed in order to stay alive.

I can still feel the effects of his touch on my body.

Of his lips on mine. Of his finger pressing inside of me.

The way he curled the tip... I nearly came apart.

It was everything I had spent the last few months dreaming about and yet not nearly enough.

I wanted so much more. I just didn’t want it with his entire family down the hall.

“Given the smile you’re fighting, I would venture to say it’s not no one.” Maisie snorts, glancing at my phone when it vibrates in my lap. “I thought you weren’t talking to Conner anymore?” She hitches a perfectly shaped brow at me.

I, of course, have River’s name as Conner in my contacts because if one of the girls happened to see a message come in on my phone, it was the only way I knew to fully sell the lie.

“It’s complicated,” I say in a hushed voice, reading the message.

River: We should talk about it.

“Complicated how? He strung you along for months and the last I heard, had ghosted you completely. Don’t tell me he texted you some half-assed apology and now everything is forgiven.”

“Wait, what’s happening?” Maisie’s inability to keep her voice down cues Lyric in on our conversation. Guess she wasn’t that distracted after all.

“She’s talking to Conner again,” Maisie tells Lyric like it’s some ground-breaking news.

“Since when?” Lyric sits up a little straighter.

“He texted me a little bit ago.” I try to keep my expression neutral, which is hard to do when I feel River’s eyes on me.

“He better have given you one hell of an apology if you’re talking to him again.” Lyric words it almost like a question.

“Not exactly,” I say, looking over at River, who’s watching the entire situation unfold with a...

Wait, is he smiling ?

“Char.” Lyric lets out a hard puff of air.

“It’s fine,” I reassure her.

“Is it? Dude strings you along for months and then completely ghosts you and you’re all it’s fine .”

I try not to be offended by Maisie’s poor impersonation of me.

“You don’t fully understand the situation,” I calmly try to explain.

“Clearly not, because I cannot wrap my head around why you would be talking to him after the way he did you.”

I know Maisie means well, but sometimes her delivery is a little lacking.

“Maybe he had his reasons.” River offers, and I swear I feel every ounce of color drain from my face in an instant. “I don’t know about you, Kai, but I’ve ghosted a few women in my time, none of whom deserved it.” His face tilts to the man next to his sister.

“I’ve made some mistakes I’m not proud of,” Kai agrees.

“Not you?” Maisie laughs with a dramatic eye roll at the man who’s like a second brother to her.

Given that they basically grew up together, I’m sure Maisie knows some serious dirt on Kai. Not that she’d ever out him for it. The two are practically family.

“I’m not taking this dude’s side,” River continues. “I’m just saying, maybe there’s a reason for his behavior.”

“Not an acceptable one,” Maisie fires back.

“Can we not sit here and debate my life like I’m not right here?” I offer.

“Just saying, if I were you—”

“There are plenty of things you’ve done that I would never do, and I don’t judge you for it.” I’m quick to stop her from saying whatever it is she was going to say next.

“Sounds like maybe you are,” Maisie clips.

“Are they always like this?” River asks Lyric, amusement in his voice.

“Always.” She chuckles, offering us an apologetic smile. “They’re like siblings. They bicker relentlessly, but they also love the hell out of each other.”

“I guess I love you.” Maisie softens, nudging me with her elbow.

“I guess I love you back,” I murmur with a grin.

“I just worry about you, is all.”

“I know.” I blow out a soft breath.

“So, Kai, Lyric tells me you’re studying to be a civil engineer. What does that entail, exactly?” River asks, and I’m so grateful for the conversation switch; I could kiss him right here and now, audience and all.

I wait until everyone seems to have moved on from my love life, if that’s even what you want to call it, the conversation turning from course of study to best college parties, before I type out another message.

Me: If this is the part where you tell me it was a mistake, don’t.

His response is faster than I expected.

River: Wasn’t it?

Me: I don’t regret it.

River: Neither do I.

I bite down on my bottom lip as I meet his gaze, the deep green of his eyes visible even from here. It’s like looking into the most lush, beautiful forest you can possibly imagine, and I’m instantly lost in the thick foliage.

He looks back down at his phone seconds before another text comes through.

River: Doesn’t change the fact that this isn’t a good idea.

Me: Stop telling me what is or isn’t a good idea and tell me what you want.

Several seconds stretch between us, to the point that I almost think he isn’t going to respond.

River: You.

My breath hitches as I look up, our eyes locking in place.

I hold his stare for a moment, my heart beating new pathways inside my chest.

I don’t respond to that. Honestly, I’m not sure how to. Add on the fact that Maisie is watching me again and I decide maybe this is a conversation best had when we don’t have an audience.

I tuck my phone away, refocusing on the conversation, even if it’s impossible to keep my mind from drifting back to River’s last text message.

You . Such a simple word and yet it holds more possibility than my mind will let my body entertain at the current moment, the vision of us tangled in the sheets, River deep inside of me, too beautiful of an image to fully ignore.

River is the first to leave, with the exception of Dalton and the girls.

Well, technically, he’s the only other one to leave, given that the rest of us are staying here, but that’s not really the point.

And no, I’m not at all upset by the fact that all I get is a simple head nod in way of a goodbye because, honestly, I got way more out of tonight than I could have hoped.

Lyric and Kai call it a night shortly after. Maisie and I stay in the living room until they go into their separate bedrooms, not wanting to intrude on their good night kiss, which from the sound of it, gets pretty heated.

Once we’re sure the coast is clear, we head into River’s old bedroom. Since Maisie was an unexpected guest and Lyric only has a twin in her bedroom, her only options were to room with me or sleep on the couch. I think it’s clear what she chose.

“So is it just me or did Lyric’s brother get even hotter?

” Maisie asks as she flops down on the large bed that takes up most of the small room.

Propping up on her elbows, I feel her gaze on my back as I strip off my top, then reach into my bag to retrieve my nightshirt.

“I wouldn’t mind taking him for a ride, if you know what I mean. ” She snorts out a laugh.

“Not sure his sister would appreciate that.” I’m careful to keep my voice as neutral as possible.

“Not sure his sister would appreciate the two of you talking behind her back, but that hasn’t stopped you.”

I momentarily forget how to breathe as my brain struggles to process her words.

“What are you on about?” I wrinkle my nose in confusion as I turn back to her.

Her blue eyes crinkle at the edges like she’s trying to piece together an overly complicated puzzle with too many pieces for no reason.

“Are you going to stand there and tell me it wasn’t River you were texting tonight?”

“What?” I choke on a laugh that gets stuck in my throat.

“Seriously?” She pushes herself upright, pretzeling her legs close to her body.

“Seriously what?” Nerves make my insides ache.

“Char.” She gives me a pointed look. “I watched you two all evening. You would get a text and look up and he’d be watching you.

He’d smile. You’d smile. Then you’d text back.

Rinse and repeat. Did you honestly think I wouldn’t notice?

You two were giving some serious vibes, and if Kai hadn’t been there, I have no doubt that Lyric would have noticed too. ”

“Maisie, I—”

“Please do not insult me by lying.”

I think over my options.

Lie and make the situation worse.

Or tell the truth and pray I can keep her quiet at least for the time being.

“You can’t tell Lyric,” I finally concede, blowing out a hard breath.

“You had him in your phone as Conner.”

“Yes.”

“Does that mean...” I can literally see the pieces fall into place. “You were never talking to Conner. It’s been River this whole time.”

“Yes.” I have trouble holding her gaze.

“You’ve been lying to us for months.” The accusation in her tone makes me cringe.

“Yes.”