as if it were a book, I was sure of it, while the others grew bored waiting. Clearly, they didn’t have the ability to read a person as he did. I practically jumped out of my skin when Ryan finally spoke.
“Teagan, why don’t you go home.”
“If she can find her way back.” Sage snorted under her breath.
“Claire obviously wants to spend some
quality
time with her friends,” Emily added.
Ryan’s words stung me more than those of the other two. I was being dismissed. Without Claire. But I couldn’t look him in the eye any longer. I was shaking.
I slowly looked each one in the face, searching for a way out of this—searching for anything. My eyes finally met Lauren’s. She was the newest to their group, therefore wouldn’t she be the weakest? Her honey-blonde curls framed her face and her blue eyes shone back at me. Yes! It was there, a connection. I pleaded with her in silence, afraid Brynn or Ryan would catch on but they didn’t.
“Don’t you think that’s for Claire to decide?” I asked softly, more for Lauren.
As soon as my words left my lips, the acknowledging light in Lauren’s eyes paled. Our connection severed. I was dizzy with fear, wondering if the blasting music had finally taken its toll; that if, indeed, I was seeing straight.
Slowly and deliberately, I studied each face before me. Each one stood stock still, glaring at me, while I shivered in front of them. My breath streamed out of my lungs, hung in the air in front of me, then dissipated.
Just. My. Breath.
My eyes frantically scanned each one again. Were they even breathing?
Sage…
Emily…
Sharply, I turned to Brynn and Ryan.
When my eyes rested on Claire’s face, I could feel threatening tears sting the back of my throat. This time I didn’t have the dim light of the car to make me question myself. I could see just fine.
“Claire? Please, let’s just go back,” I whispered. My voice was raspy and desperate.
Claire’s beautiful pale face looked only at Ryan and I watched Brynn’s fingers tighten around Claire’s arm, forcing her to decide. Without another word, they turned and proceeded to walk to the line with Claire in tow. I hardly noticed Lauren trailing behind them. She lingered long enough to catch my eye, then she blew me a kiss, her breath dancing faintly in the night before turning to catch up with the others.
As I attempted to control the flood of emotions within me, I heard a twig snap behind me. With a little shriek, I jumped. There was Garreth, his face full of relief. I threw my arms around his neck and buried my face into his devastatingly warm skin, breathing the scent of him deep into my lungs. I pressed myself closer to his chest, thawing myself against him with a need for warmth I’d never felt before.
“Claire. She went with them. I think she’s in some sort of trouble,” I explained urgently.
Fear and anger raged through me like a vicious cocktail as I weighed my chances of following Claire, unseen, to keep an eye on her. But, in my head, I saw only Ryan’s dark eyes. I felt Garreth’s warm grasp pull me away from the clearing.
“Let her go, Teagan. She’s made her choice,” Garreth said softly.
But I couldn’t. I wanted to race up the steps, grab my friend, and take her home. Yet, in the same moment, I wanted to turn and run away from the eeriness of it all. As soon as one thought formed, my anger answered and interrupted it until they created their own tiny circle that rotated tightly inside my head. My decision was made for me when I saw them fading into the mass of music and bodies.
Garreth took my hand and pulled me with him into the dark tent of trees. I couldn’t help turning around once more for a glimpse of the friend I was leaving behind, but she was long gone. They all seemed to know that in some choreographed way Claire would betray our friendship tonight when, in truth, I was the one being left behind.
Then why was I the one to feel guilty?
“I’ll take you home,
“Teagan, why don’t you go home.”
“If she can find her way back.” Sage snorted under her breath.
“Claire obviously wants to spend some
quality
time with her friends,” Emily added.
Ryan’s words stung me more than those of the other two. I was being dismissed. Without Claire. But I couldn’t look him in the eye any longer. I was shaking.
I slowly looked each one in the face, searching for a way out of this—searching for anything. My eyes finally met Lauren’s. She was the newest to their group, therefore wouldn’t she be the weakest? Her honey-blonde curls framed her face and her blue eyes shone back at me. Yes! It was there, a connection. I pleaded with her in silence, afraid Brynn or Ryan would catch on but they didn’t.
“Don’t you think that’s for Claire to decide?” I asked softly, more for Lauren.
As soon as my words left my lips, the acknowledging light in Lauren’s eyes paled. Our connection severed. I was dizzy with fear, wondering if the blasting music had finally taken its toll; that if, indeed, I was seeing straight.
Slowly and deliberately, I studied each face before me. Each one stood stock still, glaring at me, while I shivered in front of them. My breath streamed out of my lungs, hung in the air in front of me, then dissipated.
Just. My. Breath.
My eyes frantically scanned each one again. Were they even breathing?
Sage…
Emily…
Sharply, I turned to Brynn and Ryan.
When my eyes rested on Claire’s face, I could feel threatening tears sting the back of my throat. This time I didn’t have the dim light of the car to make me question myself. I could see just fine.
“Claire? Please, let’s just go back,” I whispered. My voice was raspy and desperate.
Claire’s beautiful pale face looked only at Ryan and I watched Brynn’s fingers tighten around Claire’s arm, forcing her to decide. Without another word, they turned and proceeded to walk to the line with Claire in tow. I hardly noticed Lauren trailing behind them. She lingered long enough to catch my eye, then she blew me a kiss, her breath dancing faintly in the night before turning to catch up with the others.
As I attempted to control the flood of emotions within me, I heard a twig snap behind me. With a little shriek, I jumped. There was Garreth, his face full of relief. I threw my arms around his neck and buried my face into his devastatingly warm skin, breathing the scent of him deep into my lungs. I pressed myself closer to his chest, thawing myself against him with a need for warmth I’d never felt before.
“Claire. She went with them. I think she’s in some sort of trouble,” I explained urgently.
Fear and anger raged through me like a vicious cocktail as I weighed my chances of following Claire, unseen, to keep an eye on her. But, in my head, I saw only Ryan’s dark eyes. I felt Garreth’s warm grasp pull me away from the clearing.
“Let her go, Teagan. She’s made her choice,” Garreth said softly.
But I couldn’t. I wanted to race up the steps, grab my friend, and take her home. Yet, in the same moment, I wanted to turn and run away from the eeriness of it all. As soon as one thought formed, my anger answered and interrupted it until they created their own tiny circle that rotated tightly inside my head. My decision was made for me when I saw them fading into the mass of music and bodies.
Garreth took my hand and pulled me with him into the dark tent of trees. I couldn’t help turning around once more for a glimpse of the friend I was leaving behind, but she was long gone. They all seemed to know that in some choreographed way Claire would betray our friendship tonight when, in truth, I was the one being left behind.
Then why was I the one to feel guilty?
“I’ll take you home,
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