Secret Life (RVHS Secrets) by Bria Quinlan Page B

out.
    Sliding between the gap in the
fence—not to mention ignoring the No Trespassing sign—I glanced toward the car.
Chris leaned against its side, his arms folded across his chest, one ankle
kicked across the other. Turning back, I pushed the shrubbery out of the way as
I searched for the place water met land several feet down. A
nice straight drop.
    “Rachel.”
    Behind me, Chris stood with the gate held open enough to
squeeze through. I wondered if he’d stopped or if he didn’t fit. For a moment I
considered going back, but then a clean breeze rushed up from the water. Cool.
Clear. It pushed my hair away from my face. It was like flying and being
grounded at the same time.
    I gave him a smile I hoped said, “Stay there if you want,
but join me if you can,” and chased the wind toward the wooden arch of the
bridge at the water’s edge. Ducking under another sign, I placed a foot on the
slat and gave a hard shove. When the only thing that dropped away was the
anxiety I’d been carrying all day, I rushed out onto it knowing quick would be better if falling was involved.
    “Hey,” Chris’s voice was closer this time. Following. There was no reason to go back if he was coming
out.
    At the center of the bridge, I lowered myself to the edge,
dropping my legs over the side. Below me, the moon clashed with the branches
and debris that floated over its reflection, stealing the light from one side
for long moments.
    “Rachel?”
    I knew what he was thinking. He was thinking , My God, this girl’s
crazy, but I couldn’t deal with that right now. With the breeze making my
eyes tear and the sweet scent of chilled water drifting up to me, all I cared
about was the darkness to hide in and the quiet to listen to.
    Instead, he surprised me…showed me just how differently we
thought. How neither of us was more than slightly focused on anything other
than ourselves even as we considered the other.
    “You didn’t have to bring me out here.” He lowered himself
next to me. “I knew I’d have to go home eventually. It’s…”
    I’m not sure where that sentence was going. Even my typical
nosiness couldn’t get me to ask. I was afraid again, but this time I was afraid
of what I’d learn about Chris. I had enough demons of my own.
    In the dim light, all I could see was the rough outline of
his face. Everything—the details—faded. I liked the idea. Details had never
been my friend.
    I shrugged, but then couldn’t let him feel guilty over
something I’d needed too. “I just couldn’t seem to stop driving.”
    He nodded, as if the idea was something he’d thought about
himself. As if we’d been in his car, we still would have ended up here in this
abandoned sanctuary.
    “How’d you find this place?”
    I grinned at him, doubting he could see me at all with the
moonlight behind me.
    “When the road ended, we went straight.”
    He looked at me for a long moment, the silence a pause
overriding the river’s gush, and then laid back his head and laughed. A full,
real laugh I’d never expected to hear from him.
    “God, Rachel. Who knows what could have been down here.”
    My family always worried about me. Amy was always careful
about everything since she started dating Luke—careful not to leave me out or
behind. Dr. Meadows was safe because she knew when not to push.
    This, this carelessness he showed toward me—like I wouldn’t
break at the smallest thing —drew me like nothing any of them offered before.
    “I’m planning on sacrificing you to the moon later.” I
leaned in as if I was sharing a secret. “Just so you know.”
    He laughed again and leaned back on his elbows, closing his
eyes and soaking in the beams as if they fed him.
    I tore off a bit of the bridge, shredding and dropping it
over the edge to watch the current pull it away.
    “I just couldn’t go home yet, you know?” His voice came from
behind me, low as if he hadn’t been sure he was speaking aloud.
    I started to shake my head but