worse than I ever had.
Immediately his eyebrows furrowed. “Don’t,” he said, shaking his head. Then, without seeming conscious of the action, his hand came up and slowly brushed the stray hairs away from my face, softly grazing my cheek. My heart lurched and sputtered, and I prayed he couldn’t feel my hands shake against his shoulders. Holding my eyes with a look that made my stomach tight, he continued, “Don’t ever apologize for saying how you feel.”
I opened my mouth to speak, but suddenly out of nowhere, he dropped his arms like they were lead weights and stood. “I need to get back,” he said quickly, shoving his hands in his pockets and not meeting my eyes.
“Oh, OK,” I said, trying not to seem let down.
“Can you find your way back?” he asked, walking past me.
He didn’t want to walk with me?
“Sure, no problem,” I said, which was of course a lie, but if he wasn’t going to offer to take me back, I certainly wasn’t about to ask.
He paused at the edge of the tree’s canopy and looked back at me – or more accurately, looked at the ground right in front of me.
“Are you free later tonight? We really do need to talk about Ryland. Can you meet me at the rotunda, say around six?”
“Sure, six is fine.”
With that, he walked back the way we’d come, only to break into a jog a few yards away from the tree.
9
Two hours, a ripped shirt, and a skinned knee later, I finally stumbled back into civilization, exhausted and frustrated. Alex’s pace had ensured that I was unable to follow him, and I must have taken a wrong turn somewhere.
I had seen enough of the Irish woods to last me several years, and was beyond in need of a shower. Dirty and sick of nature as I was, even more troubling was the sudden and drastic turn in Alex’s mood that afternoon. I couldn’t believe I’d hugged him, what the hell was I thinking? Obviously I scared him away – or at least that was the only thing I could figure.
Though… he had hugged me back.
Regardless of what had happened to upset him, one thing was certain: I was not at all looking forward to seeing him again that night. I was terrified it would be as uneasy and awkward as the final few minutes of the afternoon had been, which would not be any fun at all.
As I reached the top of the short flight of stairs to Lorcan Hall, I saw a short blonde figure pacing in front of the large bay window in the Hall’s main foyer. “Chloe?” I asked, stepping into the invitingly warm hall.
“There you are!” she cried, running up and throwing her arms around my neck, “Alex was so worried!”
“I’m fine,” I mumbled against her shoulder.
“He made me promise to stay right here and – mercy be!” she said, pulling back and seeing the state of me. “What happened?”
“Had some… trouble,” I stammered, feeling like an idiot. “It’s no big deal.”
“Oh, you poor dear! Alex felt so awful for leaving you! I promised him I’d keep a watch out for you until he got back.”
“Got back from where?” I asked, trying not to sound overly interested.
“The Order has called a meeting, but he - Oh! Mr Anderson!” she called, seeing him come down the main stairs.
“What can I do for you, lass?” he smiled, cheerful as always.
“Are you off to the meeting?”
“Aye, and it could run long by the look of it.”
“Would you please tell Alex that-”
But before she could finish, Alex came around the corner, pulling on a jacket. “Chloe, I’ve got to go look–”
He stopped short as he saw me, acute relief washing over his features. Though relief quickly became horror as he got a better look at me. I self-consciously tucked my hair behind my ear in a vain attempt to look as though I hadn’t just gotten the crap kicked out of me by Mother Nature.
“I am so sorry,” he breathed, guilt stricken.
“It’s fine,” I said with my best smile, “I took a detour, that’s all.” I tried my best to sound convincing, but it
Immediately his eyebrows furrowed. “Don’t,” he said, shaking his head. Then, without seeming conscious of the action, his hand came up and slowly brushed the stray hairs away from my face, softly grazing my cheek. My heart lurched and sputtered, and I prayed he couldn’t feel my hands shake against his shoulders. Holding my eyes with a look that made my stomach tight, he continued, “Don’t ever apologize for saying how you feel.”
I opened my mouth to speak, but suddenly out of nowhere, he dropped his arms like they were lead weights and stood. “I need to get back,” he said quickly, shoving his hands in his pockets and not meeting my eyes.
“Oh, OK,” I said, trying not to seem let down.
“Can you find your way back?” he asked, walking past me.
He didn’t want to walk with me?
“Sure, no problem,” I said, which was of course a lie, but if he wasn’t going to offer to take me back, I certainly wasn’t about to ask.
He paused at the edge of the tree’s canopy and looked back at me – or more accurately, looked at the ground right in front of me.
“Are you free later tonight? We really do need to talk about Ryland. Can you meet me at the rotunda, say around six?”
“Sure, six is fine.”
With that, he walked back the way we’d come, only to break into a jog a few yards away from the tree.
9
Two hours, a ripped shirt, and a skinned knee later, I finally stumbled back into civilization, exhausted and frustrated. Alex’s pace had ensured that I was unable to follow him, and I must have taken a wrong turn somewhere.
I had seen enough of the Irish woods to last me several years, and was beyond in need of a shower. Dirty and sick of nature as I was, even more troubling was the sudden and drastic turn in Alex’s mood that afternoon. I couldn’t believe I’d hugged him, what the hell was I thinking? Obviously I scared him away – or at least that was the only thing I could figure.
Though… he had hugged me back.
Regardless of what had happened to upset him, one thing was certain: I was not at all looking forward to seeing him again that night. I was terrified it would be as uneasy and awkward as the final few minutes of the afternoon had been, which would not be any fun at all.
As I reached the top of the short flight of stairs to Lorcan Hall, I saw a short blonde figure pacing in front of the large bay window in the Hall’s main foyer. “Chloe?” I asked, stepping into the invitingly warm hall.
“There you are!” she cried, running up and throwing her arms around my neck, “Alex was so worried!”
“I’m fine,” I mumbled against her shoulder.
“He made me promise to stay right here and – mercy be!” she said, pulling back and seeing the state of me. “What happened?”
“Had some… trouble,” I stammered, feeling like an idiot. “It’s no big deal.”
“Oh, you poor dear! Alex felt so awful for leaving you! I promised him I’d keep a watch out for you until he got back.”
“Got back from where?” I asked, trying not to sound overly interested.
“The Order has called a meeting, but he - Oh! Mr Anderson!” she called, seeing him come down the main stairs.
“What can I do for you, lass?” he smiled, cheerful as always.
“Are you off to the meeting?”
“Aye, and it could run long by the look of it.”
“Would you please tell Alex that-”
But before she could finish, Alex came around the corner, pulling on a jacket. “Chloe, I’ve got to go look–”
He stopped short as he saw me, acute relief washing over his features. Though relief quickly became horror as he got a better look at me. I self-consciously tucked my hair behind my ear in a vain attempt to look as though I hadn’t just gotten the crap kicked out of me by Mother Nature.
“I am so sorry,” he breathed, guilt stricken.
“It’s fine,” I said with my best smile, “I took a detour, that’s all.” I tried my best to sound convincing, but it
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