Rival

by Cindy R. Wilson

  Then she curled her hand around his neck, pulling him closer, and his brain short-circuited. It shuttled out every single thought that wasn’t Juno.

  She invaded his senses. Every breath she took, every sigh, resonated deep inside. Every slide of her lips or brush of her fingers against his skin set him on fire.

  A shiver rained through his entire body.

  “Are you sure this is okay?” he murmured against her mouth.

  “More sure than any other time in my life.”

  It was enough. Maddox lowered his head again to kiss her, lost in all that was Juno. And he barely felt it when it began to rain.

  Chapter Fifteen

  Juno

  Kissing Maddox was like being too close to the sun. Her entire body was engulfed in flames. But instead of pain, she felt pleasure.

  For the first time in her life, she felt truly alive.

  Juno relished the feel of his hands as they slid down her arms and came to rest on her wrists.

  “It’s getting kind of hot up here,” he whispered, his words vibrating against her lips.

  Juno grinned at the comment and nodded. “I agree.”

  To her amusement, Maddox shared her grin and then walked with her to the edge of the bridge. He swung his leg over the edge first, and she followed.

  She was more careful when she climbed down the side of the bridge. She had been careless the first time, upset and only focused on one thing—getting away.

  That, and her shoes lacked any kind of traction.

  But the instant she’d slipped, she realized she’d been hasty. And climbing the bridge wasn’t the only time. She raced to get here and hadn’t even thought things through. At the very least, she needed supplies. It made sense to prepare before she finally left her community.

  “Only one more beam,” Maddox said from just below her. “Almost there.”

  Before it might have irritated her. But now, she trusted Maddox completely. She knew he wasn’t the thief, knew he was a good guy. He’d just saved her life, and now they’d shared something more. Something she never thought she’d share with someone else.

  A raindrop hit her cheek, and then another fell on the top of her head. The clouds had come in faster than she expected, but it was a good thing. Everyone back home was probably putting out their buckets and pans to stock up.

  The reminder of back home sobered her. It wasn’t really “home” anymore, and she needed to stop thinking about it like that. But she wasn’t ready to live out here on her own. Not just yet.

  She felt Maddox’s hand on her back just moments before she reached the ground. She turned to him as he blew out a breath.

  “Safe and sound,” she said.

  He smiled, and there was an apology in it. “You scared me.”

  “I didn’t mean to.”

  She reached out a hand to brush a raindrop from his face, and he caught it, pressing her palm to his cheek. He closed his eyes, but she still caught the flicker of worry there before his face relaxed.

  “What’s wrong?” she whispered, her hand tingling all over.

  She stood just a breath away, eyes level with his chin, wanting more than anything to kiss him again. To spend the entire day lost in Maddox.

  “Maybe we shouldn’t go up there anymore.”

  “Oh.” That was what he was worried about? “I thought you were going to say something else…”

  That they shouldn’t be here at all. Which was probably better for him—at least until she was officially free of her own community.

  But that week without him had been excruciating.

  His eyes opened, locking on hers. He released her hand, but before she could move, he grabbed it again to link his fingers with hers. “What did you think I was going to say?”

  The raindrops came faster now, water hitting her shoulders, her cheeks, her eyelashes. “Nothing. Really. I’m not even thinking, and I shouldn’t have climbed up there so fast. I just wanted—I mean…” She realized she was babbling and stopped herself. “It’s nothing.”

  All of it hit her right then. Everything at once. She was going to be leaving the only home she’d known. And maybe she and Maddox would still be okay to spend time together. Maybe she could really make her own life over here.

  Maddox lifted an eyebrow. “I don’t believe you.” He held her gaze for a long moment and then grinned. “Come on.”

  “Maddox—”

  “No arguing,” he said, glancing back with that same smile that relaxed her again. “It’s raining.”

  With a laugh, she dashed out from under the bridge, her hand still in his. It was cold, droplets hitting her cheeks and shoulders, sliding down her face and on their linked hands. Cold and welcome.

  For the first time in years, she felt like a kid, racing through the rain without a care in the world.

  They splashed in puddles and watched a young boy do the same thing across the street. The world was washed in grays, but it had never seemed more colorful to Juno.

  When she turned back to Maddox, he was staring at her, something like wonder in his eyes.

  “You should tell me what you were going to say,” he murmured.

  He used his free hand to brush her hair off her cheek.

  Her throat dried. “I—I mean, I’m not used to—to other people. Like being—being like this with—with…” She clamped her lips shut to stop from babbling again.

  “With who?”

  God, he was going to make her say it out loud? How embarrassing. Pillar used to hang out with Cam’s younger brother, and she talked about him all the time or walked with him hand-in-hand without a care in the world. Juno used to roll her eyes and listen to Rand and Stef talk about how there were more important things than boys. And most of the time, she agreed.

  But now she was here with Maddox, butterflies in her chest, and she was supposed to know how to act? How to talk?

  “You,” she blurted, then shook her head. “Me. I mean you and me. Us.”

  He gave her a slow smile, making her cheeks burn hotter than ever. “Us, yes. Go on.”

  This was why she needed to tell Pillar about Maddox. So she’d have someone to talk to. Someone to tell her how she was supposed to act around a boy she couldn’t even seem to make eye contact with.

  But if he could say us like it was completely normal, couldn’t she? And more than that, why did it matter right now? They were here together, and she wanted to make the most of it.

  The rain came down harder, pooling on the streets and soaking through their clothes, and Juno released Maddox’s hand.

  “Let’s go,” she said, angling her head to a tall building across from the bridge.

  With a chuckle, he followed along with her. When they reached a hole in the pavement, he jumped at the edge, splashing her with more water.

  She grinned and jumped next to him, soaking his pants the rest of the way. He snatched her around the waist, making her breath catch.

  “I know what you mean,” he murmured.

  Her fingers clenched on his arms as a shiver ran through her. The rain was so heavy it was like a thick mist around them, shutting them off from the rest of the world. “About what?” she asked softly.

  “About not being used to being around other people.” His eyes dropped to her lips. “Like this.”

  Her lips trembled. “You’re doing a better job than me.”

  He grinned, and then his face went serious. “You thought I was going to say something else back there.”

  She blinked through the rain running down her face. “I did.” And she was surprised how sure her voice came out. Maddox made her bold in ways she never knew she could be.

  “Did you think I was going to tell you I didn’t want this? What’s happening with us?”

  She nodded. It had crossed her mind. Once they were safely down from the bridge, suddenly real life had hit her again.

  His hands clenched tighter around her waist. “That wasn’t a mistake up there. I wanted to kiss you.” />
  “But…”

  “But nothing. I wanted to. I’m glad you came.”

  “Me, too,” she said, voice catching. “I wanted—needed to see you.”

  Because her world was falling apart. Because she had no one. She hadn’t even expected to find him here. But she had, and realized it was a balm to her wounds. She’d already decided to leave her community—what did it hurt to let her guard down a little?

  Maddox could get in trouble. And so could you.

  “You don’t look so sure,” he said with another smile.

  She couldn’t help but laugh. “How can you see anything in this rain?”

  “Am I not close enough?” he asked.

  She swallowed another laugh. “No, no…this is close enough.”

  Especially with his body against hers and his hands holding tight. When he brushed his finger down her cheek, she almost melted. “I’m not good at this.”

  “What?”

  “Talking. Being…normal.”

  He smiled. “That’s why we practice.”

  Guilt flickered inside, making her blurt out the words she should have said before. “It’s not because of you. No, actually, it is.”

  He grimaced. “That bad, huh?”

  “No.” She gripped one of his hands, fingers entwining with his. “I mean, I thought it was best. So that neither of us got in trouble.”

  Maddox stepped back slightly to glance around. “I think we’re kind of past that now, aren’t we?”

  She held his gaze but dropped his hand. “We don’t have to be. We can both turn around right now and go home. Pretend this never happened. And never see each other again.”

  She waited for it, knew he was thinking the same thing. It was better this way. At least for now. At least until she could tell him that she was free.

  “Is that what you want?” Maddox asked, eyes narrowing. “Because it looks like you’re trying pretty hard to convince yourself of something.”

  She blew out a breath, even as her brain and her heart still struggled. The last thing she wanted right now was to walk away from Maddox. But they were risking a lot more than feelings by staying. He was taking a risk—and if it didn’t work out, the consequences could be disastrous.

  “No.” Juno’s eyes went wide when the word came out, but she couldn’t stop herself. “No, that’s not what I want.”

  Maddox smiled. “That’s not what I want, either.”

  “Really?”

  “You don’t believe me?”

  “No. Yes—it’s just…” Juno shrugged, dropping her chin. Water ran into her eyes, and she pushed her hair off her cheeks.

  “Someday, Juno. Someday it won’t be as hard for you to talk to me—just like that first night on the beach.”

  She couldn’t help but smile. “That’s different.”

  “It is. But it’s part of the real you. I think I can wait for that.”

  Her chest constricted. No one knew the real her. Not even Pillar. But Maddox… He knew parts of her that even she didn’t know were there.

  She linked her fingers with his again and pointed to the building. “Let’s get inside.”

  They strolled together in the rain and she tried not to remember what a delicate line she was walking right now, hoping for once in her life that things could turn out right for her. She just had to make sure she kept her balance, or the entire thing would come crashing down.

  Chapter Sixteen

  Maddox

  Maddox was out of bed the instant the sun came up. He’d heard Theo leave the room earlier this morning when he should have been sleeping, but he was too distracted with thoughts of Juno to sleep or wonder too hard where Theo was going.

  He hadn’t seen Juno yesterday, which was making him antsy to leave. They’d both agreed to take a day off so no one got suspicious, but it had been one of the hardest days of his life.

  He nearly toppled over at the end of his bed, trying to get his shoes on, and then peered outside to check the sky. Clouds gathered over the water, but there was enough sunshine they could scavenge for parts for her rat traps.

  His mom and Theo might not be interested in working with the other community, but they were wrong. They didn’t know Juno and how smart she really was, or how she could show them new ways to bring in food.

  Once things calmed down, he told himself, things might change. He could talk to his mom and Theo and explain how it made sense to work together.

  In the meantime, he just had to be careful. And he had to see Juno.

  Once his shoes were on, Maddox ran downstairs to the kitchen. He used the bucket of water by the sink to splash his face, waking him up even more. Then he snagged a juicy tomato off the counter.

  He bit into it, turned, and froze.

  His mom and Theo both stood there as tomato juice dripped down his chin.

  “Where are you going so early?” Theo asked with a grin.

  Theo wouldn’t be grinning like that if he knew where Maddox was really going, so he let his shoulders relax and swallowed his bite before answering.

  “I have to check the rat traps by the bridge, and I thought I’d do more scavenging. We need more oil for the lanterns, especially in the dining room.”

  Which was the absolute truth. He planned on doing scavenging, just not alone.

  Theo continued to smile. “No need for oil. We got more flashlights.”

  “How?”

  “From scavenging.” Theo rolled his eyes. “Found a few other things that might be helpful, too.”

  Before he could ask what, his mom gestured to the door.

  “I’d like to talk to you before you go,” Alice said. “Come on outside.”

  He opened his mouth to protest, but they were already turning for the door. Crap. He was supposed to meet Juno. He didn’t want her to think he was bailing out. He’d done it once before, and he’d seen how badly it had hurt her feelings.

  “The earlier I get started, the more I can find,” Maddox said to Theo’s back.

  “This is important,” Theo said.

  So was meeting Juno. He gritted his teeth against saying the words and instead walked through the front door into the early morning sunshine. The air was still cool enough; he breathed in deep and tried to remember this moment for when it was unbearably hot later today.

  “Let’s walk down to the beach,” Alice said.

  Maddox stopped on the stairs, heart lurching. The beach. Why? They never went to the beach. Unless they knew something was going on. A thousand thoughts went through his mind before he forced himself to clear it. This could be bad. Really, really bad. But he had to deal with it, anyway, no matter what.

  “The beach is off-limits,” Maddox said, not moving.

  “Not anymore.” Alice angled her head to the shore, her expression softening. “Come on. We’ll talk.”

  Maddox kept his mouth shut as he followed his mom and wished Theo wasn’t coming along. When they reached the sand, Alice hesitated, her gaze spanning the beach. Maddox saw memories in her eyes, all the things she’d been keeping to herself over the years.

  Part of him felt guilty for not being around as much lately. But the other part, the part that was tired of the realities of his life, felt free.

  Theo squeezed Alice’s arm, and she nodded, stepping onto the sand. Maddox watched her as she moved steadily across the beach, her shoulders tense. She didn’t stop until she reached the water.

  Maddox’s jaw flexed. It was awkward standing out here—somewhere that used to be forbidden. He kept glancing around to see if any other members of the community were watching them.

  “You were right,” Alice said.

  Maddox glanced up to see who she was talking to. Her eyes met his. “About what?”

  “The beach and the fish.” Alice glanced at Theo. “We’ve been talking about what you said. Putting up nets, using the water to help bring in more food. More variety, too.”

  Maddox narrowed his eyes at his brother. That didn’t sound like
Theo. His brother had always been perfectly fine staying away from the water. In fact, he thought Theo was the one making such a big deal about keeping it off-limits and holding a grudge against the other community.

  Especially after all that had happened the last several weeks.

  But Theo remembered Dad better than him, and he had to remind himself that wounds took longer to heal for certain people.

  “I never said anything about putting up nets,” Maddox told his mom, the thought occurring to him suddenly.

  Alice nodded. “Theo said that’s probably what the others have.”

  “How do you know?” Maddox asked, his stomach twisting.

  Theo pointed farther down the beach. Maddox could see the dock, and farther back, the exact spots where the nets and pots had been fixed and returned to the water. But he wasn’t supposed to know that. Or know that they’d been destroyed in the first place—probably by someone in his community.

  Maddox watched Theo’s face but couldn’t read anything there. Nothing suspicious, nothing off or unusual.

  Maybe…

  He scratched his chin, another thought occurring to him. Maybe it wasn’t someone from his community at all. Someone had taken his supplies, and then their nets had been destroyed. All this time, he’d been thinking both sides—or maybe even just his—were fighting equally.

  Maybe it was someone on Juno’s side that was trying to escalate the situation.

  “I thought this was what you wanted,” Theo said.

  Maddox dug his heel into the sand, checking the impulse to yell at his brother. It was what he wanted. But the timing seemed off. Then he remembered it would be just another reason for him to spend more time with Juno. He could learn from her, get tips on fishing. They could help each other.

  “It’s another way to bring in food,” Maddox said.

  Alice nodded. “It’s smart. And something we should have done a long time ago, especially when times got tougher.”

  Maddox relaxed slightly as she spoke. They weren’t suspicious of him and they were taking steps to bring the community food in a way that Maddox had wanted only a few days ago.

  This was a good thing.

  But why had his mother changed her mind all of a sudden? He glanced at Theo. Maybe it had something to do with his brother’s influence.