“You’re going to help me build my nets?”
“And pots, too,” she said as though it were obvious. Then she glanced up quickly. “I mean—you helped with the trap. It’s only fair, right?”
“It’s only fair.”
And that was another of their tricks to keep meeting. They had to pay each other back. He helped her with something, so she returned the favor. This could go on forever, and it didn’t bother Maddox at all.
“Let’s take a break,” he said, standing and reaching down to pull her up.
“We just got here.”
“I mean from life. You work too hard.”
When she frowned, he smiled. Sometimes he got her riled up on purpose just so he could see the flash of fire in her eyes. It was also the only time she was truly open and honest with him. She told him things she wouldn’t otherwise.
“I work hard because I’m used to helping my community. I work hard,” she said, pointing her finger at her chest, “because that’s what they always expect of me. If I don’t do that, then I might as well be nothing—”
She broke off, eyes wide. Maddox felt a twist of guilt inside, followed by a quick stab of anger toward her family. Then he stepped forward and wrapped his arms around her, shutting out everything else and focusing on making her feel better.
“Maddox,” she murmured, putting up her hands.
But he only held her tighter, and after a moment, she relaxed in his arms. She buried her face in his shoulder, and he heard something suspiciously like a sob.
“I wish you’d talk to me about them,” he said quietly, stroking her hair with one hand. “Or about anything you want. About you.”
“It’s…” Her breath hitched.
He leaned back to see her face, surprised to find tears on her lashes. “Juno.”
“It’s life, right? We both have to deal with things we don’t want to deal with. But when I’m here with you…all that goes away. I don’t have to be Juno; I can be anyone I want.”
He gripped her hand tight. “I know exactly what you mean.”
“Wait—where are we going?”
“Up.”
He pulled her along, loving it when she laughed behind him. She stumbled into him when he stopped under the bridge to turn and kiss her.
“Maddox,” she said with a gasp before his lips locked on hers.
She melted against him, arms coming around his neck, and sighed. It was the closest to relaxed he’d ever seen her. He curled his fingers into her hair, pulling loose the tie she’d cinched around her ponytail.
When her hair dropped around her shoulders, he leaned back to look at her. Her eyes were cloudy, gaze unfocused on his, and her lips red from the kiss.
Emotion bubbled up inside him. Juno was probably the most important person who had ever come into his life. She showed him that there were still good people out there. People who naturally wanted the best for others.
“I, uh…” He cleared his throat and touched her cheek. “I’m really glad you’re here.”
It was the most he could give her. He barely shared his feelings with his family, and he loved them. They were a part of his life, day in and day out. But Juno… She meant something more.
She smiled. “I’m glad I’m here, too. I think…after today, things might be different.”
Then she pulled away and ducked to the other side of the bridge. He followed her and watched as she gazed upward, wondering what she’d meant.
“What happens after today?” he asked.
“Race you to the top,” she said instead of answering his question.
“What?”
“Go!”
Juno scrambled up the side of the beam. He laughed and followed her, pretending to be struggling to keep up with her. He wanted to stay below just in case she slipped, even though they’d climbed to the top of Victor Bridge several times since that incident.
“You’re going to lose!” Juno shouted down at him.
He gave a huff. “You’re getting better at this.”
“Almost there!”
She heaved herself over the ledge, nearly kicking him in the face as she did. He dodged her shoe, unable to help his laugh this time, but grabbed her foot just to give the illusion he was still trying to beat her to the top.
Her squeal rang out, startling a flock of birds that sat on the bridge’s beams. They fluttered to the sky as he pulled himself up top and flopped onto his back.
She breathed heavily, shielding her eyes from the sun. Her free hand found his and clasped it tightly. “I won.”
He grinned. “Barely.”
“Enough to count.”
He shifted to prop his head up with his hand and stared down at her, trying to block the sun from her face. She gazed at him, laughter still in her eyes and on her lips. “You let me win,” she murmured.
To distract her, he leaned down and kissed the corner of her mouth. “I really am glad you’re here.”
She blinked, then nodded. “I know. I feel better over here. Better with you.”
He let the words sink in. He felt the same way, but he figured it was for different reasons. “Is it hard?”
“What?”
“Keeping this from your parents.”
She licked her lips, forehead furrowing. “They’re not…they’re not really my parents. They raised me after my mom left.” She glanced over with a shrug, trying to downplay it like she always seemed to do. “I don’t even remember her. I think things just got too hard, trying to take care of me, so she left, and Rand and Stef took me in. I used to live over here, outside of their community, but I would see Pillar at the border and we would play, and after…after what my mom did, I guess, as the leaders of the community, Rand and Stef must have felt responsible for taking care of me. But…”
Her voice trailed off. He reached for her hand and gave it a squeeze. “I’m sorry. I didn’t know.”
She shrugged again, but he could see that it bothered her. It didn’t seem like she shared any love with them.
“It’s harder keeping it from Pillar,” she said.
“Your friend?”
She nodded. “My best friend. She knows about you.”
He froze just an inch from touching her cheek. “You told her?”
“No. No, I didn’t say anything. But she knows there’s someone…”
“Someone?”
Her cheeks turned red. “Someone I like. It’s—she thinks it’s someone from our community.”
“Ah…” He relaxed at the same time something flickered inside of him. Frustration? Jealousy? He couldn’t quite place it, but he knew it was because they had to keep their relationship a secret. He wanted people to know about them. Wanted to be able to kiss her or hold her hand whenever he wanted—not just in secret.
But that wasn’t Juno’s fault.
Maddox relaxed his shoulders and tried to forget about it. Today wasn’t about worries; it was about fun. He rubbed his hand on Juno’s arm and smiled. “Pillar could tell, then? That you liked someone?”
“Yes.”
“How?” When she angled her head, he touched her cheek. “Because you blush when you think about me?”
She smacked his hand away, making him laugh again.
“Or your eyes get all dreamy?” he asked.
“I doubt it.”
“Maybe…you run into walls because you’re so distracted thinking about me?”
“You wish.”
He put his hand on his chest. “That hurts, Juno. I run into things when I think about you.”
“You do?”
“Yep. I’m sure my brother’s suspicious, too.” He grimaced, realizing he was inadvertently making things serious again. The image of Theo’s stolen gun flashed through his mind, making him glance away. He’d been spending so much time away that his mom had to be wondering what was going on, too, even if he was coming back with pieces of metal for his crab pots.
“Have you considered talking to him?” Juno asked soft
ly. “Telling him about… I don’t know. About meeting someone.”
Maddox swore his heart stopped. Tell Theo? That was…that was out of the question. He’d get in much less trouble admitting to the missing supplies. At least in that scenario, he wasn’t consorting with the enemy.
“It’s a bad idea, I know. But…” Juno glanced away, and the sun shone in her eyes again.
He nudged her chin to get her to look at him once more. “Tell me.”
Her mouth opened, but no words came out. But the excitement that danced in her eyes made him curious enough to lean down, close enough to feel her breath on his lips.
“I thought we trusted each other,” he murmured, lightness in his tone he couldn’t help but feel, too.
Being with Juno almost erased the rest of the world.
Her lashes flickered, and then her eyes closed. “We do.”
He ran his tongue along her lower lip and smiled when she gave a soft moan. “This feels right,” he said, mouth brushing hers. “Being here with you.”
Her eyes opened and locked on his. “I feel the same way.”
She reached out to wrap her arms around his neck and pull him closer. He stretched alongside her, loving the feel of her skin against his and the weight of her body pressing against him. She was tiny but so strong. He’d never felt so on the same page with someone. Like they were equals. Like if they were the ones who ran the community, things would be so different.
Her breath caught when he ran one hand down to her waist, lingering at the hem of her shirt, where warm skin was exposed.
Losing himself in Juno was the only thing he wanted right now. Just him and her in a world that made sense.
She shifted, mouth pulling away from his. When he looked up, she was propped over him, cheeks flushed and lips curved. “I’m leaving.”
With his hands still on her and his heart beating hard, he blinked and shook his head. “What? Leaving? Like…going back home?”
“No.” She lowered her chin, her smile fading some. “I’m leaving home.”
Maddox moved to a sitting position, trying to focus. He could still feel her mouth on his, her body pressed against his, and what she was saying didn’t make sense. He struggled to focus. “I don’t understand.”
“I can’t be there anymore. I’ve been making a plan to leave my community for weeks now—or maybe it’s been longer…” Her gaze flashed to his as she sat up as well. Then she mumbled, “Maybe I shouldn’t have said anything.”
“No. Juno—” He took her hands and squeezed them. “I want you to talk to me. Explain this.” When her eyes met his again, he added, “Please.”
Her lips turned down in a frown. “I don’t belong there.”
“Why not? You help out so much and—”
“They aren’t my parents, and they said I was a burden.”
His jaw clenched. What the hell? Didn’t she fish and garden? And now she was making rat traps? She helped out around her community more than he helped out around his.
“Maybe they were upset about…” He struggled to find the right words. “The nets. Or—or—”
“They kicked me out. Said I couldn’t live with them anymore.”
His breath hitched in. “Juno.”
She looked away again, staring toward the Light District. “It doesn’t matter.”
“It does. It matters because you matter. That’s horrible—and I’m so sorry. I didn’t know it was that bad.”
She gave a soft laugh. “That’s because I never told you.”
He couldn’t argue with that. It took a lot to get her to open up to him. This was the first time she’d told him more than a few small things about Rand and Stef. “I understand why you didn’t.”
“But I don’t want it to be like that anymore.” She lifted her chin ruefully. “I made up my mind. I’m leaving tomorrow. And I—I wanted to tell you. So, you know…so this…whatever this is between us…well…” She gave him a smile. “It won’t be a problem anymore.”
He let her words sink in, realizing she was right. If she wasn’t a part of the other community, she wasn’t the enemy. He had no idea how he’d explain it to his family or the rest of his people, but at the very least it would be okay to see her.
They could be together as much as they wanted, and neither of them would be in danger.
“Are you sure you want to do this?” he asked. It was a huge step. He couldn’t imagine leaving his community. It just wasn’t done.
“I’m sure,” Juno said. She narrowed her eyes. “You don’t think this is a good thing?”
“No. I think it’s a good thing.” He grinned, feeling lighter than he had in weeks. “I take that back. This is a great thing.”
He’d just learned not to hope too much, learned that things usually didn’t work out for the best, even if you tried to do the right thing. But this…it changed so many things. Even better, it fixed so many things.
He stood, taking her with him, the weight of the world lifted from his shoulders. This meant they were free. Both of them. He might not be able to reconcile both sides of the border, but now he had a part of the other side with him, and they could figure it out together.
Maddox pulled her close in a hug, breathing her in. Her arms locked around him, and their bodies molded together, two parts of a whole. Staying like this for the rest of the day wasn’t out of the question.
“This is a good thing,” he repeated, lips brushing her ear.
“I know.” Then she pulled back, smile wide. “So, let’s make the most of it. Enjoy today.”
He nodded. “Right. No more serious talk. There’s already enough of that.” He stepped away from her with a mischievous smile. “I bet I can beat you to the bottom.”
She followed him to the edge of the bridge, looking toward where they usually climbed down. But instead of swinging down onto the beams, Maddox pulled off his shirt, cast her a laughing grin, and ran for the edge. He heard her gasp as he leaped off the side.
Air caught in his lungs a brief moment before he hit the water. It was a quick shock as he plunged below the surface. By the time he’d kicked to the top again, he was already used to the temperature.
“I win!” he called up to her.
She peered over the edge, her hands lifted in a gesture that said he was crazy. There were a lot of shallow spots, but he knew right where to jump. And maybe he was a little crazy today. Knowing things were going to be different tomorrow made today that much brighter.
“It’s a lot cooler down here,” he shouted up to her. “Or are you chicken?”
He watched as she kicked off her shoes then hesitated. He started to swim for the shore, remembering how terrified she’d been when she’d nearly fallen off the beam on the bridge. But then he felt a giant splash next to him, and he choked on water.
He spun around just as Juno resurfaced. She shook her hair out of her eyes and then laughed.
“You’re right—it is cooler down here.”
“I can’t believe you did that,” he said.
She swam to him and wrapped her arms around his neck. “You started it.”
“That’s true.”
“Thank you,” she murmured, her lips brushing his ear.
He gave a small shiver and gripped her waist as he treaded water. “What for?”
“For showing me that life doesn’t have to be so serious.”
“You’re welcome. There’s more where that came from.”
“Let’s do it, then,” she said, smiling. “Anything. Whatever we want. And pretend that we have the rest of our lives to be this free.”
He released a breath, letting the impact of those words settle in. They were free. Freer than they’d ever been before. And he planned on enjoying it with Juno for the rest of the day before he had to get back home.
Chapter Twenty-One
Juno
Juno couldn’t sleep anymore. She was too nervous and excited. It was her last day with her community, her last day of living a life w
here she didn’t belong.
It was still dark out, but Juno felt compelled to make the most of her final morning here. She wanted to walk the beach she’d grown to love one more time. After she moved to the bridge, she couldn’t come over here without alerting the community. Without making people suspicious or worried.
After this, she was an outsider.
She tied the laces on her boots, shoved her knife in her sheath, and stood at the doorway to the shack where she’d been sleeping. The smell of the ocean wafted through the loose boards, and she could see hints of plants and sand outside through the few holes close to the floor. She breathed in deep.
If she could live here by herself, she’d be just fine by the bridge.
Juno stuffed her blanket into a satchel and grabbed the loose rope she’d gathered last night. She’d definitely be able to use it for something. Everything else, all the extra food she’d collected and the small lantern she’d been able to sneak from the boathouse, was ready for her to bring as well—all her possessions in two bags to start her new life.
She left the bags by the door. She’d take her walk first, go carve a note on the post for Maddox so he’d know she’d left, and then return to grab her bags.
With the light of the moon guiding her, she set out for the beach. It had to be close to three or four in the morning. Enough time for her to sneak out of the community without anyone knowing. Enough time to leave the note for Pillar.
She hadn’t been able to talk to her friend last night because Rand and Stef wouldn’t let Pillar talk to her. They were too busy doing community things that apparently didn’t concern Juno anymore.
She’d considered waiting to leave until she could see Pillar today, but wasn’t sure if she’d have the chance. It wasn’t fair, but it also wasn’t a surprise, and it didn’t make sense to postpone things anymore.
So, Juno had written a note for Pillar, promising she’d see her again. It would be just like before she lived here, when they were little kids and they’d meet each other at the back of the community to play.
She’d get herself set up, and then she’d make time to see her friend, no matter what.
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