Ravenous (Book 1, The Ravening Series)
Page 6
CHAPTER 6
"It's ok Bethany." I heard him whisper through the haze of memories assaulting me. "It's ok to cry."
Those hauntingly familiar words wrenched a muted sob from me. I bowed my head before him as he soothingly stroked my cheeks. I think he knew where my mind had gone, what memories haunted me now. "You didn't come back after that night. You didn't come back then."
His forehead rested on mine as his hands pressed against my cheeks. "I couldn't." I understood. My fresh grief had reopened his barely healed wounds. That night he had come to offer me what comfort he could, but he had been unable to handle giving me anymore. "This time, no matter what, I will come back for you Bethany, I promise. I will always come back for you. But you must stay here, with your sister and your mother."
I was tempted to argue his decision, but I couldn't. He pressed something into my hand and closed my fingers around it. "I locked the store when we left. If I'm not back in three hours, you and Abby are going to have to get your mother back to the room. Bring enough supplies for a week. Yes Bethany, you must do this." He emphasized in response to my rapid head shaking.
"I can't. That room."
He lifted my face and took a step closer to me. "It's the safest place for now. You have to find something to help you get your mother over there, and you will be ok in there. It's not the car, Bethany."
I recoiled from his words, shrinking before him as he struck straight at the heart of the matter. I tried to pull my face free of his grasp but he refused to release me. "If they find us we will be trapped in there, cornered like rats." I managed to stammer in my defense.
"They won't find you."
"You can't know that!" I shot back, struggling to hide my upset behind my anger.
"No," he murmured. "I can't know that, but it is the safest place for all of you right now. I will meet you there, if I can't get back here in time."
"Cade..."
He kissed me again, putting an end to my protest with his lips. I sighed against him, letting go of my indignation as relief and pleasure swamped me. I slid my fingers into his thick hair, pulling him closer as I opened my mouth to his again. This was wonderful, he was wonderful, and I never wanted it to end. But it had to. I didn't know what any of this meant, but I did know I couldn't keep him here.
This time I was the one who pulled away. I rested my hands over his strong ones, squeezing them before moving away. He had to go; we both knew that. What neither of us knew was what was going to happen if he did return, or if he didn't. But he had to leave now, before I couldn't let him.
"I will come back Bethany," he vowed.
I nodded as I managed a weak smile. I watched him move out of the room until he disappeared. I felt a piece of my heart go with him. Abby moved into the doorway, her doe brown eyes were as round as baseballs as she gazed at me. “Well, one thing's for sure,” she said after a lengthy silence.
I licked my lips nervously. My body thrilled at the realization I could still taste him on me as my toes curled. Swallowing heavily, I tried to wet my parched throat. He had to come back; he just had too. "What's that?" I managed to croak out.
"If Bret isn't frozen, he's going to be pretty pissed if we find him."
My mouth parted, I inhaled sharply as shock rocked me back on my heels. It was the first time I'd thought about Bret, my sweet and loving boyfriend who was nothing but kind and unfailingly faithful to me, in a while. How could I possibly have forgotten about him? Guilt and dismay filled me as I slumped onto the bed. I had forgotten about Bret, but if he was still moving, I knew he had not forgotten about me. Not even for one small second would he have forgotten about me. In fact, if he was still moving I was certain he would be arriving here as soon as he could, with his best friend, my brother.