Scorching Secrets

by Kaitlyn Hoyt

  As Ross says his vows, I let my mind wander. Will I ever get a chance to have this? A wedding? I don’t even know if I’ll make it out of this situation alive. I feel tears well up in my eyes because of how beautiful the ceremony is and because I’m unsure if I’ll ever have a chance to experience what Jane and Ross have. It’s too dangerous. I look out at the crowd again and finally find Liam sitting in the middle, toward the back. He smiles sadly at me, knowing what I’m thinking. Liam has this uncanny ability of knowing what is on my mind. He knows how to comfort me in situations like this.

  After the ceremony, I’m forced to endure an endless amount of pictures. The photographer makes me stand here, smile like this, pose like that, etc. It is exhausting. I don’t know how models do this. Toward the end, I’m sure my smile looked more like a grimace.

  At the reception, I have to sit up at the center table with Jane and Ross and the rest of the bridal party. Liam is sitting off in the corner, politely talking to the couple beside him. During the meal, we keep making eye contact and giving small smiles. Mindy leans over to me, “Is that your date?” I follow her line of sight and see her looking at Liam. I nod.

  “He’s hot.” I glance at Mindy. She looks younger than I originally thought. Though probably in her mid-twenties, she shouldn’t be ogling Liam. Granted, Liam does appear older than he actually is. That’s a mage quality apparently.

  After the father daughter dance, Jane drags me out to the dance floor. “You have to dance. Where is your date?”

  I’m not sure. I try to look over everyone, but even with heels on, I’m still on the shorter side. A slow song starts to play through the speakers. My eyes continue to bounce around the dance floor looking for Liam. Ross moves through the dance floor and grabs Jane around the waist, twirling her into his arms. She laughs lightly as they start moving around the dance floor and away from me. I smile and look toward the table where Liam was previously sitting, but it’s empty. I stand awkwardly by myself on the dance floor while couples move around me. Where’s Liam?

  I’m about to walk back to my chair when I feel a tap on my shoulder and turn around to find Liam standing there, smiling down at me. “May I have this dance?”

  Relief floods though me, and I smile at him. “You may.”

  I step closer to him as he wraps his arms around my waist. Because of the heels, I am only about six inches shorter than him now and am able to wrap my arms around his neck. We dance in silence for a while before he leans down and whispers in my ear, “Is something wrong? You seemed a little upset during the ceremony.”

  “I’m fine. I was just thinking,” I pause and glance around the room. Everyone seems really happy. I wish that I could be that carefree. I’ve already been through so much that I don’t know if it’ll be possible to be like that again. Liam waits for me to continue. “I was just thinking about how I might not ever get to experience this myself.” I glance up at him and see him watching me. “Despite the appearance I put out, I want all of this. I want to find love, and I want to get married. I want to walk down the aisle in some ridiculous dress and be blissfully happy. But I don’t think that’s going to be possible.” I lean forward and rest my head against his shoulder. He tightens his grip around me. Jane’s watching me from across the room with a smile. I try to smile back at her. I look past Jane and see Larkin standing in the corner, watching the room.

  “You can’t think like that, Ryanne.” Liam rests his chin on top of my head. “You never know when you’ll find love. Look at David and Emma. They found each other under strange circumstances, and you already know that they are going to get married. Your time will come.”

  “How do you know that?” I whisper.

  “Because you’re Ryanne freaking Arden.” I chuckle at his expression. “I know you, Ryanne. I know how you think. Don’t close your heart because you’re afraid. You may have already met the one you’re meant to be with. You never know. Let everything play out like it should. You have so many people that care for you and will protect you. You’re not going anywhere any time soon. I promise.”

  I let his words sink in. I do do that. I run away from my emotions. I shut myself out for fear of getting hurt. I just don’t think I can handle opening myself up like that and getting hurt. The song ends but neither of us moves. Thankfully the next song is also a slow song.

  “Do you think I can do this, Liam?”

  “Do what?”

  “Everything. All this magic stuff. I’m afraid of letting everyone down.”

  “Ryanne, look at me.” I lift my head off of his shoulder and look into his gray eyes. “No matter what happens, you’re not letting anyone down. We’re here for you. I have complete faith in you, and I know that everyone else does too. You’re way stronger than you give yourself credit for, and you’ll be surprised at what you can do when you accept that yourself. You need to see what everyone else sees.”

  I open my mouth to respond when I feel someone tap my shoulder. Jane’s standing behind me with a large smile on her face as her eyes dance between Liam and me. I hadn’t realized that the music had stopped.

  “Oh, hey Jane.” She continues glancing between Liam and me. Light bulb moment! “Oh, Jane, this is Liam. Liam this is Jane.”

  “It’s very nice to meet you, Liam.” She looks at me with wide eyes and an even wider grin. Without even reading her thoughts, I know that she is silently commenting on Liam’s attractiveness.

  Liam unwraps an arm from around my waist and reaches out to shake Jane’s hand. “It’s very nice to meet you too. Congratulations on getting married. It was a beautiful ceremony.”

  “Thank you. I hope you guys are having a good time.” She looks around and sighs. I look in the direction she’s looking in and see her mother scowling at her. “Apparently, I’m not spending enough time talking with my relatives who flew a long ways to be here. I’ve got to ‘socialize’ with everyone else now,” she pouts. Putting on a fake smile, she turns back to Liam and me, “Have fun!” I watch as she walks away.

  “She reminds me of Emma.”

  “Yeah, I never realized how similar they are until today.” A faster song starts to play, and I start to walk off the dance floor, but Liam stops me.

  “I don’t think so, Ryanne. I know you can dance. You need to have some fun every once in a while.” I stop in front of him and stare at him blankly, unmoving. Laughing, he walks toward me and places his hands on my hips, coercing me into moving. I bite my lip as I watch Liam dance in front of me. He gives me one of his rare smiles as he continues to move me. Considering how ridiculous I feel, I relent.

  I relax and move with the music, forgetting all my worries for a short period of time. I close my eyes and let the rhythm of the song move me. Surprisingly, Liam can dance. I would have never pegged him as a dancer before. I can feel his body behind me moving with the music, but I don’t open my eyes. Arms lifted above my head, I dance along with the song. I can feel other people watching us, but for the first time I don’t care. Like Liam said, I need to have some fun.

  After a few songs, I feel someone tap my shoulder. “As much as I enjoy watching you guys, I think it’s a good time to get going,” Larkin says. “Some people are starting to get antsy.” I stop dancing and try to catch my breath. Small beads of sweat form on my forehead.

  “Ugh, it’s hot in here.” I glance around looking for Jane. “I’ll go tell Jane we’re leaving. Be right back.” I spot her standing in the corner. I make my way over there.

  Halfway there, someone jumps in front of me. “Hellllllo there, pretty laaady,” a drunken man slurs. Before I have time to think, he grabs me and pulls me against his chest. For a drunk guy, he’s pretty fast. I push against his chest, trying to move away from him, but his grip is strong. I could use my magic, but that is only as a last resort. I don’t really want to cause a scene, and I can’t risk exposure.

  “Let her go,” Liam’s deep voice demands behind me.

  “She’sssmine,” his speech runs together as hi
s grip around my waist tightens. Liam reaches forward and grabs the hand that’s on my back and twists the man’s arm to the side. Not hard enough to break any bones but enough to cause discomfort. He curses and lets go of me, pushing me back into Liam’s chest.

  Because of the heels my balance is already off, so the sudden movement causes me to slam into Liam. Liam steadies me and glares at the man as he walks away. “I say it’s definitely time to go,” he says to me.

  I thank Liam for catching me and slowly step away from him. I walk the rest of the way to Jane, keeping an eye on my surroundings. A couple guys watch me as I pass, but no one tries to confront me again. I tighten the mental barrier I have up. The loud music makes it easier to tune out the voices around me. When I get over to her, she stops talking to an older woman and turns toward me. “Hey Jane. Sorry for interrupting, but I’m going to head out. I…I have to work tomorrow.”

  “Oh…” A disappointed look crosses her face. “I’m so glad you could make it. I haven’t seen you all summer!”

  “I know. I’m sorry about that. I’ve just been really busy.”

  “I understand. Keep in touch, ok? I miss you!” She hugs me. “And keep a hold of that boy. I like him.”

  “I’ll do what I can.” Laughing I turn around and start walking away. “Let’s go,” I say to Liam and Larkin. We exit the building, and Larkin guides us to the side.

  “I’m going to bring Ryanne back first. I’ll be back for you in a minute.” Larkin grabs me around the waist and blinks me back to the house.

  Colton

  “What’s taking them so long?” I ask to no one in particular. Ryanne, Liam, and Larkin have been gone for a while. Who knows what could be going on right now.

  “They’re at a wedding. The ceremony and the reception are usually a couple of hours long. They’re fine. Quit worrying,” Logan answers.

  “They’ve been gone for over four hours now.”

  “Which means that they’ll be back soon,” Emma says, while turning toward me. “You’re not upset because she went with Liam instead of you, are you?”

  “No, it’s not that. I just—” I stop when I see movement beside me. Larkin transports into the room holding Ryanne around the waist. She stumbles back into him from the impact. He steadies her then transports out of the room again.

  “I really don’t like his power. It makes me dizzy.”

  “Did you have fun?” Emma asks her. Instead of answering, Ryanne takes off her heels. She pouts once she is back to her normal height. I can’t help my laughter. She looks so cute.

  “Gosh, I’m so short.” I hear a few more laughs around me, but I don’t take my eyes away from Ryanne. She steps over my legs and sits beside me on the couch. “Yeah, I did have fun actually. I’m glad I went.” She tries to hide a small smile. She purses her lips, deep in her thoughts. Ugh, she doesn’t know how crazy that drives me. I wonder what they would taste like…feel like against mine. “I’m actually going to go take a shower,” she says. I shake my head, trying to clear my thoughts. I can’t have thoughts like that right now.

  “Ugh, you’re going to ruin your hair and make-up,” Emma whines.

  “You have pictures for a reason,” Ryanne calls as she walks upstairs. She has to hold the dress up, so she doesn’t trip up the stairs. I follow her up until she is out of my line of sight.

  “That girl is impossible.” She shakes her head, right as Larkin and Liam appear in the room. Liam, like Ryanne, is sweating with his sleeves pushed up to his elbows.

  “Where’s Ryanne?” he asks.

  “Taking a shower. Ruining all my hard work.” Emma turns and leans toward Liam, practically falling out of the chair in the process. “I have two things I want to say to you. First, you should dress up like that all the time. It totally works for you, especially when you’re all sweaty, and I can see your tattoo through your shirt. Secondly, spill. What happened? Ryanne won’t tell me anything, so I need you to tell me. Spill all the juicy stuff and don’t leave anything out.”

  “Nothing really happened. We ate. We danced. We left.” Larkin scoffs beside Liam. I glance over at him. Did something happen? Is Liam not telling us something?

  “Ooooh, Larkin, tell me what happened?”

  “Nothing really happened…per say. They were just dancing extremely close. You couldn’t fit a piece of paper between the two of them and then when the music picked up…all male eyes were on her. I even had trouble looking away.” I clench my jaw, preventing myself from saying anything. “And then there was the drunk guy.”

  “It wasn’t like that, Larkin. She was upset.”

  I face him, “Upset? Why was she upset?” If someone did something to her… “Drunk guy?”

  “Nothing happened with the drunk guy. I took care of it.” Liam exhales loudly and looks up at the ceiling. I can hear the sound of water running upstairs, so we know that Ryanne is still in the shower. “I shouldn’t really be saying any of this…She’s got herself convinced that she’s not meant for a ‘happily ever after.’ I think she still believes she’s not going to make it out of this whole ordeal alive. She admitted to me that she wants a wedding. She wants love. She wants to go wedding dress shopping.” He looks at Emma. “I thought you’d like to hear that.” He pauses, before whispering, “She’s afraid of letting everyone down.”

  “Afraid of letting everyone down?” I ask. That’s insane. Nothing she could do would make us feel let down.

  “I’m just telling you what she told me. And for the dancing…yes, I made her dance with me. She’s a teenager. Sure she’s eighteen, but she’s barely lived. She didn’t even go to her high school prom. She needed to have some fun. She needed to forget about everything that’s going on and live a little.” He stops talking and runs his hand through his hair.

  “I don’t know why, but I know what’s going on in that head of hers. She doesn’t have any confidence. She thinks people only focus on her flaws and her faults. She doesn’t see what the rest of us see. Ryanne walks into a room, and everyone watches her. I’ve seen it from all of you. I admit even I do it. So obviously dancing is going to bring more attention to her. She doesn’t know that she’s beautiful, which automatically makes her more attractive to everyone. She was happy tonight—happy in a way that I don’t think I’ve ever seen from her.” Liam pushes himself off the couch and walks upstairs.

  “That’s twice we’ve gotten speeches about Ryanne lately,” Emma says.

  Chapter Twelve

  I look at the clock: 11:30 p.m. You’d think after dancing all night that I’d be tired, but I feel more energized than usual. I look at my reflection in the mirror and feel a little disappointed. I am back to normal. The beautiful Ryanne is gone. All that is left is little ol’ me. I hang my wet towel up and walk out into the room. Emma is rummaging through her drawers looking for something to wear.

  “So how was the wedding? And please don’t give me the ‘I had fun’ line. I want details.”

  I walk over and grab my notebook and pen. As I open it to a blank page, Emma walks into the bathroom and changes into her pajamas. “It was great actually. Jane looked amazing.” I give Emma details on Jane’s dress as I begin sketching it. I describe how Ross was really nervous before the ceremony and the look on his face when Jane walked down the aisle. I want someone to look at me like that; like I am the most special and important person in the world. I give her all the details on the food, the music, and the dancing. I tell her about my conversations with Liam. Everything.

  “Ryanne…I had no idea.” She’s looking at me with a mixture of sadness and determination. Determination for what, I’m not sure.

  I like having moments like this with Emma. It is nice to have some girl time—to have someone to talk to about everything. I like the understanding and concerned Emma, but I love the loud and blunt Emma more. She is able to take a bad situation and make everyone smile. During these times, we all need that.

  “It’s nothing really. My mind just wandered for a minute.
I can’t think about the future. I have to live in the here and now.” As Emma continues to watch me, I close my notebook. Pushing myself off of the bed, I start to walk out of the room and expect Emma to follow me, but she doesn’t. I stop in the middle of the hallway and turn around. What is she doing? Walking back into the room, I find her staring at the floor in the exact same spot.

  “You ok, Emma?” I ask.

  She blinks repeatedly and looks at me, as if seeing me for the first time. What just happened? “Oh, yeah, sorry. Just thinking.” She laughs and starts walking downstairs. “See what being around you does to me? Emma thinking? Preposterous.” I laugh but look at her closer. Nothing seems wrong. She just seems a little out of sorts.

  “Are you sure you’re ok?”

  “When did you turn into the worrier?” she asks me. “Usually everyone is worried about you.”

  “You thinking has us all confused,” I tell her. “Don’t do that anymore.” With a laugh, she bumps her shoulder into mine as we enter the living room.

  All the guys are seated on the couch or on the floor, watching a movie. I walk into the kitchen and grab a water bottle out of the fridge before returning to the room. I stop behind the couch and look to see which movie they are watching. I gasp when I see Robert Downey Jr. assembling his Iron Man suit. I am a sucker for superhero movies. Liam and Colton both turn around and look up at me smiling, obviously amused at my reaction.