Of the Trees

by E. M. Fitch

  “Actually, love,” Corey started. Cassie jumped as the endearment fell from his lips, tearing her attention from the progress of Blue Eyes roving fingers. “I hope you don’t mind, but I set something up a little further into the woods than the cemetery. Not too far. It’s a place I’ve heard about; there’s been sightings there, lights in the woods.”

  Fingers brushed against Cassie’s knee, and she stiffened, whether from the unwanted touch or Corey’s words, she wasn’t sure.

  “Do you mind?” Cassie snapped, glaring at Blue Eyes. He chuckled and pulled his hand back, not far, but away from her body.

  “Not at all,” he murmured just as Laney hissed her name again in admonishment. Cassie ignored her friend, looking to Corey instead.

  “Is anyone else going to be there?” Cassie asked, her stomach churning as she remembered the light she saw on Laney’s birthday, the hesitant orange glow that seemed to hover on the breeze. Maybe, at least if there were other people there, people she knew and trusted, she could relax, have somewhere to hide, someone to run to if Blue Eyes decided he couldn’t, or wouldn’t, keep his hands to himself. Or worse, if the light appeared again.

  But no, Cassie chastised herself, it was nothing, bugs or something, the moonlight. Nothing.

  “A few of our friends,” Corey answered breezily, “and maybe some of the others from the dance. I was telling people about it.”

  Cassie let out a breath she hadn’t known she was holding. That was fine. If there were other people from the school, maybe Jon and Samantha, Cassie would feel safer. She reached into her coat pocket, looking for her phone, intending to text Jon to see how Ryan was and tell him where to meet them. Her pocket was empty.

  “Damn,” she whispered, her fingers searching her empty pockets fruitlessly. With a sinking feeling, Cassie remembered handing Ryan her phone, asking him to keep it in his pocket, where it most likely still resided, safe in the local ER somewhere.

  “What now?” Laney asked in a huff. She turned slightly in her seat to look back at her friend. Cassie saw her raise her eyebrows and looked down to the seat. Blue Eyes’ fingers were inching closer again, not stopping even as Laney watched him. Cassie slapped at his hand, and he took the opportunity to twine his fingers with hers, grinning over at her in triumph.

  Cassie went to wrench her hand away, her lips part as she opened her mouth to tell him off. She got caught in his stare. His gaze pinned her to the spot as a sudden tingling shot up her arm. Her hand felt warm, pleasantly so, and she fought an unwanted nervous flutter in her chest.

  “Fine,” Cassie gritted out, clearing her throat. She tightened her grip on his warm fingers. If nothing else, letting him keep a hold of her fingers would keep his hands someplace safe. “If it keeps you from grabbing at me, then fine, hold my hand. Text Jon,” she added to Laney, “ask about Ryan and tell him where we’re going.”

  Laney turned in her seat, but not before Cassie could catch the satisfied smirk her friend wore. Cassie gritted her teeth, her lips twisted in aggravation. She tried to rationalize her decision in her mind, but Blue Eyes’ thumb was warm and distracting, stroking along her knuckles. Little pinpricks shot up Cassie’s forearm, and it felt annoyingly nice. Laney punched out the message to Jon on her phone, and Cassie heard the buzz of a reply.

  “What’d he say?” Cassie asked, leaning forward. Her hand stayed back, pressed to the cushion in the middle of the seat. She felt Blue Eyes shift as his palm pressed closer and his thumb dragged softly over the back of her hand.

  “He and Sam are on their way.”

  “I meant about Ryan,” Cassie said, her words catching in a little hitch as Blue Eyes twist his hand and laced his fingers with hers. She shot him an annoyed glare, ignoring the fluttering of sensation creeping into her gut.

  “Oh, he’s fine. Headed into X-Ray when Jon left,” Laney answered. “He said your mom was there.”

  “Okay, good,” Cassie breathed, sitting back. She felt the cushion shift as the boy attached to her hand leaned closer.

  “Almost there,” he whispered, close enough for her to feel his warm breath on her neck. Cassie squirmed away, intensely aware of the gentle pressure of his fingers pressed with hers, and didn’t respond. When the car parked, she could dart out and ahead, keep her distance from Blue Eyes, find Jon and drown the rest of her night in the beer she was sure he would bring.

  The cemetery lay in dull grays and silvers, the moon full and bright above. Cassie jerked her hand from the unnerving boy before the car stopped moving. He chuckled but didn’t reach for her fingers again. Corey pulled his car right alongside the low stone wall, so close that Cassie had to open her door carefully to avoid scratching it against the rocks. She and Laney eased out of the car, stepping carefully over the wall and into their domain. Laney paused for a moment in the grassy confines of the cemetery, bending over and pulling off the heels she wore.

  “I left my bag here earlier,” Laney said, pulling her green backpack from where it laid against the stone wall. “I have some extra shoes if you want them.”

  Cassie grabbed the worn sneakers gratefully, leaving her heels piled with Laney’s in the backpack.

  Lizzy Palmer’s headstone gleamed in the moonlight, its edges white and the deep etching of her name shadowed and obscure. It was hushed tonight, more so than the last time Cassie was there. The bugs were mostly gone. The air was silent, except for the occasional brush of leaf over ground and the shaking of bare branches in the wind.

  “Where to?” Laney asked brightly, after tying her laces. Cassie pulled her own laces tight, looking up to Corey. His smile was both gentle and exhilarated. He reached back, grabbed at Laney’s hand, and took off across the cemetery and into the woods beyond.

  “We should keep up.” His voice was soft and deep as he came up behind Cassie. She stiffened, at once wanting to run after Laney and turn to the right to bolt for home. The thought of being alone in the woods, knowing Blue Eyes was somewhere behind her, possibly following her, and that no one else would know where she went, forced her to move forward.

  Cassie felt him move behind her. He kept disconcertingly close. Though, once they crossed the cemetery and pushed into the woods, there wasn’t much else he could have done. Laney and Corey were just far enough ahead that Cassie couldn’t clearly see them. She could hear them though—not outright, not the words they spoke, but the low undercurrents of their conversation. Laney laughed frequently, completely enamored with her date, and Corey didn’t seem disinterested either. There was some depth to his voice, some infusion of warmth and caring, that almost startled Cassie. It was a lot, too much even, to be so expressive after only a couple weeks, to be so obviously drawn and comfortable with each other.

  Cassie felt that drawn to Ryan. She felt the way her voice would soften for him, knew her smile extended to her eyes when he made her laugh. She felt warm and sort of achy when he touched her, and she thought that maybe he did, too. But they had known each other for ages! It wasn’t a flash of lust driven madness; it was more, it was sustaining.

  At least, Cassie had hoped it was—would be—if they could ever really get anything started. She felt a twist of chagrin that again they were interrupted. Again, something stupid got in the way. She took a moment, there in the cool, gray wood, to promise herself that the next time she saw him, they would talk, get it all out, and fix whatever rut they had fallen into.

  Cassie and Blue Eyes caught up to Laney and Corey just as the forest opened. Cassie actually bumped into her friend’s shoulder, sending Laney careening into her boyfriend. He tucked her under one arm, spreading the other in an all-encompassing gesture that swept the clearing. The forest floor dipped down, just fractionally at first and then lower, creating a shallow, empty bowl in the middle of the woods. The trees that lined the perimeter of the depression didn’t intrude in the small, bizarre clearing, but their roots did, large and twisted, they broke through the earth all around the circle, some large enough to sit on.
A group of people, a dozen or so, were perched throughout the ring on the distended roots. Cassie didn’t recognize any of them and assumed they must all be students from St. Paul’s.

  Although … Cassie stiffened, looking across the fire that flickered in a small circular cropping of rocks. The man sitting there, the one who looked up when the newcomers came into view, he looked strangely familiar. She couldn’t place him. He looked older than a high school student though, like he could be in college at least. He might have worked somewhere nearby, or graduated from her school years before, and she’d seen his picture somewhere, an old yearbook or in the trophy case. Regardless, he was familiar.

  “This is us,” Corey said grandly, squeezing Laney to his side. “C’mon, I’ll introduce you around.”

  Laney bounced off after glancing back at Cassie. To her credit, besotted as she was, Laney did mouth “You okay?” to which Cassie rolled her eyes and nodded, shooing her friend along. Blue Eyes might be pushy and far too grabby for her taste, but she felt that here, in such a large group of people, he wouldn’t try anything outright.

  She felt fingers, warm and light, trace the lines of her palm, and she wrenched her hand away, turning to glower at their owner.

  “Can I get you a drink?” he asked, his voice low and heavy.

  “No,” she answered firmly, walking into the clearing and leaving him behind. She’d taken no more than two steps when she heard the sounds of a small group trudging through the bracken. By the time she turned around, she could see Mackenzie Roberts, her boyfriend Austin, Rebecca Murphy, Jessica Evans, and Jon and Samantha heading toward her. Samantha tripped, knocking headlong into the back of Jessica, who just laughed and propped her up again.

  “Leave some booze for when we get there, Jon!” Rebecca laughed, shaking the beer from her hand. The pale liquid had splashed from the can Samantha was holding when she pitched forward.

  “We’re here, already,” Jon argued good-naturedly, dropping the twenty pack of light beer at the edge of the clearing and waving Cassie over. She skirted past Blue Eyes and sighed gratefully when Jon tossed her a warm beer.

  “Nice catch, Captain,” Jessica said through a grin.

  Cassie ignored her. “Jon, was Ryan really okay?”

  “Oh sure,” Jon said dismissively, waving her off as he handed beer around to the rest of the group. Behind them, another group of students Cassie recognized burst from the tree line, moving slowly into the clearing to mingle with the group from St. Paul’s. Mackenzie and Austin joined them, sitting alongside each other at the fire. “Tomorrow you can head over and kiss him better if you like.”

  Rebecca and Jessica sniggered, not even bothering to try and hide their amusement. Samantha elbowed Jon though, murmuring a “Be nice!” in admonishment. Jon shrugged his shoulders and grinned, smirking over at Cassie even if he did shut his mouth. It made Cassie feel better just the same. If Jon was laughing and joking about it, Ryan must really be fine. She sipped at her warm beer, feeling it foam as it hit her tongue.

  “Hey, Cass,” Rebecca murmured, nudging her. “Is he yours?”

  Cassie hummed in question, turning slightly as she took another sip. The beer froze on her tongue, her mouth flooding with suds, and she sputtered a bit as she swallowed, not yet able to take her gaze from the eyes that still bore into hers when she turned.

  “Nope,” she bit out as soon as she could swallow. “He’s a friend of Laney’s boyfriend.” The word boyfriend felt stale in her mouth.

  “He’s been staring at you all night,” Rebecca said, her voice low. She bent toward Cassie to say it, not able to take her gaze off Blue Eyes either. Cassie nodded.

  “Yeah, it seems to be his thing,” Cassie said, sparing him one last look before tossing her hair over her shoulder and firmly turning her back on him. “He’s a bit grabby too, but if you’re into that, he’s all yours.”

  Rebecca and Jessica laughed. “Nah,” Rebecca said, her gaze twitching between Cassie and Blue Eyes. “He seems to be settled on what he wants. Let’s take a lap. C’mon, Jess.”

  For lack of anywhere else she could be, and because she didn’t want to sit with Jon and Samantha staring at each other the way they were, or with Blue Eyes directly at her back, she followed Jessica and Rebecca.

  Cassie finished the last dredges of her beer, circling the edge of the party. The trees whispered softly at her back, cool rushes of air danced lightly over her exposed skin. But she felt warm, glowing with heat. It was artificial, she knew that, and she kept her jacket in place. It was most likely the beer, leaving her flushed.

  It was also him.

  All night long, it hadn’t stopped. His stare burned holes right through her, left her flustered and anxious. She didn’t like it, but she found herself seeking him out even so. It was just like in the car when she didn’t want his hand on hers, and yet, once it was there, she didn’t want to draw away either. Cassie told herself she was keeping Blue Eyes in sight so she could keep tabs on him, make sure he didn’t jump out and surprise her. It wasn’t that, not really. His eyes, piercing and blue, locked on her every time she glanced in his direction. He stood apart from the others, obviously one of them, but uninvolved. He spent his time staring instead, across the smoky fire, from the edge of the woods, sitting as near to her as she would allow, just staring.

  Laney had secluded herself at the edge of the party with Corey. Cassie still felt uneasy around him, though it was obvious Laney adored him. He seemed to really like her, as well. The intensity continued to bother Cassie.

  Like the boy who was now across the clearing. They stared, searching, and Laney got lost in Corey’s eyes the way Cassie felt pinned by his friend. Where Cassie found it unsettling, Laney seemed only hooked, connected in a way Cassie had never seen her before.

  Cassie continued her slow trek around the outside of the group, her thoughts becoming hazy and disconnected. She only had the one drink, and it normally didn’t affect her so strongly, but tonight she felt intoxicated, woozy, and uncoordinated. The people around her started to pair off. Small groups still laughed around the fire, but couples began stealing away into the woods, becoming evident only by the breathy giggles and soft rustlings in the dark. She just saw Laney, backing slowly into the forest, Corey trailing, her hand pulling him along. Her face was lit in the orange glow of the dancing flames, her smile bright, and then she was swallowed by the darkness of the trees. Cassie blinked, searching the spot her best friend had just disappeared from, watching the bramble for any signs of distress. It felt silly, she knew, to be so convinced that something was off. It was paranoia, most likely a result of the alcohol, but she couldn’t shake it. Her thoughts were uncoordinated and heavy, and it wasn’t helping.

  Cassie’s foot caught on a low branch, one of the many that intruded in the shallow bowl of the clearing. Her reflexes were too slow to right herself. She pitched forward into a tree, her hands scraping against the bark. She jumped when warm hands landed on her waist, righting her.

  “You,” she breathed, turning and finding the boy with the intense eyes staring inches from her face. He nodded, his gaze not moving from hers. Firelight licked his features, casting half his face into brilliant, orange radiance and leaving the other half in shadow. His eyes, so blue in contrast, shone.

  He didn’t hesitate, didn’t speak. His hands raked up from her hips, settling warmly on her waist, and he brought his lips purposely to hers, pressing her hard back into the tree. She squeaked, surprised and shocked at his directness—and more shocked at her response.

  She didn’t protest, and he took full advantage of the gasp she emitted as he nipped at her lower lip. The unnatural heat that had been plaguing her flared into life, searing her insides. He wasn’t gentle, and he wasn’t slow; he angled against her, his whole body pressing to hers. His mouth slid open, coaxing hers to do the same, and his tongue slid along her own. She felt muddled, confused. It was delusive, fast, and unexpected. She was frozen.

 
But he wasn’t. His hands came around her, stroking under her jacket and up her back, his fingers dancing lightly as he drew them down her sides. His kisses were heady, more intoxicating than the beer she had, and her brain shut down. She kissed him back, hard and without thought. He pulled back from her mouth, trailing his lips over her jaw and to her neck, tracing the bounding lines of her artery with the tip of his tongue. A sigh escaped without her permission, and she felt his lips curl into a lazy smile before he dragged them up to seal over her own again.

  Her mind was hazy, but through the haze came a burst of noise. A moan, loud and distinct cut through the silence of the forest. She started, stiffening in his arms. He ignored it, his hands tracing up her body and landing on her neck. His fingertips traced intricate patterns on her skin as he angled her head into the kiss. She felt weak, unable to stand on her own, but his body kept her securely pinned to the tree, and she didn’t move.

  Someone, someone nearby, whimpered. Cassie’s eyes flew open. She didn’t even remember closing them. Her breath came sharp and fast; she was gasping into the kiss. He broke free again, bending back to the column of her throat, his fingers leaving her neck and trailing slowly and seductively down her front. Her head fell back to the tree, and she was blinking fast. It was unreal. It felt so unreal. He was everywhere, surrounding her. Her mind was clouded and her thoughts scattered. There was nothing, nothing at all but his lips and his body and his warm, warm hands. She shuddered underneath him, and he stooped lower, yanking the edge of her jacket back and trailing his tongue over her exposed collarbone.

  This time, the whimper was hers. She fought back for control, gulped at the cooling night air, and looked around, looking for the other couples that were still in view, the ones who could see her, too.

  She saw Jessica Evans. She wasn’t far away, noticeable as always with her white blond hair. She was laying on the forest floor, enjoyably pinned down by some guy.