Phoenix Reborn by Carina Wilder Page B

Knots tied themselves in her stomach as she considered his words. What did he mean? Did this have something to do with the incident in high school?
    “Let’s just say that you’re not alone,” he said. “That’s all you need to know for now. And you never need to feel alone again.”
    “I don’t feel alone when I’m around you,” she said softly. “Somehow, it’s like when we were kids. You used to keep me company. Do you remember?”
    “Of course I do. I liked your company,” he said. “More than anyone else’s. I loved it, in fact.” The word was laced with deep meaning. Was he saying that he’d had feelings for her, as she’d had for him?
    Ashling was flooded with warmth in that moment. With a closeness she’d never experienced, a bond formed through the simplicity of speech.
    “Really?”
    “Yes, really. You were so…special. And I knew it. I wanted to be around you, to look after you. I wanted to talk to you about everything.”
    “Everything?”
    “Everything. And I wish I could now. But that’s probably a bad idea.”
    Ashling turned to him, stopping in her tracks. “You can talk to me, you know,” she said. “I know I act hesitant — I’m just so used to being afraid.”
    He reached out and pushed a lock of her hair behind her ear. Ashling closed her eyes, savouring the moment; that touch of his.
    “You don’t need to be afraid with me,” he said quietly. “I would never hurt you.”
    Again her heart leapt, soaring inside her chest, wanting to expose itself to him. Wanting him to know what it was that he did to her. I would never hurt you. If he knew how he could break her heart all over again, he would run a thousand miles away.
    “Come on,” he said, grinning as he took her hand and began to walk again. He guided her down Main Street and turned right.
    “Are we going to the Observatory again?” she asked.
    “Yes. Is that all right?”
    “I suppose…”
    “There won’t be anyone around and we can have some privacy,” he said. “If that’s okay.”
    Privacy? Why was he looking for privacy? Was Hawke Turner going to kiss her, or more?
    Good lord, she was like a thirteen year old girl hoping for her first kiss. Of course, she’d been kissed before. But never by him. Never by such a man as this.
    Her breath went shallow as her heart unrelentingly pounded in her chest, and as they walked she tried to deepen her inhales and exhales to counteract the effect that he was having on her body.
    When at last they’d climbed the hill, Hawke pointed to the sky.
    “This is what I want to show you. Up there, far in the distance,” he said, “Is Venus. To you it looks like another star. But I can see so much more; every subtle variation in its surface.”
    “With the telescope in the Observatory, you mean.”
    “No. With my eyes.”
    “But how can you? Have you had some sort of high tech implant?”
    Hawke laughed, turning towards her and taking both of her hands in his. “You are lovely,” he said. “Do you know that?”
    “No.” She looked away, feeling mocked. But she held onto his hands.
    “Ashling, years ago you became famous in this town for your little stunt with firewood. No one at that party knew what you did, or how. No one but me.”
    “Oh God,” she said. Of course this was coming up. It had to; it was the enormous polka-dot elephant who stomped through the room. There was no avoiding it.
    “Yes. I watched the whole thing. I’ll never forget the look in your eyes when it happened.”
    “Well, that’s great,” she said, pulling away. “Because to this day I have no idea what happened, or why. I have no idea why I…” She held her hands up. Their surface seemed for a second to glow in the moonlight, orange, yellow, coursing along her skin. And then it was gone. “Why I’m a freak.”
    “Never, ever use that word. You’re special, Ashling. You know it. And so do I. You are a beautiful, special woman.”
    He put one hand on her cheek and the other on her