overloaded. Pain throbbed inside her head, underneath her skull. Somehow she’d over-reached and her mind couldn’t handle it.
“You should go lie down.” Tillie nodded to Ryder. “Will you take her to her room? It's just down the hall from mine.”
Ryder stood and took Jane’s elbow. “Are you okay to walk?”
“I think so, but not in these shoes.” She kicked them off and he picked them up for her, evading her hands when she reached for them.
“Just worry about walking. I’ll take care of the shoes.” He threaded his arm through hers and pulled her close. “Lean on me and let me know if you think you’re going to pass out or something.”
“What would you do if I did?” she asked.
“I'd carry you.”
As if she wasn’t already a spectacle wearing the many sequined dress in a world dominated by track suits; add in a hunk like Ryder tossing her over his shoulder and Jane wasn’t sure she could ever face the residents of the Crescent Pines again. "I'm fine," she said, gritting her teeth.
Even so, she held tightly onto Ryder as they walked back to her room, grateful for his strength. He kept up an easy banter as they went, as if nothing was wrong. Something about his last run in the woods and crows. She decided he must be trying to distract her, but she couldn’t focus on his words and didn’t follow anything he said. The throbbing in her head had reached a crescendo of pain, so intense it shot sparks down her spine.
By the time they reached her room, she was gasping like a marathon runner and sweat dripped down her back. Ryder helped her to her bed and when he turned to go, she grabbed his hand and held him back. Despite the pain, the fog pressing on her brain like an anvil, Ryder still stirred something inside her. She had to know why.
Turning to face her, his eyebrows raised in concern, he said, “Do you need something?”
"It's just... I feel like I know you. Are we..." She trailed off and gave him a pointed look.
"Are we what?"
"I mean, I get why maybe you wanted to play it cool in front of your grandma, but she smelled it, I smelled it and surely you smelled it." She sniffed at him. "Are we a thing?"
Ryder shook his head. "Sorry, no. I never met you before today."
"Why are you in my head like a song I can't forget?"
"I don't know." He made to pull away, but she held fast. His lips had transfixed her again and her vision narrowed until they were the only thing she could see.
Ignoring the sledgehammer in her head, she sat up and leaned toward him. "Sorry. I just have to do this. I can't stop thinking about it."
"About what?"
Jane kissed him. The contact was fleeting, but it surged through her like lightning, setting her senses on fire. It was so strong, it obliterated the pain in her head. "Oh boy," she whispered against his lips. "Did you feel that?"
"Yeah, maybe. It's not a good idea." He turned his head, breaking contact.
"We could set things on fire with our lips alone." She laughed. "I don't even know you. I don't even know myself . But I feel you under my skin. What is that?"
"I don't know." Ryder looked over his shoulder to the door, as if checking to make sure it was still there.
"Just tell me I'm not crazy. Tell me you feel it, too." She clutched at his arm. "Just give me one thing I can know for sure. Please."
He looked at her, his gaze intense as the sun, and then dipped his head down to kiss her. This was nothing like the soft peck she'd surprised him with. This was the real thing with tongue and teeth and a primal demand that she yield to him. Ryder reached into her heart and gave it a kick start. Blood rushing in her ears, she tasted him, a sweet salty flavor that she lapped up like a greedy kitten.
After a moment, he tore himself away, breathing heavily. "Jane, we can't. I can't."
"I understand," she said quietly. "But thank you for being honest. Maybe down the line things might change."
"Yeah, sure."
"I mean, after I know who the hell I am. You know, little
“You should go lie down.” Tillie nodded to Ryder. “Will you take her to her room? It's just down the hall from mine.”
Ryder stood and took Jane’s elbow. “Are you okay to walk?”
“I think so, but not in these shoes.” She kicked them off and he picked them up for her, evading her hands when she reached for them.
“Just worry about walking. I’ll take care of the shoes.” He threaded his arm through hers and pulled her close. “Lean on me and let me know if you think you’re going to pass out or something.”
“What would you do if I did?” she asked.
“I'd carry you.”
As if she wasn’t already a spectacle wearing the many sequined dress in a world dominated by track suits; add in a hunk like Ryder tossing her over his shoulder and Jane wasn’t sure she could ever face the residents of the Crescent Pines again. "I'm fine," she said, gritting her teeth.
Even so, she held tightly onto Ryder as they walked back to her room, grateful for his strength. He kept up an easy banter as they went, as if nothing was wrong. Something about his last run in the woods and crows. She decided he must be trying to distract her, but she couldn’t focus on his words and didn’t follow anything he said. The throbbing in her head had reached a crescendo of pain, so intense it shot sparks down her spine.
By the time they reached her room, she was gasping like a marathon runner and sweat dripped down her back. Ryder helped her to her bed and when he turned to go, she grabbed his hand and held him back. Despite the pain, the fog pressing on her brain like an anvil, Ryder still stirred something inside her. She had to know why.
Turning to face her, his eyebrows raised in concern, he said, “Do you need something?”
"It's just... I feel like I know you. Are we..." She trailed off and gave him a pointed look.
"Are we what?"
"I mean, I get why maybe you wanted to play it cool in front of your grandma, but she smelled it, I smelled it and surely you smelled it." She sniffed at him. "Are we a thing?"
Ryder shook his head. "Sorry, no. I never met you before today."
"Why are you in my head like a song I can't forget?"
"I don't know." He made to pull away, but she held fast. His lips had transfixed her again and her vision narrowed until they were the only thing she could see.
Ignoring the sledgehammer in her head, she sat up and leaned toward him. "Sorry. I just have to do this. I can't stop thinking about it."
"About what?"
Jane kissed him. The contact was fleeting, but it surged through her like lightning, setting her senses on fire. It was so strong, it obliterated the pain in her head. "Oh boy," she whispered against his lips. "Did you feel that?"
"Yeah, maybe. It's not a good idea." He turned his head, breaking contact.
"We could set things on fire with our lips alone." She laughed. "I don't even know you. I don't even know myself . But I feel you under my skin. What is that?"
"I don't know." Ryder looked over his shoulder to the door, as if checking to make sure it was still there.
"Just tell me I'm not crazy. Tell me you feel it, too." She clutched at his arm. "Just give me one thing I can know for sure. Please."
He looked at her, his gaze intense as the sun, and then dipped his head down to kiss her. This was nothing like the soft peck she'd surprised him with. This was the real thing with tongue and teeth and a primal demand that she yield to him. Ryder reached into her heart and gave it a kick start. Blood rushing in her ears, she tasted him, a sweet salty flavor that she lapped up like a greedy kitten.
After a moment, he tore himself away, breathing heavily. "Jane, we can't. I can't."
"I understand," she said quietly. "But thank you for being honest. Maybe down the line things might change."
"Yeah, sure."
"I mean, after I know who the hell I am. You know, little
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