Awry

54

Scarlet sat on the couch and stared at the fireplace before her, watching the flames slowly subside. Outside, the wind howled, making the small hut creak and moan in protest. The sun had set hours ago and the storm had grown more violent in its absence.

The forest was a black mess of wind, rain, thunder and lightning. But inside, there was nothing but the thick fog of uncomfortable silence.

Tristan had spent the entire day in the small back bedroom of the shack, only exiting to build and rebuild the fire by the couch and offer Scarlet food.

She hadn’t been hungry.

Scarlet had tried, unsuccessfully, to start conversations with him each time he tended to the fire, but he had given her short answers and avoided looking at her.

Conflicting emotions had been playing ping-pong inside him all day.

Determination…longing…sadness…love…fear…. It was heart wrenching.

She almost wished she couldn’t feel him.

Almost.

She hadn’t been able to get Tristan—or her flashback of the two of them together—out of her head all day.

They had kissed. They had touched. They had broken the rules.

And Scarlet had loved every second of it.

Well, right up until the part where Tristan pulled away from her in horror. That part sucked.

She understood now, why he was so careful, so afraid.

She also understood that he loved her. Which made her heart soar and plummet at the same time.

The small bedroom door creaked open for the second time since the sun set and Scarlet tightened the soft blanket around her.

Tristan’s footsteps echoed in her ears as he made his way back to the fireplace and began adding more wood. He had a shirt on this time. Which was disappointing, but less distracting.

Shifting in her seat, Scarlet absently felt his emotions still warring inside him.

“It’s late and the rain is still pouring.” Tristan stabbed at the charred logs. “You can sleep in the bed tonight. The heater keeps the back room pretty warm. I’ll sleep on the couch.”

“Sure.” Suddenly, she had butterflies in her stomach. She cleared her throat and braved the subject she’d been trying to avoid all day and night. The subject she wouldn’t be able to avoid even if she banished it to Mars. “I had a flashback.”

He turned to look at her over his shoulder. “You did?”

“Last night.” She nodded. “When I was…touching you.”

Touching you sounded less stalkerish than lying prostrate on top of you.

He stopped poking the fire and faced her, still crouching. “What about?”

Scarlet licked her lips. “You and me. In my last life.”

She tried not to blush.

She failed.

He watched her face for a moment, no doubt feeling the desire swelling up inside her. Her cheeks grew hotter.

So embarrassing.

Tristan bit the inside of his cheek, nervousness shooting through him as he looked at the floor and cleared his throat. “And what were we doing? In your memory?” His eyes stayed on the rug beneath his feet.

“Uh…”Scarlet bit her lip. “Not behaving.”

It was silent in the room, save for the storm outside.

She swallowed. “It felt like…like maybe I pulled you into the flashback with me, somehow. Did…did you…?”

Tristan nodded, his eyes still on the floor. He rubbed the back of his neck and exhaled slowly. “What happened between us was…” desire, fear, desire, fear, “a mistake.”

Scarlet pressed her lips together.

They didn’t look at each other.

The rain grew heavier, beating against the roof like a thousand tiny heartbeats and the room felt tangible. Like Scarlet could pick up the air and swallow it whole.

Tristan silently turned back to the fire, lifting the poker in his hands to the flames.

Desire, fear, hope, regret…desire, fear, hope, regret…

Several minutes passed before Scarlet was able to push words from her dry mouth. “What happened after?”

Tristan jabbed away at the fire.

“After we…kissed. What happened?” she probed.

His back to her, Tristan softly said, “Scar, please don’t.”

Scar. She wanted him to say it again. She wanted to hear her name on his lips over and over and over….

“Don’t what?” Scarlet kept her eyes on his strong shoulder muscles. “Don’t ask you questions?” She paused. “Don’t I deserve to know what you know?”

Tristan stood and turned around, looking down at her on the couch. “Yes.” He took a few steps back.

“Then tell me,” Scarlet said softly.

His eyes looked everywhere but at Scarlet. “You ran away.” He tucked his hands into his back pockets, the arm muscles peeking from beneath his shirt sleeve flexing.

Ah, yes. Runaway Scarlet.

She’d almost forgotten how she’d fled her last life without leaving a forwarding address.

Scarlet was confused. “We made out. And then I…ran away?”

His eyes were running over everything in the room. “Yep.”

Scarlet felt extreme guilt and sadness wash over him.

Her lips parted with a realization. “You think I ran away because of you.”

Tristan blinked and finally met her eyes. “I don’t know what I think.”

A loud crack of thunder boomed outside and the shack’s lights flickered.

“I didn’t run away because of the kiss,” Scarlet said, somehow knowing it was the truth.

“It doesn’t matter anymore.” Tristan looked at the floor. “It was reckless and selfish.” He looked at her with stern eyes. “And it won’t happen again.”

Scarlet let his self-hatred bounce around inside her for a moment, before she grew irritated by his attitude.

Maybe Tristan wanted to forget about what happened—maybe he hadn’t enjoyed it—but Scarlet wanted to hold on to the memory forever. It was hot and beautiful and honest.

She lifted an unashamed brow at Tristan. “Well, I liked it.”

Tristan eyes flashed hot and dark as he stared at her. “I never said I didn’t like it.”

Racing emotions streamed from Tristan to Scarlet, Scarlet to Tristan. Desire, passion, longing, need—

Lightning lit up the sky outside, followed by another crack of angry thunder.

The inside lights flickered again. Once. Twice.

And then went out completely.

Leaving Scarlet and Tristan standing in the dark shack with nothing between them but the dancing light from the fireplace, and a memory that burned hotter than the flames within.