Should I even tell her?
Maybe this wasn’t such a good idea.
Too late now, motherfucker.
Yeah, that’s right. We were already here, and I had promised her I would tell her.
My heart pounded. The night air was a little chilly, but I felt the sweat break out on my forehead, trickle down the side of my face.
“What is this place?” she asked as she walked beside me. I led her to the back of the cabin.
“It’s a maze.”
Her jaw dropped, then she smiled. “Wow. Do you have a treasure map?”
“I can make one for you,” I said.
I would have smiled and would have enjoyed showing her around if we were in different circumstances.
I stopped just at the entrance of the maze. I’d put up a trellis there. It was too cold for the flowers now, but thick, brown vines wrapped around the structure.
The maze was as it always had been—massive, beautiful, secretive. The tightly packed greenery was high and dense, making it almost impossible to squeeze in between. When I was a kid, I could squeeze my way through in certain spots, but now it was impossible. I’d tried.
“They say this maze is cursed,” I told her.
I glanced at her to see her reaction. I wondered if it would spook her, but her smile had turned into a grin.
“What are we waiting for?” she said, her eyes sparkling. “Let’s go in.”
Damn. She’s fucking a
wesome.
“Who else knows about this place?” she asked. “I mean…have you brought anyone else—”
“Just you.”
I stepped forward, then stopped in my tracks when I felt her hand reach for mine.
I looked down at our joined hands, then up at her. This was the first time she’d willingly touched me after I left.
“I’m glad. Cameron,” she said, “if you’re not ready to tell me, I understand.”
Something warm and tight was forming inside my chest as I looked at her. What was she doing to me?
I grew up being very careful not to show anyone what was important to me. I had to keep everything locked inside me tightly, securely. Because once you showed the world what you valued, they got you by the balls. The world would know your weakness. And the world would use it against you. The world always did. You’d be crippled. Then where would you be?
“Why are you looking at me like that?” she asked.
“Like what?” I asked hoarsely.
“Like…you don’t know what to do with me.”
Because something was changing, I realized. It wasn’t just a small shift. And I had no idea what to do about it. Because when I looked at Kara’s face, her eyes, so honest, so damn real, and strong and good, it made me believe the world had a place just for me. And this time, it was something that was good.
“I’m wondering if you’re real.”
She didn’t speak for a moment, then she smiled. “It was hard getting you to open up to me. Damn near impossible,” she admitted. “I’m happy that you brought me here. It’s a start.”