The Gathering (Darkness Rising 1)

I BACKED AROUND THE corner so fast I stumbled into one of the little kids. I apologized, then broke into a fast walk and didn't stop until I was in the bathroom. I would say my humiliation was complete at that point. But it wasn't. The end of lunch bell rang, we went back to class, and there were two empty seats in our class--Rafe's and Hayley's--and they stayed empty for the rest of the afternoon.

I was looking forward to my visit to Mina with Daniel, which I hoped would slap thoughts of Rafe out of my head. Then, in last class, the boxing coach came by and told the guys that he needed to reschedule tomorrow's early morning meeting for four thirty today. So no visit.

Daniel knew something was bugging me and insisted on driving me to the park gates. He promised to call me later so we could pay Mina a visit that night.

Kenjii had been waiting at the gate and walked home beside me as usual. Otherwise, the woods were silent and still. I caught a whiff of what could have been smoke. I hoped not.

Last night Dad had said a small outbreak of fire had been spreading inland. Luckily, that's mostly uninhabited wilderness, and they hoped to have any blazes under control soon. Salmon Creek had once been evacuated for wildfires--before we moved here--but it had just been a precaution. Still, it worried me. Nothing is more devastating to a forest than fire. It was enough to make me wish for our typically rainy fall weather.

As I approached the house, I heard someone sawing wood. Had Walter--Dad's seasonal assistant--come back to Salmon Creek to help Dad because of the wildfires? Was he working on Fitz's tree house in the meantime? It would be a good ending to a lousy day, but when I didn't see Walter's truck in the lane, I figured Dad was cutting up firewood.

When I rounded the house to say hi to him, I saw a figure in the yard, using a handsaw on a small stack of boards. Fitz was stretched out in a sunny patch by his feet. I stopped and stared. Stared so long that Kenjii whined and nudged my hand.

Rafe turned and saw me. He brushed his hair back and smiled, the crooked "real" smile that made my breath catch.

He waved at the pile of wood. Beside it was the blueprint for Fitz's tree house. "I owe you a birthday present. You mentioned this yesterday. I asked your mom, and she said it would be all right if I gave it a shot. Can't promise anything, but I'm pretty good with a hammer and saw."

"Oh." A stupid thing to say, but all I could think of.

The smile fell. "Or if you'd rather I didn't ..."

"No, that's ... Thanks. It's just ..." It's just that I have no idea where this came from, and what you're doing here, and why you're doing this. I looked at him. "You didn't say a word to me at school today."

"You didn't say a word to me."

"I was going to. I wanted to talk to you about visiting Annie, but you were with Hayley."

"Yeah, I heard the rumor that she'd been the one who dosed you. I figured if I could prove it, that might help. She thought I was mad at you, so I used that, chatting her up, trying to get her to admit she'd done it. Nothing, though."

"You didn't come back after lunch."

"Came here to see if I could work on this. Surprise you."

"Hayley left, too."

"Yeah, she's, uh, over by McGill Lake waiting for me. Or she was. I said I was cutting out early, heading there for a swim, hinted she was welcome to join me. I was hoping that would get her to spill about the drugs. Not the nicest thing I've ever done, but if she did dose you, she deserves it, and if she didn't, maybe she'll decide I'm a total jerk and back off." He stepped toward me. "I was a jerk yesterday, Maya, and I don't blame you for backing off. But you said you were confused, and so was I."

"Because of the drug thing."

"Not just that. I wasn't sure about the party, if you were inviting me because you wanted me there or you just wanted to be nice after meeting Annie. I finally decided to go and I wasn't expecting anything, but then it started out good. Really good. The climb and us talking. And then you went back to your friends, which I totally understood. But I figured maybe it was a hint, too--you'd played good hostess, and your job was done. So I took off for a while. Checked in on Annie. Came back and, bam, everything was good again. We go up to the roof and things are really good, even after I made an ass of myself confessing all that stuff. But then I find out you were drugged, so I don't know if you do like me or it was the dope. I spend the night worrying about it. I talk to you. Everything seems cool again ... only it's not cool and I get the feeling you'd be a whole lot happier if I just went away and stayed away."

He wasn't wrong. About any of it. Even the last part. But happier wasn't the right word. More like relieved. Whatever was happening between us, it was too much, too fast, and I worried I was going to get hurt. I'd never been hurt before, not like that.

When I went out with guys, I liked it fun and casual. I had a good time while they were around, and when they left, I was okay with that. But if Rafe said he was leaving, I wouldn't be okay with that and it scared me.

"So ..." he said when I didn't answer. "I'm here doing something to apologize, because I know that I handled yesterday badly. I pushed too hard, too fast, and stormed off in a temper when you needed me to slow down. It won't happen again. I'd like to turn back the clock to Saturday night, when we were talking, hanging out. I promise not to try to get you back into the woods." He paused. "For at least forty-eight hours."

I laughed. "So you are on a schedule."

> "No, I'm impatient. But I will wait."

"For forty-eight hours. And if there's no make-out session by then, time's up."

"No. I said I won't try for forty-eight hours. What happens after that is up to you." He met my gaze. "It always will be."

My cheeks heated. I glanced over at the pile of wood and tools. "You don't have to do that."

"I want to." He picked up the saw as I crouched to pet Fitz. "Like I said, Mom was a carver. Annie got her creative talent, but I learned the woodworking stuff."