Rae of Sunshine (Light in the Dark 1)

Trust him? Didn’t he know I already did? I would’ve never told him about the accident if I didn’t. I trusted Cade in ways I’d never trusted another human being before.

I reached out, grasped his jacket and stepped closer. I tilted my head back and peered up at him.

His lips twisted into a smile. “What are you doing?”

“Getting closer to you.”

“Why?” He drew out the word.

“So I can tell you that I trust you. You should know that, Cade.”

His smile widened until it was almost blinding. His smile made my stomach flip. It was such an easy happy smile, despite the shitty things he’d been through. I wanted to smile like that again.

He didn’t say anything in response. Instead he kissed me, and it was exactly what I needed.

His lips were slow and gentle against mine. Even though it wasn’t a passion filled kiss where we were clawing at each other, I still felt it through my whole body. Slow could be good. Slow was sweet. Slow was perfect.

When Cade pulled away he placed a gentle kiss on my nose, the snow swirling around us.

It was a scene straight out of a fairytale, but I was no princess, and his kiss couldn’t save me.

Only time could do that and my own desire to shed the pain that clung to me.

Step One of healing had been telling Cade.

Step Two, I knew without even discussing it with my therapist. I needed to accept the events of that day, and understand no matter what I believed I couldn’t change it.

Step Three…well, that would be the hardest. I had to say goodbye to the people I lost. And goodbyes? Well, those were never easy.

Cupping my cheek and stirring me from my thoughts, Cade asked, “Are you ready to get lunch or do you need to go to your dorm first?”

“I can go now.”

“Good, because I’m starving.”

“This better not be the same restaurant you took me to for burgers before,” I warned, trying to hide my smile. “If I end up with food poisoning again then I might have to reconsider your status as my boyfriend.”

He threw his back and laughed, causing quite a few people to turn and look at us. “You’re funny.”

“No, Cade,” I tried to sound angry, “I’m dead serious.”

“Don’t worry, Sunshine,” his hand found the small of my back, “we’re not going there.”

“Thank God.” I was actually relieved. If he’d taken me to the same place I would’ve run away screaming. Food poisoning was no joke, even if you did have a hot football player to take care of you.

He chuckled. “Did you really think I’d take you back there?”

“Well, you seemed to like their burgers,” I shrugged.

“I still feel bad about that,” he admitted with his lips twisting. “But I don’t regret getting to spend the next day with you. I don’t regret anything with you.”

“Not even knocking me down?” I laughed, my hair blowing all around my face from the wind.

He stopped walking and took my face in his large hands. “Definitely not that, because without that moment I might not have ever met you, and that would’ve been a real tragedy.”

His words got me to thinking about how certain events in our lives lead to another and another. Take one of those events away and a whole new scenario would play out.