Class Clown (The Thornback Society #4)

22. Chapter 22

Chapter 22

Ruby’s Truth: Trust yourself - you know the way.

I laid in my bunk that night feeling completely exhausted and happy. It had been the best week. Having two of my friends here had been such a boon. I replayed the countless things we’d laughed over. Clogged toilets and racoon gang fights. Camp games and camp fires. It had been heaven. They’d hung out with me in the health center when I needed to be on hand, and we’d spent hours indulging Aryn in short hikes when time permitted.

Cole and Nico were already asleep, their deep breathing a comforting sound in the dark. I thought about Nico and Meredith and the way they’d clicked, like two little logical-thinking peas in a pod. I’d always trusted Meredith to be a loyal guide, and seeing Nico in that same light had given me a peace I hadn’t realized I’d been searching for. I’d always floated toward men who were like me – easily distracted by the next sparkly thing – when what I actually needed was someone steady and reliable. Steady was attractive.

I fell asleep with a smile on my face.

Mumbled complaints and softened cries filled my dreams, causing me to toss around in my bed until my eyes flew open, my heart pounding. I had no idea what time it was, but the cabin was entirely black except for the small trail of moonlight that came past the outside edges of the curtains. I worked on calming my breath as my eyes adjusted to my surroundings, unsure of why I felt anxious until the sounds came again. Groans, and pleas, nonsense words with a worried tone that I recognized as Nico’s voice. With that came understanding. He was having a nightmare.

I had no idea if I should try to wake him or not. The current school of thought was to let it play out while staying close in case they started walking around or were in danger. Waking them could cause an outburst, or make it harder for them to forget the images they’d been seeing in their mind. Still, it was difficult to listen and do nothing.

I tossed back my covers and moved past my sheet curtain to stand near Nico’s bunk. He was on the bottom bed, like me, and I sat on the floor, leaving some distance so that if he did wake I wouldn’t be seen as a threat. I assumed it was related to his military service, which might make him go into attack mentality if he came out of it and was drowsy and confused.

He hadn’t shared large amounts of his experiences, but enough to know that there had been times of conflict and fighting, and times of boredom so complete that he’d had to invent games in his head to keep from running down the street screaming. It couldn’t be easy to live in a place of waiting for combat to surprise you around every corner, while also becoming somewhat complacent when days and weeks of nothing passed.

I knew he’d suffered loss and pain, but those things had been shared in stilting syllables in the rare moments we’d had alone, and I hadn’t asked for more, knowing he’d had a good therapist and that some things didn’t need to keep being dragged out to see the light of day.

He tossed around, muttering incoherent syllables, his body tense and fighting something I couldn’t see. I wrapped my hands around my knees and began humming a tune, hoping that maybe the soft, calm melody would weave into his subconscious somehow.

After a few minutes it seemed to be working. His breathing slowed, and he lay still until suddenly his eyes popped open and he looked over at me with confusion and residual fear. Unsure of what my best move was, or if he was fully aware, I scooted backwards on my bottom across the wooden floor, toward my own bunk, keeping myself small and non-threatening.

He moved out of his bed so quickly I hardly had a chance to react before he was kneeling in front of me, his eyes wild, his arms reaching. I froze as he wrapped his hands around my upper arms and looked closer, as though he couldn’t quite figure out who I was, or what I was doing there.

“Ruby?” he whispered .

I nodded and put a hand to his cheek. “Yes. It was a dream. I’m here.” I kept my voice slow and soft.

He pushed out a breath and let go, jumping to his feet and moving out the back door of the cabin like he was being chased.

Did I follow? Did I leave him to it? In the end, my empathy couldn’t stand to abandon someone when they were upset. If I went out and he told me to go away, I’d respect that. But I had to try.

I exited the cabin to find him sitting on the porch stairs. He leaned forward with his elbows on his knees, his head hanging down. I approached him slowly, noticing that his shirt was damp with sweat, and his muscles rigid. His shoulders tensed further as I drew closer, and I knew that he was aware of me, but I didn’t know if he’d completely woken up or if he was still trapped in whatever nightmare had gripped him.

My footsteps faltered when he whispered my name a second time. I wasn’t sure if it had been a plea to leave him alone, an acknowledgement of my presence, or a hope that I’d join him.

“Can I sit?” I asked into the stillness of the night.

“Yeah.”

His voice was rough and his hand shook a little as he pushed down on the wooden step and slid over to make room for me to sit next to him. The step was too narrow to allow space between us, so rather than fight it, I leaned into his side. He was so solid against me, no give at all, which made the shudder that ran down his spine all the more noticeable.

I threaded my fingers together and tucked my hands between my knees, unsure how to go about comforting him.

“You’re safe. I’ve never gotten violent,” he whispered.

It tugged at my heart that he’d be thinking of me at all right now. “Does this happen often?”

“It used to be more often, but now it’s every couple of months. It’s getting more spread out.”

“That’s good.”

He nodded. I had no idea if he preferred to talk or internally process when he was upset, but for now he was answering questions and letting me share his space, so I trudged forward figuring that he’d tell me when and if he wanted this to be done.

“Do you want to tell me about it?” I asked gently .

He raised his head and looked up at the moon. His profile was strong, and achingly handsome, but so resigned in that moment. I willed some of my strength into him from the place where our shoulders and hips met.

“A bad memory. One I don’t want you to carry too.”

“I’m willing to share the load.”

“Just knowing that is enough for tonight.”

He looked to me, his lips lifting slightly at the corners, and surprised me by reaching for me and hauling me into his lap. He managed to slide back to the middle of the step to make room for my legs to dangle off the side of his, as he wrapped his arms around my waist and leaned his forehead against my shoulder. My hands were still balled together, it all happened so fast, and I relaxed them before laying them over the arm that was banded across my stomach. His body was as hot as an oven, but he didn’t seem to be shaking as badly, which was encouraging.

I snuggled in as best I could, enjoying the unexpected closeness.

“Tell me a story,” he mumbled, one of his thumbs caressing my side.

“Alright. What kind of story?”

“A happy one.”

I smiled to myself. Of course, he wasn’t going to ask for a murder mystery right now. I shifted to put my arm around his shoulder, playing lightly with his sweat-dampened hair as I began.

“Once upon a time there was a fair maiden. I’m seriously talking fair. She was perfect and the princes of all the lands wanted her, but she was picky in bestowing her favors. She traveled from kingdom to kingdom, sampling the goods but never settling down.”

“Sampling the goods?” he asked.

“Pastries, Nico, this is a family show.”

“Ah.”

His voice was amused and he pressed a kiss to my shoulder that I felt down to my toes.

“Anyhow, there was only one kingdom where the pastries were horrible and the prince was the worst. He stuck up his nose when she’d walk by, never giving her the time of day. At first, she found it kind of refreshing. It was nice to not be hunted down for her beauty. After a time, his mother invited her to the castle to dine with them, and she accepted. They were having escargot for dinner, and it made her sad because she had a soft spot in her heart for snails. ”

“Obviously.” His amusement warmed my chest.

“But, she’d been taught to respect the traditions of other kingdoms and to never offend the hostess, so she took a reluctant bite of slimy, greasy, really salty, snails. They’d been brought fresh from the kitchens and she burned her tongue. Still, she pushed on, trying to be kind, and right as she took the last bite, she turned into a unicorn and the bad prince jumped on her to ride her down to his stables full of other gorgeous and innocent unicorns. She should have listened to her gut and left the snails alone.”

“This is getting strange.”

“Shh. I have to think about how to end this tale.”

He laughed softly, and his shoulders relaxed as he pulled his forehead away from my shoulder. His gaze was on the side of my face, and I looked out into the shadowed forest, avoiding his eyes so that I could think, but I felt his focus in the very center of my chest.

“Any way,” I continued, “he was obviously a bad dude. What that bad dude didn’t know, thankfully, was that once you have thirteen unicorns together, they can form a magical circle by touching the tips of all their horns together, and be returned to their human form. The fair maiden wasn’t only beautiful, she was smart, and she’d studied her magical history. She convinced the other victims to unite, and they all turned human again. She helped them all escape on the backs of humongous toads, and didn’t rest until everyone was safe – including the rest of the snails who were set to be cooked the next day.

The fair maiden realized she was better off making her own pastries, and she went home where she lived a long and happy life taking flower-scented baths and listening to Taylor Swift. The end.” I turned at last to meet his eyes and found his face inches from mine. My breath hitched. “Ta da,” I said softly.

One huffed laugh sounded in his throat as he leaned up and pressed his lips to mine. It was soft, so soft, and light and simple, but it traveled to that same spot in the center of my chest where I was already warm.

I inhaled at the feeling and he released one of his arms from around my waist to run his fingers along my jaw. “I’m sort of obsessed with the way your mind works,” he said as his thumb traced lightly over my skin.

He tilted his head up and kissed me again. Still light and gentle, as though he were doing his very best not to scare me. I could hardly breathe, or swallow, or move at all, and when he shifted away again my voice was weak when I responded.

“I think it’s broken.”

“Your mouth?” he asked, and I could feel his lips move as he spoke quietly.

“My mind. You said you like my mind.”

His lips twitched. “No. Not broken. Clever, and kind.”

He leaned closer and I bent to meet him, wanting the contact. The emotion was so tender and affectionate in a way I hadn’t experienced with any other kiss. The hand he’d had on my cheek moved around to lightly squeeze my neck and he deepened the kiss, adding pressure as I responded. My hand pressed to his chest where I could feel the dampness from his nightmare, and the heat and strength beneath that.

My heart raced and I fisted his shirt. Some girls say their thoughts flee when they kiss, but mine became clear and bright, and they spelled the name Nico in pulsing neon letters. I pulled back, surprised by the reaction.

“I’m really, really different from you,” I said.

He shifted a bit, his hand dropping to run down my arm, raising gooseflesh in its path. “In some ways, yes.”

“In most ways.” I clarified. “We don’t function on the same thought planet. How is this not something that worries you?”

“I’m not interested in being with my clone,” he responded with an amused look. “I like that you’re different from me. I’m nothing special, and can, in fact, be kind of irritating.”

“Well, now you’ve given me something to think about. Maybe I should be more cautious,” I teased, putting a fingertip against my lips. His eyes followed the motion before locking on mine again, and I knew the look. “It would be smart, though, to sample the goods some more before any decisions are made,” I stated.

His grin was crooked as he pulled me in once more. This time he didn’t give me time to overthink or worry, he gathered me in as he pressed his beautiful, tempting mouth against mine. My hands snaked up his arms and around his neck, the skin hot against my palms. I threaded a hand through the damp strands of his hair and held on as feelings I’d only imagined rushed through me.

The other kisses, the other men, they hadn’t meant it the way Nico did. Our first kiss had told me that, but this one cemented it. The others had been interested in kissing, but he was interested in me . It changed the entire experience. I hadn’t known it could feel this way.

I used my own hold on him to hug him, wanting to be closer. Each pass of our lips was a discovery, and I wanted to learn it all. His hands roved up and down my back, sneaking into my long hair where his fingers weaved in and out, tugging and releasing until he pulled away entirely and watched my hair sift through his fingers.

“Your hair is incredible,” he whispered.

I smiled with tender lips. “You know, if we keep kissing, people are going to think there’s something going on between us.”

He shook his head, laughed, and with one last caress his arms looped around my waist and he rested his chin on my shoulder, his warm breath puffing against the skin on my neck. I held him around the shoulders and looked up at the sky, so beautiful with the full moon.

“Do you really think I’m afraid of people thinking that?” he asked.

“As a logic-based person, you really should be,” I replied.

“I’d take it as a compliment to have my name attached to yours.”

Well, heat up some honey and call in the bears, I was melted. “That might be the nicest and most na?ve thing you’ve ever said to me.”

One of his hands landed on my knee and rested lightly. “I’ve known you for a long time, and your brother is my best friend. I know what I’m doing. Your friend Aryn told me that this is what you’d call a slow-burn romance trope.” He grinned. “I’d never heard the word trope until this past week.”

I laughed. “She’s not wrong. This might be the slowest burn in history. I mean, you were fifteen when you were first bitten by the love bug.” His teeth were white in the moonlight and I wanted to kiss him again, so I leaned forward and grazed his lips with mine. I sat up feeling light as air. “Being an older woman, I might be too mature for you to handle,” I teased.

“I’m sure we could learn a lot from each other,” he replied, caressing my kneecap with his fingers. “Based on this summer alone, it seems wise for you to be with someone who can keep up with the rate at which you get yourself into . . . situations .” His fingers did air quotes that made me laugh.

I poked one finger against his chest. “Hey now, there’s a reason for that saying ‘be careful what you wish for’. Don’t forget that I tried to keep you at arm’s length. ”

“The pheromones were relentless,” he joked. Then, he grew serious and took my hand from around his shoulders to press against his chest. “I love that we’re doing this. I wasn’t sure you’d ever come around.”

“My friends basically demanded that I do after spending a few days under your spell. I really believe they’d choose you over me,” I responded with a gentle smile before growing serious myself. “I don’t know how to do a relationship where I’m not acting like a fool attempting to keep the guy interested. I’m not even sure I know who I am when I put down the sideshow antics and exist on a more peaceful plain.”

His thumb rubbed the back of my hand. “I know who you are, Bee. You don’t need to work to keep me interested.”

“Bee?”

He flashed a grin. “Yeah, because you’re like a honey bee, going around spreading happiness and making people grow in your presence.”

Happy sigh. “You have to stop saying nice things, or you’ll turn me into a real problem with out-of-control expectations.”

He grinned. “Logically it kind of works as a short version of your name too. Ru-Bee.”

I grinned back. “Thank you. That kept the swoon to a minimum.”

“Sooo . . .”

“Sooo, I hate to waste a perfectly good nickname and, yeah, I’m really glad we’re doing this too. That said, if this starts to feel off or something, please tell me. You don’t have to stay with me to keep Cole happy or whatever.”

He pressed his forehead to mine and let out a relieved breath. “This has nothing to do with Cole.”

“I expect he’ll take credit though,” I replied, my eyes closed as I inhaled his scent and went limp against him. “He’s such a pain.” He chuckled. “Do you feel taken advantage of right now?” I asked, concerned that he’d been in a vulnerable state when I’d found him. “Because I did not come out here intending to end up kissing in your lap.” I ran a light fingertip across his collarbone.

“It turns out I really enjoy being taken advantage of. Can we do it again sometime?”

I laughed. “Tomorrow work for you?”

“I’m expecting to be available most days. ”

I smiled. “I’m free then too. Or at least as free as you can be when you can’t tell anyone you’re in a relationship.”

“The no fraternization rule.” He sighed. “How many more weeks of camp?” he asked.

I groaned. “Three.”

“We can lay low for three weeks.”

“Have you ever seen me lay low in any way?” I asked playfully.

He squeezed me tight. “Not exactly.”

A stirring sound in the cabin alerted us to Cole being awake, and I hurried to stand. Nico quickly followed and we stepped apart, sharing a smile before heading back inside.

Three weeks. We could totally do this.