Stone Crest: Rise of a Raven

20. Chapter 20

Chapter twenty

Raven

T hirty minutes later I find myself sitting on Locke’s kitchen island. Again. Except this time, I’m watching him open Chinese takeout that could nourish an entire army.

“Eat.” He shoves a box to me.

“What? My ass not big enough for you, Sullivan? You one of those Kardashian groupies?”

He stills for a moment before he opens another box. “No one ever calls me that.”

I pick up a fork. “Calls you what? Your name?”

“Most people call me Locke.”

I stab a piece of Teriyaki chicken. “I’m not most people.”

“No, you are most definitely not,” he chuckles.

“You avoided the question.” I point my fork at him then twirl it around. “You like big butts.”

He shrugs. “I cannot lie.”

Did he just make a joke?

A laugh bursts from my chest. “He’s got jokes.”

His smile widens as he shakes his head. “Your ass is perfect, Rae. I just want you healthy.”

My heart pinches. That’s the second or third time he’s called me Rae. Like he’s known me for years, not two weeks.

“What about you?” I ask. “Any traumatic life event you would like to share?”

A dark shadow passes his eyes, but he schools it quickly. “None worth mentioning.”

He closes the empty box and opens another.

“And your family, siblings? Do any live close?” I ask.

He uses a fork to stir up the remnants of the takeout container. “Half brother.” He takes a bite, and swallows. “My family and I don’t speak.”

He says all of this without making eye contact.

“Have you always lived here?” I place my half eaten box down.

“I’ve lived all over.” He swipes his mouth with a clean napkin.

“Where about?” I ask with curiosity.

“Here and there.” He shrugs. “I visited the west coast for a time before moving back.”

Everything he’s telling me is surface level. Vague.

Distant.

I just laid out my deepest emotional scar and he’s barely admitting he has relatives.

“Locke.” I reach for his arm.

“Do you want to stay tonight?” He asks, his eyes finally meeting mine.

The gold flecks almost look stormy. Ironic that a storm is what brought me to this town. To him. The longer I look into them, the more mysterious he becomes. He’s real. Standing right in front of me, but still so far away.

I just want peace. So, I answer responsibly for the first time in months.

“I think it would be better if you take me home.”

We both know it’s the right thing to do. Doesn’t mean we like it.

“Ok.” He holds out a palm to help me off of the counter.

He doesn’t remove it when I catch my balance. If anything, he squeezes tighter. “Can you do one thing for me, Rae?”

“Depends.” I tilt my head.

“I just want one. One kiss.” He leans in, ghosting his lips across mine.

Taking my hands, I frame his handsome face, pulling him down to press my lips to his. This isn’t like the night we met. This isn’t lustful and frantic. It’s emotional. It’s tender, and the sheer truth that it can’t be anything more than a harmless kiss is soul crushing.

“I hate this,” I whisper.

He presses another kiss to my lips, knowing exactly what I mean. The circumstances.

“Could you do another thing for me?”

I lean back, and search his gaze, and his request makes my heart stop.

“Wait for me?”