Whirling around, I scanned the woods, but nothing seemed out of place. I guess something could’ve just fallen from the branches, but it had sounded more like footsteps breaking twigs, like something or someone was walking, following me. Except, if it’d been an animal, it wouldn’t have stopped as soon as I’d spun around, would it? Which made me think...human.
An eerie sensation crawled up the back of my neck. Suddenly, I knew I wasn’t alone.
“Hello?” I called uneasily.
No one answered. If one of my brothers were around, they would’ve answered me. Why wouldn’t someone answer me...unless they didn’t want me to know they were out here with me?
“Oh God,” I didn’t mean to whimper. Someone was following me through the woods.
I turned to flee, but a voice called, “City, wait. It’s just me.”
Jerking to a stop in my tracks, I froze a good second, frowning and unable to believe I was hearing the voice I was hearing. Then I spun toward it. “Knox?”
He half stepped out from behind a tree, while keeping the other half hidden as he waved. “Hey. I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to scare you.”
Blood flooded my brain with an overabundance of happy endorphins as I dropped my basket and hurried to him. “Oh my God, I can’t believe you’re here. I didn’t think you were going to make it today.”
As I neared him, he moved, keeping the tree between us so I couldn’t see all of him. I slowed to a stop. “Knox?”
He tapped the side of the tree with his palm and then pressed his forehead to it. “Yeah, I, uh, I can’t meet today. I just wanted you to know.”
“I did know. I got your note.”
“Right. So...maybe Monday. Okay?”
I shook my head, having no idea what was going on, but feeling as if I’d done something wrong, as if he might never meet me in the woods again. “Why won’t you even look at me?” I finally asked.
One eye appeared from the side of the tree, but it looked so full of regret, it calmed my worries. At least I hadn’t done something to put him off. But still…something was seriously wrong.
“Why were you following me?” I hedged, hoping to somehow work my way to the real issue of whatever was bothering him.
He went back to pressing his forehead to the tree and bumping his hand against the trunk, only now he used his fist instead of an open palm. “Just, you know, to make sure you got home okay?”
I sniffed. “I’ve never had a problem walking home by myself before.”
That one eye reappeared, serious as it watched me. “You’ve never walked home by yourself before. I’ve always been there.”
Instant warmth spread through me, knowing he’d always been worried about my safety, always seeing to my protection. Then I frowned. “No you haven’t.”
“Yes I have.”
“But what about the first day? When we met. You ran off first.”
He shrugged. “I almost stumbled into your brothers that day, so I doubled back and caught sight of you heading home. You didn’t look like you were walking too steady, and after you’d hit your head the way you did, I worried you might not make it. So I’ve followed you back to the edge of the woods ever since, just to be sure.” Another shrug. “It became a habit.”
I grinned. “Why you stalker, you.”
He didn’t grin back, and I couldn’t take the subtle approach any longer. I dove at him and grabbed his arm, yanking him away from the tree until he was facing me fully.
He gaped at me, startled. Then he winced with guilt and shame.
“Oh my God,” I blurted, slapping my hands over my mouth. “Your eye. Knox, what happened?” I stepped to him to touch the bruised side of his face, but he flinched away.
“It’s not a big deal.”
“Not a big...” I repeated, incredulous. Then I set my hands on my hips. “Knox Arrow Parker, yes, it is a big deal. Who did this to you?” He glanced away, and unease plopped heavily into the pit of my stomach. “Was it my brothers?”
“No,” he instantly reassured, taking my hands and giving me an earnest look. “This was...it was my own fault.”
I cocked my head to the side, not understanding.
He sighed and glanced away. “I didn’t want you to see because...it’s embarrassing.”
All my sympathies aching for him, I stepped in closer. When he didn’t shy away, I leaned up onto my toes and gingerly pressed my lips to the red spot. He closed his eyes and sighed as if he relished the contact. So I kissed his boo-boo again. Turning into me, he nuzzled his nose into my hairline and then wrapped his arms around me. “How do you always know how to make everything better?”