Break Free The Night (Book 1) (26 page)

Sure, there had been a few other kisses, awkward fumbling between classes at school and once an embarrassing game of Spin the Bottle. They were nothing in comparison to this. Every nerve was on fire, every sense heightened. The woodsy aroma, the taste of pine and mint and just a dab of honey, the soft and the firm and the
feel
of his lips on hers sent her mind reeling. And all she really knew was that her hand found purchase in the worn leather of his jacket, that it was becoming difficult to stand on her own, and that Jack really, truly knew what he was doing.

He pulled away from her, kissing her cheek softly before tucking her into his chest
.“
Yo
u’
re okay
?”
he asked, his voice soft.

“
Very
.
”

He chuckled
.“
I did
n’
t think
I’
d ever be able to do that, not ever again
,”
he whispered and there was a reverence to his tone that surprised Kaylee. He was normally so happy, so buoyant. Things never seemed that serious when Jack was around, or maybe it was he who did
n’
t take things seriously. Either way, Kaylee could
n’
t miss the opportunity to tease him. Just a bit.

“
Quinton not your type
?”
she asked coyly.

He laughed, loud booming laughter that swept through the rooftop and into the wind.

She pulled away from him to watch him laugh, thrilling in the way his lips curled exposing his white smile, loving the way the skin around his eyes creased, hoping sh
e’
d get to see those faint lines deepen into wrinkles as the years went by. His eyes shone down at her, the picture of happiness, of fondness and friendship. She was laughing too now, not at her jokes but at the wonder of it all, at the sheer miracle of their finding each other. It was irrational and improbable that it should happen, here at the end of every other thing. It was unexpected and slightly frightening and yet wonderful. The life that Kaylee had expected, a life with Andrew, loving but not being in love, just dissolved. Colored chalk in the rain.

He dropped a kiss on her collarbone, just at the junction between shoulder and neck, and her laughter stuttered to a stop as she drew a rapid breath. He smiled into her skin before he found her lips again and Kaylee was once again loss in the absolute thrill of
him
.

~

The sun had long sunk past the highest point of it
s’
arc and was inching closer and closer towards the earth before Jack chuckled against Kayle
e’
s lips and pulled back for the final time, holding her face gently in his hands. His eyes searched hers before he pressed his lips to her forehead. It was a gesture that brought tears to Kayle
e’
s eyes. She knew what he was saying with that most simple of kisses:
I’
ll take care of you. To hide her eyes she leant into his chest and his arms came automatically around her. She already felt sheltered from the wind.

“
We should get back to Emma
,”
he whispered into her hair moments later. She nodded against his chest, a little ashamed of herself for not thinking of it first. But Emma was okay; Andrew would be there.

Andrew
.

“
Do w
e…
erm
,”
Kaylee stammered, not quite sure how to ask what she wanted. It was all so confusing, this life after civilization. Conventions did
n’
t really stand. What could they tell the others? Dating seemed like an odd word for it, but calling themselves a couple sounded strange too. Paired-off? Kaylee wrinkled her nose at the wording.

Sounds like mating at the zoo.

“
Do we what
?”
Jack asked, his fingers were playing in her hair, raking through the strands gently.

“
I mean, what do we tell the others
?”
she asked, very sure her face was turning red. But she felt she should know. He was staying and he was staying for
her
, with her. That meant something; she knew it did. But he had
n’
t said the words.

“
Well
,”
he answered and from his tone Kaylee knew he was smiling
.“
We could get very dramatic and serious and tell them w
e’
re together
.
”

Together?
Together did
n’
t sound so bad.

“
Or
,”
he continued, pressing his lips to her forehead again
.“
Or we could just let them work it out for themselves.
I’
m staying. That says something right there, do
n’
t you think
?
”

She nodded again, pausing to press her lips experimentally to his chest. He inhaled deeply, sighing, before he pulled her flush with him.

“
Quinto
n’
s really leaving
?”
she asked, partly stalling. Selfish as she felt, she did
n’
t want to leave the roof just yet.

“
He is
,”
Jack answered, though there was a strange twinge of excitement in his voice that caught Kayle
e’
s attention. She gazed up at him, eyebrows draw, a small furrow in the center of her forehead, questioning
.“
Okay, well, just remember that
I’
m not leaving you. Tha
t’
s my condition. I
t’
s not that
I’
m not leaving here, just that
I’
m not leaving
you
.
”

“
What does that have to do with Quinton
?
”

“
H
e’
s been working frantically, now that he knows I wo
n’
t leave without you. And with the way things are with Emma now, well, he thinks h
e’
s got a pretty good case for getting your Dad to agree to leave
.
”

Kaylee watched Jack closely, not quite sure how she felt. She hated to think Emm
a’
s condition would be used to manipulate her father. But then again, maybe leaving this place now, with the help Quinton and Jack would give them, was the best thing for all of them. Either way, was it Kayle
e’
s place to stop Quinton from trying?

“
If he does
n’
t go for it
,”
Jack shrugged, trying for nonchalant
,“
well, then he does
n’
t go for it.
I’
m still not leaving
.
”

“
But you think he will
?”
Kaylee asked, attempting to keep a knowing grin from sliding into place. She was learning to read him very well. In this moment, he was confident. A smile tugged at the corners of his lips and his eyes were alight with excitement.

“
Tell me, Kaylee. Be honest. Do you want to leave this place
?
”

“
I ca
n’
t leave my sister or Dad
.
”

“
Tha
t’
s not what I asked
.
”

Kaylee turned her face from his, her bottom lip caught between her teeth. Her eyes flit back to the horizon, to the green meadow and the fluttering trees, and she knew. Yes, she did want to leave. She nodded.

His voice was soft and sure
.“
Then w
e’
ll just have to find a way to take them with us
.
”

~

              The argument was in full swing when Kaylee and Jack finally made their way to the infirmary. Emma was straining her neck from where she lay to see around Andrew and Anna. Bill was standing in the center of the room, the obvious challenger, while Quinton stood just as opposing in the opposite corner.

             
“
Wha
t’
s going on, Dad
?”
Kaylee asked, leaving Jack in the doorway and crossing the room to stand by her sister. She was ignored as Anna cut across her.

             
“
Emma has been very honest with us
,”
Anna insisted, fingering the gauze restraints while watching Bill and Quinton
.“
She did tell us when she felt that twitch
.
”

             
“
But the fact that she felt it at all is what worries me
,”
Bill grumbled, locking his eyes on Anna. Nick set his teeth, glaring at his friend.

             
“
It was
n’
t the infection, Bill
,”
Anna assured
.“
Her arm was falling asleep. She's barely sat up in three days
.
”

             
“
You ca
n’
t really know that
,”
he argued.

             
“
Her hand has
n’
t twitched since
,”
Anna continued, her voice heating now in irritation. Emma stretched out her fingers and held them there, steady as can be. Kaylee had noticed how her sister had developed a tendency to flex her fingers and hold them still. At first, Kaylee knew it was because Emma most feared the onset of that first twitch, now she thought it might just have developed into habit.

              "Once the muscular degeneration sets in with APND i
t’
s irreversible. And her eyes have
n’
t shown any signs of jaundice and she forces herself to stay awake all night long just to prove to you that sh
e’
s safe. What more do you want the poor child to do
?
”

             
“
I still say we ca
n’
t be sure
,”
Bill challenged, his voice rising.

             
“
Who was it that worked with the Red Cross, Bill? Who had access to this kind of information? It was
n’
t you
!”
Kaylee took an involuntary step back, stumbling into Emm
a’
s cot and then sitting on the edge of it, as the normally bright and cheerful Anna yelled. But Kaylee did agree with her. Emma was doing brilliantly. And she had been painfully honest with the whole group. In the end, after several tense moments, it was Emma that convinced Bill and Quinton she was all right.

             
“
I do
n’
t want to be one of them
,”
she whispered
.“I’
ll tell you if I have any symptoms.
I’
ll ask you to kill me myself.
I’
m not going to live like they do
.
”

              Bill faltered but Quinton locked eyes with Emma and nodded in agreement. Anna and Jack watched the exchange with understanding in their eyes as Nick, Kaylee, and Andrew all jumped up in protest.