Caged • Robbie Kay/Peter Pan •

Chapter Twenty-One

My body felt numb, but in a good way. In this moment, nothing could hurt me. Nothing mattered.

Peter pulled away, catching his breath and partially and unexplainably bewildered, but his face sobered to his natural brooding expression. "I am no coward, Meadow Drew."

A twig snapped, breaking the haze of the kiss and turning our attention to the brisk noise that erupted into the night.

Owen appeared from behind a tree, coming down the path with a lit lantern in his grasp. "Why weren't you with us? Are you okay?" he asked hesitantly, surveying the situation with a look of confusion. Had he seen what happened?

"We're fine. I just stopped to pick some flowers for.. Chase." I said, ignoring Peter's warning about forgetting Chase and quickly picking up the flowers that had fallen from my hands when Peter kissed me.

Peter didn't say a word as he followed behind Owen, not bothering to wait for me.

Something caused a lump to form in my throat and an empty feeling in my stomach.

Peter had only kissed me to prove a point. To him, it was a challenge. But it seemed nearly impossible that the overwhelming feeling of emotion and tension that I felt was one sided. Couldn't he feel it too?

I was clueless as to whether I should bring it up or just pretend it never happened. Perhaps, he wanted to forget and that is why he was so quick to get away from me.

As we trailed down the path to catch up with the others, not a word fell from my lips as my fingers pulled the delicate petals from the flowers until I forced myself to stop before there was nothing but stems.

I was still in utter shock as I replayed the images over and over in my head along with unanswered questions that threatened to break from my minds captivity.

We arrived at the beach to find a fire already burning, flames licking the sky, and the sound of the waves crashing down on one another filled the night sky.

"When will the stars fall, Peter?" Liam asked as soon as we appeared from the woods.

"Be patient, Liam. Keep watching the sky." Peter said simply, joining the boys that sat on the beach.

I walked past the laughter and light, along the beach until I came to the risen mound on the shore. The sounds behind me were distant and the waves were louder here. There was a sense of calm as I placed the sorry looking flowers under the wooden cross and sat beside it, never taking my eyes off the sea, as Peter had done the day we had buried Chase's things beneath the ground.

I was alone with my thoughts and it felt especially freeing.

I glanced behind me every so often to see the boys talking to James, all telling him stories of Neverland before he had arrived.

Owen and I made brief eye contact before he excused himself and trudged along the sand until he was beside me. "Déjà Vu." he said chuckling.

"I'd rather not bring that up. It's in the past." I stated, keeping my eyes on the water.

"Now you're sounding like Peter." he said. He swallowed. "Meadow, I know more about things than you think."

My head shot in his vicinity. "What do you mean?"

"I've seen a few things; heard a few things. What are your secrets worth to you?" he inquired, questionably seductive in the way he pulled his lip between his teeth.

"What do you know about my secrets?" I asked, feeling the blush on my cheeks that I hopes he couldn't see.

"I know who Jamesy was to you pre-Peter." he said, half whispering. "Many things can be heard in the woods, Meadow."