See Me

34

I ran my fingers over the beautiful blue beads. They were tiny, and each individual bead was separated by a two links of gold chain. It was gorgeous

"You like it?" Zane asked me from the drivers seat. He was peering over with me with excitement etched on his face. He wasn't nervous that I wouldn't like it, because he already knew I would.

"It's beautiful." I linked the bracelet around my wrist, connecting the metal clasp so it stayed put. It was so thin and subtle that you couldn't barely see it against my skin at first glance. "Thank you, Zane."

"You're welcome." Zane said before turning the music back up. "Now you can sing again."

I felt my face flush with heat as I turned my head in embarrassment. I had been singing, but I figured the music was too loud for Zane to hear. I almost couldn't stop myself once the notes starting leaving my mouth.

It was insane the lightness I had felt since waking up this morning. Even though Jax was rooting around in the back of my brain, like he always was, I couldn't help but feel refreshed when I woke up in Zane's sheets. I had slept in a bed, sober, for once. I hadn't tossed and turned all night, for once.

I felt like I had someone on my side. For once. Maybe I wasn't all alone.

"It's okay." Zane chuckled, noticing my mortified expression. "I liked it."

"Shut up!" I giggled at Zane. "You didn't like it."

"I did." Zane grinned back at me, and I've never seen a smile so utterly contagious. "I like everything you do, Seren."

"Everything?" I raised my eyebrow at him. I could think of a few things in particular he wasn't exactly fond of.

"Okay, okay. You got me." Zane said. I watched as he removed his hand from the steering wheel, moving it back to where it had been laying on my thigh since we had left our city.

I thought of all the times that other boys had done the same. All the times they had grabbed my thigh, placing their hand gently or squeezing it tight. I can think of countless times that it's happened. None of those hands have ever made me feel like this.

"Is that okay?" I glanced over to Zane who was looking back and forth between the road, my face, and his hand. He must have been watching me stare down at the way he was touching me.

"Yeah." I smiled back at him. "It's okay."

We had pulled off the highway and were driving down the quiet backroads now. The type of backroads that make you wonder what it's like to live in a place so quiet, the houses spread so far apart. Where you can smell the rustic scent of nature creep through the car vents. Zane seemed to know where he was going like the back of his hand, and I was wondering how he didn't get lost in the maze of small, uninhabited streets.

Eventually, he pulled the car over on the dirt shoulder of the road. I looked around our new surroundings, noticing there was nothing here except trees lining the road on both sides.

"Did you drive all this way to show me the trees?" I asked, undoing my seatbelt so I could twist around in my seat and continue looking.

Zane breathed out a laugh. "Do you think I would do that?"

"I don't know. You always surprise me." I told him truthfully.

"Hopefully in a good way." Zane said, his eyes were serious despite the smile on his face. He looked as if he wasn't sure of the answer himself.

"I think so." I confirmed for him, watching as a trace of relief fell over his face.

"But no." Zane continued. "I didn't bring you here just to see the trees. It's just a little walk. That way." He raised his right hand to point to a small path in the trees.