Drowning In Shallow Water

13

My tongue was numb as I stared at Kaden, finally getting to us with a smile on his face. Danny still held my hand with a smug look on his face whilst I was rooted in place. He stood there as I stared at him like a fool.

"Everything good?" He asked, glancing between us ass I still could not look away from him.

"Yeah," Danny answered when I said nothing, only managing to close my mouth and look away from Kaden. "I was just leaving."

"Are you okay?" Kaden asked, his eyes searching my face.

"Uh, yeah," I stuttered.

He did not look like he believed me but he settled on that anyway. "I wanted to give you a moment with Daniel. I thought you might like that."

"Thank you. We got to talk. Everything is okay," I assured him.

He nodded, slipping my hand into his casually then looking into my eyes. "Are you busy right now?"

The sun had begun to set, the sky becoming a canvass of shades of red and orange. It was still bright and promised a brighter night with plenty of stars. I looked at Kaden and wondered what he had in mind. He had all kinds of pop up dates that I was yet to get used to, not hat I'm complaining.

"No," I replied as he had begun to lead me away into the trees.

"You're going to love this," he promised with a playful and excited grin, starting on a jog with a pace I could adjust to.

I couldn't help but laugh at how much he looked like a child who was promised some chocolate. His happiness was contagious and I appreciated it especially at times like this. It was a welcome distraction.

We didn't stop running as the sky darkened. The stars shine so bright in the sky. We were deep withing the woods and I gasped as fireflies rose from the grass, adding to the beauty of the night. I giggled, my mood lifting up. I held his hand tighter as I leapt over fallen branches, teasing Kaden with a playful shove. The highlight came when the lake came into view, reflecting the stars, the moon and the fireflies. He invited me to a fallen tree trunk close to the edge of the water, and we sat side by side, our fingers entwined.

"I love this," I told him, resting my head on his shoulder.

It was peaceful and serene and with Kaden next to me, it couldn't have been even more perfect. We just sat there in silence, enjoying each others company.

"I hate that I have to start studying. I was enjoying this break," I said.

"I can help," he offered. "I was pretty good in school."

"How humble," I sarcastically said. "Sure, I'd be grateful."

"You know, I have had the happiest moments here," I tell him. "Other than when I was with Danny, I was never really happy."

"Why was that?" He asked, pulling me into his arms and resting his chin on the top of my head.

"I don't know. I just.. never felt at home. It was like something big was missing from my life. It made me feel empty," I explained.

"How about now? Do you still feel that way?"

I thought about it for a minute. "A little. I mean, now that I'm learning more about my parents and who I am, it's getting better. And then there's you too and how you make me feel."

Heat crept to my cheeks as I looked at anywhere but at Kaden, even though I could feel his gaze on my face. When I finally mustered the courage to look up, the emotions in his eyes were so intense that they knocked the breath out of my lungs.