Begin Again

Chapter 12

(TORIN)

Torin looked down at her with her happy smile on her face as they spun around in circles to the beat of the music. In this moment, she looked happier than he had ever seen her. He loved how she held onto him and allowed him to lead her around the dancing couples. He realized that Rollo had been right. This was no longer about Eric's last wishes for him to take care of her. This was more. Torin didn't know when their relationship had changed into something more. He pulled her close and her hands came down against his chest but she didn't shove him away like he had expected her to. 

The music was beginning to fade but he didn't want to let her go just yet. She was smiling up at him and for once everything seemed perfect. Torin leaned down and she didn't pull away from him. He took that as his cue and pressed his lips against hers for a brief moment. He felt her freeze under his touch as his lips moved against hers. Slowly she responded to his kiss and kissed him back. 

Her hand flew through the air and slapped across his face with a loud crack. Torin pulled away from her immediately with his cheek stinging and took a step back. Ryah looked up at him with a fire burning in her eyes. She looked surprised and angrier than he had ever seen her before. 

"How could you?" She said in a barely audible whisper then she turned and ran away from him. She pushed her way through the crowd. Torin looked around and a few of the couples around them had stopped dancing to watch the spectacle. Torin ignored their surprised expressions and turned to look where Ryah had ran but he didn't see her anywhere. Torin started off in the direction that she had headed. He went as carefully as he could through the crowds of people. 

Once he was out of the group he took off running away from the party hoping that he could find her so he could explain himself. As he ran one thought filled his mind.

'She kissed you back.' 

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(RYAH)

I sprinted away from the celebration as fast as my legs would carry me. I couldn't believe what had happened. I couldn't believe what Torin had done. He had crossed a line tonight. I tried to forget the feel of his lips moving against mine. I tried to ignore the stinging in my palm from slapping his face. His surprised expression flooded my mind and I tried to force it out of my head. 

"How could you?" My words haunted me. He wouldn't understand what I was talking about. He didn't know about my silly rule to only kiss the one man that I was going to marry. He would have probably laughed straight in my face like Eric had. Torin had stolen what should have been Eric's I stopped running for a moment to catch my breath and wondered what had happened to me. I couldn't believe that I had forgotten about him already. It had only been three short months since I had found out about his death. How would I have felt if he could have forgotten me in three months, or six months, or a year, or a lifetime? 

If he could have forgotten me in the same amount of time that I had forgotten him he could have forgotten me while he was away on a raid. The image of Torin's face filled my mind. His cheek was red with my hand print from slapping him. 

"You reacted like a child, Ryah." I whispered. "That's because you had a childish rule that nobody else understands." 

I wrapped my arms around myself to keep warm as I walked through the trees. I looked up and glanced around at all the familiar branches around me. Up ahead I could see a break in the trees and I walked towards it. 

I was surprised to see the meadow stretching out in front of me. I hadn't gone to my old spot at the edge of the water. I was at my new spot. Mine and Torin's spot. I was confused at all of the emotions that were running through me. So much had changed in one moment.