The Complete Crimson Forest series

Bryxx: Chapter 7

Three days later, Kade and I leave the house for the first time after not having any more incidents at the house.

Kade paid for the damage to my apartment even after I told him I would pay for it. We take a long walk down to a restaurant eight blocks away and enjoy lunch before walking back to the apartment and playing a game of cards. We haven't spoken much about either incident but Kade has decided that although he's saved my life twice, he's also put my life in danger twice, so he thinks we should call it even. I'm not so sure, though.

"You've been alive a long time and you seem to have money, have you travelled the world?" I ask him while flipping through a travel magazine that was at my door this morning. The subscriber must've forgotten to change their address when they moved.

Kade peaks over my shoulder while drying a dish with a tea towel. "Nope. I've been a few places, but I wouldn't say I've travelled the world. I'm not much of a traveler. I go back to England now and again but that's about it." He tosses the towel over his shoulder and turns back to put the dish away. "It's been a while since I've even been there. A long while actually. Do you like to travel?" he asks flippantly while tossing a cracker in the air and catching it flawlessly with his mouth.

I shrug. "I've never left America. I'd like to one day, but I'm not sure where I'd go. I'll never have the money to travel the entire world," I inform him and flip the page. A stunning view of the Canadian Rockies takes up both pages.

"You know, I have lots of money. I could help you travel..." he mutters, probably knowing I'd never except the far too generous offer.

I chuckle. "I'm already indebted to you enough," I remind him. "How would I ever pay you back for something like that?"

"You wouldn't have to pay me back, but if you really wanted to do something in return, you could let me tag along with you," he offers, sounding unsure.

"You just said you weren't interested in travelling," I scoff and flip another page. A splendid picture of Mayan ruins.

Kade takes a seat across the table from me and rests his arms at his chest. "It's not the travelling I'm interested in. It's spending time with you."

I can't help but grin. The more time I spend with Kade, the more he seems to become comfortable with me and open. "I have to work to pay for my apartment and bills." I can't tell if he's serious or not about his offer. At first, I thought he was joking but the way he's looking at me now. I think he might just be serious.

"I'll cover it. I have a lot of money that I'll never be able to use in my lifetime. Let's do something crazy." He seems way too excited, like he's seriously considering this. "Let's do it, May. What do we have to lose? We're both basically without family, we don't have much going for us right now. You just told me this morning how much you loathe your job. Let's go."

"I can't just drop everything and take off travelling," I argue. "That's crazy."