What Keeps Our Hearts Beating

Chapter 9

Lacey let the sun soak into her skin as she sat outside in the open courtyard. The leaves on the trees were crisp reds and oranges and yellows that wafted with the wind. Some were starting to fall and scatter at her feet and she picked one up and twirled the stem in between her fingers. She stared up at the manor house where if she glanced long enough, she could just make out the small blue bird stain glass window up on the north spire nearly hidden from view by the ivy that climbed up the sides of the grand manor house.

She couldn't get the boy out of her head all morning. It was like her encounter with Brasen was a dream and that she had just fallen asleep from extreme boredom during detention. But no, she had found the secret passage and she had met the infamous boy with more secrets than she could ever have imagined. She had promised she would meet him again at 10pm that night...however how the hell was she going to get back to the grand ballroom without someone catching her outside at curfew? She hadn't thought that part through when she had impulsively called out to him, determined to meet him again, to help him though she had no idea how she, a dying 16 year old, was going to do that.

Someone sat down beside her and she nearly fell off the bench when she saw it was Raiph. His hair was disheveled and he wore a dark black pea coat, its collar up over his neck. He turned to look at her but she avoided his gaze, still mad about their conversation the night before.

"I came here to tell you I'm sorry," he said.

She looked at him, as his beautiful brown eyes stared at her with such longing and sadness.

"I...that kiss was not a mistake," he said, the wind blowing his hair like a circular tornado. "I just got scared and this mentorship with Dr. Weber is more intense than I had anticipated."

"I'm sorry too," she said, taking his hand in hers. "Everything you said about me was right. I have given up, and I am angry. But I shouldn't have taken it out on you. What you are striving for is commendable, honestly."

"Striving for something I may never live to see," he put his hand on his cheek, leaning down like he was counting the pebbles on the walkway.

"Even if we weren't sick there would be no way to predict the future, Raiph."

He nodded, taking her hand comfortingly in his and he gave it a small kiss. She was taken aback by his bold gesture.

"I wanted to tell you last night, I read your book."

She appeared lost in his eyes. "You read Wuthering Heights? How?"

He appeared embarrassed as he said, "I asked Sandra if I could borrow your math textbook and of course she had no problems with letting me steal it from your bedroom. I already put it back today."

"You finished it in one night?"

He nodded. "I am a fast reader. Though not the fastest in the group."

"Who is the fastest?"

He stared up at the north spire and whispered sadly, "Brasen."

He rose to his feet, still holding onto Lacey's hand for support. "Mrs. Halloway says there may be a Halloween dance. If there is, would you like to go with me?"

Lacey stood up, feeling breathless as she was being asked out on a date. A real date. And then she hesitated. "I thought there was that rule, no dating recruits."

"We can go as friends?" he said with a twinkle in his eyes. She liked this side of him, the daring rebellious Raiph. But that quickly drifted away. "Of course we'll have to tell them the truth if we are dating, to make sure I don't jeopardize my mentorship with Dr. Weber."