Leniency

“Jason, I already gave you an answer. Now leave me alone,” Sadie growled over her shoulder, as she trudged on. Her boots were spattered with mud, but she didn’t seem to notice as she marched further and further away from him.

Jason stumbled after her, nearly losing his footing. He and Sadie had been sent out to scout the cliffs for the umpteenth time. Apparently, that had been the wrong moment to pop the question he’d had on his mind for so long. He wanted to reach out and take her hand or run his fingers through her hair—but she wouldn’t let him near enough to touch her. At one moment, she’d been laughing at some stupid joke of his, and the next, she was storming away in a huff, disgruntled and angry. “I know, I know—but I thought I’d ask since I’ve—I mean, I’ve liked you for a while now. I just thought that … maybe you felt the same the way. I-I know you still think about Malik a lot, but—”

She whirled on him, her eyes blazing and her hand dangerously close to the dagger strapped to her hip. Despite how angry she looked, Jason’s gaze fell impulsively to her lips and watched them form a snarl. “Don’t you ever say his name to me or anyone else, do you understand me?” she snapped, stepping so close that Jason could smell the green apple scent of her hair. He shrank back from her, terrified. “And didn’t you already hear me? The answer is no. No, I don’t want to go out with you. No, I don’t want to be any more than just friends. No, I don’t want to be in a relationship at all, okay? I’m perfectly fine with the way things are right now. Aren’t you? Give it up already!”

Jason flinched at the condescendence of her words, his face hot with embarrassment. How stupid of him to believe she’d return his feelings just because she laughed at his dumb jokes and teased him incessantly, and yet … there had been chemistry between them, he’d experienced it. When they’d sat at Backridge together, watching the sun as it sank below the horizon … He knew something was there, and he hoped she did, too.

“Sadie, please, just…” He bit into his lower lip nervously and struggled to maintain eye contact with her. “Will you just give me a chance? One chance, that’s all I want.”

Sadie seemed to consider for a moment, but the contemplation in her eyes was gone in an instant, replaced with the same cold anger. “No, Ty, just—no,” she said, turning to walk away.

Jason was not easily dismissed. If he couldn’t tell her how he felt, he would show her. He grabbed her arm and spun her around to face him, staring straight into her eyes. He reached out to frame her face in his hands, rubbing her cheekbone with the pad of his thumb.

“What the hell—?” she protested, but he reeled her in and touched his lips to hers.

They were soft—softer than they looked—and a little bit chapped but they felt so amazing against his that Jason felt like his head would explode with euphoria. He held one hand at the small of her back, pulling her closer, and soon he had lifted her completely off her feet. To his surprise, she didn’t fight him; instead, she looped her arms around his neck and leaned into him willingly.

Jason gave a small hum of appreciation and wrapped his arms more firmly around her. She tasted sweet, sugary, like caramel and those candied walnuts he’d seen her eat earlier. He knew she was restraining herself so as not to hurt him, and he wished he were stronger, less breakable. He wished this moment would go on forever, with her in his arms and their mouths pressed together, her frame flush with his—

Abruptly, he became aware of what was happening, where he was, what he was doing. He could feel everything—Sadie’s fingers tangled in his hair, his hand cupping the back of her head, the saccharine flavor of her lips, the inside of her thigh pressing into the outside of his—and he wrenched himself away, fighting his desire to continue what they’d started. He exhaled heavily and rubbed his hands over his face.

“Wow” was all he said. A grin of elation tugged at his mouth, and a laugh threatened to burble from his throat, but he couldn’t breathe.

Sadie was doubled over, her hands resting on her knees. Her hair flopped over her brow, obscuring her eyes, and from where Jason could see, she seemed to be breathing heavily. It seemed like eternity before she lifted her gaze to his, her green eyes displaying an unfamiliar luminosity that made Jason’s skin tingle.

Without a word, she stepped forward, her arms encircling his torso and abruptly pulling his body to hers.

Was she hugging him?

He’d expected a punch, a shove, a kick to the groin, maybe—anything but a hug. Sheepishly, Jason wrapped his arms around her. “Sadie,” he croaked, “why are you hugging me, exactly?”

She looked up at him, holding his gaze unwaveringly. He liked the way the end of her nose turned upwards at the end, the rosy curve of her mouth, the bold arch of each eyebrow. “Because, dumbass,” she muttered, closing her eyes and laying her cheek against Jason’s chest, “you’ve taught me how to love again.”