The Crossing (Book 1)

Chapter 16

     Reaching the base of the mountain seemed to take half the time it took climbing up the mountain to Trill's home. Cera stared at the back of Brae's head before looking down at their joined hands. Brae kept his grip firm which was very different from the way Tom held her hand. Brae's fingers cradled hers but bent to the sides next to her knuckles as if he was locking her fingers in his. Cera tried to think back to the very first time Tom held her hand and she now noticed that his grip always stayed the same the entire time they had been together; always a bit slack around the fingers. With their fingers intertwined, Tom always let his fingers stay straight, and although his fingers were held in between hers, his fingers never bent to grab onto her hand. Cera smiled at the fact that she noticed the tiny detail in the difference of holding hands between Brae and Tom. She also smiled at the fact that she liked holding Brae's hand. Slowly, her smile faded, and she pulled her hand out of Brae's. Thinking of Tom made her realize that she shouldn't be holding Brae's hand and she shouldn't be having any kind of feelings toward him, but what she was feeling was very hard to ignore and she was finding it difficult not to react to them.

     Brae turned and saw the silent argument she was having with herself. He knew he had taken advantage of the situation, but he needed to know what it felt like to hold her hand, even if it was only for a little while. Listening to his Aunt Trill made him realize that they were destined to be in each other's lives, but not specifically what they would be to each other. If the story was true, Autumn was supposed to be with Noa. Ayleen found Alsandair. Knowing he was next in line had to mean that Cera was supposed to be with him, but he didn't want her to be with him for that reason. Brae knew without a doubt that there would never be anyone else for him but Cera, but he didn't know what she wanted. They just met; how could he expect her to feel that way just because he did? What he wanted would probably scare her and send her running straight back to the cave.

     Brae began to think about the future and knowing that he could see what him and Cera would be to each other scared him. Peering into the future always scared him because the visions always ended badly. The last vision he had seen made him decide he would never willingly look into the future again. His dream of Cera was the first vision he'd had in fifteen years.

     "I'm sorry. It just felt," Brae stared down at his empty hand, and smiled crookedly before looking at her, "Well, it felt good to hold your hand. It's been a long time since I've held anyone's hand that long."

     "It did." Cera agreed, nodding as she stared into Brae's watery blue eyes and slightly smiled before turning away from him, taking a deep breath to steady her fluttering stomach, "I wouldn't want your girlfriend to get upset at you holding onto someone else's hand."

     Brae frowned, "Girlfriend?"

     Cera smiled even though she knew this shouldn't make her happy, "Companion, partner, someone you're close with..."

     Realization struck Brae, "Oh! No. I'm not with, I mean, I don't do...No."

     "You don't do..." The smile left Cera's face, "So then you're a player."

     Brae frowned again at Cera's choice of words, "Please explain player."

     "You don't do girlfriend's, companion's, partner's, whatever you call it here. You get the girl and get what you want and then that's it." Cera's stomach was no longer fluttering.

     Brae gave a half-smile, "I think player means something different in your world. I don't get the girl and do whatever players do in your world. I don't...never mind. I'm just not what you would consider a player."

     "You don't what?"

     "Nothing, let's just not talk about it."

     "Please, you don't what?"