Free Scintillate by Tracy Clark Page B

supposed to be?”
    Finn smirked. I spun and tramped down the path, feeling noticeably colder with every step away from him. I heard his footsteps jog up behind me. “Cora, wait.” His words bubbled with laughter. He slipped his arm around my waist.
    “You’re laughing at me!” I tried to slip from his grasp, though I didn’t actually want to.
    “No. No, I’m not laughing at you.” His face turned serious and his voice soft. “If that’s how it’s supposed to be, Cora, then I’ve never had a true kiss before today.”
    I peered into his eyes, seeking the lie, but found only sincerity.
    “This is strange for me, to be so drawn to someone.” His brown eyes looked startled when he said that. “You affect me, warm me.” His fingers touched my cheek. “I don’t know of anyone who could feel this and not want more of it.”
    I sighed, agreeing completely. It was strange to be so drawn to each other. The sudden intensity of our attraction and connection was inexplicable, but I couldn’t deny it was there. I’d be the last to demand that everything make perfect sense. So much of my life, lately, didn’t. “You’re only here temporarily, right? Are we stupid to get involved, knowing that?”
    “Choices, luv. We either regret the experiences we have, or the ones we were too scared to have.”
    How could I argue with that? My entire life had been ruled by stop signs. My father didn’t trust me to make my own decisions about dating, but wasn’t it time I trusted myself?
    My fingers wound over his warm hand on my cheek. He kissed my forehead and sealed an internal truce within me. I’d choose the experience. I’d allow myself to have this, which I thought was a colossal act of bravery on my part.
    Finn was the first thing I’d ever done just for me.
    “C’mon,” I murmured, ducking under the split-rail fence intended to keep people from treading on the delicate ecosystem of the redwood forest. “We’re out of bounds, so be careful and step exactly where I do, okay?”
    “Out of bounds? Are you a closet rebel, Cora?”
    I looked back at him conspiratorially. “I got permission from the park to break this one rule. I told them I was doing a story for school.” I led him through the forest undergrowth, around large sword ferns, wild ginger, and redwood sorrel that looked like clover on steroids. “But my dad has lots of rules. No dating is the new one on his list.”
    Finn gave me a deep, inquiring look.
    “My dad is overprotective. That’s the short answer.”
    “And the longer, more interesting story is?”
    I nudged his rib. “My mother abandoned us when I was five. I think it made him scared I’d disappear on him, too. Sometimes I want to be mad at him because he doesn’t trust me. Won’t give me the freedom to, I don’t know, even try to blow it. But mostly I feel bad for him because he lives so fearfully. I don’t want to go through life being so afraid of losing things that I never allow myself to enjoy them.”
    “So, there’s your fear again . ”
    “Yes. I guess. But look how great I am at ignoring my fear today.” I bit my lip, quelling the unexpected emotions. I hadn’t realized how heavily my father’s sheltering weighed on me. It was like he trained me to be afraid.
    “We have something in common,” Finn said. “When I said I couldn’t date you, it wasn’t some load of tripe. My parents are bloody overprotective as well. Makes no sense to me, but there you have it. Sometimes, I wish I had some brothers or sisters just to take the focus off me, you know?”
    “I do know. I’m an only child, too. It’s unnatural to be the sun that your parents revolve around. Well, parent.” I couldn’t believe how easy it was to open up to him.
    “What was it you wanted to show me? I can’t wait to see why we’re fence-hopping in a state park.”
    A few feet away, sprouting from the base of a redwood, was the awesome secret I wanted to share with him. “It’s an albino