Free Deception by Cyndi Goodgame Page B

the main doors before saying, “Do you want to ride and I’ll bring you back?  I’ll take you wherever you need.”
    Staring a little too long, my gut wrenched with excitement at the thrill of having my arms around him, but I said with very little feeling, “Sure!”
    I climbed on the back of my pretend knight shadowed prince and followed him into the cloudless ocean of sky.  The motor started making me jump like always and felt his chest move when he’d chuckled at my reaction.  My grip tightened.  I felt my little fantasy start to form where I believed Ian was doing this to make me grip my hands a little tighter around his hips and would turn around and lean his face into mine and—
    “Ready, princess tree hugger?” Ian’s voice purred from the side where I could only see his lips facing me below the black mask.  He said this each time I climbed on the back of his bike.   Of course, I knew he could see this through his mask and knew every time I would be staring, but heaven help me, I didn’t care.  For a few seconds once or twice a week, I could do that. 
    “Yes, my shadow prince,” I always exaggerated as playful as I could muster under the guise of being so severely flustered from the lip ogling. My hands gripped tighter from the quick fear of falling that tore through me as he always responded with hitting the accelerator and the bike lifted on the front.  If I pulled any tighter I would pinch his skin.  I had a brief encounter with getting a glance at his stomach muscles one time in gym class.  Freshmen year volleyball proved an awful class turned fairy tale when Ian ended up on opposite teams from me.  I carefully positioned myself directly across from him and basked in it daily.  Even then, he was built solid like a rock.  Puberty skipped him in junior high.  Him and Kin both were instantly men and I wasn't the only one to notice, but Ian never gave anything but flirty smiles and sweet words to most of his watchers.
    “Where first?” he yelled sideways.
    “The edge of the park,” I forced myself out of my Ian fantasy and back to the tree hugger focus. I made my monthly route of checking my trees lingering at the maples a little longer than the rest. My fruit trees were no longing bearing fruit. It was past the season.
    “They’re clothed in the most brilliant colors this time of year,” I told Ian’s back as he drew things in the dirt and waited. He smiled and watched on. The blanket of various reds covered the ground beneath. When they swirl in the wind, I envision reaching out to catch them. Little treasures. 
    The wind circled higher and whispered around me making little reminders that the earth was calm. I liked to think that they were answering me. There were times it seemed little whispers sounded like words. Words of encouragement, or thanks, or approval. It was all in my head, but I felt a responsibility to make the earth happy with me. Ian was picking off dead leaves like I’d shown him while I scooped up the few pecans I’d gathered that were ready to eat and put them in my hoodie front pocket. Watching, he seemed at peace with his decisions unlike lately when it concerned me.
    Perfect peace could be found anywhere in nature. Why did people have to be so complicated?
    That afternoon Ian and I stayed outside for most of the fleeting daylight studying and talking in the backyard gazebo. Mostly talking.  Caylie came over a while to study, but left after an hour because her mom said she had to study at home where she wouldn’t be distracted.  She would just text me a hundred times anyway, but mom knows best, right?
    Sure enough, it started like clockwork.
    ANSR 4 #2 is B, RT
    “Her mom should just let up on her some,” I shouted getting frustrated easily lately.  The days seemed weird and u ordinary, not routine. I texted back to her.  RT LOL
    “She is just watching over her.” 
    “You sound like a grown up,” I glared at him, “but I know you are