Boys of the Dark | ✓ (2015)

11. The Boy with the Chasing Waterfalls

He took another long sip, dragging her patience across the road. Finally, he put the drink down—Delilah was sure the can must've been empty by the time he answered—and said. "I'll think about it."

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"What made you want to invite me to something like this?"

"Don't question it before I regret it," Ryland said.

Delilah slid him a smile and grinned back. They slammed the door behind them and trudged into the forest. They hiked up the woods, leaves crinkling under their boots. Finally, they broke through the foliage and then a wind nearly took her away.

He grabbed a hold of her waist, keeping her upright and she glanced up with a raised brow. He quickly put his hands down and then cleared his throat. "Let's go."

He moved towards the edge of the cliff, her gaze following from his face and to the view. The sun was just sitting on the mountains, the lake sandwich between that and the trees just below them.

"Wow."

He stopped at the edge and she came behind him. Then he tilted his head forward. She gulped and hesitated, feeling uneven about this.

"Let it out," he insisted.

She quirked a smile and stepped forward, toes hanging off the tip of the cliff. She shifted forward and the endless drop below teased her, seconds away from consuming her if she just bent a little further...

An arm wrapped around her waist, tipping her feet backwards. Hardness pressed against her back and his breath fanned down her ear. "Don't fall just yet."

Her heart hammered against her chest.

His warmth enveloped her body and she broke past his grip, stepping close to the edge of the cliff again. Something in the pit of her stomach triggered, this warmth swelling in her chest and all this pressure built into her throat.

She let out scream that came from the demon within her. Leaves shook and flocks of bird erupted into the sky, tiny pebbles vibrating like the stone under her soles.

Her throat burned until nothing but a wheezing gasp of air choked her. She bent over her knees, curtain of silver hair draping over her head. She stared at front of her rubber boots, and flicked her head back, gulping in a fresh breath of air.

She still kept chasing her voice, trying to find it. She chased her breath in shallow gasps, feeling like her legs were tangling in the same chase but really, in the end, she stared down at her red rubber boots that rooted to the ground.

Her body rooted—mind elsewhere.

She caught her voice near the end of the chase, breathe slowing down as she turned. She swore Ryland was a step farther back.

She was sure he was going to turn around and start running.

Ryland took a step back, and Delilah held in a breath she didn't know she could even hold—she was surprised her lungs could take any more—then he took another. And another. She watched him move backwards, distancing himself from her.

Then, like an elastic band, he sprung forward and sped through the air. He stopped at the edge of the cliff, toes wiggling over the drop and he let out his own animal scream.

Delilah swore she felt the ground move.

That was no human scream.

He threw his head back and bellowed out a stomach rumbling laugh.

He stepped backwards, laughing louder until he fell into her chest, her hands automatically cupping his muscled arms.

He let out one final laugh before stretching an eased sigh. "So that's what it feels like."

She lifted up head, forcing her to stare down at his eyes. "What feels like?" she asked.

"To scream at the edge of the world."

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A/N:

Do you ship it? ;)

In the last chapter, you guys were all like "That's it? Is this book about a boy band?"

LOL. You wish.

This book is way more than boy bands and music. That's just a mini subplot to the big picture. ;)

Please vote!

I hope you're enjoying this story as much as me!

Xx twister