Page 74 of Phantom Flower

Rei stopped walking. He turned to face me.

“I’m helping?”

“Yes.” My voice came out rougher than I intended. “You helped today. I was furious when I came home. Ready to tear the whole fucking world apart. But the second I saw your tears… the anger just drained. Like someone pulled the plug.”

He blinked, clearly surprised by the honesty. Then, after a moment, he asked,

“So… I have to cry every time you’re mad?”

I let out a short laugh, the sound surprising even me.

“No. That won’t be necessary.”

We started walking again. I could tell he was thinking. Building up to something. I waited, letting him take his time.

After a long pause, he spoke again.

“Will you tell me why you were so mad?”

I exhaled slowly, staring ahead into the darkness between the trees. For a second I considered brushing it off, but something about the way he was walking next to me made me want to give him the truth.

“It was my father,” I said. “He has some… issues with a rival. He’s offering to make them disappear if I agree to marry his daughter.”

Rei stopped walking so suddenly that I almost walked into him. He turned to face me, and the look on his face made something in my heart twist.

“You’re getting married?” His voice was small.

I tilted my head, studying him in the moonlight. There was real fear in his eyes now.

“What if I was?”

He swallowed hard, his fingers twisting together in front of him. Then the words came out in a rush, like he could not stop them even if he tried.

“Don’t get married.”

I took a step closer, closing the small distance between us. I could see the way his throat moved when he swallowed again.

“You wouldn’t like that?” I asked, testing him. Pushing a little. “If I got married… maybe you’d finally be free to go home.”

Rei looked around at the dark woods, then back at me. He looked like he was struggling with something big.

“I… I don’t want to go home.”

He took a deep breath.

“My mom doesn’t even notice I’m gone,” he said. “She only asked where I was once since I’ve been staying with you. When I told her I was having sleepovers at Marco’s, she didn’t even text back. She’s too busy with Daniel and their perfect new life. When I’m home alone… it’s too quiet. I start thinking about my dad. About the accident. About how he died protecting me and how I couldn’t do anything to stop it. But here…” His voice softened. “Here it’s different. I don’t feel alone. I feel like someone actually wants me around. I know that sounds pathetic, but I—”

I could not take it anymore.

While he was still speaking, still pouring his heart out in the middle of the dark woods, I grabbed his face with both hands and pulled him into me.

I kissed him.

Hard.

Rei gasped against my lips, freezing for half a second before he melted into the kiss. His hands came up to clutch at my shirt. He was a little clumsy, a little inexperienced, and it was so fucking cute.

I kissed him like I was trying to crawl inside his skin. One of my hands slid into his hair while the other stayed on his jaw.