day.
Then she heard it. Something tapped against her window.
Scrambling out of bed, she tiptoed across the room, pulled back the curtain, and peered out into the night. Since they didn’t have an air conditioner, Momma always left the windows open, which allowed Lorrie to stick her head out.
“Psst.”
Lorrie searched for the sound and looked down at the hedges that lined the edge of the house to see Curtis hunched beneath the window behind them.
“I need to talk to you,” he said in a rough whisper.
Lorrie turned and glanced back in the room. She had no idea what time it was, but it must’ve been really late. It was just as dark inside, but she could make out Kathy’s and Celeste’s forms in their beds asleep.
Peering down at herself, she realized she was still wearing her clothes from that morning. She looked out the window again, then back into the room. She knew her sisters wouldn’t tell on her if they woke up to find her gone, so she was safe there. The only thing she could hope was that Momma didn’t come in to check on her. Not that she ever had before, but Lorrie had evidently missed dinner, so she might.
Without contemplating what might happen if she got caught, Lorrie slipped one foot outside and eased over the windowsill. Curtis wrapped his arms around her waist and helped her to the ground, then took her hand, and they ran from the house, heading toward the tree line that separated her parents’ yard from the neighbors’.
Once they were far enough away that no one could hear them, Curtis stopped. Lorrie was out of breath, but apparently she didn’t need to talk, because Curtis had pulled her into his arms, holding her tightly against his body.
She allowed the warmth of him to infuse her for a few minutes while she caught her breath and her heart started beating normally. When she tried to pull back, Curtis wouldn’t release her, his lips brushing over her cheek.
“I love you, Lorrie. With my whole heart.”
She wasn’t sure why he was professing his love for her. She already knew how he felt. He’d told her a million times, the same as she’d told him.
“I can’t stay away from you,” he said softly.
Lorrie managed to put a little space between them and stared up into his handsome face. “I don’t want you to stay away.”
She honestly couldn’t think of a worse hell than living without Curtis.
Curtis cupped her head, his gaze locked on her face. She could see his eyes thanks to the bright white glow from the moon, and what she saw in them scared her. There was a sadness that she could feel piercing her heart.
“What’s wrong?” she asked, not really sure she wanted an answer.
“Do you love me, Lorrie?”
The pain in his voice mirrored the pain she could see in his eyes. “Yes,” she said hurriedly. “More than anything.”
“Enough to marry me?”
Lorrie took a step back, breaking his hold on her. “Did my daddy come see you today?”
Curtis nodded, but he didn’t move.
“What did he say?”
Curtis didn’t answer.
“Did he tell you to marry me?”
His terse nod broke her heart.
“Or what?”
“Or we can’t see each other,” he said on a rough exhale.
Lorrie’s heart broke all over again. Her father really was trying to force Curtis to marry her.
How could he do that?
Why?
Why would he do that?
chapter SEVEN
Curtis had never felt this much raw emotion before. Not even when he’d found out his old man was dead. Then again, he’d never felt anything like the love he felt for Lorrie. It was physical in the sense he was consumed by it. His chest always felt full, as though his feelings were too much to fit inside him, growing bigger every time he saw her, until now, when he thought his chest might actually explode.
As he stood in the trees, listening to the sound of the wind through the dry branches combined with Lorrie’s ragged breathing, he was consumed by everything.
Love.
Anger.
Desire.
Fear.
It swirled inside of him until he
Then she heard it. Something tapped against her window.
Scrambling out of bed, she tiptoed across the room, pulled back the curtain, and peered out into the night. Since they didn’t have an air conditioner, Momma always left the windows open, which allowed Lorrie to stick her head out.
“Psst.”
Lorrie searched for the sound and looked down at the hedges that lined the edge of the house to see Curtis hunched beneath the window behind them.
“I need to talk to you,” he said in a rough whisper.
Lorrie turned and glanced back in the room. She had no idea what time it was, but it must’ve been really late. It was just as dark inside, but she could make out Kathy’s and Celeste’s forms in their beds asleep.
Peering down at herself, she realized she was still wearing her clothes from that morning. She looked out the window again, then back into the room. She knew her sisters wouldn’t tell on her if they woke up to find her gone, so she was safe there. The only thing she could hope was that Momma didn’t come in to check on her. Not that she ever had before, but Lorrie had evidently missed dinner, so she might.
Without contemplating what might happen if she got caught, Lorrie slipped one foot outside and eased over the windowsill. Curtis wrapped his arms around her waist and helped her to the ground, then took her hand, and they ran from the house, heading toward the tree line that separated her parents’ yard from the neighbors’.
Once they were far enough away that no one could hear them, Curtis stopped. Lorrie was out of breath, but apparently she didn’t need to talk, because Curtis had pulled her into his arms, holding her tightly against his body.
She allowed the warmth of him to infuse her for a few minutes while she caught her breath and her heart started beating normally. When she tried to pull back, Curtis wouldn’t release her, his lips brushing over her cheek.
“I love you, Lorrie. With my whole heart.”
She wasn’t sure why he was professing his love for her. She already knew how he felt. He’d told her a million times, the same as she’d told him.
“I can’t stay away from you,” he said softly.
Lorrie managed to put a little space between them and stared up into his handsome face. “I don’t want you to stay away.”
She honestly couldn’t think of a worse hell than living without Curtis.
Curtis cupped her head, his gaze locked on her face. She could see his eyes thanks to the bright white glow from the moon, and what she saw in them scared her. There was a sadness that she could feel piercing her heart.
“What’s wrong?” she asked, not really sure she wanted an answer.
“Do you love me, Lorrie?”
The pain in his voice mirrored the pain she could see in his eyes. “Yes,” she said hurriedly. “More than anything.”
“Enough to marry me?”
Lorrie took a step back, breaking his hold on her. “Did my daddy come see you today?”
Curtis nodded, but he didn’t move.
“What did he say?”
Curtis didn’t answer.
“Did he tell you to marry me?”
His terse nod broke her heart.
“Or what?”
“Or we can’t see each other,” he said on a rough exhale.
Lorrie’s heart broke all over again. Her father really was trying to force Curtis to marry her.
How could he do that?
Why?
Why would he do that?
chapter SEVEN
Curtis had never felt this much raw emotion before. Not even when he’d found out his old man was dead. Then again, he’d never felt anything like the love he felt for Lorrie. It was physical in the sense he was consumed by it. His chest always felt full, as though his feelings were too much to fit inside him, growing bigger every time he saw her, until now, when he thought his chest might actually explode.
As he stood in the trees, listening to the sound of the wind through the dry branches combined with Lorrie’s ragged breathing, he was consumed by everything.
Love.
Anger.
Desire.
Fear.
It swirled inside of him until he
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