A Modern Love Story (5 page)

“Do whatever you want,” she said, still not looking at him.

“Luc,” Lawson whispered with a nudge. “Go with her.”

“Fine.”

“And watch out for her, would ya?”

Exasperated, Luc glared over at her as he responded to Lawson. “Don’t I always?”

Lawson clapped a hand on his back, drawing Luc’s attention. “You’re a good friend to her.”

“Yeah, yeah.” Scowling, he grabbed his pack. “Let’s go.”

They were a half-mile off and climbing up a ridge before Robbie started to nag.

“Are you gonna tell me what bug crawled up your butt? Or just be mad at me all day?”

“I’m not pissed at
you
.”

“Then talk to me. What’s wrong?”

“Nothing.” He heard her sigh behind him, a long, drawn out sound full of feminine dramatics. “Shit, Robbie. What do you want from me?”

“What do I…
 
Nothing, Luc. I just thought we were friends enough to where you’d talk to me about whatever’s bothering you.”

“I don’t know what’s fucking bothering me.” He glared over his shoulder. “And I probably wouldn’t tell you even if I did.”

She didn’t respond, and he didn’t turn to look, but by her footsteps he knew she was still following him.

Just let her stew about it. He didn’t owe her anything. No explanation, no apology, nothing. So why the hell did he feel guilty then? Still scowling, he decided to throw her a bone, not because she deserved it, but just so their time together might be easier on him if she wasn’t pouting, as he knew she would be. Another look over his shoulder confirmed it.

“So, how’s Scott?”

“Scott?” Surprise colored her voice.

“Your date.”

“Oh, that. Well… It was fine.”

They stopped at the top of the ridge and each sat on a boulder to rest.

“Doesn’t sound good. Couldn’t have been too bad. You didn’t get home till after midnight.”

She looked at him over her water bottle as she tipped it back. “Did you wait up for me?”

“Hell, no. You woke my ass up.”

“Sorry. I didn’t think I was that loud.” She shrugged. “It wasn’t what I was expecting. The date, that is.”

“Not exciting enough for you?” He uncapped his water bottle. “How did the practice pay off?”

She blushed and laughed. “I guess that wasn’t what I was expecting.”

“What do you mean?”

“He…well, he wasn’t…
good
.”

Luc nearly spit out his water. “Just what do you mean by
good
?”

She looked at him and flushed an even deeper color. “He wasn’t good…at kissing.”

“Oh! That.”

“What did you think I meant?”

“I thought you were saying he wasn’t good in the sack.”

“In the… Jesus, Stretch! Seriously?!”

“Hey, not my fault. My mind just went there.” He chuckled as he leaned back on his palms, tipping his face to the sun. “So, in other words, after me, all guys will pale in comparison. Sounds about right.”

“Oh, boy, you’re really full of yourself, aren’t you?”

“Go ahead and admit it. You’ll feel better after you do.”

“Okay, I’ll admit that you were a much better kisser than he was.” And then she mumbled, “Definitely, much better.”

His grin was wide and genuine. “You just let me know if you need any more practice there, Squirt.” He looked over and winked at her pouty expression.

“Very funny. Make fun of the girl who doesn’t know how to kiss.”

“Who says you don’t know how? You’re not bad. Not bad at all. I’d say you have a natural knack for it.”

“Yeah?” She raised a brow.

“Sure. And you’ll snag a guy who appreciates it someday.”

“Just one?”

His brow furrowed. “Better be just one.”

Giggling, she hopped off the boulder. “Are you being protective, Luc?”

“Hell, no. Just stating the facts.” He landed next to her. “I know
I
like a girl that can kiss. Most guys do. Just don’t go getting a bad rep by running around kissing guys all the time.”

“
Ew
. Of course I won’t.”

“And that just brings me back around to my original offer.”

“To let me practice on you whenever I want? Ha! Thanks. I’ll keep that in mind.” She smiled, knocking him with her shoulder. “Such a selfless offer.”

“That’s just the kind of guy I am.”

Luc’s mood was better after that, and only continued to brighten with the constant banter zinging back and forth between him and Robbie. He still never figured out what exactly was bothering him, but after he felt better, who the hell cared? Instead, he just enjoyed the hike.

“Hey, Rob! Look at this!” Luc looked behind him but he didn’t see her. “You
comin
’, or what?”

“Hold your horses. I’m tying my shoe.”

He surveyed the dirt road. The pile of boulders and rocks compacted together between the road and the hill, and then to the other side where a trio of scarred Oak trees bent with another pile of rocks scattered around their trunks.

“What is it?” She jogged up behind him.

He gestured at the rocks. “Looks like a rockslide. A hell of one, too.” He kicked at a smaller piece of debris sitting in the middle of the road and stopped to look up the hill. “Can you imagine seeing something like that? Shit, the sound of it alone would have been awesome! Look.” He pointed at the wasteland the destruction made; the bare, brown path beaten down along the otherwise lush green hillside. “It must have broken off that rock face up there.” He turned to look at the trees again. “There’re weeds there. Lots of them. Must have happened a while back.”

Picking up a stone, he tossed it down the hill when a strange sound caught his attention. He realized he’d heard it on the onset, when it was quieter, but hadn’t paid it any mind. But now, it was getting louder, and rougher. He shot a glance at Robbie, and his feet were moving almost before he registered there was a problem.

Pale as a fucking ghost. That was all he could muster in his head as he reached for her. The next fractured thought was that she was dying. She clutched at her chest as her breath ripped out, fast and rough gasps that made his own chest ache. When he grabbed her shoulders, looked into her face, he saw the sweat on her brow wetting her hairline. And her eyes, those mesmerizing green eyes, were alight with terror. Simple, raw terror.

“Robbie!” He shook her once—a hard, teeth-shattering shake—but the vacant stare didn’t focus. “Fuck! Rob! Snap out of it! Shit! Shit!”

He jolted with the sudden understanding of what was going on. “Look at me, Robbie. Fucking look right here.” He got in her face, held her head still, and locked his eyes on hers. “Breathe. Long steady breaths. Just fucking breathe. Deep breath in. Now, Robbie!” He saw a flicker of recognition, of confusion. “That’s it, just breathe. Now let it out, slow. No, Rob, slow! That’s it.”

He felt her slumping out of his hold and he moved down with her to control her descent. “Easy. Easy. Keep breathing. No, Robbie! Fucking look at me! That’s it.” He shrugged off his pack, reached in for a blanket. “There you go. Put this on. You’re fucking shaking.”

Her breathing steadied, but her frame continued to quake. Cheeks flushed, she wrapped her arms around her knees and looked down to her hiking boots.

“Calm down. It’s just an anxiety attack. Just…” He swallowed hard and cleared his throat, allowing himself to relax. “Just breathe.”

Luc could tell by the measured rise and fall of her shoulders that she was consciously focusing on her breathing, and that the worst of it was over. “Fuck me, Rob. You gave me a fucking heart attack.”

“How did you—” She cut off her own words as she buried her face in her hands.

“How did I know what it was? I didn’t…not at first. Then I remembered what the L’s told me a couple years ago.”

Robbie lifted her face. “Told you?”

“Before you came to stay with us, they told me you were prone to panic attacks, and then told me what to do if you ever had one around me. I thought they were full of shit.” He shook his head. “Until now.”

Robbie’s sharp emerald eyes blurred, and she bit her lip.

“Oh, no you don’t. Don’t you fucking start crying on me, Rob.” But she went ahead and did anyway. Big, fat tears rolled down her cheeks, and they made Luc even more panicked than her attack did. “What’s wrong with you? What the hell happened?”

She shook her head, then lowered her chin to her chest and wept.

“Aw, shit,” he mumbled, sliding next to her to pat an uneasy hand on her back. “There, there.” He cringed at the cliché of his words, but didn’t even try to come up with any others. “Robbie…I don’t know what to do here.”

She leaned into him, tipped her head on his shoulder as her shivering began to pass. “You’re here. That’s enough.”

“What is it?”

“They… This is where she died.” Her voice was so quiet, he barely made out the words.

“Who—” His back straightened, and then he put an arm around her, pulled her close. “Your mother?”

She nodded, her voice gaining more strength. “The car was right there. Under all that.”

“Jesus.”

“She just… It was quick. I remember it was quick. Instant. And my Dad…well, he held on. He was strong and held on until we got to the hospital. Until he knew I was safe. He gave the doctors a name. Anna Byrne. And Colin, I think. I remember
Anna
because my grandma was named that.” She took a deep breath. “He told them to call her, that she’d take care of his Peanut, that family does that for family. But they never found her.”

Luc turned his head, pressed his mouth to her hair, and began stroking her ponytail. “I’m sorry, Robbie.”

“Thanks, Luc.” She turned, and buried her face in his neck, wrapping her arms around his waist. “Do me a favor?”

“Yeah?”

“Don’t tell the L’s about this. I don’t need them throwing me back in therapy.”

“You sure you don’t want to talk it over with them? I mean, hell, they won’t make you go to therapy if you don’t want to.”

“It just took me by surprise, that’s all.” She pulled away as if to prove she was steady, and rubbed the tears off her cheeks. “I’m fine. It’s fine.”

He gave her hair an absent tug before dropping his hand. “You’re not fucking fine.”

The look she gave pierced straight through him. Anger mixed with sorrow, and a healthy dash of annoyance. “I’m fine.”

He held up his hands in defeat. “Okay. You’re fine.” He pushed to his feet as she did the same. “What about tonight?”

“What do you mean?” She handed him the blanket to put in the pack.

“Are you going to have nightmares again?”

She stared before pointedly looking away. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“Jesus, Robbie. I’m not an idiot. My room is right next to yours.”