CHAPTER 6
On Thursday morning Kian texted Cate that he’d meet her at Mill Lake.
When Cate got to the Lake, she found his car on the café side of the car park. In winter, the café only opened on weekends.
Her phone buzzed in her hand. There was a text from Kian. “Take the trail on the opposite side of the lake.”
Cate looked around to see if she could see him. Intrigued, she retraced her footsteps back to the opposite side of the lake. The ground was stiff with frost and with every step; she made a loud, crunching sound.
The lakeside was deserted; the lake itself was covered with a thin film of undisturbed ice, like milk on a cold mug of coffee.
The peaceful reverie was broken by the opening bars of “Girl from Mars” by Ash. It was Kian.
“Hi?” Cate asked cautiously. She felt a little exposed, not knowing where he was.
“It’s not much further,” Kian said softly, as if he could sense her fears. “Are you at the inlet?”
Cate looked around, “yes.”
“Good, when you get to the fork, take the trail to the right.”
When she got to the fork, she looked right but the trail seemed to lead into a dense forest of evergreen trees. “Are you sure?”
“Yeah,” Kian laughed. “Stop biting your lip. Trust me.”
Cate hadn’t realised that she’d been doing it. “You can see me? Where are you?”
“It really isn’t that much further, I promise,” Kian replied, evading her questions.
“You said that before,” Cate grumbled a little.
She followed the trail through the trees. The air seemed even colder here than it had done on the main trail. Her breath floated through the air in tiny little o’s.
After a couple of minutes, the trail opened up to a small waterfall, crossed with a wooden footbridge. Beyond that was a stone tower, about three storeys tall.
Cate paused for a second to take in the beauty. The border of evergreen trees made it feel like her own, private paradise. There were no sounds but the soft lapping of the water from the waterfall. The winter sun seemed to shine down just on that little spot, illuminating the crystal clear water tumbling down over the rocks. Cate felt all of the tension leave her body; there was something almost spiritual about this place. She turned her face to the sun and closed her eyes, enjoying the gentle warmth on her skin.
She felt two hands gently rest on her shoulders and her eyes sprang open.
“Beautiful,” Kian said, turning her around to face him.
“It is,” Cate smiled, meaning the landscape. Kian didn’t correct her. “How did you find this place?”
“It’s a secret” Kian kissed the tip of her nose. “Come on.” He trailed his hands down her arms to her hands. “Let’s go inside.”
Cate allowed herself to be tugged across the wooden bridge and inside the stone tower. It was empty apart from a spiral metal staircase in the centre. Kian went first and Cate followed him up the stairs. When they got to the top, Cate pulled back to catch her breath.
“What is this place?” she asked, looking around at the circular room.
She wandered over to one of the windows, which had a perfect view of the trail she’d just walked along. “You were watching me all this time?” She hoped she hadn’t done anything embarrassing.
Kian reached for her hand, stroking his thumb in circles over the delicate skin inside her wrist. “I wouldn’t let you walk this trail all by yourself, angel.”
He tugged her on to his lap. “No offence but this is a lot nicer than the backseat of your car.”
“You brought me here to make out?” Cate was offended. “Is this your secret make-out place?”
She struggled to get up off his lap but he held a firm grip on her hips. “I’ve never brought anybody else here, I swear.”
Cate searched his eyes, wanting to believe that he was telling her the truth. “Then how do you know about this place?”
“It’s a…”
Cate pressed her fingers to his lips. “If you tell me it’s a secret again, I’m leaving.” She couldn’t bear to find out later that he’d brought other girls to this glimpse of heaven.
“Fine,” Kian kissed the tip of her fingers. “If I tell you, you’ve got to stop wriggling.”
“OK,” Cate said, stilling in his arms.
“It was on a field trip with primary school.”
“Have you been back here since?”
“I come here sometimes,” Kian looked far away all of a sudden. “When I want to get away from all the crap.”
Cate held his face in her hands, forcing him to look at her. “What do you mean? Your life’s perfect?”
“Ha,” Kian scoffed. “My life’s perfect.”
“It’s not?” Cate looked concerned. “Why?”
Kian shook his head, “I don’t want to talk about it.”
Cate didn’t push him. “I like it here.” She rested her head against Kian’s chest, feeling the thump-thump of his heartbeat. “It makes me feel closer to God somehow.”
“I didn’t know you were religious,” Kian said, kissing the top of her head. Her hair smelled deliciously like blackberries.
“I don’t know that I am,” Cate said softly. “I know I have a faith but I’m still working out what it all means.”
Suddenly, Cate started laughing. “You’re like a truth serum. I find myself telling you things I wouldn’t tell anybody else.”
Kian rubbed his nose against hers. “I like that.” He trailed his mouth across her cheek to her earlobe. “I like you.”
“I like you too,” Cate whispered, fisting up her hand in his t-shirt.
He sucked on her earlobe, toying with one of the metal studs with his tongue. “Why do you have so many piercings?”
Remembering his earlier words, “I don’t want to talk about it.”
Kian slid a hand inside her coat, pressing against the small of her back. She felt him lift up the hem of her jumper and inch his fingertips slowly upwards until they touched her bare skin. It was still chilly inside the tower but his touch seared into her skin.
Kian closed his eyes for a moment, savouring the feel of her soft skin against his fingertips. She felt so good. Her chest was pressed up against him; he could feel her breasts heave up and down as she tried to force more oxygen into her lungs.
He opened his eyes again. With his free hand, he gently stroked the back of his hand across her flushed cheek. Her lips were parted a little; he leaned forward to kiss her.
“Wait,” Cate said breathlessly as his lips were just millimetres away from her own. She put a shaky hand on his chest and pushed him back a little.
“What is it?” Kian frowned.
“What if someone catches us?”
Kian lifted her hand from his chest and kissed her knuckles. “We’ll hear them.”
“But where will we go?” Cate quickly looked around. The room was empty apart from the wooden benches; there was nowhere to hide and just the one staircase up and down.
Kian reluctantly removed his hand from her back and sat her down beside him on the bench. He reached into the pocket of his coat and pulled out a rolled-up piece of white fabric. “Give me your foot.”
Cate lifted her foot up on to the bench and Kian carefully removed her trainer. He took off her sock and Cate winced as the cold air hit her bare skin. “Ow.”
Kian lifted up her foot and pressed his lips against the instep. He trailed his mouth up to the top of her foot and sucked her ankle bone before moving back to her toes. “What are those?”
He was looking at her toenails, which were violet and then an intricate black lace pattern had been painted over the top. “Did you do that?”
Cate nodded, she loved experimenting on her toenails.
“But you haven’t done your fingernails?” Kian asked, reaching for her hand. Her fingernails were colourless.
“Everybody sees your fingernails,” Cate shrugged. “My toenails are just for me, I like having a secret.”
“And for me now,” Kian’s eyes sparkled. He kissed the tips of each of her toes and then reached for the ball of white fabric. When he unfurled it, Cate realised it was an elasticated ankle support bandage.
Kian eased it gently over her toes and then rolled it along her foot and up her ankle. “It’s our excuse.”
He lifted her up and settled her back on to his lap. “If anyone finds us, we can say you fell and hurt your ankle.”
Cate tried to relax but the cold air was assaulting her exposed toes. “Put your foot between my legs.”
Cate raised her eyebrows. “My calves,” Kian explained, laughing. He moved her foot between his calves and pressed them together, cocooning her bare skin between his strong muscles. “That better, angel?”
“Much,” Cate grinned. “Are you going to kiss me now?”
“Am I ever?” Kian grinned back. He slid his hand back inside her coat and up her jumper to the small of her back. He stroked soft circles into her skin with his thumb. He pressed his other hand against the nape of her neck, holding her firm as he brushed his lips softly against hers.
It went dark far too quickly and as there were no lights in the tower, they carefully made their way back to the car park. “Is this enough for you?” Cate asked, biting her lip. She knew Kian was much more experienced than she was; she couldn’t imagine why he would settle for just kissing her when he could have so much more with somebody else.
“No,” Kian said bluntly.
Cate was so stung by his answer; she felt tears pricking at the corners of her eyes. She’d asked the question but how could he answer like that, when her lips still tasted of him?
“Fuck,” Kian kicked the ground. “I didn’t mean it like that, I swear.”
“Look,” He pressed Cate up against the side of his car. “Angel, I’m never going to lie to you, okay?”
“Okay,” Cate tried to control her bottom lip, which was starting to tremble.
He held the sides of her face and tried to kiss away the stray tears which tumbled down her cheeks. “I want more with you. I want everything.”
“I can’t…” Cate tripped over her words. “I’ve never had sex before, I’m a virgin.”
“I know,” Kian locked his eyes with hers. “I know you’re not ready. I would never, ever pressure you to do anything… you know that, right?”
“Yes.”
“When I said I wanted more, I didn’t just mean sex. I want that with you but only when you’re ready. I want to be able to kiss you whenever I want, without worrying if somebody’s watching us. I want more than just Thursday afternoons. I want Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Thursdays, Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays. I want the whole fucking week. I want to be able to call you whenever I want; first thing in the morning, last thing at night or just to hear your voice. I want to take you out on a proper date.”
“I’d like that too,” Cate smiled.
Kian tipped her head back so he could kiss her more deeply; knowing that it would have to last until next Thursday. “Fuck,” he groaned, pressing his forehead against hers. “I want everything with you, Cate.”
Cate clung to him, not knowing how she was ever going to let go. “I feel the same way.”
Kian ran his hands raggedly through his hair. “What are you doing to me? You’re the truth serum.”