Page 155 of The Other Side of Green

“Oh, my Lyra Bird, you are green and I am blue, but together we make something totally unique.” He motioned for me to slide into my seat, his other hand tightly wound around mine like he was scared I would run again.

“I’m sorry.”

He shook his head, dirty gaze sparkling. “Where to, Lyra Bird?”

“Home.” My chest heaved. “Does it make me less of a person if all I want is to be happy? To live a simple life, with laughter and love? It’s all I’ve ever wanted, Jack. I never wanted to fight, never wanted the pressure of other people’s dreams.” My thumb traced patterns on his palm, running along the warmth of his skin.

A single tear slipped down his cheek. “Believe me, it’s all I’ve ever wanted too.”

I leaned my head on his shoulder. “I’ve got so much to tell you.”

He kissed the top of my curls. “Just as well we are on the longest bus ride in the history of the universe. You ever heard of a plane, Lyra Bird?”

I laughed, wrapping my arm tight around his middle. I was happy with the delay, it gave me more moments with him.

“No one said we couldn’t enjoy ourselves. I’ve heard there are some great hotels on the way.”

Jack shot me his best Blue smile and leaned down to catch my lips in a kiss. “Funny, I’ve heard the same thing.” He moved back in, kissing me deeper. “Maybe we should check them out?”

Six days later we finally found our way to the top of the road where we used to live. Yeah, the hotels were worth exploring. Big glorious beds, room service and Jack. All the things I’d craved but had never been mine.

We both stopped walking as we turned for the small sidewalk down to our past. His fingers squeezed mine.

“Do you need to go and see your mom? Let her know you are back?”

His gaze steadied on my face. “Trying to get rid of me, now we are home?”

The old streetlight illuminated him in a circle of warmth, bouncing off his dark hair, showing me a shade of Blue I’d thought long gone.

“No, it’s just… well. You know?”

“Know what?”

“I…” I stubbed the toe of my Doc Marten into the asphalt.

Laughing, he caught me up in his arms. “You don’t know where I’m going to live?”

My cheeks flamed. We were finally home, but things had changed. I had everything, but he still had nothing.

Because of me.

“Well, you’re eighteen and all… but you still need someone to protect you at night. You know, just in case.” He shrugged. “We could wing it.”

I sagged a sigh of relief. The thought of us not being together didn’t sit well with me. It made a sharp pain settle in my chest.

“I like the sound of winging it.”

“Me too.”

“So home then.” I pointed at the house with the blue fence and the back door that rattled.

“Home.”

We walked down the pathway our hands swinging between us. Jack’s new bag of clothes clutched with my duffel. He had left Boston with nothing in a bid to find me. In the depth of night, under high thread count cotton sheets, he’d whispered it seemed right that he’d left with nothing and returned with nothing.

Fine.

I was all for poetic, but he did need clean jocks.