The Reaping Read Online Free Page A

don’t know if I’ll ever stop checking my back.
    “Think we should stay here until morning?”
    I nod again.
    “Alright. Well, come here.”
    I ease myself up onto my knees and slide next to him. He’s found a spot where two branches come together in a V against the trunk and form a wide seat. It’s probably the safest spot we could be in this tree. He carefully pulls out his sleeping bag, unzips it, and drapes it over us.
    “You sleep. I’ll watch. I’ll wake you up in an hour.”
    I’m not drowsy. The adrenaline is still pumping through my veins and it’ll be at least a few minutes until the rush starts to ebb. We sit in silence and he holds me, his head lowered against mine, and I cling to his hand for dear life. With the sound of the helicopter fading away, the other forest sounds resume. But I don’t feel safe. The worry still nags at me—how did they know I made the drop yesterday? There were no helicopters, no soldiers. If there had been soldiers, they would have sprung out of the woods at the chance of capturing a group of nomads. So how did they know?
    I rub Jack’s hand as the thoughts race through my head over and over again.
    “Relax, Terra. You’re rubbing it raw.” He pulls his hand away and wraps both arms around me. “We’ll be okay up here.”
    The adrenaline is finally draining out of me, and I feel tired to my core. The thoughts of how they knew where I was are still racing through my head, but my body is too tired to think it through any more, and I can finally close my eyes and let sleep carry me away.
    I wake up when the birds start singing at dawn, and I lift my head off Jack’s chest and squint into the distance. My leg slips off the branch and my whole body flinches, and I gasp as I suddenly remember where I am. Jack’s awake in a heartbeat.
    “What’s wrong?”
    I smile sheepishly and point to the ground. Forgot.
    He rubs his hands over his stubbled cheeks, and his mouth opens in a deep yawn. “Sorry I fell asleep. I should have woken you up and let you watch. I was just so tired. I think that colony of yours spoiled me.”
    I grin and take his hand. Glad you liked it. When I’m done writing, my fingers close around his and I study them for a moment.
    Why did you come back?
    He pulls his head away so he can see me better. “Do you really need to ask me that?”
    You were safe. Never had to run again.
    “Yes, but you weren’t there.”
    I turn from him. I feel so guilty. I can’t help wondering if trading the comfort and security of the colony is worth coming back here just for me. Jack must see some of that in my face.
    “You’re worth it, Terra.”
    His voice is so earnest that I turn to him again. His face is an inch from mine, our noses touch, and his eyes bore into me. He doesn’t blink or turn just a fraction from me. Then he crosses the gap between us, and he’s kissing me. This should have been the way our first kiss was. Not that desperate attempt at the last possible minute to show him how I felt as we were standing in the freezing water. This kiss is gentle and says more than that first kiss ever could. The kiss isn’t long and is as soft as a whisper, but it scorches me so deeply I shiver. His hand touches my neck and hovers there, feeling like a wind-whisper. When my eyes flutter open, Jack is smiling. My heart races as I touch his cheek and my fingertips play with the hair curling around his ears.
    The morning air is still crisp, and I realize I’m shivering. I probably have been the whole time and didn’t even notice.
    “We should probably get moving.”
    I nod and we drop our packs and the sleeping bag from the branches and make our way down the tree.
    “You never told me why you left the colony. Compared to this, it seems like a paradise. I don’t understand why you stayed here when you could have gone back.”
    We’re to the bottom branch and dangle and then drop to the ground. I look past the leaves and to the slivers of blue peeking between.