28. Ransom
28
RANSOM
AGE 15
I slouch against a tree, trying to look casual while keeping an eye on Blair's date. My friends are passing around a bottle, laughing and shoving each other. I'm not here for them. I'm here for her.
That asshole Adam parks his truck at the edge of the ridge. Even from here, I can see the way he pulls Blair into him. My stomach churns.
"I'm gonna take a leak," I mutter, inching away from the group.
I creep closer to the truck, staying low in the shadows. The windows are fogged up, but I can hear muffled voices. Then Blair's voice rings out clear and sharp.
"No! Stop it!"
I don't think. I just move.
My hand finds the door handle, and I yank it open. Adam's stupid face gapes at me for a split second before I grab his jacket and haul him out. He stumbles, arms flailing.
"What the f?—"
My fist connects with his jaw before he can finish. Pain shoots through my knuckles, but I don't care. I want to hurt him, and if I have to hurt too, then I don't have a problem with that.
For Blair, I'll bleed. I'll take any amount of pain.
Blair climbs out of the truck, smoothing her braid like nothing happened. She crosses her arms and watches, face blank.
Adam manages to break free, spitting blood. He whirls on Blair. "Your psycho foster brother? Are you fucking kidding me?"
Before I can move, Blair's leg snaps out. Her foot catches Adam square in the balls. He doubles over with a strangled yelp, face turning an interesting shade of purple.
"Crazy bitch," he wheezes, crawling back to his truck. "You're both fucking insane."
The tires screech as Adam peels out, kicking up dust and gravel. I turn to Blair, heart pounding. "Are you okay? Did he?—"
"I'm fine," she cuts me off, voice flat. But her eyes meet mine for a moment, and I see a flicker of something there. Gratitude, maybe. Or understanding.
We stand in silence as Adam's tail lights disappear down the road.
Blair turns to me, her eyes narrowing. "Why are you even here, Ransom?"
I swallow hard, my mind racing. No way I'm admitting I followed her. "Just... hanging out with some guys from school," I lie, gesturing vaguely toward the group I'd left behind.
She stares at me for a long moment, and I feel like she can see right through me. But she doesn't push it.
"Whatever," she mutters, turning on her heel. "I'm going home."
I fall into step beside her as we head down the hill and across the field. The moonlight casts long shadows, and I can't help but notice how small Blair seems next to me. In the past couple of years, I've shot up like a weed, but this last year, I've filled out too thanks to the school weight room. The top of her head is even with my nose now.
The silence stretches between us, broken only by the rustle of grass against our legs. I steal glances at her profile, trying to read her expression in the dim light.
"So... what happened back there?" I finally ask, unable to contain my curiosity any longer. "In the truck, I mean."
Blair shrugs, her braid swinging with the motion. "Nothing I couldn't handle," she says, her voice cool and detached. "You didn't need to go all caveman on him."
I bristle at that. "He was hurting you!"
"Please," she scoffs. "I had it under control. You saw how easily I took him down after you pulled him out."
I remember the swift kick she delivered and wince involuntarily. "Yeah, but?—"
"But nothing," she cuts me off. "I don't need you to protect me, Ransom. I can take care of myself."
We lapse into silence again, the words I want to say stuck in my throat. I want to tell her that I know she's tough, that I've seen her handle way worse than Adam. But I also want her to know that she doesn't always have to be so strong, that it's okay to let someone else fight for her sometimes. To let me fight for her.
Instead, I just nod and keep walking, hyper aware of her presence beside me in the quiet night.
Blair finally mutters, "Thanks." Her voice is so quiet I almost miss it.
I seize the chance to lighten the mood. "For what? Fulfilling my dream of punching him in the face. It was more for me than you." Adam’s an asshole, and punching him felt damn good.
She doesn't laugh, but her lips curve slightly. For Blair, that's practically rolling on the floor. She laughs. A lot, actually. But that's usually with Maggie or her dad. Never with me. She's always serious around me, watching me with eyes that see too much.
We walk in companionable silence, and I can't help but reflect on how much has changed. Three years ago, I was a scrawny kid from Chicago with a chip on my shoulder. Now... well, the chip is mostly gone.
If I'd stayed in the city, I'd probably be dead by now. Or worse. Coming to Badger Falls saved my life, even if I'd never admit it out loud. Robert gave me a chance when no one else would. And Blair...
I glance at her, moonlight catching in her hair. My chest tightens. These feelings for her snuck up on me, and now I don't know what to do with them.
Clearing my throat, I ask, "So, uh, how's school going? You're graduating soon, right?"
Blair nods. "Three weeks. Then I turn eighteen."
"Cool. Are you applying to universities?"
She snorts. "Not going. I'm staying here and working with Dad."
My heart leaps. "Really? I thought you'd want to get out of this town. Your grades are really good, aren't they?"
"Nah. I like it here. It's quiet."
I nod, secretly thrilled. More time with Blair sounds pretty damn good to me.
"What about you?" she asks. "You've got another few years before graduation. Any plans after?"
I shrug, kicking at a rock. "Dunno. Maybe stick around, work at the garage. If your dad'll have me."
Blair's lips curve again. "If he's still there. He doesn't like this town as much as I do. Once you graduate, he'll take off and see the world like he always says he wants to."
As Blair and I keep walking, our hands brush against each other. It's innocent at first, but I can't ignore the electricity that shoots through me each time it happens. Our steps slow, and I feel my heart pounding in my chest.
Taking a deep breath, I gather my courage and link my fingers with hers. Blair stops dead in her tracks, staring down at our joined hands. I hold my breath, waiting for her reaction.
She looks up at me, her grey eyes searching my face. "What is this, Ransom?" she asks, her tone curious rather than angry.
I swallow hard, knowing this is my chance. "I... I like you, Blair," I admit, my voice barely above a whisper.
Blair's eyebrows furrow slightly. "I'm almost eighteen, Ransom. You're fifteen."
I step closer, my hand still holding hers. "I haven't been a kid since my family died," I tell her, my voice low and serious. "I'm the size of a grown man now, and I've been through more than most adults." It's the truth. Any bit of innocence I had left after my family died was killed off in other foster homes, with other foster families.
Blair's eyes flick down to our hands again, then back up to my face. I can see her processing, thinking it through in that methodical way of hers.
My heart's hammering so hard I'm sure she can hear it. Slowly, carefully, I lean in. Blair doesn't move away, but she doesn't move closer, either. I press my lips to hers, soft and tentative.
Blair stands stock-still, neither pushing me away nor responding. After a moment, I pull back, my face burning with embarrassment. That's not how it went with the other girls I kissed. They kissed me back or wrapped their arms around me. They did something, anything.
But not Blair. I should have known better. I'm such a fucking idiot. "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have?—"
"Shut up," Blair cuts me off, her voice quiet but firm. "That was my first kiss. Give me a second to process, please."
I blink in surprise. Blair's first kiss? I'd assumed... well, I don't know what I'd assumed.
Before I can think too much about it, Blair steps closer. She reaches up, tugging my head down to her level, and presses her lips to mine. This time, she's in control.
The kiss is slow and sweet, a little clumsy as Blair figures out what she's doing. But to me, it's perfect. My hands find her waist, holding her gently as I freak the fuck out. This is actually happening.
When we finally break apart, I'm breathless. I've kissed a few girls in town, gone on some dates, but none of them affected me like Blair. It's like a bomb went off in my chest, scattering all my thoughts and leaving nothing but the feel of her lips on mine.
Blair's cheeks are flushed a pretty pink. I've never seen her looking like that, and I love knowing I put that color there. "That was... interesting," she murmurs, her eyes meeting mine.
"Just interesting?"
She shrugs, but I catch the hint of a smile tugging at her lips. "It wasn't terrible."
Coming from Blair, that's high praise. I laugh, feeling like everything in my world is clicking into place. "We'll have to practice then," I tease. "Get it from 'not terrible' to 'pretty good.'"
Blair rolls her eyes, but she doesn't let go of my hand as we start walking again. "Don't push your luck, Kyle."
We walk in comfortable silence for a while, our joined hands swinging between us. I can't stop smiling; I can't believe this is really happening.
"Your dad's gonna kill me," I say suddenly, the thought hitting me like a bucket of cold water.
Blair snorts. "Dad loves you. You're the son he never had."
She's not wrong. Robert loves Blair fiercely; they're attached at the hip. But he treats me like I'm his, too. "Yeah, but I don't think he wants me kissing his daughter."
She shrugs. "We don't have to tell him right away. Let's... let's just see where this goes for now, okay?"
I nod, relief washing over me. "Okay. Yeah, that sounds good."
As we approach the edge of town, Blair slows her steps. "We should probably..." she trails off, glancing at our joined hands.
"Yeah," I agree reluctantly, letting go of her hand. Already, I miss the warmth of her touch.
Blair turns to face me, her expression serious. "This doesn't change anything at home, got it? We're still... us. Just with some extra stuff now."
I nod, understanding what she means. We can't let this affect our family dynamic; can't risk messing up the good thing we've all got going.
"Got it," I promise.
She studies my face for a moment, then nods, satisfied. "Good. Now let's go home before Dad sends out a search party."
As we walk the last few blocks home, I can't help but steal glances at Blair. Something has shifted between us tonight, and I have no idea where it's going to lead. But for the first time in a long time, I'm excited about the future.