Read Take You Away: A Novella for Free Online Page B

the glow of light from the windows to show me, it’s clear that this is one of those problems that no amount of lovemaking will fix. But beneath that, I can see the fullness of his affection for me. I can see how much he hates to see me upset about this, even when I know his emotions are so much more tangled than mine.
    Finally, he sits up.
    "Come on," he says. "Let’s go to bed." He gives a small smile and holds his hand out to me.
    It’s more than just the offer of his hand. And at the touch of his fingers, as I let him pull me to my feet, I give myself permission to forget about Lou for the night. To put aside all fears and sorrows until tomorrow and be grateful for the love we have right here.
    And it works, for a while. I drift off to sleep in Calder’s arms in the bed we share. But sometime in the night, I wake to find myself alone. I reach my arm across the sheets, but Calder’s side of the mattress is cold.
    I climb out of bed. I never bothered dressing after our little encounter outside, so I grab my robe and pull it on before going in search of him.
    He’s on the balcony again. Staring up at the stars once more. But he looks over when he hears the sliding glass door.
    "You should have woken me up," I say softly.
    He gives a small smile. "You looked so peaceful. I didn’t want to disturb you."
    "Maybe. But I might have been able to help you fall asleep. Or at least worn you out a little more."
    His smile widens, but not nearly enough. For the second time tonight, I settle down on the balcony floor next to him.
    "I just can’t stop thinking about all the mistakes I’ve made," he says after a moment.
    He’s still blaming himself. And it breaks my heart.
    "Sometimes it takes two people to make a mess," I reply. That lesson isn’t new to me— I learned it myself the hard way.
    His voice is grave. "I’m the older brother. I should have been there for her. And no matter what I try to tell myself, I just can’t..." He looks off into the night. "I’m worried about her, Lily."
    Once, I might have tried to convince him to let it go. Reminded him again that he can’t control his sister’s actions. But I know that isn’t the right answer now. Not with Calder.
    "Then let’s find her," I say.
    I can feel his eyes on me in the dark.
    "How?" he asks finally.
    "You’re a creative man," I say. "And I know from personal experience that when you want something, you find a way to make it happen. She’s only been gone a day. How far could she have gone?"
    He rubs his face. "I don’t know. You really think we can?"
    "There’s only one way to find out." I clasp his hand.
    He looks over at me again, and I can feel a little of the tension leave his body through our entwined fingers. For a long moment, he just stares at me, and then he lets out a long breath.
    And it’s like something’s been switched inside of him. He squeezes my hand and shakes his head, a low chuckle escaping his chest.
    "What?" I ask, curious about this sudden change in his demeanor.
    "You’re… amazing," he says. He raises my fingers to his lips. "Amazing."
    "Oh, please," I say, suddenly embarrassed. I can feel my cheeks going hot, and I try to tug my hand away, but he refuses to release it.
    He gives another chuckle. "Since when were you this modest?" He slides his thumb across the back of my palm, thoughtful again. "You have a way of making things happen, too, you know."
    "Do I?"
    He leans closer, and his lips brush against my ear. "You know you do. I don’t believe for a moment you’ve forgotten what power you hold over me."
    He knows just how to leave me breathless with his words. I lean into him.
    "And I don’t just mean sexually," he adds softly.
    He doesn’t explain any more than that, but he doesn’t have to. I know he sees how much I care about him, how much this whole issue has affected me as well.
    "One day soon," I whisper, "Lou’s going to be my sister, too."
    His fingers move across mine until he finds my ring.
    "Yes," he