CHAPTER NINE"Come on. This way." Alec extends his hand, but I hesitate.
"I'm afraid." I press my fingers to my chest, torn between following him deeper into the woods and turning around.
His smile is gentle, his hazel eyes brighter than the sky. "What are you afraid of?"
"Everything," I whisper.
"It's okay to be afraid," he says. "And it's okay to be a little nervous."
I swallow against the lump in my throat. The wind dances through the trees and tickles my skin. With the sun filtering through the leaves, the woods are starting to look tempting, the sort of place I can disappear into.
And wouldn't that be nice? To slip away and forget all of my worries?
Alec steps closer, and my breath hitches in my chest. "Let me kiss you."
"I..." I can't speak. Can hardly breathe.
He cups my fac
