Chapter 1
His name was Cayson; I could picture him like it was nothing. He had long black hair to the almost center of his back, dark brown eyes that looked as if they were chocolate sometimes, and finally broad muscles that made this teenage native body look like a young warrior. Something very distinct of him was that he had a scar that ran above his left eye but just below his brow enough to conceal it. Once he and I were content talking to eachother, he took me down the Arapaho River to show me his "second home" that I started to understand why he did. It was beautiful! The middle of autumn and the leaves lightly being brushed off by the trees into the clear shallow water, he leaned down into the rock bed and pulled out a triangle stone the size on my thumb. Once he cleaned it a little showing the detail better he turns his head slightly to me and asks;
"You know what this is?" being honest and knowing almost nothing of the tribe I reply; "No, no I don't." I swear I saw a slight smile across his face and he placed the stone in my hand and whispered close to me;
"It's an arrowhead, a small one." Studying the stone in my palm, the stone was dull on the edges and tip it seemed but it had an unusual carve in it. I turned the arrowhead in his direction and asked;
"Cayson, what does this look like to you?" he smiled slightly and rubbed his fingertips down the carving slowly saying; "It looks like a feather to me." He met my eyes then.
"Turn around." I did. Two seconds later, I felt something lightly brush my back then around my neck. He whispered for me to turn around again. Doing as told, I looked down to see the arrow was around my neck tied with a string.
I promised myself that night that "One day I will be his."
After that night, Cayson and I became closer. He showed me everything:
His favorite "hideouts".
The old tribal hunting grounds
And finally how to use a real bow and arrow (something I've always wanted to do)
I never realized he was trying to relieve me from my protective parents. I knew I couldn't tell him of my cancer, for some reason it would hurt both of us saying it. The bow I used my first time he let me keep, apparently it was one of his and he had many more. I believed it too. Every once and a while he would ask me to meet him around midnight at the river he gave me my arrowhead, because of my parents I couldn't and felt bad for saying so. I was bored every night he asked me and would just stare out my window wondering what he was doing, but one night I had all I could take.
My parents gave me the same questions of "why I haven't been inside?" or "where was I all day?" until I finally snapped, the only thing I could think of was "I need Cayson." He asked me earlier in the day the usual question; "Can you meet me tonight by the river?" so I had the feeling he was there even if I couldn't be. I waited for my parents to go into their bedroom for the night, which they would fall asleep minutes later. I quietly stepped down the stairs and slipped out the front door not regretting what I was doing. I started my jeep and drove it to the river hoping he would be there.
... And he was.
As soon as he saw me pull up, he was on his feet smiling. I smiled back and turned off my car meeting him halfway to me. He silently took me in his arms, looked into my eyes for a minute and placed a soft kiss on my lips. I smiled and placed my head on his chest not wanting to let go. He laced his fingers with mine and led me to the blanket he was on placed against a tree; He pulled us down sitting me between his legs not even slightly breaking his grip on my hand. With his head next to mine but not facing me, he asked;
"I thought you wouldn't come?" it wasn't really a question but I knew what he wanted to say, His eyes burned with passion and something else that was unreal to me.
"I never wanted to be away." I shifted to get a look at his face, his eyes met mine as he pulled me closer to his chest but not hard enough to where I could not breathe although I could not anyway.
"Tsinehi" (T-sin-e-hi) he said softly then translated the word to; "I love you" I smiled and tried to pronounce the word but failed miserably. Cayson only laughed. I blushed and said, "I love you too." Tilting my head only a little he placed another soft kiss on my lips but a little deeper this time. Laying me down on the blanket softly I never complained that it was uncomfortable but around this moment I didn't care. The last thing I remember was the passionate kiss he gave me, that stayed fresh on my lips.
I woke the next morning lying across his chest with another blanket wrapped around us. I noticed that he was in his jeans but no shirt, the shirt was on me. I was lying in his shirt and my underwear with his arm draped over my waist. My shuffling caused him to wake.
"Hey." He said smiling and tightening his arm around me. I looked up at the sound of his voice to find him looking down at me smiling.
"Thank you" the only words I could say. When we were fully awake about 20 minutes later of only holding eachother, we got dressed and he walked me to my car kissing me one last time passionately and stepped back opening my door for me. I turned my head before moving any closer.
"I love you" I said over my shoulder.
He winked once. "I love you too." I climbed into the driver seat and shut the door; Cayson leaned against my window casually and caressed the side of my cheek. I shut my eyes and enjoyed the moment as his touch got lighter and lighter I smiled from the feeling.
After I left the drive home seemed like hours, I couldn't distract myself from the thought of what happened last night. How much I care for him and want to be with him.
I knew my parents were up by now seeing as the clock on my dashboard just struck 9:00a.m. "Busted" should be written across my forehead but it was so worth punishment.
My dad was worst of all. He saw the hickey Cayson put on my neck and yelled at me until his blood pressure was air-borne. I was slapped as my mom yelled so loud the neighbors down the street could possibly hear us.
"Do you realize what you have done? What do you think our friends are going to say about this? We taught you better than to go running around with some trash! I had it right then.
"He's the only one that cares about me!" I snapped back at her once she judged him without even giving me a chance to explain.
