7. Rain and Barefoot

Savannah stood frozen, her mind a whirl of confusion as the echoes of Cassian’s kiss lingered on her lips. She could still taste him—rich, intoxicating, as though the world had melted into nothing but the press of his mouth against hers. The music in the gym had become muffled, distant, as though it were happening in another world altogether. She blinked rapidly, trying to regain some semblance of control over her senses, but everything felt like it was spinning out of her grasp.

Cassian, however, seemed unfazed, his expression a mix of amusement and something she couldn’t quite place. He didn’t seem to notice—or maybe, he did—how unsettled she felt. Instead, he reached down and brushed a stray lock of hair behind her ear, his fingers grazing her skin softly. “You okay, Rivers?” he asked, his voice low, but with a teasing edge.

Savannah swallowed hard, her chest tight. “Yeah… I just…” She didn’t know what to say, what to think. Did he mean it? Was it part of the act?

Cassian’s eyes softened just a fraction, as though he could see the questions swirling in her mind. He didn’t press, though. Instead, he gave her a small, knowing smile. “Wanna get out of here for a bit?” he asked casually, as if offering to take her to a corner for a drink, not suggesting they slip away from the entire party. “A walk sounds good, doesn’t it?”

She nodded before she could stop herself. The thought of escaping the suffocating pressure of the gym, of the eyes that had followed her all night, was too tempting to pass up. Besides, Cassian’s presence, odd as it was, felt oddly comforting—like he was the only one who could understand the weight she was carrying.

Without waiting for her reply, Cassian took her hand and led her through the crowd, effortlessly weaving between students who were too caught up in their own worlds to notice them. As they slipped out of the side door of the gym and into the cool, night air, Savannah’s shoulders relaxed for the first time that evening.

The quiet was a relief after the noise of the party. The crisp fall air brushed against her skin, making her feel more alive than she had all night. “So, where exactly are we going?” she asked, her voice a little more steady now, though her mind was still buzzing from the kiss.

Cassian grinned, a mischievous glint in his eyes. “I don’t know. I figured we’d just… walk. See where it takes us.”

Savannah snorted, rolling her eyes. “You don’t have a plan for everything?”

Cassian raised an eyebrow. “Not everything needs a plan, Rivers. Some things are better left to chance.” He paused, looking around the darkened campus. “Besides, you look like you need some air.”

She didn’t argue with that. “Fair enough,” she muttered, walking beside him down the dimly lit pathway that led toward the school’s back field. The tall trees bordering the path rustled in the breeze, and the distant sounds of the party faded away, replaced by the rhythm of their footsteps.

After a few moments of silence, Savannah finally let out a small laugh, the tension in her chest easing slightly. “So… about that kiss,” she started, her voice hesitant. “Is that what you always do to get people to stop staring at you?”

Cassian smirked, glancing at her. “What? Kiss them? Nah.” He shrugged nonchalantly. “But you looked like you needed something, and I was just trying to help. Besides, it wasn’t so bad, was it?”

Savannah blinked, her mind catching up to his words. “It wasn’t bad, no,” she admitted, her lips quirking into a small smile. “But it was definitely unexpected.”

“Well, that’s kind of my specialty,” he teased. “Making things a little more interesting.”

She rolled her eyes again, but there was a hint of amusement in her expression. “I bet you think you’re pretty good at this whole ‘bad boy’ thing, huh?”

Cassian gave her a sideways glance, his smirk deepening. “You’re not so bad yourself, you know. Got a lot more fire in you than I thought.”

Savannah felt a blush creeping up her neck. She quickly turned her head, trying to hide it, but Cassian saw it anyway, his chuckle deep and warm.

After a few moments, they reached the edge of the school’s lawn, where a line of trees formed a dark boundary between the campus and the surrounding woods. The air felt colder now, and Savannah shivered, pulling her arms around herself. She’d forgotten how chilly the evenings could get.

Cassian seemed to notice immediately. He glanced down at her feet and smirked. “Those heels are killing you, aren’t they?”

Savannah didn’t even try to hide her discomfort. “Yeah, a little. But I’ll survive.”

Cassian shook his head, his gaze flickering to her legs where the straps of her heels dug into her skin, leaving red marks. He knelt down without warning, causing Savannah to startle a little. “Hold still,” he murmured, and before she could protest, he gently slipped one of her heels off her foot, his fingers brushing against her skin.

“What are you doing?” she asked, her voice quiet, suddenly aware of how close he was.

He didn’t answer immediately, instead repeating the process with the other heel. “You’re not walking in those the whole night,” he said with quiet authority, his fingers lingering just a little too long against her skin. “Let me take them.”

Savannah’s breath caught in her throat. “Cassian, you don’t have to—”

“I want to,” he interrupted, his eyes locking with hers. There was something different in his gaze, something soft that made her heart flutter unexpectedly.

With a soft grunt, he stood up, holding both of her heels in one hand. “Here,” he said, slipping his own shoes off and holding them out to her. “Take mine. They’re not much better, but at least they won’t murder your feet.”

She stared at him for a long moment, unsure what to do. But there was something about his offer that felt too genuine to refuse, so she slowly took his shoes from him and slipped them on. They were a bit too big, but they were surprisingly comfortable.

Cassian chuckled at the sight. “Look at you, looking all cute in my shoes.”

Savannah shot him a playful glare, but her smile betrayed her. “You’re ridiculous.”

He shrugged, not taking offense in the slightest. “Yeah, well. I’m your ridiculous bad boy now, remember?”

They stood there for a moment, neither of them speaking, just soaking in the calm that had settled around them. But suddenly, the sky above them darkened even more, and the first drop of rain splashed onto Savannah’s cheek.

Before she could react, the rain began to fall in earnest, quickly turning into a downpour. Cassian grinned, grabbing her hand and pulling her into a run. “We’re getting soaked, Rivers!”

Savannah laughed, her heart lighter than it had been all evening. The rain hammered against them, the world around them becoming a blur of water and laughter as they sprinted through the field, barefoot, in the middle of the storm. She had no idea how it had all happened so quickly, but as she glanced up at Cassian, his face flushed with excitement, his hair plastered to his forehead, she realized that maybe—just maybe—she was starting to enjoy herself.

Cassian looked down at her, his expression softening for a moment. “You’re crazy,” he muttered, but there was something tender in his voice that made Savannah’s chest tighten in a way she wasn’t prepared for.

And as they stood there in the pouring rain, laughing and breathless, Savannah felt something shift deep inside her. She wasn’t sure what it was—whether it was the rain, the kiss, or the unexpected warmth that had begun to bloom between them—but for the first time in a long time, Savannah wasn’t afraid to feel.