Cissel suddenly climbed down the tree, leaving John behind with a gaping open mouth and a frozen mind!
He had expected a sharp rebuff, a cold laugh, or perhaps a dagger at his throat, anything but a quiet, affirmative deal. Because of the shadows and his own internal panic, he totally missed seeing the tinge of redness over her cheeks or the true, happy smile that appeared faintly on her face.
Once she jumped down to the ground, she didn't hesitate to ignite a fire of her own, and she curled up to sleep beside it. John stayed all alone in the canopy for a long time, the silence of the night feeling heavier than ever.
He kept asking himself what had gone wrong to lead him to ask her for a date in the first place, and more importantly, what had happened to the cold and fierce Cissel he knew to make her accept it right away! And above all, why the heck did the idea appeal to him now?!
