Howl by Annalise Grey

you’re ready and they’re able to accept me as a
suitor.” The warm, cerulean light that danced in Jaime’s eyes eased
my tension. He had a way of calming me to my core.
    “Come over later.”
    “Sure. I'll just sneak out after dark.” I
said, only half-kidding.
    “Then I could have you all to myself for the
night?” Jaime was serious.
    “It's not like I can get away for a whole
night Jaime.” I stared at him. “Somebody will notice if I don't
come home.”
    “I promise to have you back before you turn
into a pumpkin.”
    “Jaime, I....”
    “I'll have you back by dawn, I promise.”
    I wanted so much to say yes. I hadn't been to
his apartment yet. And it would be a very welcome break from
worrying about whether or not we'd be spotted in public. But
getting out would be tricky. Was I really willing to sneak out of
my house like some rebellious adolescent just to spend more time
with him?
    I mulled over the idea. “I guess I could wait
until everyone is in bed and then leave. But it might be late by
the time my family is asleep. And I’ll have to walk to your place.
I can’t start the car and drive away.” I gave voice to my plan as
it formed in my thoughts. “Would you pick me up at the research
center? I'll call you when I'm on my way and you can meet me.”
    “Can't wait.” He gave me one more desirous
kiss and then left. A little piece of my heart aching, I watched
the wheels of his vehicle carry off the person I most wanted to
stay by my side.
     
     
     
    ~In dreams~
     
    As a luminous Full Buck Moon punctuated the
dark blanketing our yard, I sat on my bed and waited for the right
moment to slip out. Soon as I was certain everyone was a sleep, I
opened my window and carefully dropped with barely a thud. My
window was just above the kitchen so no one should have seen or
heard me. At nineteen, I was only now resorting to sneaking out of
the house. Juvenile? Absolutely. But my fear of discovery grew
proportionate to my feelings for Jaime. I was desperate to see him,
to feel him next to me and just as desperate to not be found. And
my ‘night out with Emily’ excuses were becoming seriously limited.
This was how I rationalized it because if I let my thoughts linger
too long on the truth, well... I just didn't want to think about
it. So I didn't.
    I punched the numbers for Jaime’s phone as I
approached the research center. Within minutes, his headlights made
their appearance amongst the trees, competing for greater
luminosity against the moon in the obsidian night. The contrast
between light and dark was more apparent than ever. For some
unknown reason, it struck a chord inside me.
    “Hey princess.” Jaime planted a kiss as soon
as I slid into his Jeep.
    “Right.” I grinned. Princess was about as far
from reality as possible. I much preferred muddy hiking boots and
low-slung ponytails to high heels and glittering tiaras. I doubted
Jaime would want me if I were high maintenance.
    “So I have you all to myself for the night.”
He took my hand in the dark and curled his fingers around mine. It
was crazy what affect his touch had on me. It was such a simple
gesture yet it made me bubble from my toes up.
    We pulled into the off-street parking space
for his apartment. Jaime led the way up creaking wooden steps to
the side entrance. His apartment was on the second floor of an
extra large old brick house that must have been converted into
separate quarters after serving its original purpose. The apartment
was small, more of efficiency than anything, though one person
wouldn’t really need tons of space.
    The excitement of seeing his place for the
first time was intoxicating. My eyes took in every little corner
and nick-knack as if each was a piece to the puzzle that was my
lover. Every little item in the place clued me in to who Jaime was
when I wasn’t around. I examined pictures of Jaime and his brother
at a lake, fishing poles in hand, facing into bright sunlight that
crinkled their noses as they