taught you nothing?”
“I just asked her a question. People do that.” Her tone is flippant.
“Not with Keirna. Aitan says nobody questions her. Ever. She’ll ruin your life, Astrea.”
“No, Lexan, you will ruin my life,” she says then, and I’m not sure what hurts more: the jagged edge of her voice or her soft, rough hands pushing my body away from hers.
I stand alone on the dance floor, watching her take Pallis’s hand and try to pull him into a dance. He laughs and says something I can’t hear. My body feels abruptly drained and wilted. I don’t even feel like I could make it home right now without leaning on someone.
Then Trea glances back at me. “Pallis, I would love to go to the pool with you,” she says - too loudly, almost yelling for my benefit. She links her arm through his and stares at me like she could cut me in two. And I realize that she has. Here on the dance floor, she sliced me right open, cutting past my charming Libran shell and into the white anger that festers in my heart.
Trea and her attitude can go to Hades.
I glance around and soon spot Tella laughing with a few friends. I wave to her and she raises an eyebrow.
“Hot pool?” I mouth, beckoning with one finger. Her cheeks flush a little and I almost feel bad, until I remember who else is heading down to the pool. Pallis. With Trea.
I loop my arm around Tella’s waist and lead her to the pool, smiling my halfway smile the whole way.
We sit next to Anan and his new girl, and I swallow a few mouthfuls from a wine bottle he’s brought along. The liquid warms my belly, but it doesn’t even touch the cold place that’s opened up in my chest.
I run my fingers through Tella’s hair as she talks, and she snuggles closer and closer until she’s basically sitting on my lap.
I can see Pallis and a group of his friends sitting in a circle. They have wine too, and I notice Trea drinks more often than they do. I can’t see her eyes, but her movements grow slower with the alcohol.
I notice Isa and Dalen sitting apart from everyone, near the water. They too are flushed with wine, and they look like they might be rolling on top of each other any minute. The hot pool has a way of breaking down inhibitions, with its private corners, dark shadows, and don’t-tell habits.
Tella asks me a question and I bend my head closer so she can repeat it. I laugh, still not understanding her jumbled words. Her lips brush against my cheek. When I look up, Trea and Pallis are gone.
My eyes scan the room as irritation starts to penetrate my loose, hazy mood. I’m just not ready to protect her from her own decisions tonight. Then I see them, heading towards what I think is a fairly secluded alcove.
Asshole. I tighten my fingers into a fist and Tella cries out and pushes at my arm.
“I’m so sorry!” I say, releasing her hair. I hadn’t even realized where my hand was. Trea has me that mixed up. I smooth Tella’s dark brown hair back down, whispering a few words in her ear until she starts to smile again.
She turns her head and her lips meet mine again. This time, I don’t even think. I just feel.
Chapter Eight
February 8, 2067
I’ve been reading some of Charles’s astrology books lately to pass the time until our new safe house is ready. I found an old silly story about how the sun and moon used to be lovers and share the same sky at the same time. But the sun became jealous of the moon’s stars. He was so jealous of her spring star and autumn star that he stole the spring star for himself. The moon was so angry that she refused to join him in the sky ever again, choosing instead to follow his golden trail each night, until she blotted it out with her thick black cloak. Evidently, this was how we came to have night and day.
I showed the story to Aisa, and she thought it was romantic. She’s a stupid girl.
There’s nothing romantic about lovers who remain separated forever.
The real sparks fly in the next
“I just asked her a question. People do that.” Her tone is flippant.
“Not with Keirna. Aitan says nobody questions her. Ever. She’ll ruin your life, Astrea.”
“No, Lexan, you will ruin my life,” she says then, and I’m not sure what hurts more: the jagged edge of her voice or her soft, rough hands pushing my body away from hers.
I stand alone on the dance floor, watching her take Pallis’s hand and try to pull him into a dance. He laughs and says something I can’t hear. My body feels abruptly drained and wilted. I don’t even feel like I could make it home right now without leaning on someone.
Then Trea glances back at me. “Pallis, I would love to go to the pool with you,” she says - too loudly, almost yelling for my benefit. She links her arm through his and stares at me like she could cut me in two. And I realize that she has. Here on the dance floor, she sliced me right open, cutting past my charming Libran shell and into the white anger that festers in my heart.
Trea and her attitude can go to Hades.
I glance around and soon spot Tella laughing with a few friends. I wave to her and she raises an eyebrow.
“Hot pool?” I mouth, beckoning with one finger. Her cheeks flush a little and I almost feel bad, until I remember who else is heading down to the pool. Pallis. With Trea.
I loop my arm around Tella’s waist and lead her to the pool, smiling my halfway smile the whole way.
We sit next to Anan and his new girl, and I swallow a few mouthfuls from a wine bottle he’s brought along. The liquid warms my belly, but it doesn’t even touch the cold place that’s opened up in my chest.
I run my fingers through Tella’s hair as she talks, and she snuggles closer and closer until she’s basically sitting on my lap.
I can see Pallis and a group of his friends sitting in a circle. They have wine too, and I notice Trea drinks more often than they do. I can’t see her eyes, but her movements grow slower with the alcohol.
I notice Isa and Dalen sitting apart from everyone, near the water. They too are flushed with wine, and they look like they might be rolling on top of each other any minute. The hot pool has a way of breaking down inhibitions, with its private corners, dark shadows, and don’t-tell habits.
Tella asks me a question and I bend my head closer so she can repeat it. I laugh, still not understanding her jumbled words. Her lips brush against my cheek. When I look up, Trea and Pallis are gone.
My eyes scan the room as irritation starts to penetrate my loose, hazy mood. I’m just not ready to protect her from her own decisions tonight. Then I see them, heading towards what I think is a fairly secluded alcove.
Asshole. I tighten my fingers into a fist and Tella cries out and pushes at my arm.
“I’m so sorry!” I say, releasing her hair. I hadn’t even realized where my hand was. Trea has me that mixed up. I smooth Tella’s dark brown hair back down, whispering a few words in her ear until she starts to smile again.
She turns her head and her lips meet mine again. This time, I don’t even think. I just feel.
Chapter Eight
February 8, 2067
I’ve been reading some of Charles’s astrology books lately to pass the time until our new safe house is ready. I found an old silly story about how the sun and moon used to be lovers and share the same sky at the same time. But the sun became jealous of the moon’s stars. He was so jealous of her spring star and autumn star that he stole the spring star for himself. The moon was so angry that she refused to join him in the sky ever again, choosing instead to follow his golden trail each night, until she blotted it out with her thick black cloak. Evidently, this was how we came to have night and day.
I showed the story to Aisa, and she thought it was romantic. She’s a stupid girl.
There’s nothing romantic about lovers who remain separated forever.
The real sparks fly in the next
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