Playing that every night?”
“It doesn’t hurt,” she says, already flowing into another song. “Not more than it already does.”
I push to my feet, slip into my bedroom, and close the door with a soft click .
Inside my room, I can barely hear the music. Here, I can pretend my silence isn’t costing either of us anything.
As soon as I step into Orane’s world, he pulls me from one game to another. We go rock climbing in the craggy mountains, race through the emerald-green foothills, swim in the crystalline lake, and dance across an open plain as he teaches me to tango.
“You truly love this place,” he says as we start toward the opera hall.
I smile as I watch two tiny hummingbirds, their feathers a rainbow of iridescent colors, flutter past. “What’s not to love?”
“Will you feel the same way when it is no longer an amusement that comes and goes?” He’s smiling, but his eyebrows are low and his eyes are surrounded by deeply etched lines.
“Of course! As long as you’re here, I’d—” I stop short and run his words through my head again. “Orane, did you say when ?”
His eyes widen and his mouth opens as though he’s going to deny it, but then his cheeks flush a soft shade of pink. Orane glances away and smiles sheepishly, one hand rubbing the back of his neck. “Mariella, how do you always make me ruin my surprises for you?”
“Oh, who cares about surprises?” I press closer, wrapping my arms around his neck and burying my fingers in his long hair. “Do you mean it?”
He pulls back, just far enough to stare into my eyes. “Have I ever lied to you, my nightingale?”
“Never.” From the beginning, Orane has been my trusted confidant, my strongest supporter, and my best friend. He’s become the standard I measure everything in the waking world against. Nothing comes close. Not even me. But staying with him has never been a possibility. If he’s talking about it as a when instead of an if …
“You finally found a way to bring me here for good? How?”
Orane shakes his head, but he’s smiling down at me. “I should not have told you yet. I am not certain it will work, and I hate to disappoint you.”
“You could never disappoint me,” I whisper against his skin, brushing kisses along the line of his jaw. “An estimate, at least? Please?”
Orane laughs, a low rumble that echoes through his chest. “All I will tell you, my impatient girl, is that I hope it will be soon.”
I pull back, adrenaline shooting through my veins. “Soon? How soon?”
“No, that is all you will get from me tonight.” He grins at me and touches the tip of my nose with his finger. “Not another word.”
“But—”
He cuts me off in the simplest and most effective way—with a kiss.
I melt into his arms, shivers cascading up my arms and down my body. His hands run through my hair and trace patterns on my arms, and it’s like my skin can no longer contain me, like I’m bursting apart at the seams. I don’t come back together until he finally pulls away.
“That is better,” he whispers, tucking a strand of hair behind my ear.
I blink, trying to clear my head. What were we talking about?
Orane chuckles and lifts me into his arms. My head is spinning. I lean against him for support. How can his kisses still affect me like this? Two years of kissing him, and each one feels like the first time.
Once I’ve caught my breath, I look up into his eyes. “You’re not going to escape so easily, you know. I want to know.”
Orane smiles and leans down to kiss my forehead as he carries me into my theater. “I am sure you do. But enough talking for tonight.”
He walks down the aisle and places me in the center of the stage. Once he’s sure I can stand on my own, he puts his hands on my shoulders and runs them down my sides. His hands create the shape of the dress, and the light follows, swirling around me until I’m clothed in a ball gown of jet-black satin with golden nightingales
“It doesn’t hurt,” she says, already flowing into another song. “Not more than it already does.”
I push to my feet, slip into my bedroom, and close the door with a soft click .
Inside my room, I can barely hear the music. Here, I can pretend my silence isn’t costing either of us anything.
As soon as I step into Orane’s world, he pulls me from one game to another. We go rock climbing in the craggy mountains, race through the emerald-green foothills, swim in the crystalline lake, and dance across an open plain as he teaches me to tango.
“You truly love this place,” he says as we start toward the opera hall.
I smile as I watch two tiny hummingbirds, their feathers a rainbow of iridescent colors, flutter past. “What’s not to love?”
“Will you feel the same way when it is no longer an amusement that comes and goes?” He’s smiling, but his eyebrows are low and his eyes are surrounded by deeply etched lines.
“Of course! As long as you’re here, I’d—” I stop short and run his words through my head again. “Orane, did you say when ?”
His eyes widen and his mouth opens as though he’s going to deny it, but then his cheeks flush a soft shade of pink. Orane glances away and smiles sheepishly, one hand rubbing the back of his neck. “Mariella, how do you always make me ruin my surprises for you?”
“Oh, who cares about surprises?” I press closer, wrapping my arms around his neck and burying my fingers in his long hair. “Do you mean it?”
He pulls back, just far enough to stare into my eyes. “Have I ever lied to you, my nightingale?”
“Never.” From the beginning, Orane has been my trusted confidant, my strongest supporter, and my best friend. He’s become the standard I measure everything in the waking world against. Nothing comes close. Not even me. But staying with him has never been a possibility. If he’s talking about it as a when instead of an if …
“You finally found a way to bring me here for good? How?”
Orane shakes his head, but he’s smiling down at me. “I should not have told you yet. I am not certain it will work, and I hate to disappoint you.”
“You could never disappoint me,” I whisper against his skin, brushing kisses along the line of his jaw. “An estimate, at least? Please?”
Orane laughs, a low rumble that echoes through his chest. “All I will tell you, my impatient girl, is that I hope it will be soon.”
I pull back, adrenaline shooting through my veins. “Soon? How soon?”
“No, that is all you will get from me tonight.” He grins at me and touches the tip of my nose with his finger. “Not another word.”
“But—”
He cuts me off in the simplest and most effective way—with a kiss.
I melt into his arms, shivers cascading up my arms and down my body. His hands run through my hair and trace patterns on my arms, and it’s like my skin can no longer contain me, like I’m bursting apart at the seams. I don’t come back together until he finally pulls away.
“That is better,” he whispers, tucking a strand of hair behind my ear.
I blink, trying to clear my head. What were we talking about?
Orane chuckles and lifts me into his arms. My head is spinning. I lean against him for support. How can his kisses still affect me like this? Two years of kissing him, and each one feels like the first time.
Once I’ve caught my breath, I look up into his eyes. “You’re not going to escape so easily, you know. I want to know.”
Orane smiles and leans down to kiss my forehead as he carries me into my theater. “I am sure you do. But enough talking for tonight.”
He walks down the aisle and places me in the center of the stage. Once he’s sure I can stand on my own, he puts his hands on my shoulders and runs them down my sides. His hands create the shape of the dress, and the light follows, swirling around me until I’m clothed in a ball gown of jet-black satin with golden nightingales
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