Page 29 of Midnight Waters

Now William’s cheeks reddened.

“They don’t hold back, do they?” I said, dabbing at my face, hoping to tidy up any smudged makeup.

“They sure don’t.”

“Well? It’s your turn to go first,” I said.

William screwed up his face, but there was no disguising the smile at the corner of his lips.

I leaned back and swung one leg over the other. He was enjoying this, even if he preferred to hide it.

“Okay,” he said. “If I have to answer, it’s having sex somewhere… public.”

Oh damn. This boy was on my wavelength.

“What a coincidence.” I made to drink more wine, but decided against it. Clearly, I couldn’t be trusted with it.

“What is?” he asked.

I raised my eyebrows at him, touching the rim of the glass to my lip.

William tilted his head toward me, his eyes sparkling when he realised what I meant.

“That’s rare for a girl,” he said in low tones.

“How would you know? You only know Dusk girls.”

“And are you a Dusk girl?”

The paper glowed red once more, and I pursed my lips.

“I guess I can’t answer that one,” I said with a shrug. “What do you think?”

William looked me up and down, sticking his lower lip out. “You’re giving me some exotic vibes.”

I snorted. “Exotic? Hardly.”

Leaving Dusk to live in London for a few years classed me as ‘adventurous’ in the eyes of the island folk. But I had hardly visited anywhere more exotic than the Cheddar Gorge.

William opened his mouth to respond, but the new green glow of the paper snatched my attention.

Newly inked onto the page were the words: Should you both be willing, you may share a kiss.

My eyes glazed over, and my entire body felt like I had plunged into an icy lake. I wouldn’t have dared look at William even if I could have.

Kiss?

I wanted to tell myself how crazy it sounded. That we couldn’t possibly, we had only just met.

But I wanted to, in no small way.

Maybe it was the anonymity and knowing that if I messed up, he never had to learn who I was. Maybe I just wanted to take a leap into the unknown, like I had convinced myself I should. What with my lifespan being so uncertain.

I took a moment to thaw, but when I did, I looked at William.

He had shuffled a little closer while I had zoned out and had taken possession of a cautious smile.

“No pressure,” he said. “What do you think?”

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