Page 65 of Kadra: The Unfeeling

I don’t have the time nor the strength to fight it any longer.

This boy.

This beautiful, quiet boy with both darkness and light in his stormy eyes has become the stars in my dark sky, guiding me when I can’t seem to find my way in the dark. Just like my sisters.

Tearing my gaze from Azariel I look around and my breath hitches when I take in the sight in front of me.

Thump.

Thump.

Thump.

My heart starts to gallop in my chest when I see what he’s done.

Right in the middle of the garden surrounded by flowers, a picnic was set up. Azariel is sitting on a white blanket with a tea set and a picnic basket.

The sudden urge to cry hits me again and I breathe through my nose repeatedly to stop myself from embarrassing not only myself but Azariel as well. Instead, I try my sister’s tactic when she feels pain or when her heart races. I tap my chest three times.

My feet have a life of their own when I start moving and walk towards the lovely boy who is now looking at me with doubt written on his face.

I would rather stab myself in the chest than make him doubt himself or feel stupid for the beautiful gesture he’s done.

Pulling myself together, I raise my head, look at him as I walk, and smile. I let all I feel for this child shine through so he’s sure that he is to me, what I am to him.

A home.

When I reach the picnic, I drop to my knees without being asked. Before Azariel I would have never kneeled for anyone but for him I do. Hell, I would have never participated in a picnic but for him I was. I would do it a thousand times if it made him look at me how he’s looking at me now. As if I made his day.

He sure made mine.

“What is this?” I look at the items gathered and smile. Inside the open basket, there are various containers with candy.

Candy… my smile widens.

Candy and cherries.

Candy for him and I bet cherries are for me.

Azariel shrugs almost shyly, “Vitali says that you should do nice things for people when they do nice things for you.”

“You don’t need to do anything for me. You, being here is more than enough.” He looks away but I grab his chin between my thumb and middle finger making him look at me. “But this is beautiful. Thank you.”

He nods then takes out the cherries and places them in front of me before picking up the teapot and pours me some tea. “Do you like tea, Azariel?”

“I don’t,” he says bluntly and I grin.

“You don’t?”

“That is why it’s soda,” he answers with a cheeky grin.

My eyes fall to the teacup and indeed it’s a dark brown liquid and I laugh out loud.

“Soda, candy, and fruit,” I say while taking a sip of the godawful liquid. It tastes horrible but I refrain from making any face that makes him think I don’t like it. “Good choices.”

He looks dead serious when he says, “You don’t like it.”

“I love it.” I do because he did all of this for me. How could I not?

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