Page 39 of Beautiful Defiance

“Holy fuck.”

“Sucks, really. I used to eat them all the time as a kid, then one day, poof, swollen tongue, eyes, face. It was horrible. I looked like I was stung by a hive of bees on steroids.”

“Is there a different fruit you like that makes up for missing out on cha-bies?”

I laugh. “Cha-bies?”

“You like?”

“Sure.” I’m too happy to tell him that he sounds juvenile when he says strawberries like he’s a little kid. “My other favorite fruit is blueberries. The fatter the better.”

“Yum.”

“Yep, yum,” I agree.

We laugh. I settle further inside the covers, ready for bed. Seven has other ideas. He points to a remote on the nightstand. “What’s that?”

“No clue.”

“Oh, I think you do. How about I put my guess to the test?”

“Seven.”

He turns his back to me and reaches for the remote. I tackle him, but too late, he hits the “on” button. The panel on the ceiling above us opens, exposing the hidden skylight. The moon is hiding behind the clouds again. The stars twinkle at us. It’s beautiful, and I hate it.

I face the wall.

“Leigh.” A large warm hand settles on my shoulder. Thick fingers sweep aside my hair. He traces the tattoo at the base of my neck. “What’s wrong? Why don’t you want to stare at the night sky? Hear raindrops on the pane?”

“Too extravagant. I don’t want to get used to it. Thomas’s world. I don’t belong in it.”

“Leigh, in this, can you just be and enjoy what you have in the here and now?”

I sigh. How did this boy get to be so wise? Undone by the tenderness in his voice, I scoot close and lay my head on his shoulder. We stare up at the night sky.

“It’s breathtaking.”

He kisses the top of my head. “I agree. Goodnight, Leigh.”

“Night, Seven. Remember, we are not friends.”

“Never that, Leigh. Never just friends.”

What’s he mean by “never just friends?” I don’t think too hard on it. My eyelids droop, and I give in to sleep, excited for my first day at my new job.

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