Page 42 of Blood Moon
The sound of Stevie placing a trash can next to my bedside. The smell of lavender and eucalyptus oils sputtering from our diffuser. The relief of sleep flooding everything around me, easily, quickly. And the small tickle at the start of my thighs from the aching reminder of Julian’s lips against mine.
Magic was too simple of a word to describe what happened between the two of us.
Because that … well, that was everything.
And while I slept, the words that Julian said before he left came rushing to: “I’m sorry.”
But it was the way he’d said it. He wasn’t apologizing for what he’d already done, not for what he’d said to me in class, not for who he’d been before today.
It sounded like he was apologizing for something he hadn’t done yet.
Something that wassoonto happen.
CHAPTER23
I was terrified by the darkness that dwelled within me.
Sometimes, I still am.
Article III, Lost Letters from Aadan the First
When my eyes peeled open, I felt like I was dreaming.
In waves, sunlight pierced through slits in the blinds, forcing its way through like water. Particles of dust drifted in the beams, and over there, on the couch, rose the soft sounds of Naomi snoring. Stevie was asleep, too, wrapped in a plush of white, one foot dangling off her twin-sized bed.
I rolled over, immediately feeling the throbbing pain in my temples, the tenderness in my eyes. I was confident I appeared as a puffer fish, with inflated cheeks and bloated lips.
There were two text notifications when I picked up my phone. The first was from Bobby, checking to see if we were still on for brunch today.Shit.
I jerked out of bed, grabbed my caddy, and rushed for the bathrooms, almost banging my knee on the way out.No, no, no.I’d completely forgotten about brunch—the one I’d made mandatory in hopes I could pull information from him.
The second text was from Seven.
Never got a chance to tell you how beautiful you looked
Hope we can hang out soon
Seven. I could already make out his face in my head. The deepening of his dimples at the sight of me. The warmth of his embrace. The simplicity of his aura, easy like morning dew on blades of grass. And how, after that kiss with Julian, I didn’t get a chance to see him again. Everything spun so quickly after that.
And Julian. The way I could barely catch my breath as I thought of him. He was an ember hidden in my chest. The phantom touch of where his fingers last skimmed haunted me. That kiss was reckless, and I was conflicted when I shouldn’t be.
Crawling to me again was his apology—the way he’d breathed it to me before daybreak. It made me writhe with worry. Whatever the reason, it was bound to be no good. I could be sure of that.
Bobby texted when he was outside. I scrubbed my teeth one last time, trying to get rid of last night, but there was a blossoming on the edge of my bottom lip. A small purplish dot. A reminder I didn’t need. When I touched it, there was a flutter in my navel. I quickened my pace then and pulled on a hoodie, trying to forget Julian’s mouth as I hurried outside.
The late morning sky was a brilliant light blue, and the day smelled of wet soil and decaying berries from a nearby shrub. One student sat with a book in a rocker on the long wraparound porch connected to Hester Hall.
Further down the sidewalk, in the first parking space available, was Bobby’s black truck. It was dirtier than usual, mud splattered across the grill and all around the tires.
“Bug! How are you?” he said as soon as I climbed in. I noticed how frizzy his curls were today, the way they tufted in small balls, crying of thirst. Normally, Bobby kept his hair short and styled with gel or a cream, but it looked like he hadn’t done much of anything to it in days. I was apprehensive but quickly distracted by the smell of coffee because …priorities.
“You got me coffee?” I smiled, wiggling my shoulders at the sight of two cups resting in the holder between us.
“What kind of dad would I be if I picked you up this early without coffee?” Bobby pulled out of the parking spot, glanced at me as he switched gears. “Besides, looks like you barely slept. Up all night, huh?”
I picked up one of the cups and took a sip. “Speak for yourself,” I said, watching him intently. His beard had grown out, and there were deep shadows beneath his dark brown eyes.
I figured Bobby would jest with me, have a smooth comeback as to why he looked the way he did, but he was serious. “Yeah, work’s been more than demanding the last week.” He exhaled, shaking his head as if recalling all that had happened.
