Page 222 of Midnights
The sound of my nickname on her lips slams into me, knocking the air clean out of my lungs. No one calls me that. “Who are you?”
But before she can answer, another voice cuts in from behind me, shattering the tension like glass.
“What did you say, dear?”
I whirl around, bracing for impact before I even know why, and catch a younger woman a few feet away. Her expression is polite, but her eyes study me with quiet curiosity.
“Sorry, what?”
“I thought you said something,” she shrugs, tilting her head, looking behind me.
“Oh, no, I was—” I turn back, gesturing toward the old woman, but the words die in my throat. The corner is empty. My pulse spikes as I scan the street, looking at every shadow and space where she could’ve vanished. But there’s nothing. There's no trace of her.
The younger woman lifts a brow, shifting on her feet. “Well, have a nice morning,” she says politely before quickly walking away.
“What the hell?” I mutter under my breath as my chest tightens with unease. I scan the street one last time, but there's still no sign of her. Everything she said echoes in my mind like a ghostly whisper. She knew something. And then she just vanished?
I force myself to push past the lingering unease and head into the café. The comforting aroma of fresh coffee and pastries wraps around me, grounding me in the present. I place my order, but my movements are automatic. My mind is still tangled in the strangeness of that encounter.
Walking outside, I settle at one of the small tables, hoping the morning air will clear my head. I stare out at the street and the chatter of the town fades into a distant hum as I replay the woman’s words, dissecting every inflection, trying to figure out what she could have meant. And the more I think about it, the more unsettled I feel.
Time blurs, and I barely notice my tea cooling on the table. When I finally lift the cup to take a sip, the cold liquid makes me wince, and I set it back down with a sigh. Frustration simmers beneath my skin, and I absentmindedly stir the tea, debating whether I should get a new cup.
A faint wisp of steam curls up, and my breath stumbles. I stare into the cup wondering if I've lost it. It wasn't warm a second ago…was it? The heat clings to my fingertips when I tighten my grip.
I'm so focused on my cup that when a hand lands on my shoulder, I jerk, nearly sending the tea flying. My head snaps up, and I see Mike standing above me, and his expression is a mix of amusement and apology.
“Didn’t mean to scare you again, love.” He raises both hands slightly, but the corner of his mouth curves into that charming grin I’ve come to expect. “I called your name, but you didn’t seem to hear me. Is everything alright?”
I force a smile, trying to steady my racing pulse. “Hey, Mike. Sorry, I must’ve been lost in my own world.”
“Clearly,” he teases. His grin widens into something more mischievous. “And here I thought you’d be harder to catch off guard. Guess I'll have to adjust my expectations.”
He leans in slightly, dropping his voice into a low, velvety murmur. “Let me guess, you’re replaying the ball in that head of yours?”
I arch a brow, refusing to let him see how much his tone gets under my skin. “It was an eventful night,” I shrug, keeping my tone casual. “And for the record, I don’t scare easily. You just have a talent for popping up at the worst possible moments. Must be your thing.”
He laughs, and the sound curls around me like smoke. But instead of being charming, like it usually is, it sets me on edge.
“I’ll take that as a compliment.” I can see the amusement dancing in his eyes, and resist the urge to roll mine. “Seems like I’m exactly where I need to be. Especially when it involves you.”
The blush creeping up my neck betrays me, but I manage a small smile, refusing to give him the satisfaction. “Well, you definitely excel at being in places where you’re unexpected. Is that another one of your talents?”
He leans closer, and it blurs the line between playful and flirting, but I allow it. “I'm just looking out for people who might need it. Seems to me you fall into that category.”
My lips twitch, but I maintain my composure. “You must be exhausted then, considering all the people out there are in need of a savior. That’s practically a full-time job.”
Mike’s eyes flicker with challenge, and his smile sharpens. “It’s rewarding work.” He straightens, changing the subject. “Have you made it over to Skye yet?”
“Not yet,” I shake my head. “But I think I’m planning to go tomorrow.”
“Good,” he says. There's something about his voice that makes it hard to look away. “Skye has a way of working its magic on people. You’ll love it.” It'salmost cute the way his grin lights up his eyes. “Just promise me one thing. Don’t let anything distract you while you’re there.”
I bite back the smile threatening to break free, ignoring the heat that's creeping into my cheeks. “It must be exciting if you think anything out there could hold my attention long enough to count as a distraction."
The way his smile tilts makes my stomach dip. It's like he's two steps ahead and enjoying every second of it.
“You never know. Some distractions are worth the risk.”
