Page 96 of Midnights
Kane leans back in his chair, looking relaxed as ever. “What’s that supposed to mean?”
Rachel waves him off. “Oh nothing! Just, you know… pretty boy and all…”
I can’t help but laugh while Rachel grins proudly. Kane just shakes his head, looking amused but not the least bit insulted.
We keep talking, laughing, and learning bits and pieces about each other. When it’s my turn to answer questions, I keep it vague while talking about my childhood. I steer clear of the… unconventional details.
While other kids were probably playing tag or hide-and-seek, I was learning how to punch and throw knives for fun. And honestly, how do you even bring that up?
“Hey, remember recess? Well, I was busy learning how to disarm someone in under ten seconds.”
Yeah, not exactly casual conversation.
Kane’s presence is both calming and stressful. It's an infuriating contradiction that leaves me teetering between fascination and frustration. Every time our eyes meet, a flutter of excitement rises in my chest. It's always uninvited, but undeniable.
It’s strange, being so drawn to someone I barely know while simultaneously being annoyed by him. Throughout dinner, I catch him stealing glances when he thinks I'm not looking, and every subtle brush of his knee against mine under the table feels loaded. I try to act unaffected, but it’s impossible to ignore the heat creeping up my neck.
Every time I look up, he’s watching me with that same infuriatingly amused look.
“So, what about you, Kane? What did you grow up doing?” Rachel asks.
“My family believed in being well-rounded, so I learned a bit of everything."
The intensity in his gaze sends a chill through me. His eyes flicker over my face and down my body like he’s daring me to look away first.
I don’t.
Instead, I hold his stare. There’s something deeper there than the casual banter we’ve been tossing around all night.
My heart pounds against my ribs.
The room could disappear and I don’t think I’d notice.
I can feel heat pooling between my legs while my nipples tighten under my shirt. I have to fight the urge to cross my arms over my chest, suddenly feeling way too exposed.
Why does my body keep doing this to me? It's making me hyper-aware of every breath, every heartbeat, every inch of space between us. I swallow, trying to regain control, but the way he looks at me is like he’s fully aware of how my body is responding to him.Which I really hope isn’t the case.
Rachel’s voice slices through the tension like a cold gust of air, snapping me out of the heated trance I was caught in.
I blink, forcing myself to breathe as she suddenly stands and scoots her chair back.
“Alright, I'm calling it a night. Got a migraine.”
She glances between me and Kane, wearing a knowing smirk that I swear I'll kill her for later. Then she turns to me with a dramatic sigh. “Rave, I love you, but you snore. Tonight I want my own room. If you get scared, be quiet when you sneak in, yeah?”
I shoot her a look that screamswhat in the actual fuck,but she conveniently pretends not to notice, turning her attention to Cam instead.
Cam rises from his seat, his tall frame dwarfing hers as he stretches. “Yeah, I'm beat too.Tour Guide Camhas done his duty for the day.”
He claps his hands together before placing his hand on the small of Rachel’s back, guiding her toward the door.
“Better get going.”
Rachel gets migraines a lot, and when they hit, she’s out for days. If it’s a bad one, I don’t see her for weeks. Something always triggers it, and then she vanishes.
I’d be suspicious and think she was just making excuses if she didn’t actually look like she was suffering just now. Her face is pale, and I know that look all too well.
So as much as I want to investigate, I hold back.
