Page 15 of Forever Midnight

ChapterSeven

MIDNIGHT

Slightly before five in the morning, I reluctantly wake the sleeping beauty beside me. Tru has been sound asleep since Viv gave him her famous healing elixir, and if it were up to me, he would stay here all day, but I have to honor my promise.

I whisper his name, brushing his hair back from his forehead. His beauty is remarkable—wild and untamable when he’s awake, but angelic when his guard is down. I could stare at him for eternity.

Tru’s eyes flutter open, and as he focuses on me, his brow creases. “Where am…” His words trail off as he nods. “Right.”

“It’s almost five. You wanted to be home?”

Tru groans, touching the healing cut on his lip. “Um, I look like shit, don’t I?”

“No, but you do look like you’ve been in a fight. You’ll be better by tomorrow.”

“Tomorrow?” Tru blows out a breath. “Any chance my phone survived?”

“Yes.” I hand it to him from its spot on the nightstand, cracked but not broken.

“Okay. Um, can you not say anything while I make this call?”

“Of course.”

Tru nods, unlocking his phone and pressing a button that says, “Mom.” I can hear it ring and then a chipper voice answers.

“Hey, Ma,” Tru says. “Just wanted to let you know I decided to spend the night out with a friend.” His eyes shift to me as his mother asks him a stream of questions he doesn’t bother to answer. “Ma,” Tru interrupts. “Remember the talk we had about me being an adult and you respecting my privacy?”

I have to fight back a smirk. His tone is respectful, but it’s obvious he has a doting mother.

“I’m not sure when I’ll be back. I just want to hang out here.” He rolls his eyes when the next question comes in. “No, Ma, it’s not ‘someone special.’ Just a friend. I’ll see you when I see you, okay?”

She rattles on about a few other things, and Tru listens patiently until he finally wraps it up.

“Sounds good, Ma. Bye.”

Tru ends the call and lays his head back on the pillow, his eyes shifting to me beside him.

“I thanked you, right?”

I nod. “Yes.”

He nods, looking at the scrapes on his hand that are quickly healing thanks to Viv.

“My mom, she’s uh, kind of overprotective because of something that happened. Not to me. To my sister. She has trouble remembering that I’m an adult. I even moved back home to be with her since my youngest sister is in school and my other sister, well, she’s away right now.”

“You are under no obligation to explain anything to me, but I welcome it just the same.”

Tru’s brow creases. “How are you so proper and shit?”

“Proper and shit?”

“The way you talk sometimes.”

I chuckle without directly answering his question. “Do you want to tell me what last night was about?”

Tru’s expression hardens. “No. I should though.”

“If you’re planning to do it again, it might be helpful.”

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