Total pages in book: 49
Estimated words: 44009 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 220(@200wpm)___ 176(@250wpm)___ 147(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 44009 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 220(@200wpm)___ 176(@250wpm)___ 147(@300wpm)
A small smile crossed my lips. I didn’t expect to hear that from him, but it was nice to know, especially with everything going on. A little kindness went a long way, and it went even further when it came from him. He did everything in his power to not come off as soft and weak, and I was sure that compassion fell under that category. It was nice to be an exception.
“Me too,” I admitted. I thought about him a lot. No matter what happened between me and Arvo or me and Sol, he was always on my mind. He was a thought that I couldn’t shake. “It’s nice to have you back.”
“I’m glad I was here when… everything happened,” Zephyr told me, his arm brushing mine. “I wouldn’t want you to deal with this alone.”
I drew in a deep breath, trying to imagine my state without him. I surely would’ve been closer to breaking apart. In a way, he helped keep me together and to ground me when I threatened to spiral.
“This place definitely doesn’t feel safe anymore. I almost left. Almost packed up everything,” I admitted. I even pulled out my bags when I returned to my room after talking to Sol, but I just couldn’t do it. Something told me to stick around. I supposed my survival instincts weren’t as strong as they could’ve been.
“If I didn’t have such a responsibility to the Kings, I would leave. It doesn’t help that Sol is probably plotting my downfall with Dean Schmidt,” Zephyr muttered bitterly before stopping and grabbing my hand. “But that doesn’t mean we can’t take a break from this place. What are you doing over the holiday break?”
I thought for a moment, trying to piece together a plan for the upcoming winter break, but my mind turned blank. I didn’t know what to do.
“I don’t have any plans. Stay alive, I guess,” I replied with a wry smile.
Zephyr smirked, keeping his firm grip on my hand.
“That’ll be easier if I’m around to keep you from biting it,” Zephyr said before tugging me forward a few inches. “Come with me to Greece. It’ll be warm. Secluded.”
Heat bloomed within me as he pulled me close, our chests nearly touching. The thought of laying out in the warm sand with Zephyr as the glaring sun made the perfection of his bare chest glow sounded like a fantasy compared to the hell that my life had been lately. We would be far away from here, making this place seem like a distant memory.
Then, an actual memory struck my mind like lightning. My tender kiss with Sol took over my thoughts, and a different kind of heat graced me, centering around my chest. How he bared his soul to me weakened me, making my heart flutter as his words echoed in my head. Could I really leave this place when I had responsibilities to people here too?
What if Theo came back? What if Sol needed my help? There was too much uncertainty happening around here for me to just leave, even when I really wanted to.
“I don’t know if I can,” I told him, watching his eyes narrow slightly. “There’s just so much going on here.”
“And a lot of that negatively affects you,” Zephyr argued as he moved even closer. He placed a hand on my cheek, forcing my eyes to meet his. “Don’t you want to go away with me?”
My breath hitched as he touched me so passionately, speaking in the same manner. He really wanted me to go, but I just couldn’t.
“It’s just not the right time,” I murmured. “But one day… we’ll leave this place. Together.”
I didn’t know if that would actually happen. It would be nice to walk away from this place hand-in-hand, to turn our backs and never look back. But that wouldn’t happen for a while. He wouldn’t leave here until the Kings were fully restored and in power.
Zephyr seemed satisfied enough with my answer because he moved his hand from my cheek to the back of my neck, drawing my lips to his in a firm kiss. It was demanding, insistent. He wanted to argue, to fight, but he knew that I was just as stubborn and determined as he was.
I let my eyes flutter shut as I leaned into the kiss, my hand gripping the lapel of his overcoat in a tight fist. With each brush of his lips against mine, more and more of my stress and worries started to melt away. Rising heat started to burn through me as I started to crave more of his touch. Maybe he was the enemy or would be, but right now, he kept me from shattering. That was enough for me to fall into him.
“I need you,” I whispered against his lips. That was all that I needed to say for him to grab my hand and whisk me back to his room.