45. Joy
JOY
“It’s time to make a decision.”
- ELIAN
By the time dawn broke through the cracks in the stone, I had only slept for what felt like an hour or less. When we arrived at the room Elian had given us, Florence and I washed, redressed, and climbed into the bed without speaking a word. Selfishly the kiss played on my mind, although I knew Florence’s mind was far from it. She had just reunited with her brothers after years.
And all I could think about was her lips on mine.
We laid side by side, neither one of us daring to touch the other. As soon as the barely-there light hit the room, I lurched to my feet and into the bathing chamber. Cold water stung my face as I splashed handful after handful on my skin.
I just want you.
Her words burned into my skin.
Never in my wildest dreams.
I suddenly felt hot underneath my clothes. Sweat breaking out on my back. I dressed faster than I thought possible, bolting out the door to join Raya in the dining hall.
She shoveled eggs and burnt toast into her mouth. She lifted her eyebrows in a way 0f greeting.
“No Khol this morning?” I teased. “Is he too tired?” I wiggled my eyebrows at her. She choked on her breakfast.
“The walls may be made of stone, but they’re not soundproof…” I said with a wink, flopping down next to her.
“Well, I never kiss and tell,” she smirked, piling more eggs onto her plate.
Jodie and Erin slid onto the bench opposite us, creamed rice pudding in each of their bowls. Bags under their eyes.
“Raya and Khol keep you awake too?” I asked with a sneer. Jodie glanced at Raya, a smile hiding in the corner of her mouth.
“The walls aren’t soundproof,” Erin muttered into her rice pudding quietly. A laugh bolted through me.
“My sentiment exactly,” I nudged Raya softly. “But enough about our new friends’ scandalous antics, what’s on the agenda today? Receiving some life altering news? Finding out someone else is trying to kill us? Perhaps our dead parents rising from their graves?” I said in a mock serious voice. All the girls laughed, earning stares from the other members of The Circle eating around us.
“Oh don’t be ridiculous,” Erin laughed. “Jodie can barely survive a walk in the dark, never mind our dear old dad returning from the underworld.” She flicked some pudding at her sister.
“You are becoming more and more like Joy every day.” Jodie crossed her arms, feigning anger.
“Jodie.” I rested my hands on my chest. “That’s the kindest thing anyone has ever said to me!” I wiped away a fake tear.
“Speaking of being up all night,” Raya said from out of the blue.
“No one was speaking of that,” Erin spoke with eyebrows risen. “But go on.” Jodie smirked before shoving a spoonful of rice pudding into her mouth.
“I am the queen of the subtle conversational maneuver,” Raya boasted.
“You should let other people tell you that you’re subtle,” I chided with a smile. Raya nudged me, clicking her fingers, a flame appearing between her digits.
“Alright ladies, weapons down.” Jodie rolled her eyes dramatically. “Back to being up all night.” She pushed her empty bowl aside, leaning in for the gossip. The flame between Raya’s fingers extinguished.
“I was going to ask Joy,” she turned to me with a flourish, “what happened with Florence after we all went to bed?” The three of them leaned closer toward me, their ears ready to receive. I thrusted a piece of toast into my mouth, buying time to give an answer.
“What do you mean?” I said around my food. All three girls rolled their eyes.
“Do you want us to pretend we didn’t notice the swollen lips, the longing glances, the ‘oh please ravish me’ looks to you and Florence were giving each other.” Erin stared at me like a character from a romance novel, reaching her hand to touch my cheek. I batted her away, sticking my tongue out.
“Alright, alright!” I caved quickly, partly because I couldn’t deny the looks between Florence and I, but mostly because I wanted to confide in my friends.
“We kissed.”
“The understatement of the century!” Jodie bellowed, more heads turning our way as her sister ‘shushed’ her.
“We kissed… with passion?” My voice rose at the end of the sentence. We erupted into fits of laughter.
“Tell us!” Erin demanded.
“There’s nothing to tell, we kissed. It was… nice,” I promised, my hands raised in innocence.
“Details!” Jodie squealed. I reached for another piece of toast, but Raya stopped me.
She covered my hand with hers and closed her eyes.
Memories of the kiss ploughed through my head in a whirlwind. The feelings returning, heat creeping up my neck.
“Hey!” I slapped her hand. “Stay out of my head!” I couldn’t help the smile on my face, the feeling of Florence’s lips on my mine now fresh in my mind.
“Wow,” Raya feigned a swoon, gulping her glass of water quickly. “Is it hot in here?” she asked, earning a shove that nearly pushed her from the bench. Our laughter filled the room.
“What are we laughing at?” Khol asked as he approached the table, a high-necked tunic trying to hide the mouth shaped bruises on his neck.
The four of us looked at each other, not sure what we were willing to share. Khol starred at us, his eyes narrowing.
“The walls are not soundproof,” Raya said with a huff, Khol’s face turned a bright shade of red.
“But we’re impressed with your stamina,” Jodie piped up, her attempt to diminish the awkwardness working in the exact opposite way.
We fell into laughter once again.