Chapter 33
Nova
The house comes into view and I’m not ready for the night to end.
Rane slows as we reach the front steps. Stops at the bottom. He turns to face me with something almost shy in his expression, which is ridiculous because this is Rane—he’s never shy about anything.
“So,” he says. “If this were a normal date—”
“Was it not?”
“If this were a normal date where I picked you up at your place and took you out…” He gestures at the door behind him. “This would be the part where I drop you off. Walk you to your door. Linger awkwardly on the porch.”
I bite my lip to keep from smiling. “Awkwardly?”
“Very awkwardly.” He takes a step closer. “And this would be the part where I try to figure out if I can kiss you.”
“Try to figure out?”
“Overthink it. Definitely. Wonder if it’s too soon. Wonder if you want me to.” He swallows. His eyes drop to my mouth for half a second. “Wonder if I should just go for it or ask first or—”
I kiss him.
Not soft. Not tentative. Not the way Trey kissed me—careful and asking. Not the way Kyron kissed me—deliberate and claiming.
This is me. Deciding. Taking.
His hands find my waist and pull me closer and I go, pressing into him, feeling the sharp inhale he takes against my mouth. He tastes like chocolate from dessert and something warmer underneath, and when I slide my fingers into his hair he makes a sound that shoots straight through me.
I don’t stop.
I kiss him like I’ve been thinking about it all night. Like I’ve been thinking about it longer than that. Like fifteen years of not being touched has built up into something that needs out, and he’s here, and he’s warm, and he wants me, and I—
I want him.
His hands tighten on my waist. He angles his head and deepens the kiss and I let him, let myself get lost in it, in the slide of his mouth and the press of his body and the way my blood is singing under my skin.
Time stops meaning anything.
And then the door opens.
“I told you to have her home by ten.”
We break apart. Rane’s breathing hard. So am I.
Vaelor is standing in the doorway, arms crossed, but he’s fighting a smile.
“Shut up,” Rane manages.
“It’s almost midnight.”
“Shut up.”
Vaelor’s grin breaks through. He shakes his head, steps aside to let Rane pass. Rane gives me one last look—heated, promising—and disappears inside.
Which leaves me on the porch with Vaelor.
He’s backlit by the warm light from the house, golden hair loose around his shoulders, looking down at me with an expression I can’t quite read. Soft and somehow heated at the same time.
“Happy looks good on you,” he says.
The words make me feel something I didn’t realize I was ready for.
I don’t think about it. I just move—up on my toes, one hand bracing against his chest for balance because he’s so damn tall, and I press a kiss to his cheek.
He goes still. Completely still. I feel his breath catch under my palm.
Then I drop back to my heels and slip past him into the house before I can see his face.
The living room is full. Because of course they all waited up.
They’re scattered around the room, trying very hard to look casual.
None of them are pulling it off.
“So,” Kyron says. “How was it?”
“Amazing.” I’m still a little breathless. Still a little flushed. “That food was…” I shake my head. “Yeah.”
Rane appears from the kitchen, glass of water in hand. “That place is the best.” He’s grinning. Can’t seem to stop.
“The company was better,” I say.
It comes out before I can stop it. My face goes warm but I hold his gaze, watching his expression shift from surprise to something softer. Something that makes my pulse kick.
“I’m going to bed before you guys ruin this.” I’m already moving toward the stairs, but I’m smiling. “Goodnight.”
A chorus of goodnights follows me up.
I close my bedroom door and lean against it, pressing my palms to my cheeks. They’re burning. My whole body is burning—not unpleasantly. Like something’s been turned on inside me and I don’t know how to switch it off.
I get ready for bed on autopilot. Change into soft clothes. Brush my teeth.
When I look up from the sink, the mirror is fogged.
I frown. Wipe at it with my hand. The condensation clears for a second, then starts creeping back from the edges.
The water’s not even hot. I didn’t take a shower.
I press my palm flat against the glass. It’s warm. Not from steam—from me. My handprint stays clear for a moment, then fades as more fog creeps in.
I pull my hand back. Stare at it.
What the actual…
My skin looks normal. But there’s sweat at my hairline, and when I push my hair back it sticks to my neck. The buzzing that started during that kiss hasn’t stopped. If anything, it’s louder.
I splash cold water on my face. Force myself to breathe. Eventually the fog clears and I look almost normal in the mirror—flushed, bright-eyed, but normal.
It’s nothing. Adrenaline. The date. The kiss. Everything.
I crawl under the covers.
The buzzing doesn’t stop. But it’s not unpleasant. It feels like anticipation. Like my body knows something my brain doesn’t.
Tell me something good. Something you’re looking forward to.
I stare at the ceiling and think about Rane’s question. About how I didn’t have an answer.
I do now.
I’m looking forward to tomorrow. To breakfast with them. To walking to class surrounded by people who want me there. To whatever comes next.
For the first time in fifteen years, I’m looking forward to something.
I close my eyes.
The heat pulses once under my skin—warm, steady, almost like a heartbeat.
I don’t fight it.
I fall asleep smiling.