“Not after I passed out.”
“You drink till you pass out?” I stopped, a chill slithering down my back.
He ran a hand through his hair, and chocolate waves slipped back into his face. “Only way to silence the voices.” He pointed to his head with a shrug.
“Ouch. I’m sorry.”
“Not your fault. I’m just worried it’s getting to Caroli.”
Aww. That’s cute, he cares about the witch.
“She’s not that bad,” he chuckled.
Crap! I forgot he can read my mind.
“It takes a while to get used to. You’ll learn to shut me out eventually.” He bent his head to the box on my desk. “You haven’t taken it out of the box yet?”
I darted across the floor to grab the box and tossed it into the drawer. “Naw. I don’t wanna lose it.” I sighed, and rested against the dresser. “No one’s ever given me jewelry before. Well, unless this count.” I lifted the chain, key danglling pleasantly between us. “Thank you. Again.”
“Let me help you. I got it for you to wear.” He motioned for me to move, and got the box out. “It’s good to always share a wish with you. You never know when you’ll need one.” He took the pendant from the box, and circled around me. I watched as the glass orb was lowered to my chest.
“I’ve never wished on a dandelion seed.”
“It’s never too late to start. There you go.”
I turned, fingers rolling over the orb. “Thank you.” My heart trembled in my chest. Too close. We were too close. I coughed and backed away. I prided myself in never breaking up a relationship because I couldn’t keep my fingers off. Even though I detested Caroli, I’d never be vile enough to go after her boyfriend. I threw myself down on the bed, and changed the subject. “So, I can shut you out? From my head, I mean.” Good neutral ground.
Cas smiled, and sank into the chair. “Of course.”
“How?” I flipped over, propping myself up on my elbows. “Do I have to sacrifice something to the gods, or what?”
“Not really.” He chuckled. “It’s more about moving your thoughts to the back of your mind.” He leaned back, and laced his arms behind his head.
“Uhm? What now?”
“You should talk to Rigel, he’s good at explaining the technique.”
I chewed on my lip for a second. “Can I ask you something?”
His arms dropped, and he leaned forward, waiting.
“Why didn’t anyone protect me? When mom died?”
He frowned. “We did, Mira. Lux and I have always protected you.”
I pulled up the sleeve of my cardigan and showed him the paling scars on my arm. “Didn’t do a very good job, then.” I sat, and plucked a pillow into my arms.
“Mira? Do you realize how many demons we kept away from you while you learned to fight off those imps? We were there, every step of the way.”
“So, you knew about Aym?”
He tipped back. “Well, no. He slipped past us.” He rubbed his chin. “Guess you’re right. We didn’t do a decent job.” His brows knitted in thought.
He rose to his feet when I remained silent. With a leisurely groan, he stretched out his back, which caused the gray t-shirt to lift and expose tanned skin on a flat abdomen. “You should get some sleep,” he said, saving me from the trip to naughty land my mind was packing for.
“Uhm… yeah, right.” I cleared my throat, and shuffled under the duvet. “Are you gonna be okay on the chair?”
He walked to the window, and pulled the curtains. “I’ll be fine.”
“How about the… you know.” I gestured to my head. “Need a drink? Cause I don’t have anything here, but I have a few bottles in Kaito’s room, I was saving them for the party this weekend. If you need them, they’re yours.”
He waved away my offer. “Keep them. I’m not here to sleep.”
“Right, Well then. Goodnight, I guess.” I turned to my side and curled up to a ball.
I never realized how hard it was to not think. Seriously? My mind swirled into dark and twisted territory in an instant, only to do a one eighty and imagine the dirtiest porn fantasies I’ve ever had. I jerked to a sitting position with a frustrated sigh. “I can’t. I’m sorry. Knowing you hear every thought makes my mind do weird things. I’m never gonna be able to sleep with you judging me from over there.”
Cas chortled in the dark. “You worry too much. Go to sleep.”
Easy for him to say. No one was reading his mind.
“I’m not reading your mind. It’s like saying you’re listening to the birds sing. You’re not actually listening, you just hear it. I can’t turn it off.” He lowered his voice to just above a whisper. “I would if I could.”
I laid down, burrowing into the covers. “Still feels weird. I can’t control what I think, and knowing you hear it, even though you don’t want to, is scary.” Wonder how that would work during sex. To have someone know how to… I groaned and covered my face with a pillow. “See. That’s what I’m talking about,” I complained, and snorted at the laughter that reached me from the chair.
Chapter 24
Cas escorted me down to the cafeteria and joined me at the table with two large cups of steaming coffee.
“You snore.” I traced the brim of the cup with my finger.
“I know.”
“Thought you said you weren’t gonna sleep.”
“I can’t help it if your dreams were boring enough to put me to sleep.”
“They were not.” Hand to my chest, I faked a gasp. “I’ll let you know, all my dreams are amazing.”
“Hey, monster.” Kaito yawned, and dragged himself over to our table. “How was…” He peered at Cas. “Studying?”
Cas laughed and kicked the chair out. “I’ll leave you to it.” I followed his movement to a couple of tables away.
As soon as he was out of earshot, Kaito’s demanding eyes clung to my face. ”Dish. Are you doing them both? Cause there’s always one of them hanging on you lately. I wouldn’t judge. You know that.”
“Nothing to tell.” I bent deeper over the cup and pretended like the froth was the most interesting thing in the room. The chair rattled when Kaito sat down next to me.
“Oh, I know there’s something.”
“Hey, Mira. How was your night?”
I groaned at Aris' question, Kaito’s leer burning a hole in my head.
“Fine. Thanks.” I threw back a big gulp of coffee.
“Great.” Aris paused at our table. “I should’ve warned you, he snores.”
“Hey! Aris? Have you noticed Kaito over here? The guy staring at me like I’m a slut?” I nudged my head in Kaito’s direction.
“I have, actually. He’s cute.”
Kaito gulped, then coughed. Aris winked at me. “I’ll see you both later.”
“What? Who? Did he just? I mean…” Kaito gawked after Aris, a delightful pink tint gleamed on his cheeks.
“Mash’ Allah. He’s speechless.” Salma placed her books on the table with a grin plastered on her face.
“That’s a first. No, wait. Didn’t we use the word flabbergasted yesterday? I think the new boys got him tongue tied.”
“Oh, they can tie me anytime they want.”
“And he’s back.” She chortled, and rolled her eyes. “I knew it was too much to hope for.”
“Oh, stop it. You know you’d miss my witty banter.” He swayed a finger at me. “You. Don’t think you’re getting out of this. Are you, or are you not sleeping with them?”
“Who?” Salma scanned the cafeteria.
“I’m not. Sorry to disappoint.”
Kaito glared at me, suspicion plastered all over his pursed face. “I don’t believe you.”
“First of all, Cas has a girlfriend, and Lux has made it very clear, I’m not his type.” Or had he? He said it, but had he acted like it?
“Pfft. Sure, he has a girlfriend, but the way he looks at you… Please, he wants you naked and on top of him, like asap.”
My heart slammed into my ribs. Heat shot through my groin as images of what Kaito just said flooded my mind. Me on top of Cas, his hands grabbing my hips—
A choking cough filled the cafeteria. Cas had his fist to his mouth coughing like crazy, his face red, eyes tearing. Coffee stained his t-shirt and pooled on the table, and Aris had a hand full of napkins drying coffee from his face with an accusatory glare at Cas. Oh, my god. He'd heard me.
Cas nodded, fighting to get the coughing under control. My cheeks flushed, and I rattled off apologies in my head.
“Is he alright?” Salma’s worried eyes travelled from him to us.
“Oh, please. He’ll be fine. Pst. Over here.” Kaito snapped his fingers in front of my face. “What’s that about you not being Lux type? What is his type?”
I ripped my eyes away from Cas. “I… I don’t know.” Get out of this conversation before Kaito drives your thoughts into the gutter again. Eject, run away. Abort, abort, abort. I rushed to my feet, breathlessly looking for any excuse to leave. “Bathroom. I’ll be right back.” I fled the cafeteria before Kaito could say anything more.
Stumbling into the bathroom, I splashed cold water on my face. This wasn’t good. The images fought to resurface. I leaned against the tile and hammered pink elephants into the walls of my mind.
Chapter 25
I left the bathroom after making sure my mind was on the right side of decent. Most of the students had disappeared into their different classes, so I took my sweet time perusing the hall. I spotted Miss Lyra coming down from the other side, her cream-colored blouse and black slacks giving her an air of professionalism. It was completely ruined by the bright red sneakers on her feet, though. She lit up in a smile of recognition.
“Good morning.” She slowed her step. “Having a pleasant day, I hope.”
“Yeah. On my way to class to ruin it as we speak.”
“He huffed air through her nose, her clear blues sparkling with delight.
“Glad to hear you’re willing to make such a huge sacrifice for your education.”
“Lyra.”
My back stiffened at the sound of his voice. The happy feeling drained off me, and my shoulders narrowed when Lyra passed me with a brilliant smile. I glanced over my shoulder and met the winter evening glare of Lux. Not even a nod in greeting before he turned and escorted Lyra into her office. Not gonna lie. That hurt. My pride mostly. I rubbed my arm, and chewed my lip. Not his type. I gotta remember that.
“Mira?” Daniel rolled down the hall with a grin. “Wanna skip class, and go on an adventure?”
“What?” Brows furrowed. “Where in the hell do you expect to find an adventure on this tiny island?”
He’d always been one for made up adventures. Chasing down hidden treasures, often filled with old newspapers, or dead mice. Mostly we’d end up in bed, watching a movie… or something else.
“Oh, come on. You always loved how our adventures ended.”
“What do you really want, Daniel?”
“Company. I’ve got math, and my brain isn’t loving it. So, I thought I’d do something else. Anything. Someone.” His voice lowered to a deep raspy tone at the last word, and I got his meaning clear as day.
I couldn’t deny that I was tempted. My bottom lip took a rough handling by my teeth, while I considered his proposal.
“Sorry. I can’t.” The thought of rolling around in bed with my ex while Cas heard every single thought in my head... Yeah, that wouldn’t work for me.
“If we skip the bedroom part, and stick to the adventure, then?” He wrapped an arm around my shoulders. “Would you come?” Gallantly steering me away from the classroom, he proceeded to describe the amazing time I’d have, if I just gave in and kept him company.
I shrugged his arm off me. “Nope. I’ll save my adventuring for the party.” I edged away from him, and hitched my thumbs to the door at the end of the hall. “Got class. I’ll see you around.”
“Awww.” He pursed his lower lip. “You’re breaking my heart.”
I snorted. “I doubt it. That requires you having one.”
He laughed, then waved and swirled down the hall. I shook my head, my pride a little redeemed. When I entered the classroom, I was relieved to see Kaito in a deep conversation with Aris. That made it easier for me to keep my mind out of the gutter. Then I saw Caroli, who stabbed me with a hateful glare from her spot at the far back of the classroom. She needed to get over her insecurity, or Cas needed to have a serious talk with her. Preferably before I ended up with a knife in my back.
Kaito attacked as soon as my butt hit the chair. “I’ve found the perfect top for you to wear on Saturday.”
“What?”
“The party.” He swung to Aris. “You’re coming, right?”
“Don’t know.”
“Oh, please. What could be more important than the party of the year?” Kaito waved a hand. “Nope. Not accepting a no.” He turned back to me where I sat, twisted backward in my chair. “You’re gonna love the top. It shows off your amazing back.”
I snickered. “My what?”
“Your back of course.”
Aris and I shared a confused look. A smile tickled his lips. Kaito rambled on, unaware of the looks passing over his head. When it came to fashion advice, I’d given up arguing with him. I always ended up wearing what he picked anyway.
“Any fashion tips for me?” Aris asked.
Kaito stopped his rant about the importance to show off my good sides. He scrutinized the teal colored t-shirt Aris wore, and a light flared behind his umbra eyes. “Oh, yes. But it’s more of a private affair kind of look.”
I huffed air through my nose, and turned back to Salma. That was one conversation I’d rather be left out of. I knew I had the last of this week’s PE to look forward to after this, and needed to focus on keeping my mind in check. The thought hit me that I should see Rigel about it, but there was no time between classes for me to sneak away and see him. Not that Cas would mind me being late, but my friends were suspicious enough as it was.
Chapter 26
“I’m not trying to tell you how to live your life, but dude… you need to have a serious talk with your girlfriend.” The conversation had taken a sharp turn into private, as me and Cas got ready for our second night.
“Trust me, I’ve tried. I can’t seem to get through to her. Her mind is on a loop.” He paused with the blanket in his hand. My eyes drifted to his hands, his dropped chin on his chest.
“I’m sorry I brought it up. I should’ve minded my own business.” I grabbed my extra pillow, and handed it to him. “Why does she think I’m after you?” I huffed. “Or you, after me?”
“It’s a long story.”
I jumped into bed and pulled the cover to my chest, shimmying down into the pillow. “I have time.”
Cas exhaled a half laugh, and sat down in the chair, pillow in his lap. “I was in love with some— “
“Woah. Don’t do that. Tell it like a fairytale.”
“What?” My eyes widened, and he snorted.
“You know… Once upon a time, and so on.”
“You’re serious?””
I briskly nodded, and beamed at him.
“Okay.” He chortled. “Once upon a time…” He spared me a meaning glace. “When I was still in the heavens, I fell in love with the most wonderful Star I’d ever seen. Bright, and full of life. Unpredictable, and untamed. We spent every day together, laughing, dancing… loving.”
“She sure isn’t laughing now, is she?”
“It wasn’t Caroli.”
I bit my tongue. “Oh, sorry. What happened?”
“She started to fade. As we do. And I knew I didn’t have much time left with her. So, I broke every rule to try and save her.”
“Did you?”
He slowly shook his bent head. “No. I lost her.”
“I’m so sorry.”
“It was so long ago,” he breathed. “But, since I broke the rules, I had
to be punished. So, they sent me to earth.”
“I was your punishment?”
“Yes.”
“Ouch.” I bit the inside of my cheek.
“When I met Caroli, she, of course heard the stories, and no matter how much I try, she always feels like she’s my second choice.”
“Is she?”
The question startled Cas to look at me. He shook his head, as if he didn’t understand the question.
“If your other love came back, today, would you still be with Caroli?”
His face paled, attention roaming in his blinking eyes. His swallowed and lips pressed together.
“There’s your answer, I guess.” The warmth of my bed lulled me into a yawn. “What was her name?”
“Omi.” I could barely make out his whisper.
“Strange name.”
“It was a nickname.”
“I don’t want you to get any ideas, but I feel kind of sorry for Caroli right now. Competing against something long gone, never feeling like she measures up.”
“You’ve got a point.” He exhaled. “What about you? Any once upon a time stories to share?”
“Once upon a time I woke up with a key on my nightstand, and my life turned to shit.” I rolled to my side. “That’s about it. No great love stories or adventures.”
“Better than nothing.”
“Cas?” Unsure if I should ask, I paused.
“You want to know about Lux?”
“God, I hate that you can read my mind.” I laughed.
“I can’t tell you Lux’s story.”
“Oh, loyalty thing?”
“No. I don’t know his story. I’ve never been able to read his mind.”
“Cool. Sometimes I wish—"
“Don’t. Don’t ever wish for that. It’s a curse, not a blessing.”
“Okay. Calm down.”
“I’m sorry. It’s just not something I’d wish for my worst enemy.”
Another yawn forced its way over my lips. “If I fall asleep while you’re talking, don’t get mad, okay?”
“Don’t worry. I won’t.” He chortled. “Goodnight, Mira.”
Before Limbo (After Life Book 1) Page 10