The stiffness in her shoulders.
The way her smile has failed to reach her eyes most of today.
I’m dying—no pun intended—to help her, but if there’s one thing I’ve learned about her over the last several weeks, it’s that she doesn’t accept help easily.
“What are you staring at?” she asks in a whisper.
“Oh, just the most beautiful labyrinth I’ve ever known.”
Her cheeks redden, transforming into my new favorite shade of pink.
“‘Labyrinth?’” Her brows raise. “Care to explain?”
“What’s there to explain, angel? I’ve been trying to figure you out since the moment you walked into my life, and I have a feeling I still have yet to scratch the surface.”
She stifles a smile and bites her lower lip, turning toward the stage. As the show commences, I catch her cracking smiles and even bursting into gentle laughter a handful of times.
I’ve missed that laugh.
Eventually, she leans forward, propping her elbows on her knees and letting her head rest on them. I slide my arm down and gently rub her back. She flinches when my hand intercepts the spot where her wings should be.
It takes all my strength not to react outwardly.
Instead, I continue nimbly stroking her back. She closes her eyes and relaxes her back. “More of that, please.”
I chuckle and give in to her request, pushing aside my rising unease. I continue tracing her back for several minutes when I suddenly realize I have absolutely no idea what this play is really about anymore.
My hand makes its way to her front side, resting on her thigh just below the hem of her skirt. Though a layer of sheer tights separates my skin from hers, the air between us thickens. She eyes me, then parts her supple lips as my hand climbs higher, tightly gripping her velvet soft thigh. Damn, I love holding her like this.
She leans into my touch and lets out a gentle moan in relief, sending a jolt of pent-up energy through my body. I’ve never heard her make a sound like that before. I’d trek through heaven and hell to listen to it again.
But I can’t stop thinking about her wings—or lack thereof. Instead of taking things a step further, I take them a step back. I grasp her soft thigh and pull her toward me, hooking my armaround her. With my arm wrapped around her, everything else fades.
Suddenly, it’s only colorful stage lights, soothing music, and us—my angel and me.
She closes her eyes and swallows, then delicately rests her head on my shoulder. This isn’t quite what I had in mind when I expressed wanting to help her. But holding her in my arms and experiencing something newtogetherfor the first time is better. A thousand times better.
I’m ruined, aren’t I?
“How did you like it?” Cleo asks nonchalantly as we exit the venue and enter the busy street, the smell of roasted nuts in the air.
“Like what? The snuggling or the show?”
She rolls her eyes and nudges my arm, glancing away at a crowded pizza stand, clearly attempting to conceal her smile. We continue following the street, wandering aimlessly without a care in the world. “You know what.”
“I liked it. Can’t say it was as memorable as I had hoped, though—especially considering it was over three hours long. We’ll have to see it again sometime.” I crack a smile, knowing full well that the odds of being able to see that show again are slim to none.
The longer I stay in this realm, the more I realize how faulty my idea of running away was. It’s only a matter of time before someone catches me—us.
Us. I like the sound of that.
“How about you?” I brush her shoulder. “Did you like it?”
“I enjoyed it.” She beams, staring at a nearby skyscraper, then her eyes lift even higher. “I wish Eloras provided entertainment like that.”
“Do you think the Golden Realm provides that?”
She shrugs. “I’ve heard rumors that the Golden Realm provides everything an angel could ever dream of. If that’s true, then I’d have to assume that type of theatrical entertainment must be available way up there.”
