ADORA
My hand slipped outof Cyrus’s palm.
Stone was here, right in front of me, stealing the last breath from the bottom of my lungs. He was a lighthouse in a wool coat, looking right at me with a miserable look in his black eyes. He had a face kissed by melancholy, the grace of a statue, both as motionless and moving as one of his drawings. His face had gone pale as if all blood had rushed from his head to his heart. And his expression was wounded, chilling; it punished smiles, laughter, and music for swaying around us.
The image of this moment, of him standing within reaching distance, close enough to touch, had crossed my mind many times. For two weeks, I’d imagined it, dreamt of it, wished for it though I was forbidden to have it, and he was here. And I wanted to go to him.
I’d never felt more out of place than in this moment, standing beside the wrong man.
I glanced around the room to see if anyone noticed the strange man standing among them. I wondered if they could feel the tremor that had become a quake whenever we were in the same room together.
Julian noticed, with vulturous eyes narrowing on Stone, the look that gave the impression he would swoop in at any moment.
Stone seemed oblivious to him, or he just didn’t care.
I took a step forward.
Stone shook his head.
Cyrus laid a hand on my arm. “Adora?”
Then my eyes were on Cyrus’s confused expression. “I just need ...” I didn’t remember what else I’d said to Cyrus because the words fell away from me, and I was glancing back at Stone, who already had his back turned and was walking away.
My fingers trembled when I pulled them to my lips, and then my feet were moving.
I followed after Stone, trying to seem at ease and nonchalant with my steps.
I glanced back at Julian. He was whispering into Fallon’s ear, removing his arm from around her waist.
He was chasing after Stone, too.
I hurried my pace to try and catch Stone before Julian did.
Ivy tried to speak with me, Monday complimented my dress, and Kane’s fingers brushed my arm as I passed.
“Excuse me,” I chanted, weaving between bodies with my sights set on Stone’s back.
With each step, I was reminded of how it felt to have his naked fingers linger on my skin, our feverish breathing, and his helpless, glazed eyes. I began to feel light-headed and winded as my heart tried to claw its way out of its cage.We don’t like it here,I felt my heart cry.We don’t like it here at all.
Stone turned the corner into the foyer, and my hurried steps turned into a run with my heels slapping against the dark-chocolate floors until they muted upon the rug.
Just before Stone’s hand touched the doorknob, I slipped between him and the door, using my back to nail the door shut so he couldn’t escape. With my breathing labored, I caught a glimpse of the depth of his eyes.
“Please, don’t walk out this door,” I whispered, words scattered, wanting nothing more than to wrap my arms around him and shove my face into his chest to hide from the rest of the world.
A cold, hurt gaze was fixed on me.
“We’ve been here so many times before,” he said, almost like he grabbed my wrists from around his waist and peeled me off him. “This time, it is you who will know what it feels like to be staring at my back.”
My chin trembled, and I sniffled back the emotion with my spine and palms pressing against the door. I couldn’t step to the side.
We stared stubbornly at one another.
“Let me go,” he said to me.
I subtly shook my head to keep a tear from falling . “No.”
To the left, Julian was battling the crowd, heading straight for us.
