Doubt and indecision splayed themselves over the surface of Arze’s profile. My heart sped up at the thought that he could potentially want to see what we could make out of the time we had left together. But as much as I wanted that to happen, Icould see that as much lust for me that lingered in Arze’s eyes, there was just as much hesitation.
“I want to, Krueger.” Arze said evenly, squeezing our still conjoined hands. “But if we’re caught, it’s over. Is us having fun for the next several days worth the risk of our lives?”
Well, when he put it like that, it certainly didn’t seem like the hypothetical orgasms were worth it.
I didn’t want this to be over. The feelings surrounding my crush on Arze were so intense and maybe I was chasing the adrenaline of that, but was chasing something so euphoric supposed to be bad? Was I supposed to let go of something soul-melting simply because the end date was plastered obviously around every field of view I saw?
A crazy thought scrambled across my mind. What if Myers and I didn’t leave Phoebe? What if we stayed? Even then, I’ll admit, there were obstacles. Arze and I would only ever really be able to be together in secret. The fact that I saw him as something more than someone to keep my bed temporarily warm was a feat. There was just something about him that I needed to explore to satiate my inner curiosity.
“I want to see what comes of this,” I stated sternly, lightly shaking our hands. “I know I’m leaving, and I know that no one can find out or we risk it getting back to the other tythwig.” I nodded, to prove I understood what risks I was claiming to be okay with. “But I’d at least like to give it a shot. I mean, I didn’t even get to see your body or anything.”
Arze let out a sharp but playful breath, laughing as his lips curved so beautifully, my heart lurched in my chest. “You barely know me.”
“But I’d like to. If you’d let me.”
Curiosity mixed with the doubt and want from before, a storm cloud of decisions raining in his orange eyes. Just when I thought that he was going to tell me we could keep at it, I couldsee the finality in his eyes before he even spoke. My heart did a somber jolt by the time his mouth opened.
“Can I have a day to think about it?” Arze countered, which surprised me. I’d been so sure that he was about to fully shoot me down. Maybe there was a chance after all. “I can’t deny my attraction to you. But I just need some time, if that’s okay.”
I instantly melted at the possibility that this wasn’t the end. “Of course. I think that’s totally understandable.”
“Great. So I’ll let you know tomorrow at work?” He stood up from the picnic table, enabling me to do the same. “I don’t want to take up too much more of your time, since I’ll see you at work later today too.”
“Sure.” I nodded along. “Tomorrow sounds good.”
“Great.”
We parted shortly after, telling each other that we’d see each other at work. But the elation running through my veins were setting my soul on fire. I had a shot with Arze, and that was all that mattered. I just hoped that by tomorrow night, Arze was as on board to give us a trial run as I was.
Chapter 21
Strollingaround Phoebe in late morning was a treat every single time I was able to indulge. I steered my bike through town, heading toward the local movie theater to meet my sister, and time and time again, I fell more and more in love with Phoebe.
Last night at work, after having my very informative and very insightful talk with Arze, everything had been easy to deal with. I’d been paired with Abigail and Khalice for my shift in the maze, so avoiding having to look at Arze and silently will him to make up his mind about us had been much easier than expected.
Knowing that today I’d have my answer had crafted my good mood as I rode through town. Myers had asked me this morning when I’d gotten up if I would come by the movie theater to meet the stellymn she’d been obsessed with while I’d been spending most of my time working at Jane’s. And even though it wasn’t my day off like we’d originally talked about, I was game. So after spending most of my morning writing, I figured I would head on over.
That was something else that was making me really happy. My writing was absolutely thriving. Being surrounded by the macabre atmosphere that sometimes felt like you could taste itin the Phoebe air was really making writing so much easier. I’d written over three hundred pages, just since we’d been in town, and I felt like fifty more or so and it would be done. Well, at least the first draft would be done. Considering I’d had like twenty pages upon arriving into town, I was super fucking proud of myself.
I was feeling so fulfilled that the fact that I was leaving at the end of the week hadn’t set in yet. And then when I factored in the infatuation with Arze, I didn’t want to leave.
But I couldn’t dwell on that. I was living in the now, and right now, things were so fucking good. For a Monday, I was feeling relatively chipper.
As I neared the movie theater, I smiled at the decorations that were being set up around town in preparation for the Hell-O-Ween festival. New banners were being hung up and down the main street that the movie theater lived on, trees were being hung with skeleton lights, and people were already walking around in costume. I fucking loved the community here to take such a stance on Halloween.
I pulled up to the movie theater and parked my bike at a conveniently placed bike rack before strolling inside the building. The movie theater itself looked very classic from the outside, appearing like it was a theater from the golden age of film. I could see on the marquee that the Tim Burton film this week wasThe Nightmare Before Christmas, and if I hadn’t had to work later, I would have totally cashed in to see that on the big screen.
Walking through the double glass doors, I strolled in and saw a few clusters of customers moseying about the red carpet or standing in line for concessions. That’s when I spotted Myers. She was leaning on the counter off to the side, tossing her head back in laughter as she swatted the red arm of a stellymn. He was wearing a black uniform with the theater’s logo on it, withmatching pants and even a cute little visor. But everything else about him showed how inhuman he was.
Aside from the already shocking red skin that he shared with Khalice and his other fellow stellymn, the three points of his tail swayed behind him lazily and happily as his lips curved into a handsome smile at being able to make my sister laugh. And he had the same startling black eyes with a single circle of white that all other stellymn had. Regardless, he was a pretty handsome guy. He had spiked navy hair, like all stellymn, that was short and tidy and curled toward the ends. He had both ears pierced and had several different gold earrings and hoops through each of them. I could certainly see why my sister was enamored.
“Hey.” I said, interjecting my voice into their little pocket of laughter as I sauntered up to my sister.
Myers whipped her head in my direction, lighting up when she registered that it was her big brother. “Krueger, you made it.” Her smile bled into her voice comfortably. She stepped to the side, offering more of a full view of the stellymn who had captured her attention. “This is Larsky.”
Larsky was a little taller than I was, but not quite as tall as Arze. The comparison made me wish it were later already so I knew where we stood, but I tried banishing thoughts of my favorite tythwig to the backroom of my thoughts. Right now, I needed to focus on my sister’s Orb, not mine.
He leaned forward, giving me a sloppy half-smile and sticking out his hand for me to shake. His naturally black nails looked so fucking cool in juxtaposition with his too-red skin. Throwing back an easy grin, I clasped my hand in his as we shook in a proper greeting.
