Alexis bites her lip, her uncertainty surprising me.
“Don’t worry, Lex.” Reid wraps his arm around her shoulder. “She’ll be safe. Cay’s trustworthy, and Ellie’s more than capable of burning him to a crisp if he tries anything.”
My arms stiffen.That… seems excessive.
Ellie focuses on Alexis. “I’ll be fine.”
A tense heartbeat later, Alexis nods, still looking unsure but apparently unwilling to argue with Ellie’s decision. We say our farewells, with Reid and Alexis heading to The Duck while Ellie struts off in the completely wrong direction. I grab her hand, leading her the correct way to the Academy, and she doesn’t let go.
With everyone still in Haven for a fun night out, it’s just the two of us on the road back. Once cobblestone transitions to gravel, the streetlamps disappear, leaving us walking hand in hand under the moonlight, our fingers entwined. Just us, dirt, and darkness.
Tipsy Ellie’s more talkative than sober Ellie, less worried about saying the wrong thing. She’s been curious about my life in Haven, asking more about me than anyone ever has, so I’ve spent the last twenty minutes sharing some of the more entertaining stories from my childhood.
“We could hear my mother yelling, and there was a trail of blue drips on the road behind us. So Reid had the brilliant idea of climbing up the clock tower. ‘Because people never look up,’ he said. About ten feet up, I slipped and fell headfirst to the ground.”
Ellie’s eyes go wide. “You landed on your head?”
“That’s what I’m told—I blacked out. Reid says I landed right at my mother’s feet, and she started screaming her head off. He just scooted to the other side of the tower, climbed down, and ran for his life.”
“How are you alive?”
I shrug. “According to the surgeon, it was Fortune’s favor. I was out for two days. Reid burned his blue clothes to get rid of any evidence he’d been with me, so I got all the blame. Got put on wash duty every day for three months, because almost dying wasn’t punishment enough.”
Ellie puffs her cheeks as she exhales. “I’ve never done anything like that.”
“Really? No near-death experiences?”
“Oh, no. My childhood was very regimented. There was always somewhere I was expected to be, and failing to meet expectations was not an option.”
“Sounds miserable.”
Ellie laughs, the sound warming the cold air. “It does, doesn’t it? But it wasn’t all bad. My father gave me a couple of bells every day to paint. He even bought me a small easel that I could take to the gardens with me.”
“You enjoy it that much?”
I’ve never had a hobby I was any good at, that I wanted to spend my time on, unless you count getting girls and climbing trees.
“I do.” She closes her eyes, squeezing my hand tighter. “I always thought I could see people better when I was painting them. That spark within them, that gives them life.”
Her smile builds a steady heat within me as I imagine what it must feel like to have that kind of passion about anything. She glances at me, the moonlight reflecting off her irises.
“Like how you saw who Alexis was, even though you just met her,” she says. “I wish I could do that. I have such a hard time relating to people.”
“You’re overselling it,” I mutter. “Outside of Reid, no one’s ever stuck around. Once they realize how terrible I am at everything, they bail.”
She shrugs. “Well, I don’t know about everything else, but you’re good at that.”
There’s a strange feeling in my chest, something I’ve never felt before. “Huh.” I struggle to find the right words, which is really throwing me off. I never struggle when talking to girls. “Thanks for making me sound… special.”
Did I really just say that?
Luckily, Ellie’s too tipsy to have standards, because that dimple appears again and my mouth goes dry. She stops, taking my other hand in hers as she gazes into my eyes, her icy fingers tickling the warmth of my palms.
“What do you see when you look at me?”
Oh shit.How am I supposed to answer that? I’m praying she doesn’t notice me sweating as I search her eyes, weighing the best response.
“I see… a puzzle. One I’d really, really like to solve.” Probably the lamest line I’ve ever used, but true. I don’t know why she’s so wrapped up in self-doubt—she’s smartandbeautiful. But this need’s swelling in my chest, to somehow show her she shouldn’t worry so much.
