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“Come visit me at home again soon,” Mom says. She hugs Ayden too. “It was really nice to meet you.”
“Nice to meet you too,” he replies with an enchanting smile.
She waves, and Ayden and I leave the ward. He takes my hand, and his fingers tenderly caress my skin. I’m dying to spend time with him. But I know that I can’t test the patience of the Fabricis. Still, I figure I can justify an hour or two before I have to go back. I just want to be alone with Ayden. If I still lived in the school residence, we wouldn’t have this problem. I’m aware that I probably won’t get another afternoon off any time soon, and that I’ll have to keep coming up with plausible excuses every time I want to escape my strict schedule.
Ayden seems to read my thoughts, or he notices a change in my voice. He stops and puts his hands on my cheeks, caressing them gently.
“What’s on your mind? You look sad. Is it about the Fabricis?”
I put my arms around his waist. He feels so good. The warmth of his skin, his scent – everything awakens this deep longing in me that I can’t satisfy right now. And who knows how long things will go on like this?
“If only they wouldn’t plan out every minute of my day. I have to account for everything I do. I’ve lost all my freedom.”
Ayden plants a kiss on the top of my head. “I promised you; we’ll find a way. Maybe I could suggest that you train with the hunters once a week.”
I raise my eyebrows and look at him doubtfully. “You really think they’d agree to that? Alfredo knows we’re close. He’d never allow it.”
Ayden bends down and kisses my temple, my cheek, my neck. “Trust me, they don’t have the final word on everything – I know a few influential people too. Leave it with me.”
I doubt he’ll succeed. But those thoughts quickly evaporate under Ayden’s delicious touch. At least for the next couple of hours, I want to be an ordinary teenager spending time with her boyfriend.
I sling put my arms around his neck and seek out his lips. He parts them slightly, and his tongue plays with mine so skillfully that I let out a quiet moan. Ayden moves his hands over my hips, and I wish the pesky layers of clothing would just vanish.
“So you guys are back together,” says a sobering voice behind me.
My eyes widen, and I feel as if someone’s just tipped a bucket of icy water over my head. I slowly turn around, but I already know who I’m about to clap eyes on. Noah’s standing in the hospital corridor a few yards away from us, staring at us. I can’t read his expression. I search for a hint of anger or disappointment, pain, or maybe even hatred. But I see none of that. His face looks strangely blank.
“Noah,” I mutter, not knowing what else to say. I feel compelled to justify myself. I know the sight of us together must hurt him. I’ve been feeling guilty about him the whole time because I still care about him. But with Ayden… it’s different.
Noah holds up his hand when he sees that I’m about to say something. “I knew you still had feelings for him, and the way he kept looking at you… It was pretty obvious.”
Ayden snorts irritably but holds his tongue.
“I’d be lying if I said it doesn’t bother me. But it doesn’t surprise me either. And at the end of the day, I have more important things to worry about,” he adds darkly.
“Noah,” I venture again, moving a few steps toward him. “I’m sorry you had to find out like this. You deserve better. I wanted to tell you in person. I guess that wouldn’t have made it any easier, but I owe you at least that much.”
“Tess,” he says quietly, avoiding my eye. “Like I said, it’s no surprise.” He looks up at me with an expression of pain, resignation, and something like farewell.
Ayden watches us but says nothing. He gives us the space to clear the air. I’m sure it’s not easy for him, which makes me all the more grateful.
“So what happens now? Are you going to cut contact with me and abandon the search for the library?”
I shake my head vehemently. “No, I’m not.”
Ayden stands with his arms folded across his chest and says, “Like I said, I’m not going to ask you to stop seeing him. Nobody has that right. But I’m not going to pretend to like it.”
“From the mouth of my alleged brother,” Noah snarls.
“Quit the crap!” Ayden sounds way more indignant now. “You don’t seriously believe that, do you?”
Noah pauses, then shrugs. “Honestly, I’m not so sure anymore. Maybe it would help if you did some digging yourself. I’ve hit a dead end. But the reactions that I’ve gotten so far to my questions make me… suspicious.”
Ayden snorts again. But I can tell that he’s not indifferent to the issue. He quickly tries to change the subject. “What’s this about a library?”
I exchange a glance with Noah. There’s no question that I have to fill Ayden in on everything.
“Let’s grab a coffee in the cafeteria. It’s a long story.”
