CHAPTER 8

The night is covered with lights of emerald and blue see. The air smells of lemon and sand. Very few astral vessels are flying on the metal lane. Their hurl sounds more like the waves of the sea: quick, yet mysterious and relaxing. Oh, and I am so chill, even though I know I will be beaten and not respond to the hitting in any way.

I just wanted justice over my freaky half. More than forty minutes have passed since I've got to the eastern gate of the park when I notice the time shown by the virtual clock from my crystal communicator. He dumped me! How dares he?! I told him the truth! Why doesn't he trust me?

Something inside me tells me to sit still and wait. Therefore, I continue to walk in circles, waiting for somebody known to arrive. Yet, Ryzen doesn't show up.

And when the time gets too late for me to get home, I see something. I observe a red and fancy astral vessel stopping a few steps away from me. A tall person, who is wearing a dark grey hoodie and some black pants, gets out of it. I recognize him right at that moment: Rodrigo.

That was his favorite hoodie, the one with the markings of our educational field.

"What are you doing here?" I shout, running to him. "So this is all true," he whispers, getting closer to me. I clamber to my feet and throw myself at him. I start shivering, not from emotions, but the cold weather from the outside. I was in a fucking t-shirt. His arms wrap around me, and he holds me tight. I can't stop shaking. I clutch fistfuls of his hoodie and press my nose into the crook of his neck and shoulder. Damn, I missed him so much. I haven't even talked to him today. How could I be so dense? I close my eyes and breath deeply his citrus scent, letting it fill my lungs.

I love it.

Rodrigo strokes my back. "You didn't lie when you said you wanted to be slapped," his voice betrays a little hurt.

My lashes stroke back his neck. I almost don't recognize his voice and he has his face all behind the hood. It is him, I can feel it. "Where did you know I was there?" "Because your… sister told me, when she searched for me, asking me to help her find you, noticing that you ran away from home," he pulls me away. "Come on now! Let's bring you back home!" he grabs my hand tightly and drags me to his mother's vessel.

To my home is all covered in a strange blanket of silence. We just peacefully listen to the rhythmic music from the crystal board, while I look at the small globes of golden and yellow lights from the street. All this time, he doesn't get the hood out of his face. Maybe, he's too exhausted. However, he doesn't care how he looks like even when he is around me. He knows I love him anyway.

I wanted to ask him a few times to take off the hood, but I was also too exhausted for this kind of drama. My half stopped doing that with his girlfriend, so my anger is getting lower.

I will take my revenge another day.

As we are getting home, he helps me to get out from his vessel and pulls me closer. He puts my hand to his chest, right where his heart was pounding fast, and lowered his face. My breath catches. I still couldn't see his nose and eyes, but I could find his pale and freshly shaved sharp chin. He swallows and takes my face in his hands. "I don't want to hurt you because I love you," he whispers. My heart beats faster.

Even though I kissed him uncountable times, this time it felt all different.

I cock my head closer and a breathe later I bring his mouth to mine. I kiss him with all my left strength. He moans against my lips and spins me back toward my house's wall, kissing me fiercely. I pull him even closer.

He stumbles back a step as I push off the wall and kisses him more passionately. He lifts me so our faces are level. My toes are searching for the ground as he kisses me harder.

I want more.

Oh, no, Lynne was right. I was gonna love it. We all know that all those kisses end in… that thing.

My back arches.

"No, no, no! You should stop! Right now!" a voice shouted in the back of my head but I was too busy with his lips to pay attention to it.

But I have never felt this way before when I was with him, not even when we got our first kiss!

What changed in the meantime?

Maybe my crazy rebellious sister cursed me! But only the diamonds can curse, and Lynne was just a commonplace topaz!

As feeling as it was enough, and remembering the strange and gross feeling I have experienced this night, I pull away from him and invite him inside, but he turns away and whispers me a shy goodnight.

What the fuck?

After I showered, while I am still in bed, all covered in towels, Rodrigo bursts out of nowhere into my room.

"You've finally come!" I throw my hands at him to catch me and embrace me as he did an hour ago. He comes closer, climbs onto my bed, grabs my face, and kisses my forehead multiple times, being attentive not to shave away the towel I had on my hair. "What did he do to you?" he cries.

"What?" I narrow my brows. "Who? What do you mean?" "Where did Ryzen beat you? Was he all alone? Has he been accompanied?" "Oh, that one?" I grab his hands and squeeze them. "As you can see, I'm safe and sound, darling."

Suddenly, all the softness and warmth that was between us tonight has vanished. Unexplainable.

I wanted to hug him as he hugged me, but I just couldn't move. "He didn't come," I lower my head. "What has changed your mind to come inside? I thought we said each other good night."

He grabs my hand and puts it right on his warm chest so I could hear his heart pounding as fast as I could hear mine in my timpani. "I will never leave you alone."