Page 79 of Vardaesia
Alex must have fallen asleep on thebalcony, because the next thing she knew, she was waking up to the light touch of fingers trailing along her hairline and down her cheek.
She regained consciousness slowly, feeling warm and cosy snuggled in her bed—but more, from knowing Kaiden must have carried her there after she’d fallen asleep in his arms. That, however, didn’t explain why he was now seated on the edge beside her, dressed and ready for the day, looking down at her with a tender expression.
In a sleep-hoarse voice, Alex squinted up at him and said, “We already talked about you not watching me sleep like a creeper.”
A quiet laugh left him before he assured her, “I’ve only been here long enough to wake you.”
Alex’s eyes narrowed with disbelief.
He grinned and brushed his thumb across her cheek. “Truly. I was the perfect gentleman last night. Tucked you in safe and sound then left you to your beauty sleep.”
Softening, Alex said, “Thank you for that.” She paused. “And thanks for not watching me like a stalker.”
A strange light hit Kaiden’s eyes and his mouth twitched as he said, “I may not have been here long this morning, but as for last night, I didn’t want to disturb you until I was sure you were out of it enough to be moved without waking.”
Alex wasn’t sure where he was going with this, but her stomach tightened as she took in his expression. “And?”
He moved his thumb from her cheek until it brushed over her lips. “And,” he said, “during that time, I discovered something.”
Feeling tingles in the wake of his touch, Alex whispered, his thumb still trailing over her lips as they formed the words, “What’s that?”
His eyes moved from watching her mouth to holding her gaze, and it was impossible to miss the spark of delight in them. “That you talk in your sleep.”
Alex stilled. Jordan had once said something similar, but that didn’t lessen her dread. “What did I say?”
The look on Kaiden’s face made her wish she hadn’t asked.
“Nothing I didn’t already know,” he said quietly, his thumb moving to sweep her cheek one final time before he withdrew his hand. “But it was still nice to hear it all the same.”
Groaning, Alex threw her arm over her eyes, as if not seeing the world meant it no longer existed. “Feel free to kill me now.”
A deep, warm chuckle came from Kaiden. “Not before breakfast.” He gently pried her arm from her face, his lips smiling as he leaned down and touched them to hers softly before edging back just enough to whisper, “Most important meal of the day.”
Without allowing her the chance to drown in her mortification, he snaked his arms around her and pulled her to her feet, all but forcing her from her room and out to join the others who had already assembled and begun to eat.
Lost in her embarrassment, Alex had forgotten that she’d completely avoided her friends the previous day after the episode at the Gate. But now the confrontation was unavoidable, because all of them paused in what they were doing—food half-raised in some cases—the moment Kaiden dragged her tense, pyjamafied self to the table.
Standing uncomfortably before them, Alex had no idea what to say. Should she beg their forgiveness? Should she try to explain? Should she act like nothing had happened?
When Kaiden deliberately threaded his fingers through hers and leaned in to kiss her temple, Alex found that she didn’t have to do anything, because Jordan acted before she could.
Looking from Alex to Kaiden, taking in their joined hands and having witnessed the sweet kiss, he dryly said, “I bet lover boy Aven would kill to be in your shoes right now, Kaid.”
His wording couldn’t have been more atrocious, both the irreverent title and the killing remark, which was perversely apt. But because of that, his statement cut the tension surrounding them, and as one, the group broke into startled laughter.
As for Alex, the first breath from her mouth was a shocked burst of humour, but her second exhale came out choked, her relief over Jordan’s light-hearted comment tightening her chest and causing her eyes to burn.
Sensing she was struggling to keep a grip on her emotions, Kaiden pulled her close, but he wasn’t the only one. Because then Jordan was up, his arms circling the both of them. Bear, too, leapt over to join the embrace. D.C. and Declan were right behind them, until all five of Alex’s friends were holding her close—or as close as any group hug could be, given all the limbs that no one knew where to wedge.
From their irrefutable show of support, just as swiftly as Alex’s humour had begun to crumble, it turned back into elation. Were it not for her being squished in a mess of arms, legs and angled heads, she would have crumbled to the ground, her knees weak from their acceptance, from theirlove.
With the ice well and truly broken, they untangled from each other and reclaimed their seats at the table. Over breakfast, Alex answered any questions they had about what had transpired with Aven in the past, giving a much briefer recount than she had toKaiden last night, but still enough for them to learn about his unrequited love and consequential feelings of betrayal. When she was done, just as Kaiden and Xira had promised, no one blamed her—not in the slightest. While they were disappointed that she hadn’t felt like she could share her burden, they also understood, having had time overnight to consider things from her perspective and acknowledge the pressure she’d been under, especially knowing the potential future they might all face.
Their support left Alex blinking against a renewed burning in her eyes, but she managed to push back the feeling and smile at them all as she professed her gratitude, to which they just waved her off and reminded her that they were family—and that’s what family was for.
When Zaylin arrived and gestured for Alex to return to her room and get ready for the day, she did so with a weight lifted from her shoulders, practically floating after the Tia Auran.
“I take it things went well?” Zaylin asked as she handed Alex her clothes—the leathery pants and top ensemble again, with the Amazonian princess outfit having disappeared after the first two days. In hindsight, Alex wondered just how much of that had simply been Zaylin being cruel with her clothing choices.
