As much as I’ve tried to be here every day, it wasn’t always possible. There were times when I had to miss a day or eight, and it seemed like the longer Kirian went without our meetings, the crankier he was.
“I think we both need this time apart,” I reason, looking down at the ground, because I can’t handle seeing his sad face. “We’re holding each other back.”
“Holding each other back from what?”
“From everything!” I throw my hands up. “I’ve spent my teenage years mooning over you instead of making friends, being in sports, and going to dances—real dances.”
“You moon over me?” A half-smile appears on his face.
“I’m being serious here, Kirian.”
“So am I. Don’t do this to us.”
I don’t want to. The last thing I want is for our friendship to end. The truth is, I’d give up a lifetime of “normal” if I could be with him.
But I can’t. That’s not how this works. We’re worlds apart.
“I love you, Kirian. I’m in love with you.” My eyes sting. Damn it. I promised myself I wouldn’t cry. “Every day, when you come back to me, I’m terrified you’re going to tell me you found her—your mate. And it’s going to break my heart, because it’s not me. It’ll happen eventually, and I know when that time comes, I’ll never see you again. If you really care about me, you’ll leave right now and never come ba—”
Without warning, Kirian steps forward, cradles my face in his hands, and bends down. It seems like time is in slow motion as he comes closer.
I’m frozen in place when his breath ghosts across my mouth, right before his lips press to mine.
For a glorious second, all my dreams come true.
Kirian’s mouth is just as soft as I’d imagined it would be, and this isn’t just a single peck. His lips massage and nip at mine as he kisses me over and over again.
Kiss.
The curse.
No.
Pushing at his chest, I separate from him with a gasp. “What did you do? Kirian, if you so much as kiss someone else…”
I don’t have to finish that sentence. He knows the terms of the curse just as well as I do.
Permanent.
He’ll never see again because he kissed me.
“Why?” I demand, panting. “Why would you do that?”
Gripping my shoulders, he leans down until we’re nose to nose. “Because I can live without my sight, but I cannot live without you.”
Oh, those words. Those beautiful, wonderful, perfect words. I want to ask him to say it again. I want to beg for another kiss.
But it’s wrong. I can’t let him give up something so precious for me.
I shake my head violently. “Maybe it doesn’t count because it happened here.”
“It counts,” he says, final. “It’s done.”
“You can find the witches,” I go on irrationally, breaking away from him to pace back and forth. “You guys have been searching for freaking ever, so you’ve got to run into them soon. You can ask about this situation—”
“Quinn, it’s done.”
I look up at his unfocused lavender eyes, and another fracture forms on my mangled heart when I think about him never seeing the stars again.
His stars.
His family. Trees, flowers, clouds, and smiling faces. All the things regular people take for granted every day.
“This doesn’t change anything.” My voice wavers. “I’m still leaving tomorrow.”
Kirian’s lip curls with a sneer, and I get the feeling he doesn’t hear the word no very often.
His hands go to his hips and he blows out a breath. “All right.”
Huh?
“All right?” I echo. If I’m being honest, I’m a bit insulted he’s actually letting me go without more of a fight. “Okay, then.” I blink. “I need my marble back.”
For some reason, watching Kirian dig into his pocket and drop the round ball into my palm is the most painful part of all. Because it’s so final.
The end.
“I’ll be back here around the last week of November. Maybe I’ll see you then?” My nose burns, and I’m holding back tears as I shove the reunited marbles into my pocket.
“Hug goodbye?” Kirian’s face is stoic as he spreads his arms.
My chin quivers as I go to him.
Don’t cry, don’t cry.
Pressing my face to his chiseled chest, I roam the muscles on his back. My fingers start low, bumping over the dimples right above his seriously great ass. Then I travel up, feeling the sinew encasing his spine. I end at his shoulder blades, splaying my hands out, measuring how broad he is by touch.
Kirian and I both sigh at the same time.
Now that I know what it’s like to have his lips on mine, now that I know my feelings for him aren’t completely unrequited… this hug feels different than all the others. It’s charged.
I don’t want to let him go, and I’m rethinking my life decisions.
Would it be so bad to just stay in this town, keep my job at the ice cream shop, and spend my days waiting for a few hours with Kirian?
Yes. Yes, it would be bad. Maybe not right away, but someday. When he leaves me.
I’m pulling away from him when he says, “If a kiss doesn’t count here, then it won’t matter if we do it again.”
The man has a point.
And I’m weak.
I don’t protest as he fits a knuckle under my chin and lifts my face. I barely breathe as he moves forward. I close my eyes when our lips connect again.
His tongue darts out, parting my lips. Surprised by his pleasant taste, I gasp into his mouth. When he does it a second time, I’m ready for it. My tongue meets his, sliding and stroking.
Groaning, he deepens the kiss, slanting his mouth over mine. My hands slide up his chest and I dig my fingernails into his pecs.
He growls, the rumbling sound vibrating against
