Page 69 of Nova Academy

‘For now,’ was all he said. And then he laid down on his back and closed his eyes.

Enough time passed that I believed he’d fallen asleep until his hand found mine again under the sheets. He held on tight even when I tried to pull away. ‘I promise I won’t take things further until you give me the green light,’ he began, his voice suddenly quiet and pleading, ‘but just let me have this one thing. Let me feel some sort of physical connection to you, even if it’s just for tonight.’

I didn’t respond with words, but I gripped his hand just as tightly as he held mine.

Right before I drifted off, I heard him whisper one more thing. ‘I’m not going anywhere, Arthur Mercer. I don’t know when or howit happened, but you’ve carved yourself into my heart.’

And that night I fell asleep clinging to a man I could never have, a single tear tracking down my cheek.

CHAPTER 30

Artemis

The next morning I was up and ready before everyone else as per usual, but this time I was lying in wait, ready to pounce as soon as a tiny pink Griknot emerged. When she did, she flounced into the kitchen with a pep in her step that could only come from being well-rested and content.

I was looking forward to popping that bubble.

I watched her dart about collecting items to make a quick breakfast for herself. She was required to be on the maintenance deck earlier than everyone else was due to report for duty or classes, so I made sure I didn’t sleep in again like the last time I had slept beside Bromm.

I hadn’t wanted to wake up this morning, finding myself waking up in his arms again felt incredible, and I wanted nothing more than to stay right where I was and snuggle in deeper.

But I had someone to ream out.

I cleared my throat, grabbing her attention because she still had yet to notice me leaning against the counter watching her. She was typically more observant than this, but the lights were still off since it was before the ship’s wake-up-call.

She startled, throwing ingredients in the air and placing her palm over her heart as she leapt almost as high as the ceiling. I wanted to laugh, but I held it down.

‘Stars, Arty, you scared me!’

‘You have some explaining to do, Adara,’ I said in my most no-nonsense voice. She got the gist.

‘What for?’ Or maybe she didn’t…

‘What were you thinking, forcing me to share a bed with Brommagain?’ I hissed.

She looked genuinely confused for a moment before realisation lit up behind her eyes. ‘Oh.Oh, shit. I’m so, so, so, sorry, Arty. I completely forgot…’

‘You forgot,’ I deadpanned.

‘I didn’t even think about it. I swear. I just wanted you closer to me.’

‘Closer to you?’

‘Yeah. I don’t know, I feel weird with you sleeping across the hall. It feels like you should be sharing with me, but since neither you nor Xan would be okay with that yet I settled for the spare room. At least then you would be closer, you know? But I honestly didn’t even think about what that would mean for you… Fuck, I messed up didn’t I?’

‘You did.’

She looked absolutely despondent. ‘I’msosorry, Arty. Can you forgive me?’

I didn’t know what it was about her big pink eyes, but the way they looked up at me from under her lashes, real emotion shining through, I couldn’t help but melt.

‘Just don’t do it again, okay?’

She began nodding voraciously. ‘Never again, I swear.’

And then she shot me the same mischievous look Bromm had sent me last night when I’d confirmed my attraction to him. ‘No,’ I said, wagging a finger at her and whatever it was she was about to say.

‘Oh, come on,’ she whined.

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