Page 85 of Delirium

I turned away from the river, the view through the balcony doors into the apartment more beautiful. Scarlett stood at the kitchen island, laughing at something James said. He looked down at her with unmasked affection. Camp shook his head at both of them.

A family. We were a real family. I couldn’t ask for more.

“Nash! Get your ass in here and do a toast with us!” James called.

I laughed, and with one last look at the river, I joined them in the kitchen. James slid a glass over to me. I gave it a nervous sniff. My eyes widened. “Where the hell did you find this?”

He shrugged. “I have my ways. Now. A toast. To surviving the jungle.” He gave Scarlett a pointed glare over the rim of his glass.

Scarlett rolled her eyes. “To the adventure of a lifetime.”

“To outwitting a stupid curse!” Camp held his glass up high.

Smiling, I looked around at the three of them. There wasn’t anything left to toast. Except for one. “Fuck the curse. Here’s to being together.”

Our classes clinked together. We downed them in unison, the air filled with nothing but joy and contentment.

“How’d you even afford this piece of shit place anyway, man?” I looked around at the high end finishings with only a touch of jealousy. I knew what money had cost James. “I thought Clancy ran off with all your money.”

James grinned over the rim of his glass. “Turns out Clancy wasn’t my last investment. A mining operation I funded years ago finally found what they were looking for.”

“Please tell me it didn’t involve another lost city,” Camp groaned.

“No, this was a real mining expedition.” James laughed. “Who would’ve thought? Clancy and his men can do whatever they want with the money they stole from me. I have more than enough now to set my business back on its feet, and then some.”

I cocked my head to the side. “And Clancy? Scarlett never mentioned if you heard from him.”

“Not a peep.” James sipped at his drink again. “Honestly, I couldn’t be bothered. It’s a drop in the bucket at this point. Besides, maybe the curse really did get him…wouldn’t that be sweet justice?”

“Not this again.” Scarlett slapped his wrist. “There was no curse. We’re out. We’re not trapped inside the city. We’re here. Together. No curse. No nothing.”

“She has a point, you know. If the curse were real, we wouldn’t be standing around talking to each other in James’ shitty new kitchen,” Camp offered.

“If anyone else wants to insult the home I’ve opened up for them, I’d be happy to find alternative arrangements for them elsewhere.” James’ voice held a note of warning, but his smirk betrayed him.

I laughed, feeling the weight lift off my shoulders. Scarlett was right. There was no way the curse could’ve been real. It was all just the wrong place, the wrong time. Too much time together in too small of a space.

I had a thousand more questions, but the walk from the hospital, and the excitement of being out made me wobble slightly as I set my glass down on the counter. Scarlett narrowed her watchful eyes.

“Come get some rest,” she murmured, setting her glass down and pulling me to bed. “You’ve been on your feet for too long already.”

I smiled down at her, not willing to protest. If she wanted to lie in bed with me, I’d be there for as long as she wanted.

She curled against my front, and I held her close, the alcohol and her gentle breathing lulling me to sleep. Maybe she was right. Rest couldn’t be a bad thing. Everything would still be here when I woke up.

At some point, a breeze blew through the window, and I stirred. My arms were empty, and my heart stuttered. Scarlett was missing. I sat up, already frantic, only to see her standing on the balcony overlooking the river, eyes lost in some dream I couldn’t see.

The wind rustled her long hair, and the setting sun illuminated her profile, setting her aflame.

Not for the first time, I wondered how someone so striking could wantme.

I got up, tugging on the discarded pants next to the bed, and joining her on the balcony. I wrapped my arms around her. “Penny for your thoughts.”

She pressed back against me. “They’re worth at least a dollar.”

“Unfortunately, I can’t even afford the penny. I’ll have to ask James for a loan.”

Scarlett turned in my arms, smiling. “I guess I can give you an advance. I was just thinking about how I’m not ready to go back to the real world. I don’t want to leave here. I don’t want to teach. I don’t want to wake up in my bed every morning and wonder if I’m happy.”

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