Page 130 of Cerulean Truth
I huffed, "Excuse me for having a lot on my mind. And it’s not as if those green drops magically do whatever I want."
“Actually, that’s exactly what they do,” he remarked dryly.
Well, he had me there.
"Maybe we should enroll you in some geography classes first," he said, the start of a smirk on his face. "Just to make sure you actually know where Boston is."
"Great idea," I shot back, my irritation simmering. "And while we're at it, we can sign you up for empathy classes. A little more patience wouldn't hurt, James—I'm doing my best here."
He rolled his eyes. "Well, your best seems to involve landing us in random cities."
I nonchalantly shrugged. "Could've been worse…"
"True. I could've ended up with another pack of animal shit stuck in my hair," James grumbled.
"Which was an improvement on your hairdo anyway," I fired back.
He snorted. "That's rich, coming from you," he said, deftly picking out bits of breakfast from my tangled locks.
I intended to respond with a clever retort, but his hands tousling through my hair sent my mind to ungodly territories, where only he and I existed, in a very Adam and Eva kind of clothing-situation. My arms produced goosebumps, which had nothing to do with the outer temperature.
My lack of response prompted a concerned frown from James. "You okay there?"
I nodded, feeling my cheeks flush a lovely shade of crimson.
"So, what's the plan now?" I asked, attempting to shift the topic.
"I propose we give it another shot, this time really focus on Boston and your parents. Channel how much you want to see them, how much you've yearned for their presence."
A pang of longing hit my heart. I missed them so terribly.
"Or…" he continued with a hint of hesitation.
"Yes?"
"We could stay in San Antonio, do some sightseeing, maybe get something to eat, and then make another attempt tomorrow?” he suggested.
I blinked in shock. Was he asking me…
"Like, only the two of us?" I queried, a glimmer of hope evident in my voice.
"No, actually, I was thinking about inviting the entire Council to join us." He rolled his eyes.
I smirked.
Although the ache of missing my parents was becoming unbearable, the thought of spending the day with James, maybe actually having some kind of first date …
"I've never really explored San Antonio, and considering my track record with translation, I hadn’t called my parents yet to inform them we’d visit," I blurted out.
James flashed a warm smile, causing my breath to catch.
"Then let's get going; there's a shitload of sights to behold and I want to make sure you know the difference between San Antonio and Boston before we return home." He gestured for me to lead the way.
I stuck out my tongue in response.
"Do you want to start by taking a stroll along the riverwalk? I’ve heard it’s quite beautiful," James offered.
"Sure," I agreed, tamping down those annoying butterflies flying around in my stomach.
