Page 70 of House of Ruin
There was just enough lighting from the firebirds’ butts to light their path, and soon enough, they reached another small little archway in the trunk leading outside.
“This is a tree house?” Alecto laughed as they both stepped on the wooden floor of the small makeshift tree house settled in between the massive branches.
It had a roof and floor but no walls. The rogue branches of the tree served as railings in certain places.
And it offered a full view of Andro’s neighborhood from up there as it stood just above the ends of the tall hedges.
“Rufus built it for Andro when they first bought the house and the land,” Blaze said. He reached his hand over his head, touching the light orbs hovering beneath the roof. They lit up one after another once Blaze stroked them. “He said the maze was lonely, and the tree never bloomed no matter the season. So he added life to it this way.”
As the light orbs lit up the place, Alecto inspected the chalk drawings marking the floor. There wasn’t a single space that didn’t have a scribble.
Blaze waited for her to finish absorbing her surroundings. And when she finally looked at him, he went over to the edge of the tree house and lowered himself to the floor.
As a true gentleman, he offered Alecto his hand to help her sit next to him.
To his surprise, she took it.
Blaze hadn’t even had the time to take her in tonight, as he’d rushed to get as far away from the party as possible.
Tonight, Alecto wore a daring lace slip that barely reached the middle of her naked thighs. Over her shoulders rested an oversized leather jacket that might or might not be a men’s jacket, and her elegant feet were strapped in black velvet high heels with a chunky heel.
Blaze wasn’t sure he had seen such a chunky heel before in his life.
Or such a high one, for that matter.
But it looked absolutely stunning on her long legs.
“Are you not even going to offer a girl a cigarette? So rude.”
Her words drew Blaze’s eye to her cherry-colored lips.
Alecto hadn’t bothered with elaborate makeup for tonight, the lipstick being the only thing on her pale face.
The dark circles under her eyes were deep and prominent against her pale skin.
Blaze offered her his pack of cigarettes. She snatched one, popping it between her lips.
Then she threw her hair over her shoulder, giving Blaze an unobstructed view of a healing bruise in the middle of her neck.
A hickey Blaze was responsible for.
He liked seeing his marks on her like this.
Helovedthe fact that she didn’t hide it.
They were his little love letters written on her skin for the whole world to see. Even if the world didn’t understand the meaning of them.
Satisfaction flooded him as he lit her cigarette and then his own.
With a heavy sigh, Blaze exhaled the smoke in front of him.
“So, what did you do?” Alecto asked.
“Why’d you assume I did anything?” Blaze looked at her sideways.
Alecto smirked. “Because you don’t wait for the argument to arise. You make it yourself.”
Blaze huffed a laugh.
