Page 30 of The Garnet Daughter
His eyes shoot open, only half aware, and in his stupor, he reaches back for the gun on his nightstand on reflex.
“You weren’t supposed to sleep!” I shake him to wake up fully so I can scream at him. “We agreed you would stay up and wait for us to fold.”
I hitch a leg over him, climbing out on the open side of the bed. He grunts as I do, his hands going to where my knee dug into him. But I don’t care. He deserves more than a knee in his groin.
“I did not mean to,” he strains in pain.
“That was for nothing. We just slept together for nothing!”
He tucks in his lips like he is trying not to smile. Of course he finds this funny. “You look very refreshed at least.”
I feel like I have slept a million years and every kink in my stiff muscles has healed itself, but that is not the point. I run my hands down my face, part embarrassed for even suggesting this, part wanting to climb back into bed and try again.
“I’m sorry,” he finally says. “We can go to Ruth’s and try to get volunteers now.”
I exhale dramatically. “Alright, let’s get dressed and go. I’m not even sure how high the sun is already. We may have missed our opportunity.”
His eyes fall to my nightgown, and he ignores the rest of my words as if a thought suddenly reminds him that neither of us is in proper clothing.
“Why are you looking at me like that again?” I ask, confusion replacing my frustration.
“Like what?” And as if he can’t control his own eyeballs, they dip to my breasts.
“Like that!” I cross my arms “It’s not how friends look at each other, August.”
“I know.” He nods.
It’s like decoding a riddle. I wait for him to give me any other information, a clearer clue, but he stands there, staring at me like I should be aware of something.
He steps forward. “I don’t want to be friends, so I am not looking at you like a friend, Calliape.”
Oh, that makes sense, I guess.
Wait.
Oh.
When he takes another step forward, I throw my hand up, breaking his serious expression. “Why are you telling me this now? This is the worst time!”
“It’s always the worst time.” He grins. “The worlds started ending right before we met. I can’t change that.”
I can’t deal with this right now. I care for August, but we do not have time. Like he said, the worlds are ending. War is on the horizon, and an old god has its sights set on my friend and creating balance that will cost hundreds of lives.
“I can’t believe you.”
His smile fades, replaced by a furrowed brow. “Me? I’m not the one who came in here last night.”
“Don’t twist this.” I gesture wildly between us and what occurred in his bed. “I sleep folded!”
“I know, alright!” He grumbles to himself and hops out of bed to throw on a tunic. He’s too nice to argue with me or use petty tactics to prove a point. It’s hard even now being mad at him.
“Your Viathan ass better hope that we get some volunteers at Ruth’s house because there is no way I am hopping back into bed with you to try and sleep fold again!”
“We will see about that.” He brushes past me to holster his weapons at his belt.
“What’s that suppose to—” My breath is taken from me. What starts as a single string pulling at my chest becomes a great tide carrying me out in its current.
August waits for me to finish my sentence but I can’t. The words come out in a choking sound, and his face pales as he crosses the room closer to me.
