Page 57 of Eye of the Hurricane
“You’ll be okay, it looks like it’s missing us. It’s just a tropical storm right now.”
Luna
Did you get home safe?
Luna
Hello?
Luna
Are you alright?
Luna
We’re on our way back to Doves Harbor. I’m coming to check on you.
Luna
Well I successfully scared the shit out of Ares. Sorry, I was worried about you! See you tomorrow?
As soon asI open my eyes, it’s clear I slept the entire day and part of the night away. The entire house is dark and silent. At some point, Ares must have moved me to my bed because that’s where I’m waking up.
I’m in the bed alone and I can’t ignore the disappointment I feel when I realize he left. I can’t blame him, not sure I’d stick around to watch a sick girl sleep.
I sit up and most of the nausea has subsided.Thank God. On my nightstand is a glass of water, an electrolyte packet, and some medicine. Every bone in my body aches, including the throbbing headache I’ve picked up.
I slip out of the bed and slide on a pair of slippers. Theonly light in the house left on is the dim light over the sink in the kitchen. I open the fridge and it pours yellow light into its corner of the kitchen. I grab an apple in attempt to get something in my system.
Next thing I know, I’m closing the refrigerator door and there’s a shadowy figure of a person standing there. I do the only logical thing and scream at the top of my lungs, launching the apple at the person standing in my kitchen. The stranger yelps as the apple makes contact.
I flip the light on as quickly as I can find it just to realize it was Ares, who is now sporting a darkening-by-the-minute welt on his arm.
“What are you doing here?” I yell. He throws two confused hands in the air.
“I told you I was staying here!” he exclaims.
“I woke up alone! I thought you left.”
“I didn’t want to get in bed with you while you weren’t awake to tell me if you wanted me there, it felt wrong.” That’s the line that finally brings my guard crumbling to the ground.
“I’m sorry I threw an apple at you,” I say.
He cracks a laugh. “I hope if someone ever breaks in here, you have a better defense than chucking apples.” He picks the apple up off the ground and wipes it off on his shirt before handing it to me.
“Figured I should get something in my system after all the throwing up,” I explain.
“Don’t you think you should eat something of substance?” he asks with a laugh.
“Maybe, but what time is it?” I ask, pulling out my phone to check. “It’s two in the morning, Ares. I can’t make a whole meal right now,” I laugh.
“You’re right, I’ll go pick us up something. I’ll hit one ofthe twenty-four-hour fast food places. Anything sound good?” he asks, grabbing his keys from the counter.
“I’ll come with,” I announce.
“Is Katherine Graeves about to leave the house in pajamas and slippers?” he asks in a dramatic tone. I roll my eyes and push past him on my way out the door.
And, for the first time in my life, I go for one of those middle-of-the-night drives. The ones you see in every coming-of-age movie that everyone seems to go on in high school. It’s not until I’m sitting there, watching the street lights blur by, that I realize all the small things I missed out on in pursuit of my big plan.
