Page 43 of Hopeless Realm
Honestly, it’s been a long time since I had five dollars, so five syphins has to be really impressive, right?
“Doyou hate it?” He takes a step closer to me, the necklace held in the small space between our bodies. Both of us hold it, his hand on the thin chain and mine threatening to tear off the expensive jewel.
A single step closer and my hips are brushing his.
“I love it,” I whisper.
“Good.” His lips skim across my cheek and I lean into him. The simple affection relaxes me. This weird push of normalcy is distracting and relaxing.
His hands raise above my head and I force myself to release the pendant so he can clasp it behind my neck. His attention falls to the jewel before his gaze travels a little further to the curve of my chest. I smirk at him and his gaze finally meets mine again.
“It matches your eyes almost perfectly.” He swallows hard, his Adam’s apple working against the column of his throat.
“Thank you.”
No one’s ever given me anything like this before.
Not since I was a little girl.
“Come on.” He takes my hand in his once more. “Let’s go eat and hopefully we’ll be allowed into Bekka’s house once we’re done.”
Once again, Ryder pulls out more of his absurdly fancy fae money and buys us each a drink and some sort of meat on a stick. It smells delicious and I don’t question what it is. I’m sure I’ve eaten worse. The warm food is charred lightly along the edges. It looks similar to chicken but smells more heavenly. The tender meat practically melts in my mouth and I give a hum of approval as we walk the street.
Ryder’s lips tilt up as he smirks down at me.
“This is a date, isn’t it?”
My quiet eating is interrupted by his odd question. I swallow harshly, the food not seeming nearly as tender as it was just a moment ago.
I’m an awful date. The image of my last date swirls through my mind. I stole almost everything the guy owned. And it ended with Ryder trying to save my long-lost virtue.
Yeah, I’m great at dates.
But this is nice. The weather is nice. The food is nice. This ridiculously charming fae is nice.
“I guess it is.” My nose scrunches at the thought of it and Ryder’s smile widens.
“I haven’t been on a date in—” He pauses, his brows raising high. “Years.”
Hmm for once we’re both on awkward ground.
He finishes off his food in another heaping bite and I take my time savoring the last of mine. The trash is discarded into a bin.
It’s all so carefree and normal.
A small pause drifts between us in the warm summer breeze.
I want badly to know what the Travelers showed him. What death did he see in his visions? All this niceness is bound to come to an end eventually.
Tonight. Or tomorrow. All too soon.
This beautiful day will be swept away and forgotten.
“What did the Travelers show you?” It’s a quiet question that makes him look away from me. The horizon captures his attention for a moment.
His body crowds mine, his chest pushing into mine as his hands clasp around my hips.
“Stop thinking so much,” he whispers against my hair. “Not everything in the world is as tragic as it seems, Kara.” His hands skim up my sides before tipping my jaw up to him.
