Page 48 of Locked
CHAPTERTHIRTEEN
Zelle
Kinden arrived the next morning.
It had taken everything in my power not to message him and tell him to come the night before.
I wanted to make sure Mother wasn't still in the vicinity of the building. I didn't want him getting into a scuffle with her. Kinden was in good grips of his magical abilities, but Mother was ancient, there was no way he could best her alone.
And besides, good things came to those who waited, right?
I was practically vibrating with anticipation by the time Tuesday morning rolled around. He sent me a message around daybreak to tell me he was on his way.
I'd spent the morning cleaning up the apartment. I couldn't do anything on my blog without alerting Mother to my actions, so I just cleaned. Made the place look spotless so Kinden wouldn't think I was some kind of slob or something.
I was worried the entire morning that he'd somehow pinged the wrong tower and he was going to show up somewhere I wasn't. That worry continued to niggle at my psyche right up until he rang the chimes on the front door,. I couldn't contain my smile when I heard it. It was a mixture of excitement, arousal, and relief and it was a lovely, lovely feeling.
Basil was curling around my feet as I walked towards the door to let him in.
I plucked a hair from my head and dropped it into the flame by the door. The lock slid out with a satisfying thunk and Kinden was able to open the door.
I smoothed my hands down the front of my dress, nervously awaiting actually seeing him in the flesh and in person.
Video chatting had prepared me for this. But only just. Kinden was the first person I was meeting in real life who wasn't Mother. It was a milestone and I knew that.
I was very aware that I was about to be in the presence of another person.
I was twenty-two years old and I was finally meeting someone who wasn't Mother.
Tears welled in my eyes as he pushed open the door. He stood before me, much taller than I had even expected, and Iknewhe was tall. At least, I'd known in an abstract sense. But there was a difference between gauging a height using a door frame as a reference and seeing the actual person in front of you.
He was tall, his skin darker than I realized from his pictures and from our video chats. He smiled and I walked towards him, my entire body buzzing with nerves as I approached him.
"Hi," I said, smiling widely. Probably too widely. Too toothy. My cheeks flushed hot.
"Hi," he replied, allowing the bag he had slung over his shoulder to fall slowly to the ground.
There was a moment where we just looked at each other. Grinning like fools and just staring.
I knew why I was staring. Why was he?
"Zelle… I can't believe it's really you," Kinden breathed.
"It's me," I said, laughing softly. "It's really me."
He moved then. Stepped forward and wrapped his arms around my waist. Mine automatically wound around his shoulders, pulling him close and holding him there. I rested my head on his shoulder, inhaling the woodsy scent from his clothes.
The hug was so much different than Mother's. It was gentler. He didn't try to crush me against him. He wrapped his arms snugly around my body and held me. Just held me.
I choked out another 'hi' and he returned it, pushing the door closed behind him.
It locked with a dull thunk and he was inside.
I inhaled and exhaled, breathing in his scent that was so different from anything I'd ever smelled before. Musky and male. Spicy and warm.
I don't know how long we stood there, just holding each other and not speaking, but it was long enough that Basil cleared his throat uncomfortably and we both started to laugh. Kinden let his arms drop from me first and I followed suit, a little embarrassed that we'd made Basil feel uncomfortable.
"Hello, Basil," Kinden said, his deep voice echoing in the halls of my apartment.
