CHARLOTTEThe scent of coffee lured me into the kitchen.I smiled when I saw the pot of coffee being brewed as it always was. It was a little thing, but it was something that I’d started looking forward to every morning since the first time I had it. I walked off to the fridge first to get myself s
“What’s in the cup?” He asked, his tone wasn’t particularly friendly. Reigh bit down on his lower lip to keep from bursting out into a laugh and giving her away. “Water,” Sarah said in an extremely high-pitched note. I couldn’t tell if Taide believed her or not, but he looked away from her and mut
King Auric smiled, but it was was cold and filled with absolutely no warmth.When Sarah and I stepped away from behind Reigh, his attention immediately locked on me, scrutinizing, judging and scanning me from head to toe. It wasn’t in a lecherous way, more like he was picking apart every bit of me a
CHARLOTTE The moment I slipped into the kitchen, my gaze clashed with Taide’s. I saw him leaning against the counter with a troubled look on his face. His hands were folded across his chest and his fingers drummed against his bicep, his gaze was fixed on nothing in particular, but that didn’t make
CHARLOTTEI didn’t linger in school after my exams.I had one more paper that I had to read up for before tomorrow, and then the most stressful week of my life would finally be over.I had to say, it was much easier getting through my midterms with the piles of books and the expensive ass laptop in
CHARLOTTE“Charlotte!” Madeline screeched, charging towards me from a few feet away. “We’re finally done!”I smiled at my friend, and let her excitedly wrap her arms around me.Yeah yeah, we finally were done with our midterms and now spring break was just on the horizon.I patted her back gently and
CHARLOTTEI didn’t know King Auric had a club. But that just kicked off the long list of other things I had absolutely no clue of.Like, for example, how Sean and Taide used to be best friends—until Sean started a fling with Madeline, and Taide broke it off for good. That was interesting.Mads fell
I shrugged, and watched him take the drink, then down it in one go without flinching in the slightest. I frowned at that.I guess I was just terrible at handling my liquor.Reigh leaned forward to speak to the bartender, I assumed he was ordering more drinks. I was proven right when she returned wit
CHARLOTTEI glanced up at Caeson, catching the steady, unreadable expression he always wore. His gaze held mine, cool and unwavering, and for just a moment, something fluttered in my chest.I quickly shoved it aside, clearing my throat.“She’s staying then?” I asked, looking around the room. “We all
CHARLOTTE I watched the cat nibble on the can of tuna I’d placed on the kitchen island, its tiny pink tongue darting out to lap at the edges.Its fur was such a soft, dark fluff, and as I scratched behind its ear, it leaned into my hand, purring softly. I smiled to myself, feeling an unexpected war
CHARLOTTE I watched the cat nibble on the can of tuna I’d placed on the kitchen island, its tiny pink tongue darting out to lap at the edges.Its fur was such a soft, dark fluff, and as I scratched behind its ear, it leaned into my hand, purring softly. I smiled to myself, feeling an unexpected war
CHARLOTTE I pulled my curls into a bun as I walked down the stairs, my feet moving slowly against the wooden steps. The house was quiet, too quiet, but that was normal these days. My thoughts were scattered until a flicker of movement caught my eye. A flash of black streaked across the foyer. I st
CHARLOTTE Taide was growing out his hair. I sat on the edge of my bed, watching him lean over the mirror on my dresser. His hands combed through his dark hair, smoothing it back and letting it fall forward again. It was longer than I’d ever seen it, and I wasn’t sure how I felt about it yet. S
A childish part of me felt like defending that Emma had started it, but why did it matter? It shouldn’t matter and I tried to make myself believe that. Taide’s attention shifted away from the menu to me, and I cleared my throat before turning my gaze from Caeson and down to the menu like I had
CHARLOTTE After a short drive, Taide pulled up in the parking lot of the small restaurant that was a hotspot amongst students in the area. The main area was rowdy and full of students eating and talking loudly, but Taide led me past there and into a quieter, more ambient area. It was still c
CHARLOTTE Taide held the door open and shot me a knowing look. But I didn’t move, I remained in one spot, crossed my arms and pouted. “But Taide—” “I don’t want to hear it,” he cut me off, his expression deep and serious. My lips snapped shut, I sensed that there was no point in arguing. So, wi
I pulled them both back into the house and then to the kitchen. With a small exhale, I let go of their hands, immediately missing the comfort and warmth their touches gave me. “I need to find Madeline,” I told them. “Do you know if she’s back?” Just like Taide, she’d been gone almost all day. Rei