Chapter 21: Mistakes

I settled down at the kitchen table as Aunt Mara handed me my cup of coffee in my favorite mug. A very large one with an opossum on it that said 'Every day is trash day'. She was still huddled up in her robe as she took a seat opposite me, tugging at the fabric to cover the exposed skin around her neck.

The little wooden home wasn't particularly warm, but to make up for it, the sound of the rain on the roof was more soothing than any other sound in the world. It drummed on, setting a soothing backdrop while my mind wandered back to Ryder's lips.

"So!?" Aunt Mara pressed, hunching over her coffee mug and looking at me with wide, expectant eyes.

"So?" I replied evasively.

"Oh my God, Katelyn! Do I need to drag it out of you?!" she asked, desperate for more information.

She was perched on the edge of her seat, her eyes glittering with excitement while she wrapped her hands firmly around her pink coffee mug.

"What if it went really badly and you're sitting here smiling like some kin