A Kiss At Midnight (Delilah and Caelum) novel Chapter 141

09:50 Sat, Sep 19 •

A Ki At Midnight

SOMEWHERE BETWEEN HOT AND JEALOUSY

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Kaja glances over my shoulder and I didn’t need to ask who she was looking at. My entire body went tense.

When her gaze settled on me back, her brow crease, “He’s still looking this way.”

I kept my eyes ahead, refusing to look behind me even when I felt the burn of his gaze on my back.

She studies me, then glance back again. “I don’t understand the look in his eyes.”

My fingers tightened around my sleeve. “What look?”

“That look,” she gestures behind us, “like he wants to be where you are or like he’s yearning for something. but also looks pissed. I genuinely can’t tell what he’s thinking.”

“I’m certain he doesn’t want to be anywhere near me,” the words came out sharper than I intended, “If anything, he’s probably over the fucking moon. That’s what he wanted, isn’t it? He got exactly what he wanted.”

The ache in my chest sharpens as I continued, “He’s probably going to end the night having the best time of his life,” I focus on the crowd, refusing to let the hurt show. I shook my head, “I don’t want to talk about him.”

Kaia’s gaze flickers toward Caelum before returning to me, and after a moment, her expression softens, “You don’t have to talk about him,” then she reaches for my hand, “Come on.”

Before I could protest, she pulls me back toward where she had been standing. The boy I had seen her talking to earlier was still there, waiting with a smile.

When we got to him, he looked up with a smile, his gaze drifted from Kaia to me, his eyes swept over me briefly and he says, “Hey, Delilah, you look really nice tonight.”

My brow furrow slightly, amused, as I glanced between him and Kaia. “Thanks,” I looked him over in return, “You don’t look bad either..”

A grin tugged at his lips. “I’m Mason, by the way.”

“Yeah, Mason. You don’t look bad,” he laughs, and I caught the quick look he exchanged with Kaia and she immediately blushes.

I raised an eyebrow but decided not to say anything as she cleared her throat before turning toward me.

“So, Mason and I were thinking about going to the photo booth to take some pictures,” she glance between us, “the three of us could go together.”

I smiled, realising how almost funny. Because somehow, standing between the two of them, I suddenly felt like the third wheel. Was this how Kaia felt whenever she was stuck around me and Caelum?

“That’s really sweet of you guys,” I said, “But I’m honestly not really feeling the whole picture taking thing right now.”

Kaia’s smile fades slightly. “What.. why?”

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09:50 Sat, Sep 19 ))).

A KI A Midnight

“Just not feeling it,” I wave a hand dismissively, “Don’t let me stop you, you two should go have fun”

e looks at me with concern, “I don’t want to leave you by yourself.”

I knew exactly why she was hesitant and how she had seen me spot Olivia and Caelum earlier. And now they were somewhere around here, which meant there was absolutely no way I could avoid seeing them if I stayed.

She probably didn’t trust me to be alone with that, but I couldn’t exactly spend the entire night hiding behind her.

“I’ll be fine, Kaia,” she still looked unconvinced, “I’ll find something else to do.” I gave her a small smile before waving her off with both hands, “now go. Shoo.”

She stares at me for another second, then I give her another little push toward Mason, “Go have your fun.”

Mason reaches for Kaia’s hand and she glances down at their joined hands, then back at him, looking slightly reluctant before finally sighing.

“Okay,” his smile widens then the two of them started walking toward the photographer, hand in hand, while I stood there watching them disappear into the crowd.

For a second, I just stare after them before letting out a sigh. There wasn’t really much left for me to do anyway, everyone seemed to be here with someone tonight. A date, group of friends, people laughing and talking like they actually wanted to be here.

And I wasn’t exactly in the mood to insert myself into someone else’s group or force my way into a conversation just so I wouldn’t look alone.

So what the hell was I still doing here..

I turned around and started walking away from the field and the farther I got from the noise, the more l regretted coming in the first place. I should have stayed home, urled up in my bed and pretend this stupid festival didn’t exist.

Instead, I had come here only to spend the entire night trying not to look in one direction..

Shoving my hands into my pockets, I kept walking, not entirely sure where I was even going just knew I wanted to get away from the crowd, maybe find somewhere quiet to sit until the night was over.

I was halfway across the edge of the field when a voice suddenly called from behind me

“Delilah..”

I stopped, turning around to find Amelia Bells making her way toward me. Or, at least, attempting to. She was slightly unsteady on her feet, her cheeks flush, and there was a giddy smile spread across her face.

“Hey..” she said brightly, “I thought you weren’t coming,” she took another step toward me, thenimmediately stumbled, “Whoa..”

I reached out, catching her before she could fall, “Jesus, Amelia.”

She giggles, barely seeming bothered by what had just happened while I steadied her on her feet, staring at her for a second.

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130 Sat, Sep 19

A KI A Midnight

“How are you already drunk?” the night had barely even started.

ancing around the field, someone must have sneaked alcohol in. Honestly, I wasn’t even surprised.

Amelia grins at me, looking far too pleased with herself, “I’m not drunk.”

I tighten my grip around her arm, keeping her steady, “Okay, how many drinks have you had?

She blinks at me then she raised two fingers. “Two,” I stared at her as she raises another finger. “Three

“Amelia.”

She grins before slowly raising both hands, counting with exaggerated concentration, “Five,” her words came out slurred.

Sighing, “Of course,” I looked around before asking, “Where’s your tent?”

She immediately pointed toward the left, “Over there.”

Following the direction of her finger, there were at least twenty tents in that direction, “Which one?”

She pointed toward the opposite side, “That one.”

“Amelia..”

Then she pointed somewhere else entirely, “That one,” I closed my eyes for a second.

Great

Before I could ask again, a girl I recognized from earlier came rushing toward us, she was one of the girls I had seen hanging around with Amelia.

“Oh my God,” she hurries over, “I’ve been looking everywhere for you, Lia,” her eyes dropped to Amelia, then widened when she saw how unsteady she was, “She’s drunk.”

“No shit,” I mutters, then girl looked at me, clearly worried and I shifted Amelia toward her, “Take her to her tent before any of the teachers find out you guys sneaked alcohol in here.”

The girl gulps, “Yeah. Of course.”

I gave her a pointed look, “And if anything happens to her, you know who I’m going to find.”

Her face pales and she gulps again, nodding quickly. “Yeah, I understand,” she took Amelia from me. wrapping an arm around her waist.

Amelia immediately protested, “Wait, Delilah, we should have another drink. One more…” then giggles, “could have fun.”

“You’ve already had enough fun for one night,” she continues talking as the girl tried guiding her away, most of her words becoming a drunken blur.

I watch them for a moment before turning away, and immediately, I had to fight the urge to look toward the other side of the field. I didn’t need to see them again and definitely didn’t need to stand around staring at them like some pathetic creep who couldn’t move on.

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09:50 Sat, Sep 19 ) •

A KI A Midnight

So I kept my eyes straight ahead, but still, the ache returned. Even without looking directly at him, 1 couldn’t stop thinking about what I’d noticed earlier.

Caelum had gotten so popular, I had seen him talking with some of the jocks, laughing with them like he had always belonged in their circle. They seemed completely comfortable around him and then there were the cheerleaders.

A few of them had been around Olivia, talking and laughing with her, everyone seemed to have their people tonight. Everyone seemed to fit somewhere and somehow, I was the one person who suddenly didn’t know where the hell she belonged.

It felt like everything Caelum and I had been through was slowly fizzling out, all those conversations and moments. Everything we had built between us seem to be disappearing without even a single acknowledgment that any of it had ever mattered.

And somehow, I couldn’t even blame him. I had been the one to end it and the one to make it sound like none of it meant anything. So maybe this was what I deserved.

I found an empty seat away from the busiest part of the field and dropped into it, pulling out my phone. I scrolled through Instagram, anything to keep my mind occupied. Replying to a few messages, liked a couple of posts I wasn’t even paying attention to, and eventually exchanging a few texts with Leo.

For a few minutes, it worked, till a voice came from beside me.

“Why are you alone?” I looked up as Landon drops into the empty seat beside me and immediately sighed.

“What are you doing here?”

He glanced at me, “Having a good time.”

Raising an eyebrow, “Where’s Sophie?”

“Somewhere, I guess,” my brow creases.

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