A Kiss At Midnight (Delilah and Caelum) novel Chapter 24

Chapter 24

Chapter 24

It was Saturday and let’s jus say I was really running on autopilot right now.

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My parent were home and in the back garden, doing their usual Saturday ritual, where they pretend like the world was simple as they sip their wine and have quiet conversations.

Before leaving, I had told them I was going over to Kaia’s place. Why? Mainly because it was that easy, and they never question it. They rarely ever do.

And I wasn’t about to mention Caelum, mainly because there wasn’t any reason to yet, especially not when I could already imagine the look my mother would give if she knew.

Adding to the fact that I was still a little bit hungover from last night, the remnant of Jace’s party still heavy in my head, which brings about my mood today and why every thing feels so slow.

When I arrived at his place,,it looked exactly the same as last time, too neat, warm and too normal, that it annoyed me at how much it didn’t match him.

I rang the bell once, the door opening almost immediately. Caelum stood there like he had been expecting me, hands in his pockets, expression unreadable as usual.

“Hey,” he says simply.

“It’s a bit creepy how you are always weirdly ready for people to show up.” I said, stepping inside without waiting.

“I’m certain If I didn’t open it fast enough,” he said, glancing at me with mild sarcasm,” you would probably find a problem with that too, so I thought I’d save you the effort of complaining.”

“Wow,” i said flatly, my voice dull from the lingering hangover irritation, “was that meant to be funny or are you just naturally this unbearable in the morning too.”

The house as expected was quiet, I made my way further in, dropping my bag onto the couch as I rubbed my temple, my head was still mildly pounding.

Caelum’s gaze moves to me, his brows crease. “You okay?”

I stopped what I was doing for a moment, not used to him noticing anything that wasn’t directly his problem.

“Uh..yeah,” I said maybe a little too quickly, before letting out a deep breath, “just hungover with a mild headache”

I wasn’t sure what I expected from him, maybe for him to give his usual sarcastic, annoying comment, maybe even a lecture

if he was feeling bold, Instead, he didn’t say anything and just turned, walking into the kitchen.

My brow creased together as Iwatch him go, again not really sure what that was supposed to mean. It wasn’t up to a minute later when he came back, holding onto a glass of water and a tablet.

He sets them down on the table in front of me without making a big deal out of it. “Take it, it will help with the headache,” he said simply.

I looked at him, then at the water, then back at him again like I was trying to figure out what angle this was coming from.

“Right,” I muttered still slightly caught off guard. I took them anyway. “Thanks,” he just gave a small nod, like that was the most normal thing in the world.

“So do your parents visit your grandpa often.?” I curiously wondered, and mainly for the sake of creating a conversation to weed off the awkwardness that had settled.

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Chapter 24

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“My grandpa.” He asked, clearly not used to sharing pieces of his life so often with people, so I could understand why he sounded surprised when I brought it up.

That, and he probably didn’t expect me to remember

“Yeah, you said they visit him every Saturday,” I said.

He folds both his hand to his chest, “Yeah, he’s sick, so they try to spend as much time with him as possible. I usually see him Friday after school and whenever I can make time,” he adds, walking over to a wall, leaning back against it.

“You’re close with your grandpa then?” I sat down in one of the couch, staring at him.

“Really close,” he exhaled softly, shifting his weight as he spoke. And for some crazy reason I noticed the way his throat moved as he did so.

Okay what

Why was I so interested in his throat

Get a grip, Delilah.

“I’m not really close to mine. My dad lost his parent before I was born while my mom’s side of the family can be..a little bit too much to handle. Good that they prefer to be stuck in some villa somewhere.,” I said, brushing my hands down my skirt.

Why did this house feel so warm?

He nods like it was just another piece of information he didn’t need to react to before sitting down opposite me, sliding something across the table, nodding slightly for me to look, and I did, lowering my gaze to the cover of the textbook, my blood boiled almost instantly.

“You’re giving me a Year 7 Mathematics book.”

Did he really think I was that dumb?

“I think it could help.”

“Yeah, Year 7.” He was clearly joking right, or was he ust trying to humiliate me, which was it.

“Would you calm down? I talked to Mrs Malachi and she gave me some of your past test papers to look through.”

“That’s a violation of my privacy.”

“I’m trying to help. Look, I looked through it last night and you don’t seem to have a problem with evaluating and explaining. What you have a problem with is the basics. You mix up formulas, forget simple rules, basic algebra steps. So….” he gestured to the textbook.

I scanned the cover page.

Ryder Hart

Right, his brother.

“It also belonged to my brother, but he doesn’t mind you using it.” He added, my scowl deepens. “Would you stop looking so annoyed? I’m trying to help you here.”

“Don’t you think it’s a bit embarrassing.” I slammed the book and snapped. “That you’re giving me a Year 7 textbook, do you really think I’m that dumb?”

“I never said you were dumb, I just explained the reason I’m giving you the textbook. So what, It’s just a textbook.” He

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Chapter 24

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I looked at him for a second, knowing he wouldn’t understand. He would never understand what it felt like to admit to yourself you’re not smart, and you’ll never be smart, and that you are always going to be behind in everything.

I liked to be superior, liked to be on top and looking at that Year 7 textbook made me feel so small and useless. I hated it.

“I don’t want it,”I muttered.

“Delilah, stop being so unreasonable. It’s just a textbook.”

Delilah, stop being so unreasonable.

Did he not hear himself, his words.

Why did I feel a knot in my throat as he said that? Why did I have to look away, or was I maybe overreacting.

People have always told me I was too dramatic about things, but it hurt so much to hear those words, to look at that textbook. I just wanted it to stop.

“Can we do something else please.” I said quietly, looking at the pale blue and white tiled wall.

“It really isn’t that..”

“Please,” I said louder.

Shit, why did my voice have to crack

“This… this was what I planned on doing today,” he said back calmly.

I let out a long breath and swallowed. “That’s fine. I’ll just… go.” I got up and made my way into the living room, and his footsteps followed behind.

“Wait.” he called out as soon as I grabbed my bag.

“What.” I turned around to meet his expression, watching as he was fiddling with the ends of his shirt. “Um, what about..you know.. your part of the deal, you said Saturday..So.”

Shit, I forgot all about that. I placed my bag back down gently and looked at him. “Okay,” I said slowly. “Come sit.”

He makes his way over to the couch and sat down. “What… w..what are we going to do?” he was nervous, but there was a slight hint of anticipation in his tone that made something in me shift, “I mean, a..are we just sticking with what we did last

time or..”

I smiled and reached for my phone, setting it up on the speaker. What should I even play? I’d never really thought much about music for this kind of thing-most guys either left it in silence or picked rap or R&B, which I didn’t mind when it was good, but more often than not, it really wasn’t.

Exist for Love by Aurora Vale. Not my first pick, but it would work fine enough.

“Another Aurora Vale song” He raised a brow.

“So. I like her music,” I shrugged, before adding. “Since reading is kind of your thing, and you know, kind of your comfort zone, I figured this would probably help you more.”

I opened my bag, bringing out two books, which I have already read myself, before handing them over to him with a grin plastered across my face.

“They’re really good too,” I give a slight shrug of my shoulders. “I mean, why watch porn when you can just read it.”

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