A Kiss At Midnight (Delilah and Caelum) novel Chapter 48

Chapter 48

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“Okay..okay, I can’t do this,” I threw my hands into the air dramatically before letting them fall back onto the floor, then I dropped my face into my palms.

I was done, completely done and utterly done, you could all say Chemistry had officially managed to defeated me.

Now I was left with accepting my defeat and humiliation.

Ugh

It’s crazy how I had survived years of school drama, fake friendships, and enough pointless arguments to make anyone lose their mind, but apparently a textbook filled with formulas and confusing little symbols was where I finally met my enemy.

Kaia looked up from her bed, her attention finally leaving her Chemistry notes as she stared at me sitting on her bedroom floor like I had just experienced a personal tragedy.

“What exactly are you doing?”

I lifted my head slightly. “Tryimg to understand why someone decided this was necessary,” I muttered out flatly while pointing at the Chemistry textbook sitting open in front of me, “This .” I gestured at the pages. “This torture.”

She looked at the book, then at me, tilting her head. “It’s just explaining chemical reactions.”

“Exactly,” I threw my hands up again, “I can’t help that it feels like a punishment every time I read it.” A small smile appeared on her face, causing me to pointed at her, “don’t.”

“I didn’t say anything.”

“You were thinking it.”

Y

“Okay..maybe I was,” I glare at her but she doesn’t seem to care.

Rude

Whatever possessed me to accept Kaia’s offer to study at her house was clearly a sign that I had lost my mind, because so far, I had read one page.

One

The rest of my time had been spent staring at the textbook like it had personally insulted me and creating a masterpiece in the corner of my notes. A tiny drawing of a cat wearing sunglasses riding a skateboard.

The cat being the only thing bringing joy into my life right now

I looked back at the textbook, the letters blurred together, from molecules to equations, atoms.

Who decided these things needed to be so complicated

“I don’t understand why they can’t just make things easier,” I complained, rubbing my forehead, “can’t they just give me a simple step-by-step guide, or at least make it interesting.”

Kaia raised an eyebrow. “Because it’s a Chemistry textbook, Deli, not a dramatic romance novel.”

“All the more reason why it needs improvement,” she laughed softly as she climbed off her bed and walked toward me, her eyes dropped to my notes, and slowly down to my drawing.

“And what might this be?”

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Chapter 48

My gaze drifted down to it, a proud smile dancing on my face. “My masterpiece.”

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She stared at the drawing, tilting her head slightly to get a better look. “Is that supposed to be a cat, wearing sunglasses and riding a skateboard?”

“He’s living his best life right now,”

Her gaze moved to look at the then back at the drawing. “While you’re failing Chemistry?”

“Okay, don’t go ruining his happiness.”

“You’re impossible,” a laugh escaped her and I smiled slightly. She looks at it again before adding. “It’s weirdly cute.”

“I know.”

“But also concerning.”

“Still art,” letting out a groan as I slapped the textbook. “Stupid book.”

“Now you’re fighting with a textbook.”

“Whoever invented these deserves consequences,” she rolled her eyes.

“You’ve only been studying for twenty minutes.”

“Exactly, I would say twenty minutes too long.” My voice was flat as I leaned back against her bed, staring at the ceiling and for once. I hated that I actually cared.

I was trying, really trying. Normally, I would’ve laughed it off, pretended I didn’t care about grades and that everything was fine. But this time was different, this time I actually wanted to do better.”

And somehow, that made it more frustrating when I couldn’t

Kaia suddenly got quiet causing me to look up as she stared down at me, but her mind seemed to be in a world of its own.

“What is it?”

She hesitated, then asked. “Are you and Caelum seriously finished?”

My expression dropped as I rolled my eyes. “You say that like we were together.”

She gave me a look. “You kind of were,” my eyes met hers again, blankly with a look that gave a very clear ‘you cannot be serious right now’

Raising her hands, she adds. “Okay, okay, not officially.””

“Not anything.” I said blankly, hating the fact that I was reminded about Caelum, I have been trying not to think about what had happened and the argument we had.

“But..” Kaia continues with a small shrug, “you two were something.”

My lips parted to argue but nothing came out, knowing she was unfortunately not completely wrong. Our relationship had been complicated, annoying, frustrating, and a bloody mistake like had said.

My jaw clenched as his words clawed their way up my head again. “We were never friends.”

“You spent a lot of time together.”

“That doesn’t mean anything.”

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Chapter 48

“Doesn’t it?”

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I didn’t answer, clearly what had happen yesterday was more than enough for me to know he barely regarded me as nothing’ more than a bratty spoilt princess, waiting to squander my parents money, or whatever the hell that was.

Yet a part of me couldn’t help but wonder if I did care for him, or was I just used to having him around?

“You both saw sides of each other nobody else did,” Kaia added and my fingers brushed against the edge of my notebook. The silence fell between us for a second or two before she adds, “you should talk to him.”

My head snapped toward her. “Absolutely not.”

“Delilah..”

“Nope, noway in hell.” I crossed my arms. “I’m not chasing after him, hell to the no.”

“Why not.”

“Because I won’t.” I said plainly as she stared again for another second too long. “I don’t need him.”

“Okay.” She nodded, agreeing way too easily, causing me to narrow my eyes at her

“What?”

“Nothing.”

“Kaia.” she shrugged. “Spill.”

“Just wondering how you plan on fixing your grades.” And suddenly, I had nothing, knowing fully well she had a point and my options were terrible.

Studying alone wasn’t working, Caelum tutoring me was clearly over, also failing wasn’t an option.

I sighed. “Maybe I should just quit school and become an influencer.” Kaia slowly turned to me, the judgment was immediate. “What’s that look supposed to mean.”

“You hate taking pictures when you don’t like your outfit.”

“That’s different.”

“How?”

“Because I would have to look good.”

She snorts. “You already spend hours getting ready.”

“Exactly, I’m qualified.”

“You spend half that time complaining.”

“Still qualified.”

“You’re impossible” She shakes her head laughing.

“I could totally do it.”

“You can also learn Chemistry.” My gaze drifted down to looked at the textbook, then groaned.

“Why do you always have to be right?”

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Chapter 48

“Because I usually am.”

I grabbed my pen, opening the page again. “Fine.” Staring at it, I let out another sigh. “Explain it like I’m five.”

She smirks. “Fine.”

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992

Sitting in class once again, I wondered how long it would be until the end of the lesson or how long I could survive before I threw myself out of a window.

I swear Señorita Alvarez had a personal vendetta against me, the woman spent the entire lesson throwing suspicious locks my way as if she was waiting for me to commit a crime.

If anything. she was the reason I acted up. The constant lectures with t the little sarcastic comments, and the way she always picked on people she knew weren’t paying attention, it was irritating.

And yes, maybe I made it worse by talking back, but could she blame me

We once spent an entire lesson arguing because she refused to let me leave for the bathroom for absolutely no reason, then her crazy idea of me dipping out of class.

Okay..maybe I have done that a few time also, but that was beside the point. Because..I happened to be on my period, and after she told me I needed to “learn patience,” I informed her that if she didn’t let me go, her classroom was about to look like a crime scene.

I got a week of detention. Totally worth it

“Delilah.” My head snapped up.

Oh, for fuck’s sake.

“¿Cómo estás hoy?” she gave me a knowing smirk, knowing I wasn’t listening.

What a bitch

I stared at her blankly. What in the fuck does ¿Cómo estás hoy even mean

My brain searched desperately, getting nothing. Spanish might as well have been a bunch of random sounds thrown together to make my life harder.

I looked around the classroom, and no one was going to help me, everyone was too busy pretending they weren’t watching me struggle.

Then, completely out of nowhere, a memory surfaced of Caelum sitting across from me.

His expression unimpressed as he repeated the same sentence over and over because apparently my brain refused to

cooperate.

¿Cómo estás hoy?

How are you today?

Wait that was it. That was what she asked.

My eyes widened slightly, not believe I remembered, after everything and telling myself I didn’t need him. Somehow, my bram had decided to keep the one useful thing he taught me.

I looked back at Señorita Alvarez. “Estoy bien,” the word left my mouth before I could overthink it and entire room seemed

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to pause.

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The teacher’s eyebrows lifted, even I was surprised, because I had never answered her questions in Spanish, not once.

A small smile tugged at my lips, knowing I actually did something right, and I did it because of Caelum. My smile immediately disappeared and my stomach twisted.

Absolutely not

I wasn’t going there, I didn’t need him and I most definitely didn’t need his stupid calm voice correcting every mistake made.

By the time lunch came, the cafeteria was pretty much the same as always, loud and crowded Full of people pretending they weren’t listening to everyone else’s conversations.

Except one thing was different, Jace wasn’t there.

Not that I cared, obviously