A Kiss At Midnight (Delilah and Caelum) novel Chapter 60

Chapter 60

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Her question had caught me off guard and for the briefest second I hesistated. I mean what was I suppose to says when asked questions about people 1 barely saw, whose presence were as cold as ice.

What do one say

Instead I force a small smile. “They’re fire,” I say, trying to keep my voice neutral as possible.

She gives a gently nod. “I’m glad to hear that,” she says then gives a thoughtful expression, “I haven’t seen your mother in such a long time.”

I haven’t seen her in weeks, and we live in the same house

But that was besides the point

Jacquelin lets out a small laugh, brining my attention back to her as she carried on saying. “We used to spend hours talking whenever she would come by,” her gaze drifted toward Jace, “usually while this one was running around the house causing

trouble.”

“I was a perfectly behaved child,” Jace protested.

My attention drifted to him as a smirk dance around my lips. “Now that’s a lie.”

He gives me a playful glare before saying. “I will have you know that I was such a delight.”

“Yeah, by causing a whole amount of chaos.”

“I think you mean being energetic,” he says with a raise brow and I could see he was trying not to smile.

y

“Remind me, Jacquelin, didn’t he break like three of your favorite flowerpot.”

She laughs nodding, “Yes, dear. On three different occasions by the way.”

“It was an accident, just so you know.”

“Yeah, right,” he opened his mouth to defend himself before apparently deciding the evidence wasn’t in his favor.

“Okay..so maybe I was a bit..creatively energetic.” Jacquelin lets out a soft laugh again.

“You, my dear, was very much so Impossible.”

“But adorable nevertheless.”

“You certainly were that,” she laughs gently as the warmth between them settled over the room again.

I watched Jace smile at his mother in a way I had never really seen before, and the way he was looking at her, almost as she was still at his m still the safest place he had ever known. This realization had a strange tightness settled in my chest.

They needed this, this time togther, without having someone else standing awkwardly in the room, even though thing in the room was less that.

Clearing my throat, their attention drifted back to me again. “I think I will go grab something from the vending machine.”

Jace frowned slightly. “I’m not sure we had passed one when we came, but I think there is one at the third floor..”

“Sure, thank,” I offered him a small smile. “Do you need me to get you anything.”

17:52 Thu, Jul 23

Chapter 60

55 vouchers

“I’m good dear,” Jacquelin was the first to response but judging by the look she gave me, I could tell that she knew and she didn’t call me out on it, Instead, she smiled warmly.

“Same here,” Jace says and I simply nodded, “I will be back in a bit,” as I turned toward the door, I glanced over my shoulder one last time, to find him had already leaned back toward his mother.

Without a word, she opened her arms and he moved into them immediately as she wrapped him in another gentle embrace, resting her cheek against the side of his head as though trying to memorize the feeling of holding him.

I quietly stepped into the hallway, the door drifted shut behind me, with the last thing before it closed completely was him, still in his mother’s arms., holding onto her just as tightly as she was holding onto him.

The hallway outside Jacquelin’s room felt noticeably quieter once the door clicked shut behind me and I stood there for a second as the muffled sounds of conversation disappeared behind the wooden door, leaving only the distant squeak of rubber soles against polished floors and the occasional soft murmur drifting from neighboring rooms.

Hospices had a strange kind of silence the kind that carried weight where every laugh was softer…conversation more careful and goodbye lingering a little longer than it should.

Letting out a quiet exhales, I slipped my hands into the pockets of my hoodie as I rememebered Jace mentioning there was a vending machine on the third floor.

I followed the signs pointing toward the elevators, my footsteps echoing faintly against the spotless floor, taking in how the air smelt clean with a mixture of disinfectant, fresh linen,, and something faiintly floral that I assumed came from the air fresheners tucked into the corners of the hallways. It wasn’tunpleasant, but it carried that unmistakable scent every hospital and hospice seemed to share.

The elevator doors slid open with a soft chime before I stepped inside, the metal walls reflected a tired looking version of myself as I pressed the button marked 3, the doors closed,humming quietly as it climbed.

For a brief moment, I watched the numbers above the door change, 1..2..3..then the doors opened again, with the third floor looking almost identical to the second.

I stepped out, glancing around, Jace had definitely said there was a vending machine up here. I wandered down one hallway, nothing, then nother corner, still nothing. As I carried on walking, the corridor curved gently to the left and then..

“There you are,” a vending machine, finally. I let out a quiet sigh of relief before making my way toward it.

It stood against the wall beside another seating area, stocked with bottles of water, canned drinks, chocolate bars, chips, and enough sugary snacks to keep someone occupied for an afternoon.

Stopping right in front of it. “Okay,” I scanned the machine, price, selection buttons, drink labels, and I looked for the card reader, nothing.

I frowned, maybe it was lower. Crouching slightly, still nothing. I looked along the sides, no card slot or contactless symbol.

“Seriously,” I muttered a little irritated, then leaned a little closer, that was when I notice the small metal coin slot tucked into the upper corner.

Coins

It only accepted coins

Of course it did

I stared at it for a long moment, hoping another payment option would magically appear if I looked hard enough. It didn’t.

A tiny sigh escaped me. checked my pockets anyway, phone, keys, lip balm, and surprise, not, absolutely no coins.

11:52 Thu, Jul 23

Chapter 60

55 vouchers

Resisting the overwhelming urge to groan. “Fantastic.” I muttered under my breath, “I leave to buy a drink I don’t even want, and the machine decides it’s living in 2006.”

“It can get really frustrating sometimes,” a voice chirped from behind me, “but thankfully, I’m here to the rescue, a ouldn’t want to leave a damsel in distress.”

I turned around and standing a few feet behind me was a boy who couldn’t have been older than thirteen. He wore a black hoodie with faded jeans and a pair of worn white sneakers…looking more like someone who had wandered in from a nearby school than someone who belonged in a hospice.

His dark hair stuck up in messy waves, and there was a permanent smirk plastered across his face that suggested he found the world endlessly entertaining. In one hand, he held a Rubik’s Cube and without even looking down at if his fingers moved effortlessly, twisting one side, then another.

The colored squares shifted beneath his fingertips with practiced ease until every face matched its proper color,, only then, did he glance down.

“Still got it.” he muttered proudly, before tucking the solved cube beneath his arm before digging into the pocket of his hoodie. He pulled out a single coin and held it toward me. “There you go, beautiful,” his grin widened, “use this to get whatever your heart desires.”

I looked from the coin to him and then back to the coin, amusement tugged at the corner of my mouth despite myself as I took the coin from his hand.

Slipping the coin into the vending machine, listening as it clinked into place before pressing the button for a bottle of water. The machine rumbled to life. “There,” he said proudly, “problem solved. I will take a kiss on the cheek as a thank you.”

I bent down to grab the bottle.”Weren’t you supposed to be in middle school or something?”

His face twisted with mock offense. “First of all. I’m thirteen.”

“So.. I wasn’t far off.”

“And second of all,” he continued as if I hadn’t spoken, “age is just a number.”

Raising a brow at him. “You are way too confident for someone who probably still gets told to be in bed by nine.”

“My bedtime’s ten,” he lets out a small scoff, then the amusement returned back to his eyes as he smirk, “I should probably introduce myself.” I arched a brow as he continues. “I’m going by Romeo today, so can I call you Juliet?” I fight the urge to let out a groan as he smirks, completely pleased with himself.

Chapter 61

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