A Kiss At Midnight (Delilah and Caelum) novel Chapter 7

Chapter 7

“Wait…hold up for a second. He did what!”

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Kaia’s voice cut through the cafeteria noise like a bloody siren and I could have sworn that half the table next to us had paused mid conversation, their attention settling on us.

Just perfect, absolutely perfect

What better way to get perfectly, nerve wrecking humiliated, then have an audience witness it.

Toast to that

I didn’t brother looking up and just kept stabbing my fork into my salad, like it had been the reason for this crazy messed up situations that I was in.

“He said no, again.” I said flatly.

Kaia leaned closer, her eyes wide in disbelief. “Are you sure he actually said no, like no.”

I gave her a blank stare, “He said no, Kaia, like noh.”

“Wow.” She raise her hand, still stunned. “My brain is refusing to process how that is even possible.”

Yeah, well, mine did too, for a whole five seconds. Till the reality of it was slapped across my face. Twice at that.

I let out a slow breath, raising my head up, as I finally look up her at. “He rejected me, Kaia.” I said. “Again.”

Her lips parted ways. “Caelum Hart?” She asked like we were talking about another Caelum and not the school bloody biggest nerd.

“For the one hundred time, yes, fucking Caelum Hart. Glasses, hoodie, with a personality as that of a locked door, Caelum Hart.”

Just thinking about it and the fact that the likes of him, had think to rejected me, not once but twice, was embarrassing.

Like gutt wrenching embarrassing.

And I just wanted to find a place where I could hide for the rest of my life from the shame.

Maybe I should have my memories taken away, and spear me from the torment of having the moment on constant loop.

Ugh…

“Language.” Kaia scold, but I wasn’t in the mood to be modest, “and also, this is insane.”

“Yeah,I’m aware.”

Very much painfully, humiliatingly aware.

“This doesn’t make any sense. You were clearly offering yourself to him.”

“I didn’t exactly send him a formal invitation, but yes, the offer was very clear.” I snapped, irritation flaring again.

Clear enough that a blind person could’ve picked up on it.

god

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Chapter 7

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“By the way, I just want you to know I’m still agaisnt the idea of you offering yourself to him like some sick tribute, but that is besides the point.” her voice lowered slightly. “This was a kind of deal anyone attending Crestmont Prep would kill for. and he just said no. No.”

i

“I’m just as completely thrown off by this as you are, given the fact that he hadn’t hesitated what so ever in saying no, straight to my face for the bloody second time in just a week.”

“I actually find it hard to… understand him.” She leaned back, shaking her head slowly.

“Same here, Kaia, same here.”I muttered.

Which was a big problem at the moment, since I award myself for being good at reading people, and understanding how they work.

What they want, and how to push them. They were simple, easy and predictable.

But with Caelum….that didn’t seem to be the case anymore.

The way he had looked at me like I had said the most offensive thing he had ever heard on this living earth, and had crossed a line he actually cared about.

Which was down right ridiculous, and weird.

“Are you sure he’s okay…you know.” Kaia asked, snapping me out of my thoughts, She lowered her voice, gesturing vaguely downward.”I mean, that’s the only explanation I can think of. There is just no logically reason for him to say no to you, unless, maybe his thing….just doesn’t work.” She shrugs.

A short laugh slipped out of me. “Honestly, you might be right.That could be a plausible reason. Or…” I added, picking at my food again. “He might just be one of those annoying types who thinks saying no makes them interesting.”

“You mean unbearable.”

“Exactly.”

god, I hate him

I dropped my fork down, suddenly losing whatever appetite I had forced myself to pretend I had.

Urgh. This wasn’t suppose to happen, none of this was. Caelum was supposed to agree and I was suppose to finally find a way to fix my grades, everything was suppose to fall into place. But instead, I was sitting here, rejected, stuck, and one bad semester away from ruining everything.

My grip tightened around the plastic fork, realising what the real issue was.

No it wasn’t Landon

Nor was it Caelum

It was my grades, my future

Failure

The word sat ugly in my chest

What would people say if I had to repeat a year or not get into a proper college. The thought alone made my stomach twist.

All the whispers, the looks. Delilah Quinn…. wasn’t so much as we thought she was.

A complete mess

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Chapter 7

Beauty without the brain

That was embarrassing, humiliating, and unacceptable

And my parents?

Yeah, no

I could already picture their face, and that quiet disappointment. That look that said you had just one job.

моисти

I exhaled sharply, dragging a hand through my hair. This was a mess. A complete mess, all because a nerd decided to grow a personality at the worst possible time.

“When we were kids,”I muttered, barely realizing I had said it out loud, “I had everything planned out.”

Kaia glanced at me. “Oh yeah.”

“Yeah. Graduate, college, apartment with you, and figure life out later.”

She smiled faintly. “Still sounds like a plan.”

“Not if I don’t graduate.” that wiped the smile off her face.

I don’t need the comfort. I wanted a solution, that require me not having to beg again and stamp my dignity to the ground.

“Don’t look now.” Kaia said suddenly, nudging my arm.

Immediate irritation

I hate when people say that, because now I have to look. I waited a second anyway, then glance up, and there he was, Landon.

He was sitting at his usual table like nothing in the world had changed, except it had. Because he wasn’t alone, Sophia sat beside him way too fucking close.

Because today apparently was a parade of things going wrong

What next?

Public humiliation announcement over the speakers?

He leaned toward her, saying something low enough that she could only hear. Her face lit up, then she lets out a soft laugh.

His hand rested against her back, moving slightly like it belonged there, like she belonged there. Something twisted in my chest, sharp, annoying and very much not welcomed.

I looked away first. “Wow,” Kaia muttered. “He’s really settled in.”

“I’m not watching that,” I said, pushing my tray away.

Do I care, no. Was I annoyed, no. Am I lying, definitely yes.

“You okay?”

“I’m fine.”

“You don’t sound fine.”

“I said I’m fine. “I stood up, grabbing my bag before she could keep going. Because if I stayed for a second longer, I might

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