A Kiss At Midnight (Delilah and Caelum) novel Chapter 83

Chapter 83

Kaia: just picked up Caelum, we’re heading your way now

A smile tugged at my lips as I responded, ‘Okie dokie’

85

55 vouchers

I sliped my phone into the front pocket of my sleep bag before giving myself one last look in the mirror, an oversized hoodie, comfortable shorts and hair tied into a messy bun.

Good enough

Grabbing my sleep bag from off the bed, I slung it over my shoulder and headed downstairs, the house as usual was queit, save by the faint ticking of the grandfather clock in the hallway.

I was only a few steps from the front door when a voice stopped me.

“Miss Quinn,” I let out a quiet sigh before turning around.

One of the maids stood a few feet away, both hands respectfully holding out the work phone my parents had given her to reach me whenever they couldn’t.

Raising a brow. “Yes?”

“Your father is on the line, Miss Quinn.” She extended the phone toward me, “he wishes to speak with you.”

I stared at the phone for a long second before lifting my gaze to the maid, my expression blank, “tell him I’m busy.”

She hesitated, shifting her weight uncomfortably, “I believe your father can hear you, Miss Quinn. He’ll know you aren’t busy.”

My eyes drifted back to the phone. Unlike my mother, my relationship with my father wasn’t filled with constant arguments.

It was just empty

He still hadn’t been there when I’d needed him most, he had still left. Just like she did.

I looked back at the maid, my expression turning cold, “I couldn’t care less,” without waiting for another word,

I turned and walked out the front door, the cool evening air greeted me as my phone vibrated.

Kaia: We’re outside the gate.

Taking in a slow deep breath, deciding it was best to push everything concerning my parent to the back of my mind, knowing now was not the time to think about it.

After a second or two, my lips stretches into a small slightly cheerful smile as I adjust the strap of my sleep bag, making my way through the front gate,, and spotting a familiar SUV parked by the curb.

My eyes drifted to Elias who was seated behind the wheel, one arm resting lazily on the window while Kaia

1/5

10:46 Sat, Jul 25

Chapter 83

85

55 vouchers

occupied the passangers seat, already waving all too energetically the moment she spots me. And Caelum took the spot at the back.

“Hey,” Kaia greeted brightly.

“Yo, Delilah,” Elias added with an easy grin.

I returned a small smile and nodded. “Hey, guys.”

I made my way around the car to the back seat where Caelum was waiting, the window beside him was rolled down, and before I climbed in, I caught him looking past me.

Toward my house and something flickered across his face. It stayed there for only a second, and was gone before I could think to make sense of it. I couldn’t tell if it was curiousity, disbelief or something entirely different.

Either way, it was hard to read his thoughts, and for some reason, I wasn’t sure I liked whatever emotion he was conveying, or lack of it.

The moment o slide into the seat beside him, his attention drifts to me and a small smile tugged at his lips. “Heyy,” he said softly.

I smiled back. “Hey.”

“Alright,” Kaia clapped once from the front passenger seat. “Let’s get this show on the road,” she looked over at Elias. “You confirmed Jace’s home, right?”

He started the engine with a nod. “Yep. He texted me about ten minutes ago.”

“Perfect.”

The car slowly pulls away from my house, as the drive passes in comfortable silence. kaia scrolled quietly through her phone, while Elias hums along to the music playing through the speakers.

Beside me, Caelum barely spoke, staring absentmindedly out the window, his thoughts clearly somewhere far away..Every now and then he would glance at me and whenever our eyes met, he would smile.

But it never quite reached his eyes, It was enough to make me wonder what was going through his head.

After about thirty minutes on the road, Elias turned into a quiet neighborhood before pulling into the driveway of Jace’s house, then the engine switched off.

One by one, we climbed out. Elias walked around to the trunk, popping it open to grab the bags along with the drinks we had brought. adjusting my sleep bag over my shoulder before making my way up the path.

Stopping right I front of the door, I lift a hand, pressing the doorbell, and it echoes through the quiet evening as we waited..yet nothing.

Kaia frowned. “Elias, are you sure he’s home?”

“Yeah,” he replied confidently, “he texted me. Said he got back about an hour ago,” I pressed the doorbell

2/5

10:46 Sat, Jul 25

Chapter 83

again and It rang through the house once more, still no answer.

יאָ

85

55 vouchers

Just as I was about to pull out my phone to call him, I heard the sound of footstep approaching from inside, and a second later, the front door swings open.

Jace stood there with his hair slightly damp and dripping onto his shoulders, there was beads of water also trailing down his chest, which was clear that he had just gotten out of the shower, and was dressed in nothing but a pair of gray sweatpants hanging low on his hips.

“Oh my God,” Kaia breathed, openly gawking.

Without missing a beat, Elias stepped sideways in front of her, both hands still full of bags. “Control yourself,

woman.”

“I am controlling myself.”

I shook my head, fighting back a smile before looking at Jace. “Hey.”

He blinked at the four of us. “Hey?” he answered uncertainly, one eyebrow lifting.

Before he could ask anything, I slipped past him into the house and others followed behind me, Kaia and Elias immediately picking up their usual bickering as they walked inside.

Jace slowly closed the front door before turning back to us as his gaze swept across the room, lingering on each of us before stopping briefly on me, then drifting to Caelum.

The confusion on his face only deepened. “As glad as I am to see all of you…” he began slowly, “what exactly is going on here?”

I shrugged as if this were the most obvious thing in the world. “What do you think?” a grin spread across my face, “we’re having a sleepover.”

He looked between the three of us as his brows slowly lifts up, then his gaze drifted to the bags in our hands. “I don’t remember signing up for a sleepover,” he said, his tone caught between disbelief and amusement.

“Now you know,” I muttered with a shrug and his gaze narrowed at me, but before he could say anything, I continued, “since you decided to ignore our texts and calls, we figured why not just do it the proper way?”

A smile tugged at the corner of his lips. “And that includes showing up at my doorstep?”

“Oh, shush,” I said, waving him off. “You’ll be fine.”

He stared at me for a second, like he was trying to decide whether he should argue or laugh. In the end, he just shook his head, a small smile appearing on his face.

Elias glanced around at the bags we had carried in. “So, where exactly are we keeping all this stuff?”

Jace looked over at him. “You’ve been here before.”

Elias cleared his throat, suddenly looking defensive. “I was trying to act like a proper guest.”

3/5

10:46 Sat, Jul 25

Chapter 83

85

55 vouchers

Kaia immediately raised a brow. “A proper guest? You mean the same person who has probably walked into this house more times than Jace’s own family?”

Elias gave her a look. “I was being respectful.”

Jace rolled his eyes at their exchange. “Alright, enough. Right this way then,” he grabbed one of the bags before leading the way toward the kitchen. Kaia and Elias followed after him, their voices already fading as they continued their playful argument.

And just like that, it was only Caelum and me left standing there. I turned to look at him, noticing the way he had gone quiet after everyone else left.

VERIFYCAPTCHA_LABELVerify