A Kiss At Midnight (Delilah and Caelum) novel Chapter 95

A LITTLE OUT OF IT

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The cafeteria was louder than usual, but I barely paid any attention to it as I sat across from Kaia, my fork slowly moving through my food without barely any interest.

Caelum had dropped me back home after our.. time together, thankfully, my parents hadn’t been home. The last thing I needed was walking through the door, having to explain who he was.

Explaining Caelum would have opened a whole conversation I wasn’t ready for, and I didn’t have the patience for the questions, the assumptions, or the judgment that would come with it.

Especially from my mother

I knew exactly how she would react, she had a way of taking something small and turning it into something bigger than it needed to be and would say things she probably wouldn’t think twice about afterward, but won’t be that way for him

And I wasn’t about to put him through that

Maybe that was one of the reasons I hadn’t told them who my tutor was. They knew I had a tutor, they just didn’t know Caelum was the person helping me. Keeping it that way had been easier.

I continued picking at my food, barely noticing the conversations happening around us, until Kaia’s voice pulled me out of my thoughts.

“It seems like the boys won’t be joining us today,” I looked up at her, II heard they have practice because they’ve got a match coming up next week,” she continued. “They’ve got to be on their A game, especially since one of their teammates hurt his leg and can’t play.”

Glancing around the cafeteria, I noticed the empty seats where they usually sat, their team had a lot riding on the upcoming match, and with one player already out, they couldn’t afford to lose focus.

I nodded, twirling my fork through my food as Kaia continued talking, my attention drifted between her words and my own thoughts until she suddenly tilted her head.

“What about Caelum?” she asked, “where is he since he clearly doesn’t play any spot,” the slight jab in her tone didn’t go unnoticed.

My brow lifted at the comment, but I kept my expression neutral. I wasn’t about to let her know it bothered me, “He had something to take care of,” I said simply, “he couldn’t join us.”

That was all she needed to know, except my mind had already wandered somewhere else. Back to earlier, just after third period.

I still couldn’t believe he had done that

One second I was walking down the hallway and the next, he had me pulled into an empty classroom. Before I could ask what the hell he was doing, or even process what was happening, his lips were on mine with no warning or a chance for me to react.

Just him taking control of the moment like he already knew exactly how it would affect me.

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10:25 Fri, Aug 7

A KISS At Midnight

And the annoying part..It worked.

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Afterward, he told me he wouldn’t be able to join us during lunch because he had some kind of group tutoring session. I barely even caught the details because my brain had been too busy replaying the kiss.

He was getting bolder, that was for sure. But at the same time, I couldn’t exactly say I hated it.

“Delilah?” Kaia’s voice pulled me back and I blinked, looking at her. “Oh, right,” she picked up her phone from the table and unlocked it, swiping across the screen a few times before turning it toward me from across the

table.

“What do you think?” I look at the picture she was showing me, It was a dress, a cute one. A fitted shape that hugged the waist before flowing into a slightly flared skirt, stopping just above the knees.

Kaia watched my reaction, waiting for my opinion. I looked at the dress for another second before handing the phone back slightly.

“It’s actually really pretty,” I said, “the style suits you, It’s cute without looking like you’re trying too hard.”

She took her phone back, a pleased smile appearing on her face. “I know, right?” she said, staring at the screen again before sighing, “I’m just not sure about the color.” She glanced at the picture, “I was thinking maybe I should go for something a little bolder instead, It’s the fall festival, and I don’t want to wear something that’s just cute. I did that last year already.”

A memory of last fall filed my mind. It had been simple but somehow managed to make everyone look twice, she had walked into the festival looking effortlessly good, leaving half the boys there trying to find the courage to talk to her. A few of them had actually approached her, only to walk away looking disappointed after getting rejected.

This made the corner of my lips lift, my gaze returning back at the dress on her phone. “Where did you get it from?” I couldn’t help asking.

Kaia looked up. “The dress?”

Nodding “Yeah.”

She leaned back slightly, thinking. “It’s from a friend of my aunt’s, he’s a designer. He actually custom made my aunt’s dress, and after she wore it, he asked her to reach out if she ever needed anything else made,” glancing down at the screen again, “I was actually thinking of using him for my prom dress too, we have a couple more months to prepare for it, so I figured the earlier the better.”

“But for now, he’s helping me with my outfit for the fall festival and homecoming.” she scrolled through the picture again, pausing for a second as made a face, “and probably the winter dance too, if the school actually decides to have one this year. Considering they cancelled last year’s, I’m keeping my fingers crossed.”

I looked at her, already imagining the chaos another school event would bring, “I think you should go with emerald green.”

Kaia looked up from her phone. “Emerald green?”

“Yeah.” I leaned back in my chair, “It would look good with your eyes, the color would make them stand out more.”

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10:25 Fri, Aug 7

A Kiss At Midnight

Her expression softened with uncertainty. “You think so?”

Giving her a confident look. “I know so,” that was all the answer she needed.

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She lightly tapped her hand against the table, a smile spreading across her face, “Then emerald green it is,” looking looked down at her phone again before glancing back at me, “actually, you should use him too, it would be fun. We could both have our dresses made by the same designer.”

I couldn’t help smiling at the way her eyes lit up with excitement. “I’ll think about it,”

Her smile remained. “I hope it’s a positive answer,” she picked up her drink and took a sip before setting it back down. “Um..” the hesitation immediately caught my attention, “speaking of homecoming…”

Leanimg forward slightly, she lowers her voice as if she was about to ask something important. “Are you going with someone?”

My gaze remained on her for a second before scoffing. “No,” picking up my fork again, I casually moving my food around. “Why would I? It’s literally just a school dance, not a damn royal ball.”

Kaia watched me for a moment before tilting her head. “How about going with Caelum?”

My eyes lifted to hers. “Why would I go with him?”

The look she gave me immediately made me pause, It was the kind of look that said, Are you seriously going to pretend you don’t know what I mean and make me say it?

I kept my brow raised, refusing to give in, not backing down, till she slowly raised both hands in surrender.

“Fine. I’ll let it go,” a small smile playing on her lips, “for now.” I gave her a look, “I was just curious how long you were planning on keeping this going and pretending there isn’t an invisible pull between the two of you.”

My lips parted to respond, but the bell rang before I could. The sound was a little too convenient. I let out a subtle sigh, grateful for the interruption as Kaia shakes her head, clearly amused but doesn’t push any further.

We both got up, throwing away the remains of our food before leaving the cafeteria, the hallway was already filling with students rushing to their next classes as we made our way toward Kaia’s locker so she could grab her books.

I was barely paying attention until I saw her, Olivia. I hadn’t seen her since the mall, and for a second, our eyes met. Her expression changed immediately as her eyes lit up, almost like she was genuinely happy to see me, but I don’t return it.

Instead, I kept my face blank, my expression unreadable as I looked at her for a moment before turning away. The reaction was instant, her confidence faltered, and she looked away, almost shrinking into herself.

The second I turned back, I mentally cursed myself.

Seriously Delilah, grow the hell up

I didn’t even know why I had reacted like that, Olivia and I weren’t friends, but we weren’t enemies either. We had only spoken once before, and she had never done anything to me.

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10:25 Fri, Aug 7

A KISS At Midnight

So why the hell had I acted like she had?

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I glanced at Kaia, expecting some kind of comment, but she doesn’t say anything and Instead, stared at me with an expression I knew too well.

Amusement mixed with concern

But thankfully, she didn’t call me out on it and I appreciated that more than she probably realized. By the time we reached her locker, I leaned against the one beside it while she spun the lock, opening the door.

She started gathering her books when something slipped out from inside, a small card fluttered to the floor. She looked down at it, then she sighed.

“Another one.”

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A Kiss At Midnight

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Kaia let’s out a groan as she stares down at the in card, her expression caught somewhere between annoyance and amusment.

But I knew her better than that

Despite how hard she trying to act like the attention bothered her, I could still see the truth written over her face, from the light shade of pink on her face as she read the words, and ths small smoke that aways appears on her lips. All were a big give away of her feelings.

She liked it, even when she was trying hard not to admit it, her eyes was easy to read.

Leaning down slightly, she carefully picks up the card, folding it neatly before placing it back inside her locker. However, just as she was about to close the door, something else catches her attention.

A small box sat tucked away inside,, it was a deep midnight blue velvet box with a smooth finish, the kind that looked very much expensive. There was a small white note attached to the front, with a printed words, typed elegantly, making it obvious that whoever left it there had taken their time.

Kaia reaches inside, pulling it out before turning it over in her hands as she admires it. Her eyes moves over to writing on the top before her brows furrowed slightly.

“What the hell?” she muttered, slowly, she opened the box and Inside rested a necklace.

The delicate silver chain was carefully arranged against the dark velvet, holding a stunning pendant that was shaped like a heart pierced by an arrow. There were small sparkling stones surrounded the design, catching the light beautifully.

It was elegant, expensive and undeniably beautiful

Kaia’s eyes widened as she stared at it, a soft gasp leaving her lips, “Oh..my God.” I watched the awe spread across her face as she carefully lifted the necklace from the box.

“This is gorgeous,” she whispered, her voice filled with genuine admiration and a small smile tugged at my lips as I watched her.

“You know, for someone who claims she doesn’t care about these things, you’re doing a pretty good job admiring it,” a light blush immediately appeared on her cheeks, but she didn’t respond, Instead, her attention shifted back to the inside of the box.

At the top was a printed message.

‘Your eyes hold the kind of beauty that makes the world pause. I only wish you would look my way and see what I have been trying to show you..the heart that has been quietly waiting for you all along’

I read the words, my expression softening, “Okay..whoever your secret admirer is, they really know how to make an impression.”

She doesn’t says anything as her eyes remains fixed on the message, taking in every single word. She seemed completely lost in thought, her fingers gently tracing the edge of the paper as she unconsciously bit the side

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10:26 Fri, Aug 7

A Kiss At Midnight

of her lip.

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“Where is this from?” she asked quietly, her eyes moved back over the quote, curiosity filling her expression, “I feel like I’ve seen it before.”

I looked at the words again before answering, “Can’t tell, I would guess from Jane Eyre,” I told her, “since It’s a story about two people who are drawn to each other in a way they can’t ignore. It’s about love, longing, and the kind of connection where someone can feel like home even when they’re miles apart,” the moment the words left my mouth, my thoughts drifted somewhere else, to Caelum.

A warmth slowly spread through my chest before I could stop it and I hated how easily my mind went to him, how a simple quote about longing and love could make me think of his voice, his presence, the way he looked at me like he saw parts of me I didn’t show anyone else.

Quickly I push the thought away, but the feeling remained. My eyes lowered to the necklace in Kaia’s hands, and suddenly I thought about the necklace I had taken from the gallery.

The one I had kept hidden away,, safely tucked inside a safe box, placed somewhere no one knew about except me. That box held the things I considered priceless because of the memories attached to them.

They were moments I wanted to protect, pieces of my life I wasn’t ready to share with anyone else.

I looked back at Kaia, “so you still have no idea who your secret admirer is?”

She slowly shook her head. “No,” her gaze drifted away from the necklace and toward the hallway, staring at nothing in particular. She was quiet, but I could tell her mind had wandered somewhere far away.

And even though she had no idea who this person was, one thing for certain, exactly who she wished they

were.

I didn’t say anything, something things were better left unspoken.

She looks back down at the necklace, her fingers gently brushing over the heart shaped pendant, “I just don’t understand,” she whispered, more to herself than to me, “why won’t he just do it?”

I stayed quiet as she continued. “Why won’t he just find the courage to walk up to me and tell me?” her eyes remained fixed on the necklace, “After all these cards..all these beautiful words…all these little gifts…” she paused, her brows pulling together slightly, “why won’t he just show himself and say it to my face?”

It was understandable why she was like this, knowing if I had been in her shoes, I would be losing my mind too. Having someone leave behind this thoughtful gifts, careful written words, and little pieces of themselves without ever showing their face would drive anyone crazy.

The curiosity would have been impossible to ignore and I would want answers, wanting to know who they were or why they had chosen me, and what they were too afraid to say out loud.