Once We Were Starlight

Claire rolled her eyes, cupping her hand over her mouth. “Sure, we’ll buy practical shoes, because that’s what every college freshman is drawn to. Thank goodness you have me to help you out here, Karys,” she mock-whispered. I gave her an uneasy smile.

“All right, all right. You’re the expert,” Braxton said, leaning down and kissing her quickly. “I’ll leave Karys in your capable hands.” He moved over to me and seeming awkward again, leaned in as though to kiss me on the forehead, leaned back and with his withdrawal, I raised my head higher, seconds before he leaned in again and ended up kissing my eye. He quickly drew away. “Geez, sorry.” He laughed uncomfortably, his cheekbones coloring as I squinted the eye he’d kissed.

“It’s okay,” I murmured. “Thank you . . . for the clothes.”

“Well then,” Claire said, eyeing us strangely before rising to her feet. “Should we go?”

I stood too as Braxton stepped away. “Yes.” I nodded. “I’ll just go put on my shoes,” I murmured, ducking from the room.

**********

“Zakai!” I threw my arms around him, relief sweeping through me as I pulled him close, burying my nose in his neck, drawing in his familiar scent as though it was the oxygen I’d needed to return to life.

He drew back slightly, his eyes moving over my features, as he pushed a lock of hair off my cheek. “Karys. You look good. Are you okay?”

I nodded, ushering him in and closing the door behind him. Zakai glanced around, leaning forward to peer into the kitchen. “It’s nice here. Do you like it?”

I looked over my shoulder, expecting Braxton to appear at any moment. I’d heard him on the phone in his bedroom moments before Zakai’s knock had come at the door, but he had to have heard Zakai’s arrival too. “It’s fine, but I miss you.” I went up on my tiptoes and cupped his face, bringing my lips to his. I moaned against his mouth, greedy for the taste of him, needy for the feel of his tongue curling around mine—

Someone cleared his throat behind us and Zakai pulled away quickly, a wet popping sound emerging as our mouths parted. I used my finger to wipe the wetness from the corner of my lips and then turned to see Braxton standing there, a perturbed look on his face. His eyes moved around me. “Zakai,” he said, and his tone was not welcoming.

“Sir,” Zakai said, his eyes narrowing so slightly I doubted Braxton had even noticed. But I did. I knew every flicker of Zakai’s expressions and what each one meant. I took Zakai’s hand in mine. “Come see my room,” I said, pulling him. Braxton opened his mouth to say something, paused, and then closed it, obviously having changed his mind. I held my breath as we moved past him, into my room where I shut the door behind us, flicking the lock. I stood against the door, exhaling a whoosh of air. We’d stayed in a hotel together for weeks on the other side of the sea, and I’d grown used to the freedom. Braxton was a far cry from Haziq, but his hovering presence and looks of annoyance were still unwanted. Not only that, but he was a stranger. Bertha was overly protective of me at times, but she’d earned the right. And I’d loved her.

Zakai turned, looking from the bed to the nightstand where I’d piled the books written in English that Cody Rutland had bought for me, all of which I’d read more than once, to the dresser, and finally to the window with the long blue curtains. “It’s nice here,” he repeated. “You’re comfortable. Cared for.” How could his expression be so happy and sad at the same time?

“Yes. They’ve been kind and welcoming. What is your home like?”

He made a small sound of amusement though his expression hardly changed. “I wouldn’t use the word home to describe it. It’s more like a cage.”

“A cage?” I asked, alarmed.

Zakai shook his head. “I don’t mean that. It’s just . . . the people who live there are mostly those who have nowhere else to go.”

I frowned, drawn to ease the sadness clear on his face. “It’s not usually a person’s fault when they have nowhere to go. Look at you—”

“It’s more complicated than that,” he said tightly and I drew back at the hostility in his voice.

“I . . . I know.” But I didn’t. I didn’t know.

Zakai blew out a breath, raking his fingers through his hair, smiling in a way that appeared forced. “Sorry, little star.” He pulled me to him, embracing me for a moment and then drawing back. He kissed my mouth, my nose, my eyelids until I smiled. “This is all new and . . . hard. I didn’t sleep more than a few minutes last night without you.”