our first kiss.
“They’re freshmen,” he replies calmly. “I was their supervisor during a study project a while ago, so they wanted to say hi.”
“Right.” I stare at the floor.
Royce lets out a sigh and slips his arms around my waist. “I don’t like them, okay? I like you.”
His words make my heart sing, but I’m too scared to believe them. “Why?” I just want to know.
“Because you’re real.”
When I look up again, his blue eyes look so sincere that I can’t stop myself from entertaining the possibility that he’s telling the truth. “You – you don’t meet a lot of real people?” I stutter.
He shakes his head. “They hide. Just like me, actually. I want to be different, but I can’t. The only time I’m showing myself is when I play my music. But people don’t realize it. They think my vulnerable side is just a part of some cunning theatrics I put up to enthrall the audience.” Royce takes a step back and pulls me along to sit on the couch, but I stop to pick up the record I dropped earlier.
“Was it different when your mom was still around?” I hazard once we’re both sitting down.
“Yes.” He caresses my hand. “She knew who I was. She could – sense things. I guess that’s how the Sirens lured her out to sea. A sensitive soul is too easy to snare.”
“Yeah. I get that.” I gaze at him, still unable to believe that this gorgeous, famous, Current guy just kissed me. When he cracks a smile, I laugh nervously. “Sorry I’m staring.”
“You can stare at me all you want,” Royce replies. “I like looking at you too.”
A horrible blush creeps up on my face. “You’re just making that up. You always have your eyes closed.”
He winks. “That’s what you think. I’m sneaky, aren’t I?” He grins wider when he sees my red cheeks. “Besides, I just realized that I actually knew you before I got to know you for real,” he then says cryptically.
“What do you mean?”
“Well, Last Oorol?” he mumbles, suddenly a bit nervous. “You were sitting in the park with a friend of yours and she was playing the guitar. You were singing. It was an after party organized by one of the Skylger songwriters, I guess. I happened to be out that night, and I couldn’t tear myself away from your spontaneous performance. Your voice was so heartbreakingly beautiful. I just never saw your face, because I was behind you. In my mind, I called you ‘mystery girl’.”
He’s right. It was me singing with Dani playing the guitar that night. The description fits. “I – I never saw you either,” I mumble, completely flummoxed by his admission.
“It was dark. You were singing by candlelight. Plus, I kept out of sight. I’m happy the mystery is solved now.” His hand cradles my cheek, and I inadvertently lean in to him, my skin craving his touch.
“I – can’t believe this is happening,” I whisper. “You’re so gorgeous and I’m just – me.”
Royce smiles. “You think you’re plain, Enna? Skylgers don’t keep mirrors in their houses?”
“Of course we do.” I roll my eyes.
“Well, you should know you’re a beauty, then.” He’s stroking my neck now, softly and warmly.
I smile shyly. “Are you serious?”
“Like the star.”
“What star?”
“Sirius?” He cocks an eyebrow, and I burst into a nervous fit of giggles.
“Stop being so funny,” I gasp at last.
He grins. “Sorry.”
“You know – I never really expected you to be this cool,” I admit. “Meeting you here is like a silly daydream.”
He nods slowly. “It’s not supposed to be real,” he agrees.
“But it is now,” I whisper.
“Yeah. It is.” For a moment, his eyes flicker with a hint of fear and apprehension. Then, he smothers his alarm by kissing me again, pulling me down next to him while softly stroking my hair. Breathlessly, I shudder as every inch of my skin touching his is set on fire. I was right – this is like a dream. And I never want to wake
“They’re freshmen,” he replies calmly. “I was their supervisor during a study project a while ago, so they wanted to say hi.”
“Right.” I stare at the floor.
Royce lets out a sigh and slips his arms around my waist. “I don’t like them, okay? I like you.”
His words make my heart sing, but I’m too scared to believe them. “Why?” I just want to know.
“Because you’re real.”
When I look up again, his blue eyes look so sincere that I can’t stop myself from entertaining the possibility that he’s telling the truth. “You – you don’t meet a lot of real people?” I stutter.
He shakes his head. “They hide. Just like me, actually. I want to be different, but I can’t. The only time I’m showing myself is when I play my music. But people don’t realize it. They think my vulnerable side is just a part of some cunning theatrics I put up to enthrall the audience.” Royce takes a step back and pulls me along to sit on the couch, but I stop to pick up the record I dropped earlier.
“Was it different when your mom was still around?” I hazard once we’re both sitting down.
“Yes.” He caresses my hand. “She knew who I was. She could – sense things. I guess that’s how the Sirens lured her out to sea. A sensitive soul is too easy to snare.”
“Yeah. I get that.” I gaze at him, still unable to believe that this gorgeous, famous, Current guy just kissed me. When he cracks a smile, I laugh nervously. “Sorry I’m staring.”
“You can stare at me all you want,” Royce replies. “I like looking at you too.”
A horrible blush creeps up on my face. “You’re just making that up. You always have your eyes closed.”
He winks. “That’s what you think. I’m sneaky, aren’t I?” He grins wider when he sees my red cheeks. “Besides, I just realized that I actually knew you before I got to know you for real,” he then says cryptically.
“What do you mean?”
“Well, Last Oorol?” he mumbles, suddenly a bit nervous. “You were sitting in the park with a friend of yours and she was playing the guitar. You were singing. It was an after party organized by one of the Skylger songwriters, I guess. I happened to be out that night, and I couldn’t tear myself away from your spontaneous performance. Your voice was so heartbreakingly beautiful. I just never saw your face, because I was behind you. In my mind, I called you ‘mystery girl’.”
He’s right. It was me singing with Dani playing the guitar that night. The description fits. “I – I never saw you either,” I mumble, completely flummoxed by his admission.
“It was dark. You were singing by candlelight. Plus, I kept out of sight. I’m happy the mystery is solved now.” His hand cradles my cheek, and I inadvertently lean in to him, my skin craving his touch.
“I – can’t believe this is happening,” I whisper. “You’re so gorgeous and I’m just – me.”
Royce smiles. “You think you’re plain, Enna? Skylgers don’t keep mirrors in their houses?”
“Of course we do.” I roll my eyes.
“Well, you should know you’re a beauty, then.” He’s stroking my neck now, softly and warmly.
I smile shyly. “Are you serious?”
“Like the star.”
“What star?”
“Sirius?” He cocks an eyebrow, and I burst into a nervous fit of giggles.
“Stop being so funny,” I gasp at last.
He grins. “Sorry.”
“You know – I never really expected you to be this cool,” I admit. “Meeting you here is like a silly daydream.”
He nods slowly. “It’s not supposed to be real,” he agrees.
“But it is now,” I whisper.
“Yeah. It is.” For a moment, his eyes flicker with a hint of fear and apprehension. Then, he smothers his alarm by kissing me again, pulling me down next to him while softly stroking my hair. Breathlessly, I shudder as every inch of my skin touching his is set on fire. I was right – this is like a dream. And I never want to wake
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