Total pages in book: 94
Estimated words: 91361 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 457(@200wpm)___ 365(@250wpm)___ 305(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 91361 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 457(@200wpm)___ 365(@250wpm)___ 305(@300wpm)
“Then tell me why. The real reason, not the B.S. you gave me in the elevator.” Kellion rolled his eyes. “You really think I’d believe someone like you would be suddenly scared of being alone in your room because it started raining outside?”
I made a face. Should I be flattered or offended?
Kellion slowly pulled away, and I hated the way I felt the loss keenly, to the point that my chest started tightening again. But instead of getting off the bed completely, Kellion only leaned against the headboard and lifted me onto his lap.
Pushing me down so I’d be lying against his chest, he said from behind, “Tell me.”
Still, I hesitated.
He said warningly, “Aria...”
I pulled out my phone. Because you looked sad.
“I did?” Kellion sounded surprised. “When?”
Me: When you read a message on your phone.
“Ah.”
Me: Your parents?
A moment of silence before Kellion said finally, “No.”
My fingers stilled. I couldn’t tell if he was lying, couldn’t blame him if he did. There were just some things we’d always too proud to admit, things we hated about ourselves. For Kellion, it was that he couldn’t stop caring so much about his parents. For me, it was that I could find nothing to care about with mine.
“It’s a friend of mine. Jack’s asking me to fly to Greece.” He paused. “It means I won’t be able to be at your exhibit if I do.”
Oh. I didn’t know who this Jack was, but the way Kellion spoke of him told me that whoever he was, he mattered. I twisted my head around to face him. “That’s...what makes you sad?”
He only looked at me.
I shook my head. “Idiot.”
Kellion lifted a brow, and the message behind it was very clear. If it were another person telling him that to his face, that person would be six feet under by now.
My lips twitched as I repeated firmly, “Idiot.”
“I’m this close to strangling you. Or kissing you. Which do you think would make you suffer more, terataki?”
“IDIOT.” But I laughingly pushed him back when he started to move. I placed a finger over his lips. “Listen...closely.” Releasing his lips, I smiled up at him. “I’ll never make you choose.”
Kellion stilled.
“All I want is to make you...smile. Remember?” My lips pursed. “Also, I’m not a ‘little monster’.”
But he didn’t answer. For a very long time he remained silent, only gazing at me with unfathomable eyes. Just when I started feeling nervous, he spoke. “You’re like Eros, you know.”
Eros? The God of love? “Cupid?” I asked, bewildered.
He nodded. “People used to think of him as a monster. Did you know that?”
I still didn’t get it. I knew of the love story of Eros and Psyche, of how she had thought he was a monster at the start because of the way he dwelled in the shadows, never showing his face.
“Your words are like his arrows.” He took my hand and placed it over his heart. “They always strike true.”
Ah.
We laughed at the same time.
I typed on my phone, DID YOU, KELLION ARGYROS, REALLY JUST SAY THAT?
He took my phone and deleted the entire line. “Shut up.”
I laughed harder.
He said pleasantly, “If you tell a living soul about it, I’ll kill you.”
That only had me laughing even more, and a moment later, I could feel his own body rocking with silent mirth behind me. He took my hand, lacing our fingers together, and when my laughter died, he said, “I would have killed you, you know.”
I twisted my head around to look at him in shock. What?
Kellion’s lips curved. “But I won’t. The sound of your laugh’s too precious.”
The words took me by surprise. I squeezed his fingers, as hard as I could—-
Kellion winced. “Why are you crushing my fingers?”
Glaring at him, I pointed to his mouth, moving my fingers in a talking motion and then I tapped my chest, curling my fingers in a fist. Because that’s how you made ME feel, and I don’t like it.
“Do I have to remind you that you don’t actually know how to sign?”
I grabbed a pillow, intending to hit his face with it. But of course, Kellion’s reflexes were abnormally fast, and he had no problems blocking my move. With a low chuckle, he snatched the pillow and set it aside. “You’re the only girl I’ve ever dated who seems to want to hit me all the time.”
I lifted my chin. I’m darn proud of it.
“And for some reason, I like it.”
I wrinkled my nose. Then you’re weird.
He moved forward and kissed my mouth. It was the briefest of touches, but it was still enough to have my toes curl. Even so, I automatically tried rubbing the feel of his mouth from my lips, making Kellion grin. He pulled my hand away and kissed me again. But this time, before I could retaliate, he had already flipped me around, and I found myself lying against his chest once again.