Ariella's biggest desire in life has always been such a simple one. She wants to be 'normal.' Unfortunately, that one simple wish has never been within her grasp. Coming from a long line of witches is bad enough, but she's even more different than t...
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After waking up suddenly in my typical state of tears, sweat, and panic, I was able to calm myself down relatively quickly compared to usual, forcing me to acknowledge that Lucien had been right. The training might not have been improving my ability to sleep, but it made everything more manageable. The physical exertion and regular release of my magic kept everything at a more reasonable level, and I finally felt somewhat in control again.
The glaring red numbers from the clock on my bedside table told me that it was only four in the morning. Groaning in aggravation, I kicked my comforter off, preparing to start my day earlier than I'd hoped.
After my run and morning training, I returned to the house with Lucien about the time the sun was rising. Uncle Ben was slumped on the couch looking exhausted when we entered the room.
"Hey, late night?" I asked idly, dropping into the recliner adjacent to him.
"No. Just didn't sleep well," he replied through a yawn.
"Welcome to my life," I responded, earning concerned looks from both men in the room.
Pretending not to notice their concern, I relaxed back into the comfortable leather recliner. The image of Caribbean blue eyes floating through my mind reminded me that I'd fallen asleep the night before without texting Everett. Unsure of what to say, I opened a new text and chose to start simple.
"Hey," I sent and dropped the phone in my lap, not expecting a response so early in the morning. I was surprised when it chirped with a new message only moments later. I tried to ignore how my heart sped up in my chest in response to seeing his name on the screen.
"Hey," it read. Another quickly followed behind the first. "Ari?"
I sent a quick reply confirming it was me and asking what he was doing. I only had to wait a few seconds for an answer.
"Still in bed. Barely awake. Why are you up so early on a Sunday?"
I had to forcibly shove away the sudden image in my head of him lying in bed shirtless, hair all messed up. Shifting in my chair uncomfortably, I cast a nervous glance at the others in the room, hoping they hadn't noticed any shift in my expression.
After getting my vivid imagination under control, I replied, "I've been up for hours already."
"You want to meet up and do something?" He asked, and I sucked in a surprised breath and tamped down my unwanted excitement.
I hesitated to respond, feeling like I should tell him about Lawrence. My conscience wouldn't allow me to see him again without him knowing my situation.
"I'm kind of seeing someone," I finally responded.
For the first time, his response wasn't immediate. After a few minutes of silence, I dropped my phone with a sigh. I didn't receive any more texts until after I'd finished taking a shower and was drying my hair. At the sound of an incoming text, I fumbled to turn the dryer off and grabbed my phone.
