Cresswell: The Lunar Chronicles

Chapter Ninety-Five

Cress heaved her textbooks out and dropped them on the desk in front of her. Raking her hands through her hair, she stifled a yawn. She still couldn't believe Thanksgiving was in two weeks. Cinder and Kai were arriving sometime tomorrow morning and Carswell was trying to get a head-start on recording episodes. He wanted to do a special Thanksgiving one, but he also wanted to take the whole Thanksgiving week off and not have to worry about it so Cress suggested he record a few all at once and release them one at a time.

No one would ever know.

"Have any thanksgiving plans?" Amy asked as she settled in beside Cress.

Cress nodded. "We're having some friends from out of town over and I'm cooking, which I'm a little nervous about."

Amy laughed. "Nice. Are you doing the traditional stuff?"

Cress nodded. "Plus a few extra, cause some of our friends are from France, and the Commonwealth... Luna, so we like to do a mix of everything."

"Wow, you've got friends all over the place."

Cress nervously laughed. "Yeah, I guess so."

"Where'd you meed everyone?"

"Um, well..." Cress was spared from delving into the whole story as the professor call everyone to attention. She collected homework and then delved right into the lecture. As the minutes ticked on Cress's eyelids grew heavier. She shouldn't have stayed up so late last night but Carswell wanted her to at least practice recording an episode with him. He promised not to air it, he just wanted at least one with her.

Her port buzzed. It was Carswell.

Miss me?

Cress smiled to herself. Glancing up to make sure the professor wasn't watching, she typed a quick reply. Very much!!!

Oh good.

Cress swallowed a laugh. What time are Cinder and Kai getting in?

Kai said their plane is landing at 9

Cress frowned. Plane?

Yeah he said they were gonna take a private jet or something fancy.

Ooh cool

Why'd you want to know what time they get in?

Just wondering. Thought maybe we could do something before they got here. She added with a wry smile, knowing they'd have a FULL house for the next month or so.

Carswell sent a winking emoji. I like where you'd headed.

Cress flushed and glanced around, but of course no one was paying her any attention. She tried to think of something witty to say back but nothing came to mind. Several times she started to type something only to delete it and start again.

I love it when you're flushed. He added.

Cress grinned to herself. Miss you too. She replied. She put her port away and finished jotting down the rest of the professor's notes before class wrapped up and everyone was dismissed.

"Hey would you maybe want to do something after class one day?" Amy asked.

Cress hesitated. "Yeah, sure. Like what?"

"I don't know. Do you like hiking? Or rock climbing? There's a really fun indoor rock-climbing gym not to far from here. I have a membership and go all the time with my friends if you want to join sometime?"

Cress nodded, grinning. "Yeah, that'd be fun! When do you go?"

"Tuesdays. After school. My last class is over at two, so we all usually meet at three."

Cress nodded again. "I have some friends coming in from out of town later today and they'll be here through the end of the month, but I'm sure they wouldn't miss me for a few hours."

"Okay cool! Or if not, we can shoot for December."

"Sounds fun, thanks so much!" Cress grinned, her cheeks beginning to stiffen from grinning so broadly. Aces, did she just make a new friend? A friend outside the Rampion Crew?

Slinging her bag over her shoulder, Cress started down the hallway towards her next class. She couldn't stop day-dreaming about going rock climbing. She'd never been in her entire life so she'd have to do some kind of research, but it sounded fun!

"Carswell?" Cress called as she shoved open their apartment door. There was no response. "Hello?" She yanked her hat off and hung it and her bag on the coat rack, and then took the stairs up to their room.

Carswell wasn't there. He must have been in the Rampion. Aces he'd been spending a lot of time there lately. Maybe he was recording another episode.

"Cress?" Carswell called.

"Up here!" Cress grinned, walking to the banister. "Hey have you ever been rock climbing?"

"Yeah, why?"

"A girl from my class invited me to go with her and her friends next Tuesday but I've never been so I don't know what it's like."

"I'm assuming its an indoor gym?"

Cress nodded.

"That sounds fun you should go."

"Cinder and Kai will be here."

"Oh right. Well," he shrugged, "I'm sure they wouldn't mind."

"Yeah, true." Cress, still grinning, started down the stairs. "I'm gonna make something to eat, you want anything?"

"Let's eat later, c'mere." Carswell grabbed her arm as she walked past him, pulling her into a heart-stopping embrace.

Cress would have fallen if his hold on her wasn't so strong. She melted against him, letting her eyes slip closed. Her hands found his waist as he sank back onto the sofa and locked his arms around her. One of his hands moved up through her hair but his lips never left hers.

"Crescent." He whispered.

Cress shivered, chills shooting down her spine. Aces she loved it when he used her full name. She wondered if he felt the same way, but she couldn't say his name right after he just said her name. Kinda would ruin the point. Besides, she wasn't sure she had the brain capacity at the moment to make anything sound coherent.

Carswell started kissing her cheek and neck and shoulder and Cress happily sighed. One of his hands moved beneath her shirt and grazed her scar. She touched his face with her fingertips, feeling a light layer of stubble and she thought about the first time she'd touched him. Seemed so long ago. What would she have thought if she could have glimpsed her future? Her future with him?