The Broken Raven - A Paradox Of Two Worlds Series Book 1

Chapter 24 - Raven

As the sun rises and illuminates Clay's bedroom, I awaken early. I watch him as he snoozes soundly. Knowing he is mine causes my heart to race. I feel a sense of satisfaction and contentment as I observe him peacefully sleeping. The thought of spending another day with him fills me with joy and excitement. I carefully crawl out of bed in an effort to not wake Clay, but he gets up quite quickly thanks to his vampire hearing.

"Where are you going?" He asks while running his fingers through his hair.

"Home." I reply with a smile. "But I'll be counting down the minutes until I see you again." The thought of our next moment together already has me looking forward to the future.

"Why?" He pushes for an answer. As he approaches me, I stare at him and find it difficult to speak. I am captivated by his tattoos and his impressive abs.

"Put on a shirt," I laugh. "I can't talk to you when you're practically naked." He grins and obliges, throwing on a shirt that does little to hide his toned physique. "Fine." He huffs. "Better?"

I nod as he approaches me and grips my waist. "So why are you going home?" he asks again, his eyes locked on mine.

"Because I need to shower, and I need clean clothes." I reply, trying to ignore the way his touch sends shivers down my spine. "Plus, I have some work to catch up on." I add, hoping to end the conversation and escape before things get too intense between us.

He pulls me closer and leans down, and kisses my neck. "You can shower here." He whispers.

"Clay!" I say with a hushed tone. "No, I meant it last night when I said I wanted to take it slow." I take a deep breath as I feel goosebumps covering my body.

He pulls away, and I feel like I've hurt him, but to my surprise, he takes hold of my hands. "Fine, then let me take you out on a proper date. How about tonight?" He smiles, and I can't resist.

"Tonight's perfect." I kiss his cheek. My heart races as his scent consumes me.

He won't let me go home alone, so we argue back and forth quietly so as not to disturb Brie and Logan. He swiftly changes into sweatpants and a t-shirt as soon as I give in. We sneak out, hoping Logan and Brie won't notice. I wouldn't hear the end of it if Brie saw me.

⁂

We get to my apartment, and he walks me to my door. He kisses me, and the butterflies in my stomach start to flutter as his lips touch mine. "I'll pick you up at seven." he smirks.

"Where are we going?" Curiosity takes over.

"Someplace to have fun, and get to know each other." He smiles, and I roll my eyes.

"Okay, one last question. Heels or sneakers?" He laughs. "Either one works."

He smiles and kisses my cheek; I can't breathe when he smiles. It's almost as if I forget how. He walks away and out of eyesight, and I can finally feel the air fill my lungs.

I get to my room and close the door behind me, looking at my phone. It's only eight in the morning. I'm still tired, so I decide to lay down. Still wearing Clay's shirt, I strip off the sweatpants he allowed me to borrow and climb into bed.

Rolling over, I look at the empty pillow, picturing Clay beside me. I don't know how this happened, but I think I'm falling in love. I've never cared for other boys and would be thankful once they finally gave up. As for Clay, I never wanted him to stop fighting to win me over, and he never did, no matter how stubborn I became.

I can't help but desire him next to me right now as I stare up at the ceiling. His holding me while I sleep in his arms is something I enjoy. My phone rings, as if he could sense what I'm thinking.

"Hello?" I answer. It's his voice on the other end, and my heart skips a beat.

"Hey, beautiful." He responds, and my face goes red. "What are you doing?" He asks.

"At the moment? Lying in bed." I reply with a smile. "Wish I could be there with you," he says, and I can feel the warmth in his voice. "I'll let you get some sleep. Remember seven tonight."

"Clay?" I say, my heart racing with anticipation.

"Yeah?" he responds, his voice soft and gentle. I take a deep breath and say. "Is there any chance you'd be open to returning so we can spend the day together? If you like, you can even take a shower here."

"Raven Beauregard, do you miss me already?" He chuckles. I feel my cheeks turn red at his teasing tone. Of course, I miss him already. It's only been minutes since we last saw each other but the distance between us feels unbearable. But I try to play it cool. "No," I say in embarrassment with a laugh. "I just like sleeping in your arms." I finally confess.

I hear him take a deep breath on the other end of the line. "Alright, give me twenty minutes, and I'll be there. Front door or balcony?" he says, and I can feel the smile spreading across my face.

"Whichever you choose." I smile at myself, feeling like a little schoolgirl.

"Okay, see you soon."

"Okay, bye." I hang up and lay back down, staring at the ceiling; I wait for my nightmare turned knight to arrive.

⁂

As I lay there, I can't help but feel a sense of relief wash over me. Being vulnerable and expressing my true feelings to him was a big step for me, and the fact that he didn't judge me or make me feel silly about it made me feel even more grateful for his presence in my life. I close my eyes and take a deep breath, trying to calm my racing thoughts. The sound of taping on the balcony door snaps me out of my reverie, and I quickly get up to meet him. As I open the door, I see him standing there with a sheepish grin on his face.