The Shadow of Stars

Twenty Nine

YO! yeah, you!! reader of this story [and hopefully avid commenter/voter] thanks for still being here at ch 29 (dayum) and if you are just here bc you are having TLH withdrawals, please note that it still exists, I will eventually get round to it and I love your endless support <33333 

enjoy the chapter !!!

- from the sleepiest girl in the whole wide world

Its like a million fireworks have been set off inside my body and I find my breath again, opening my mouth to gasp for air only for him to claim my bottom lip, taking the action as permission.

I stop myself from making a sound as he deepens the kiss and find myself dropping his poem to the floor to sift my hands through his hair, pulling him closer to encourage it. He tastes sweet like vanilla and he smells of salt and the ocean—something I never noticed until being so close. How didn't I notice that before?

His hands are so close to me, one supporting my neck whilst the other cradles my waist and it's like time itself has stopped dead in its tracks. I pull back slightly and the moment my lips aren't connected to his, a furrow forms between his brows and he quickly sweeps in once more, his grip on my waist tightening.

What am I doing? I shouldn't do this, I shouldn't. But I want to. I want to do this forever, every single thing about how I feel right now places me on top of the damn earth.

He takes his lips from mine for a moment before they come crashing down onto my neck, grazing over a spot that makes my whole body tremble with pleasure. How could I never have known that just kissing him would feel like this? What have I been depriving myself of?

As though he reads my mind, he places his lips gently over that intoxicating part of my flesh, just where my neck and collar bone intersect and in a flash, faster that I can even make sense of, my body tightens entirely and an image of teeth piercing my skin shadows all the thoughts raging in my mind.

I think of the woman I saw down at the markets when I was a child. How she had no time to react before she was bitten and I pull back immediately, shoving onto Micah's chest as my breathing becomes rapid.

He draws away like I have shot his heart, erasing our contact completely but maintaining the small distance between us. I know my face is pulled in fear, I can feel my hands shaking at my side and to him, right now, I probably look as terrified as I feel. And it only takes him a moment to register that, his features twisting into panic, pain and guilt all twisted into one at the mere sight.

I don't know what to do, I don't know how to stop hyperventilating like a complete freak over one damn kiss. I just sit in front of him utterly shell shocked. "I wasn't going to mark you," he confesses, pure sincerity in his words. "I'm sorry, Thea I didn't even think about that, I got carried away. I'm sorry. I shouldn't—are you okay?" He rushes, his hand half hanging in the air like he has no clue whether to calm me with it by touching me or pulling away entirely.

I shake my head and my heart beat slows with his words, with the honesty in his eyes. "I shouldn't have done that," I admit, the colour completely leeched from my face.

I glance to the couch between us, hating the thick tension of the silence.

But the thought of a mark resting on my skin is all the clarity I needed. I don't want that at all. So why the fuck did I think it was a cool idea to kiss the guy? To lead him down my path which has a very different end in sight than his. His devilishly good looks and the fact that it felt like pure heaven give some explanation but it was dumb, so, so dumb.