An Astronomer's Guide to Falling Angels

Chapter 5

Astor sat on his bed, the dim light of his bedside lamp casting long shadows on the walls of his bedroom. He had his phone pressed to his ear, listening to Lukas's lively voice from the other end of the line. Outside, the sky had turned a deep indigo, the soft rustle of the wind carrying the distant sounds of the city below. The faint laughter and chatter from Lukas's sleepover felt worlds away.

"So, who's all there?" Astor asked, his voice a little softer than usual, feeling the familiar pang of being left out.

"Let's see," Lukas began, and Astor could hear the playful chaos of the background. "Oda's here, of course, being her usual loud self. And Louis came too! She brought way too much food. We've got snacks for days. It's wild."

Astor smiled faintly at the thought of Louis bringing a small feast, but then his mind wandered back to Arty. He hadn't heard from her since they left school. Concern flickered through his mind.

"That sounds fun," he said, though there was an edge of distraction in his voice. "But where's Arty?"

Lukas hesitated for a second, then replied, "She's not here yet, but she's probably on her way. You know her—she'll roll in whenever she feels like it."

Astor's concern deepened. It wasn't unusual for Arty to do things on her own time, but something about tonight made him feel uneasy. His thoughts were interrupted by a soft knock at his window.

He froze, his heart skipping a beat. Slowly, he turned his head toward the window, and there, illuminated by the pale glow of the streetlights outside, was Arty. She was waving at him, her wide grin as mischievous as ever, and in one hand, she held a bouquet of wildflowers—somewhat scraggly, but oddly charming.

Astor's worry melted away, replaced with a mixture of surprise and amusement. He quickly mumbled something to Lukas about needing to go and hung up the phone. Sliding off the bed, he rushed to the window, opening it with an exasperated but fond smile.

"You're supposed to be at the sleepover," he said, his tone half-scolding but unable to hide his relief at seeing her.

Arty swung her legs through the window with the ease of someone who'd done this more than a few times. She landed gracefully in his room, the wildflowers still clutched in her hand as she gave him a wink.

"I figured the sleepover could wait," she said with a shrug, stepping closer to him. "Besides, I come bearing gifts." She thrust the bouquet toward him dramatically, her grin widening.

Astor looked down at the flowers, his chest tightening with an unexpected wave of emotion. They weren't perfect; some were wilted, and others were probably weeds. But to him, they were the most beautiful thing he'd seen all day. He gently took the bouquet from her, his fingers brushing against hers for a moment.

"These are... actually really nice," he said softly, looking up at her with a smile that didn't quite reach his eyes.

Arty's grin softened, and she leaned against the edge of his desk, watching him closely. "You didn't think I'd just leave you here alone tonight, did you?"

Astor bit his lip, holding the flowers to his chest for a moment before setting them down carefully on his nightstand. "I didn't want to ruin your night."

"You didn't ruin anything," Arty said firmly, crossing her arms. "And even if you did, I'd still be here. Besides, I didn't feel like hanging out with a bunch of people when I knew you'd be stuck in this fancy cage of yours."

Astor gave a small laugh, though there was a hint of sadness behind it. "You're ridiculous."

"Only for you," Arty shot back, her eyes sparkling with that familiar defiance.