Chapter 2
The very first night Tobias and Posey dropped off Killian and Kiara at Donatus Academy, the children stayed on the steps of the dome and watched the other kids for hours before Kiara started to fall asleep and Killian half carried and half dragged her up to her room.
The sheets had not even been taken out of the suitcases. Kiara curled up on the bare mattress and Killian had laid down beside her. They were too scared to say a word to one another. Too homesick to leave each other's side and too excited to let their childish minds convince them they wanted to go home.
That was the first time Killian and Kiara had shared a bed. Ever since then it was the norm for Kiara or Killian to sneak into each other's room and curl up beside the other. So after a long first day back when Kiara patted bare feet across Killian's room and climbed into bed beside him, he shifted over and pulled the covers back for her.
"Can't sleep?" He asked as she placed her hands under her cheeks.
"No," Kiara whispered.
"What time is it?"
"I think it's three in the morning."
"Hmm," Killian took in a deep breath before letting it out slowly.
"Killian...."
"Yeah?"
"What are we going to do after graduation?" Kiara stared at the dark ceiling of Killian's room. So many times she had insisted on putting up glow in the dark stars up there, but he never agreed. So instead Kiara raised her hand and traced stars with her finger.
"I don't know," Killian broke the silence between them as he watched her finger. "Maybe we can take that trip to England you always wanted to go on."
"And then?"
"Then we will figure it out."
"I saw the college applications on your desk...."
"I don't even know if I'll get in."
"You will," Kiara lowered her hand and placed it over her belly.
"Are you going to come with me?"
"You applied to all the schools in California," Kiara whispered. "I don't like the sun."
Killian didn't need to look at her to know she was frowning in the darkness. Her body was warm beside his. Her breathing slowed and her eyes began to fight with her to close.
"Kiara...."
"Hmm?" The girl's voice was so low it could be lost between the breaths they shared.
"Do you want to drop off flowers tomorrow?"
"Yes," Kiara sighed, half asleep.
She pulled the covers up to her chin and dug in. Her contagious slumber quickly spread to Killian as he fell asleep. Somewhere between dreams and the morning light his face leaned towards Kiara and rested on top of her head.
The two had been inseparable since the day they had met. The threat of growing up and life coming in between them loomed over their heads. Killian was caught in a dance of wanting to step away and see the world while also feeling like a silk ribbon tied him down to the girl sleeping beside him. He didn't know what to do or how Kiara would take the news.
But all that was a conversation he pushed to the back of his mind as dawn broke over the horizon of Rhea. Kiara woke from her short slumber and silently walked back to her room. Killian sat on his bed and stared at the empty wall in front of him. It took awhile for him to pull himself out of bed and dress. On his way down to the lobby, he knocked on Kiara's door to let her know he was headed down.
