The Secrets of Lore Seymour

41. Dejection & Hope

Present

Cyan P.O.V.

I never expected my apology to work so swimmingly. Or maybe it was an utter failure depending on how I truly feel when Draven wakes me the next day.

"You'll miss breakfast if you sleep in much longer," he says, leaning over my bed to speak softly into my ear, seeing as grabbing me while I sleep resulted in a nut shot once. One that I think he holds against me to this day. Not that I blame him. I have an excellent right hook.

"Oh, okay, thanks." I bury my face in my pillow, not to continue sleeping although I would love to pass right back out, but to hide my blush.

Draven retreats, revealing the usual cup of water on my bed and a warm towel in case I scratched myself at night. Sometimes a nightmare makes me do it. Once Draven woke me to find blood in my bed from tearing my arms open after a particularly bad memory. Since then, he always brought a warm towel. See? A damn perfectionist. A borderline maddening... guy.

Be steady heart. Learn to lower your standards.

Everyone attends breakfast, including Lore, Seren, and Draven. Since they recently finished a job, I guess they're taking a bit of a break. I overhear Seren telling Lore that he'll be heading into town, probably in an attempt to make us believe he's researching for the Red Moon Group. Draven makes no mention of work though. That's good. He can rest today. He's always overworking himself, which proves there's nothing perfect about being a perfectionist!

Although I could use some of the perfectionism in the lab. After breakfast, I try to get some work done, but I keep remembering Draven's breath against my ear. The morning light coming in through the curtains to cast fire in his vibrant eyes. The slight parting of his lips that I know are soft and inviting and--

BANG!

I drop an entire glass of acid that, thankfully, does not land on my feet. That would have been bad and this is a clue that I am done for the day. The last thing I need are a few severe burns, a possible loss of limb and/or an explosion. Draven may come running in to lecture me while I wonder if he'd be so composed should I grab him by the shoulders and make out with him. I shouldn't have apologized. This infatuation is getting worse. I'm either about to reach the point of no return or I'm so far past it that I've hit the stage of denial.

Leaving the lab behind, I head out into the yard where the kids play before lunch. I can't believe I didn't cause an explosion between breakfast and lunch with the way my brain's functioning today.

Arline sits on the edge of the fountain, watching the children. When she sees me, she smiles and waves me over. Sighing dramatically, I plop down beside her.

"I'm surprised to see you out of your cave without being evicted by flames and smoke," she taunts.

"I was evicted by acid this time." Her eyes widen until I add, "No damage was done. To me. The floor will need a little work."

"You're a catastrophe."

"I know." Groaning, I run my fingers through my hair. "I apologized to Draven last night. We made up. He even woke me up this morning like nothing happened."

"I'd say that's great, but you almost turned yourself into a pile of goo. What's the problem?"

"That we made up."

"Explain for normal people to understand, please."

"It's funny that you think I even begin to understand how I feel and therefore can explain it to you." I grin at her intense eye roll.

"True," she says, eying me suspiciously. "This has to do with your unspoken thing that you're going to claim isn't an unspoken thing although we both know it's definitely an unspoken thing, huh?"