Home > Taken (Enchanted Gods #3)(6)

Taken (Enchanted Gods #3)(6)
Author: K.K. Allen

They all beamed back at me, all of them as friendly and stunning as ever.

“Surprised to see us?” Mirella asked, a twinkle in her eyes.

I nodded. “I’m glad you all could make it. The band we booked for tonight is incredible.”

Sophania’s roaming eyes locked on something—or someone—because she was practically salivating. I laughed. Mermaids were naturally boy crazy, especially for Normals, since they were forbidden to them.

“How do I know him?” Sophania mused.

I turned my head to follow her gaze, realizing she wasn’t referring to a Normal. A cloud of darkness rolled over my thoughts, shrouding me once again in my dark, self-consuming regret.

“That’s Alec. Kat’s Alec. Don’t even go there,” Arabella warned.

I glared at her. “Alec is free to date whoever he wants.”

Arabella rolled her eyes. “Sure.”

Just then, Alec approached the booth beside us, where a girl named Kacey sat with a bunch of other girls I recognized from the School of Gaia.

“Hi, ladies,” he said to her with a flirty smile.

My every muscle tensed, and my mind buzzed with new energy. He’d walked right past our booth and didn’t say a word. And I wasn’t the only one who’d noticed. Arabella nudged me and gave me a questioning look. I narrowed my eyes, telling her to back off.

“Hey, Alec,” Kacey purred, all too eagerly. “Wanna join us?”

“I thought you’d never ask.” Alec sat, still without meeting my eyes.

I couldn’t help but watch the overly flirtatious display, which I assumed was for my benefit—giggles, whispers, and shoulder nudging. None of it was as painful as Alec avoiding me all night. My eyes, however, were glued on him and Kacey.

Seeing Alec with other girls had never made me angry before. Then again, our friendship had never been at risk of ending before. But now I was being that girl—the one who didn’t appreciate a good thing when it was being offered to her on a silver platter. Alec was only making it clear that a friendship was no longer possible, not without more. At least that was what I feared.

Around midnight, the crowd began to thin. The Vallis slipped out first, then Kacey and Alec, followed by the rest of their table. I was alone in the booth, while Trisha and Brett made use of the dance floor, so I decided to take off.

I left through the main gated entrance of Summer Island then turned onto the beach before I jogged the entire way to Summer Estates. I passed Alec’s house, and when I saw that his bedroom light was on and his balcony doors were open, I headed straight toward them.

Without another thought, I waved my hand over the greenery beneath the balcony, allowing my magic to wind the vines up and around the pillar. I used the stem of the weed to leverage my feet, climbed to the top, and hopped over his balcony rail.

Alec’s gaze met mine, surprise flickering in his eyes. He was lying on his stomach with his wireless stereo playing quiet music as a book sat open beneath him. A book of magic, I was sure. Rose had given him The Book of Apollo from our library after his identity was revealed, and he’d become obsessed with learning about his bloodline.

“What are you doing here?”

I was unfazed by his harsh tone. “You didn’t talk to me all night.” I pouted, knowing I probably should have come up with something better before climbing into his room.

He sat up at the edge of his bed and stared back at me. “Is that what it takes to get your attention?”

I cringed. “I know. I’ve been giving you a hard time lately.”

“A hard time?” he asked incredulously. “I’m not sure I would put it that way. Avoiding. Evading. Those are more appropriate words. But don’t worry about it, Kat.”

In the one and a half years that I had known Alec, I couldn’t remember him ever being this upset with me. “I’m here to tell you I know I’ve been acting distant, and I’m sorry.” My words seemed in a desperate race against my heart.

Alec ran a hand through his hair and stood, a mixture of emotions written on his face. “Apology accepted,” he said quietly, his tone still frustrated.

He didn’t look at me. He didn’t say another word. But somehow, even though he’d told me that I was forgiven, his words weren’t enough.

Anger began to burn in my chest. “That’s it?”

He glared back at me, his head tilted. “What do you want, Kat? A fight? Do you want me to jump up and down with excitement because you’re finally talking to me?” He stared at me as if I were to blame for my own confusion. “You’ve been avoiding me for an entire month. Trust me, I understand that you’ve been through a lot, but I’ve waited. I’ve been patient. And then the moment things start to get serious, you cut me out of your life completely.”

His words hit hard, because I knew they were true. “Alec,” I whispered, taking a few steps toward him. “I never want to cut you out. Never. You’re my best friend.” A tightness formed in my throat, and I had to look away to get a handle on myself.

I racked my brain for words that might mend our friendship, or whatever it was we were to each other. My eyes danced across his hand drawings of various mythological creatures—centaurs, chimeras, gorgons, and hippocampus. Alec was an extremely talented artist. But what really caught my eye was the corkboard above his desk. It was covered with photos of all of us—Trisha, Matt, Brett, Arabella, Kacey, Kaleb, Alec, and me. There were a few solo pictures of me laughing, at something ridiculous, I was sure. The center photo grabbed me. It was a photo of Alec and me, our cheeks pressed against each other, enormous grins on our faces, eyes shining with joy.

“Did you just come here to snoop?” Alec jerked me from my trance.

I swiveled slowly to face him. How could I have missed it? Alec had always cared for me. Through everything, he’d always wanted to protect me and had never pushed me to be anything more than a friend—until we crossed the line that summer day.

Alec stood, no longer appearing angry, just sad.

I stepped closer, placing my hands on his chest. When I looked up into his eyes, I gave a gentle push so he would sit back down. Then I pressed one knee into the bed beside him, then another, until I was straddling him and staring down into his surprised green eyes.

My heart beat in quick staccatos, punching the fear within me. But I couldn’t sit and dwell on my confusion any longer. I needed to take a leap. I had already lost Johnny. I couldn’t lose Alec too.

I lowered myself onto his lap and placed my lips against his, hesitantly at first. I didn’t know how he would respond, and I was ready for him to push me away with a final rejection. But he didn’t reject me, not even a little. Instead, he placed a hand on the back of my neck and pulled me to him, deepening our kiss in a way he never had before.

Alec was excruciatingly gentle with me, as if he were trying to savor every inch of my lips. I hugged him closer, desperate to spark that same magical electricity I’d felt with Johnny. But even when our tongues danced and our heartbeats synced, I knew it was unfair to compare.

Johnny was no longer an option. I’d waited long enough.

Alec groaned deep in his throat before pulling away and searching my eyes. “Does this mean what I think it means?”

I gave him a shy smile and nodded. I was ready to try.

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