Chapter 95

Kayla

The moment Nicholas’s fingers touched the piano keys, the room seemed to go quiet. The usual hum of conversation, the clink of glasses, the distant crackle of the fire—all of it faded into the background as the first few notes of the melody filled the air.

It was a lively tune, yet soft, almost hesitant at first. The kind of song that crept into your bones, warming you from the inside out. I froze where I stood, my hand gripping the edge of the armchair as a strange wave of familiarity washed over me.

I knew this song.

My mother…

“Kayla?” Emma’s voice broke through the spell, and I turned my head to see her smiling at me in that lopsided way she always did when she was drunk. “Are you going to dance, or are you just going to stand there and stare at him all night?”

“I wasn’t staring,” I muttered, but the heat rising to my cheeks betrayed me.

Emma didn’t respond, only grabbed my hand and tugged me toward the center of the room where Jade was already twirling in time with the music. Nicholas’s gaze followed us, his amber eyes gleaming in the flickering light of the fire.

He didn’t stop playing, his hands gliding effortlessly over the keys, but he held my gaze without skipping a beat. There was something in his expression—an intensity, a focus—that made my pulse race faster than it should have.

The melody picked up, and before I knew it, I was moving. My friends and I spun and laughed, our dresses flaring around us as we danced across the carpeted floor. The music seemed to take on a life of its own, weaving through the room and tangling itself around my legs, guiding me. I let myself get lost in it and threw my head back, picking up my skirts and laughing.

But all the while, my mind drifted back to the nights my mother used to hum this very tune as she tucked me into bed.

I hadn’t thought about those nights in years. How had Nicholas found this song? How did he know?

Or was it just another coincidence of our strange, entwined life?

My gaze flicked back to him as he played, and for a moment, our eyes locked. His lips quirked into a small, knowing smile, and my breath caught in my throat. He didn’t look away, not once, even as his fingers flew over the keys.

By the time the final chord echoed through the room, my chest was heaving, my cheeks flushed from exertion. The room erupted into applause, but I barely heard it. My focus was solely on Nicholas as he rose from the piano bench, his expression unreadable. He sketched a small, sarcastic bow, his eyes still fixed on mine, before he flopped back down on the couch next to Noah and grabbed his drink.

Later that night, after the others had gone to their rooms and the house had fallen quiet, I found myself in the kitchen, humming the melody under my breath as I poured myself a glass of water.

That song lingered in my mind, and I couldn’t seem to get it out. It was a piece of my past, a fragment of a life I’d almost forgotten.

“You liked it.”

I jumped, nearly dropping the glass as Nicholas’s deep voice cut through the silence. I turned to find him leaning casually against the doorway, his arms crossed over his chest. His hair was slightly tousled, and the top button of his shirt was undone..

“You scared me,” I said, placing a hand over my racing heart. “What are you doing here?”

He stepped into the room. “Your birthday isn’t over for another hour.”

I glanced at the clock, and sure enough, it wasn’t midnight yet. Nicholas had already made this day so magical, though; what else could he possibly have planned?

“You’ve already done so much,” I said softly.

He shrugged, and his gaze softened as it traveled over me before lingering on the mark on my neck. “You deserved something nice for your birthday.”

My throat tightened, and I looked away quickly. “Well… Thank you,” I said quietly. “For everything. The party, the music… it’s been years since I’ve had a proper birthday party.”

“I know,” he said simply. “That’s why I wanted to do this for you. You deserve it, Kayla.”

Something in his tone made my chest ache, and I swallowed hard, fighting the sudden sting of tears. “It was perfect,” I said, forcing a smile.

“But like I said, it’s not over yet.”

I blinked, my head snapping up to meet his gaze. “What?”

Nicholas held out his hand, his eyes glinting with something I couldn’t quite place. “Come with me.”

I hesitated, glancing between his outstretched hand and his face. “Where are we going?”

“You’ll see.”

There was something in his voice—a promise, a hint of mischief—that made it impossible to refuse. Slowly, I set down my water and placed my hand in his, and he led me through the quiet halls and out into the cool night air.

The garden was bathed in moonlight, the soft glow illuminating the path as Nicholas guided me toward the small shed in the garden. My earlier suspicion from before the party flared to life, but before I could voice it, he stopped in front of the door and turned to me.

“Close your eyes,” he said.

I frowned. “Seriously?”

“Just do it, Kayla.”

With a huff, I complied, squeezing my eyes shut. I heard the jingle of keys, the click of a lock, and then the creak of the door as it swung open. Nicholas’s hand tightened around mine as he pulled me inside.

And then I smelled vanilla… and flowers.

“Okay, you can look now.”

I opened my eyes… and my breath caught. The shed had been completely transformed. Soft rugs covered the floor, and a plush armchair sat in one corner beside a small bookshelf that was already filled with books. A desk stood against the far wall, its surface adorned with pens, paper, and a single flickering vanilla and lilac candle. Blankets were draped over the furniture, and a skylight above let in a cascade of silvery moonlight.

But something caught my attention then. The faded posters on the walls, the floral blankets, the stuffed teddy bear on the armchair.

“These things…” I furrowed my brow as I looked around. “They’re…”

“Yours,” Nicholas said with a grin.

I looked up at him, confused.

“Most of what’s in here is from your home in Bluemoon,” he explained. “I realized after our last visit just how much you’ve been missing home—and just how important it is to you. I hope you don’t mind, but I pilfered a bunch of stuff when you weren’t looking. Just so you can have a little slice of home right here.”

I placed my hands over my lips, unable to speak, but managed to shake my head. Of course I didn’t mind. The gesture was so touching that I wanted to cry and throw my arms around him. A slice of Bluemoon, right here… it wasn’t what I realized I’d needed so badly all this time. And he had figured it out before I could.

Suddenly, however, my eyes caught something toward the center of the room: something draped beneath a sheet. I pointed. “What’s that?”

Nicholas’s eyes gleamed, and he strode past me, pulling the sheet off with a flourish. All the air rushed out of my lungs in a gasp.

It was a telescope. Old and weathered, the brass dials gleaming in the pale moonlight.

I recognized that telescope. Just like I recognized that song, and everything else in here.

“Nicholas,” I whispered, stepping forward to run my fingers over the smooth metal. “How did you…?”

“Ava and Henry told me about it,” he said from behind me. “They said your mother used to stargaze with you when you were little. They found this in storage and thought you’d want it.”

A lump formed in my throat as memories of those nights with my mother came rushing back. Her warm hands wrapped around my small fingers, teaching me how to adjust the dials. Her quiet voice as she pointed out the constellations.

A memory I’d nearly lost to time. Or maybe one that I had purposely buried after her death.

“It’s… the same one,” I breathed, turning to face him. “I can’t believe they still had it.”

Nicholas stepped closer, and with a nod, he adjusted the telescope toward the skylight. “Tonight’s a good night for stargazing.”

I nodded, unable to speak as I adjusted the telescope. His hand came to rest over mine, guiding me as I fine-tuned the dials. The simple touch sent a shiver down my spine, and I leaned back slightly, resting my head against his chest.

We remained silent, the only sounds the creaking of the floorboards beneath our feet and the telescope moving as we took turns gazing at the constellations. Nicholas’s fingers brushed against my hair, then trailed down to the fabric of my dress, the soft caress sending a thrill through me.

“You look like a nebula tonight,” he murmured, his voice low and reverent in my ear. “Far more beautiful than the ones in the sky.”

I turned in his arms, my breath hitching as I looked up at him. His amber eyes were soft, filled with something I didn’t dare name.

And then, without a word, our lips met. I wasn’t sure who kissed who first, but… it didn’t matter.

All that mattered was the feeling of his arms around me and the taste of his lips against mine.