Chapter 22: Thirty Days

Thora's POV

I gave him my answer at eleven forty-five, in his own bedroom, with the window open to the lake.

I had never been in it.

It was bigger than mine and plainer, with a dark bed, a stack of unread books and one lamp.

The housekeeper had taped my ribs and sent us both up the stairs without a word, which was how I knew she was thrilled.

Caspian stood by the window with his jacket off.

He hadn't asked again.

He had asked once, in the sand, and he had meant it, and he was waiting for me to be the one to decide what happened next.

I shut the door.

I turned the lock.

"Which side?" he said.

"Mine," I said. "It's your room, and I'm choosing to be in it."

His throat moved.

"The clock says fifteen minutes," I said. "At midnight the keeping ends. I can walk out of here with nothing owed."

"Yes."

"I'd like to stay for the fifteen minutes first."

"And then?"

"And then I'll be staying anyway."

He crossed the room in three steps and put his forehead against mine, and his breath shook.

"Say it," he said.

"I'm staying. Because I want to. Nobody wrote a rule, nobody caught me, nobody made me."

"Thora."

"And you're going to get on that bed and let me do this the way I want."

He sat on the edge of it, and I stood between his knees.

I took his face in my hands.

I kissed him slowly, the way I hadn't let myself before, and he made a low sound that went through the soles of my feet.

It was the first time I'd kissed him without being angry.

It was warm, and soft, and it went on and on.

His hands rested on my waist and didn't move.

"You can touch me," I said.

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