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“Calix, I can’t even look at her for that long. She is too far out of our league.”

He only humphs before continuing to pace.

I can sense her, just beyond the wall. Her words float to me as I listen in to the conversation. Gail knew exactly what she was doing bringing her here. She might claim it’s about some project, but I know that isn’t the only reason.

Grasping the back of my desk chair, I scoot it back into its’ spot before plopping down into it. I can hear Gail tinkering with her glass vials which can only mean she is making a tincture, but for what?

Gail’s faint words filter through the door, “…before you go, I have some tea for you. It’s my personal blend for clarity. I knowyou’ve had a lot on your mind lately, maybe a tea on your front porch will help clear up some of those questions for you.”

What does she mean that Selene has had a lot on her mind lately? I’ll have to see about sitting on my porch this evening to see what she needs clarity about. I can hear them talking about her leaving. I can’t go without seeing her. She’s right there, I can almost feel her skin, even though I’ve never been close enough to touch it.

Pushing out of my chair, I try to gather my feet under me, but end up stumbling over them in my haste to get to the door. I’m halfway to my door when I hear Gail call out to me.

“Caelon, can you be a dear and come here? I need to go over this budget issue with you for the healers!” she calls through the wall, halting my steps. I don’t want to exactly look like an idiot who rushed over there. We’re going for a cool guy here. Straightening my spine, my chin lifts up as I brush down my wrinkled polo shirt.Shit.Selene is going to think the worst of me. Look at what I’m wearing. Don’t girls like her care about stuff like that?

It’s alright. It’s cool. We got this.

Calix chuckles.“This is going to be great.”

“Oh do shut up.”

Clearing my throat, I call out to Gail. “Of course.” As if I haven’t been standing here freaking out over running into Selene.

I can hear Gail’s bell-like laughter ring out through the wall. She knows what she’s doing. She is far too cheerful, too knowing. I swear I hear her mutter something about, “Destiny is standing right here.”

My hands grasp the cool metal of the brass doorknob, resting there as if I could just change my mind. Giving me one last moment to turn around instead of rushing out there.

Selene’s scent moves closer, suffocating me in her musk. She has to be standing exactly where I am but only on the other side of the wall.

“Let her see us. Let her know.”

“I’m nervous.”

“Then let me out.”

“Absolutely not.”

My hand twists the doorknob, throwing the door open giving me no other option than to embrace it.

The hallway stands empty with nobody venturing this far down.Move Caelon, she’s not going to stay there forever.The door to Gail’s office scrapes against the wood frame as Selene swings it open.

Pushing myself through my door frame, I turn to see a wide-eyed Selene blinking at me. Her plump bow lips are open in a tiny O as her eyes move down my body, taking in everything I am. This might be the first time she’s ever really seen me.

Gail clears her throat from within her office, knocking me into action. I whisper an, “excuse me,” as I move to walk past Selene.

Her shoulder barely shifts in time to prevent ours from hitting, causing our hands to graze as I pass. A tiny spark of electricity runs up my arm at the contact. She sucks in her breath faintly, almost too quiet to hear. My hands clench to keep Calix from reaching out to grab her.

We stand in the doorway staring at each other as our breaths mingle. Neither of us moving. One heartbeat. Two. Long enough for me to feel it.

Gail clears her throat. “Caelon.”

That’s all it takes for me to mumble an “I’m sorry” before walking the rest of the way into her office. It’s taking everything in me to not turn around, to not show how much that affected me. Selene must have also snapped out of it only a few secondslater as the door clicks shut behind me. I know she felt it too—I saw it in her eyes.

My feet shuffle to the chair that Selene just left, her musk still lingers in the air, caressing my skin like the soft waves along the shore.

“I was hoping you had a minute to go over some things with me.”

I blink the haze from my eyes, shaking my head gently to focus back on the person in front of me. “For you? Always.”