Page 66 of Cerulean Truth (Sapere #1)

THIRTY-THREE

EMMA

I could barely contain the overwhelming excitement bubbling within me.

Finally, the long-awaited moment had arrived—I was about to reunite with my parents after more than four months of separation.

The ache of missing them had grown almost unbearable, and the prospect of seeing them again filled me with an indescribable joy.

Adding to the thrill, James would be accompanying me.

James would be meeting my parents… I almost jumped out my own skin when he agreed to it.

That is, if I managed to portal us there. This was the third time we were trying it out, and although the thrill of teleportation never wore off, I fervently hoped the saying "third time's a charm" would hold true.

James was going to be the one translating the green portal once again, seeing how he was an absolute master at it, while I still couldn’t translate a cup of coffee to save my own life.

But I had gotten a handle on working the Nexus, so today’s exercise was all about navigating the green drops and steering us the right way through James’s portal.

Despite my obvious confidence, a lingering nervousness fought its way to the surface.

The last time we tried, we ended up at the New York Central Park Zoo, courtesy of Enya who couldn’t stop talking about it right before portaling, making sure that’s where my mind went as soon as James and I stepped through his portal.

I liked the New York Zoo, so I didn’t really mind.

James however, ended up in a cage with a very disgruntled monkey, who flung his own feces at the intruder.

Although I’d been two seconds away from a pants-peed situation from laughter, James had been less than thrilled with his "craptivating" New York experience.

Shoveling down my breakfast like an ogre, I managed to be on time for our training. I met up with James at our regular the training room, the familiar flashy color of his green portal welcoming me from across the room.

"Ready?" James asked encouragingly.

"Like you wouldn’t believe!" I replied, barely containing my enthusiasm. Without a moment's delay, I directed my attention to the vibrant green drops emanating from the Nexus, anticipating they would lead us through the portal to Boston—provided I succeeded.

“Now, remember. All you have to do is focus on the location of your parents and will us to go there,” James ordered.

Inhaling deeply, I conjured a vivid image of my childhood home in my mind.

“Boston, Boston, Boston,” I repeated like a mantra, concentrating intensely.

I closed my eyes and, seeking some kind of connection, I grabbed James’s hand, squeezing it firmly as we jumped through the portal. I tried to “will” all my focus onto the green drops but when the green vortex engulfed us, I couldn’t shake the nagging feeling something was off.

In a split second, the refreshing gush of the portal faded, and we found ourselves standing back on firm ground. However, As I gradually opened one eye, I observed a renowned historic Spanish fortress standing before us. I frowned.

“Is that…?” I inquired hesitantly.

James sighed deeply. “The Alamo, yes.”

I cursed myself to the highest peaks of the Rocky Mountains. We weren’t in Boston, as I had intended. Instead, we found ourselves in Texas.

“Houston, we have a problem,” James muttered, shooting me a pointed look.

Funny .

“Technically, we’re in San Antonio,” I replied dryly.

James sighed, his patience wearing thin. “Either way, we’re not in Boston, are we? Emma, this is the third time in a row. How hard is it to think about your parents' house? You fucking grew up there!"

I huffed, "Excuse me for having a lot on my mind. And it’s not as if those green drops magically do whatever I want."

“Actually, that’s exactly what they do,” he remarked dryly.

Well, he had me there.

"Maybe we should enroll you in some geography classes first," he said, the start of a smirk on his face. "Just to make sure you actually know where Boston is."

"Great idea," I shot back, my irritation simmering. "And while we're at it, we can sign you up for empathy classes. A little more patience wouldn't hurt, James—I'm doing my best here."

He rolled his eyes. "Well, your best seems to involve landing us in random cities."

I nonchalantly shrugged. "Could've been worse…"

"True. I could've ended up with another pack of animal shit stuck in my hair," James grumbled.

"Which was an improvement on your hairdo anyway," I fired back.

He snorted. "That's rich, coming from you," he said, deftly picking out bits of breakfast from my tangled locks.

I intended to respond with a clever retort, but his hands tousling through my hair sent my mind to ungodly territories, where only he and I existed, in a very Adam and Eva kind of clothing-situation. My arms produced goosebumps, which had nothing to do with the outer temperature.

My lack of response prompted a concerned frown from James. "You okay there?"

I nodded, feeling my cheeks flush a lovely shade of crimson.

"So, what's the plan now?" I asked, attempting to shift the topic.

"I propose we give it another shot, this time really focus on Boston and your parents. Channel how much you want to see them, how much you've yearned for their presence."

A pang of longing hit my heart. I missed them so terribly.

"Or…" he continued with a hint of hesitation.

"Yes?"

"We could stay in San Antonio, do some sightseeing, maybe get something to eat, and then make another attempt tomorrow?” he suggested.

I blinked in shock. Was he asking me…

"Like, only the two of us?" I queried, a glimmer of hope evident in my voice.

"No, actually, I was thinking about inviting the entire Council to join us." He rolled his eyes.

I smirked.

Although the ache of missing my parents was becoming unbearable, the thought of spending the day with James, maybe actually having some kind of first date …

"I've never really explored San Antonio, and considering my track record with translation, I hadn’t called my parents yet to inform them we’d visit," I blurted out.

James flashed a warm smile, causing my breath to catch.

"Then let's get going; there's a shitload of sights to behold and I want to make sure you know the difference between San Antonio and Boston before we return home." He gestured for me to lead the way.

I stuck out my tongue in response.

"Do you want to start by taking a stroll along the riverwalk? I’ve heard it’s quite beautiful," James offered.

"Sure," I agreed, tamping down those annoying butterflies flying around in my stomach.

We headed towards the river, reaching it in less than ten minutes. Remarkably, we managed not to bicker the entire way. I was very proud of us.

I also couldn't help but admire how surprisingly 'normal' he looked that day—his usual black attire replaced by washed-out jeans and casual shirt, which made him look like he had just stepped out of a clothing commercial.

Gathering my courage, I started walking a bit closer to James, my hand innocently brushing against his. An electric current ran through me as it did, and I became very aware of the fact we were alone.

James grabbed the water bottles he’d brought and handed me one. We’d be very human today, choosing not to translate to avoid setting off any unnecessary alarms back in Cyclos.

As it was a first date—or at least what I considered to be a first date—I thought I might ask some typical first-date questions.

But I was struggling with the topic. His parents were off-limits; Enzo's comment still lingered in my mind (though I planned on asking about them another time). How he got his job was probably a sore subject as well, given Jackson’s cagey attitude about it.

Which is why, as James took his first sip of water, I asked, “So, do you have many ex-girlfriends?”

He spat out his water, looking at me completely shocked. After a moment of silence, he wiped his mouth with the back of his hand and chuckled nervously.

"Wow, going straight for the awkward questions, huh?" He said, his eyes twinkling with amusement.

I nodded, feeling a bit embarrassed by my bluntness. "Sorry, that was a bit forward, wasn't it? I’m just... I guess I'm curious about you."

James shrugged, his expression softening. "No need to apologize. It's kind of refreshing, actually. Most people dance around stuff like that."

I smiled widely. “So…do you?”

The twinkle faded as quickly as it had appeared. “I don’t do relationships,” he muttered.

Ouch.

“In the past or in general?” I couldn’t help but ask.

He caught my gaze and held it for a second before answering. “I have trouble…connecting.”

Dang it . This was becoming way too serious for a leisurely stroll.

“Physically?” I teased with a grin.

“What the fuck? Of course not!” he nearly shouted, his face displaying all shades of shocked.

I burst out in laughter. Men and their frail ego’s. “There’s nothing funnier nor easier than riling you up,” I grinned.

Expecting a heavy eyeroll, I was pleased to see I’d provoked that slow elusive smile of his instead.

He sighed deeply. “It’s more like, I don’t want to expect anyone else to match my ‘lifestyle’, so I keep my guard up high and my expectations low.

I nodded pensively. “I get that. It’s easier to focus on your goals when you have no one else to check in with. No one else depending on you. No distractions.”

He glanced at me sideways. “Sounds to me like you’ve imposed a relationship-embargo on yourself as well.”

I snorted, then decided to be honest. "I actually find it really hard to connect with someone, you know? On a personal level, I mean. People often tend to decide who you are before you’ve had a chance of telling them or even figuring it out yourself."

He looked at me intently, his gaze unwavering. "Yeah, I know what you mean."