Page 40 of Starfall

Elias

I came to slowly, the exhaustion of the past few days weighing down my eyelids. I could sleep for another few days if I could. Or a week. Yes, a week of sleep would be nice.

I tried to roll over, the world still a blur, but pressure lay on my chest, keeping me in place. A refreshing coolness washed over my torso, and the smell of jasmine wafted to my nose.

Blinking away the residual fog, I peered down.

Ari .

She lay draped across my upper body, her long silver hair fanning around her face, her cheek pressed right above my heart. One of her long legs stretched across me, tugging me close, a hand grasping my side as if I’d wake up and bolt.

And Eternal below, I should bolt.

I went utterly still, my heartbeat picking up to dangerous levels.

Seeing her coiled around me in the gentle golden light stole my air.

Fuck, she was too beautiful, a problem that had been present since day one.

I’d been able to ignore it…until I felt her in that cave, her naked form making my head spin .

Lust . That was what I called it—my feelings for Ari—but after yesterday, when she defended Liv, when she defended me …

No one had ever done such a thing. Ari stole into Darren’s office without a care for her safety, utterly fearless and determined. Such an ethereal sight was something a person dreamed of witnessing once in their lifetime.

A goddess in the flesh.

Ari shifted, a soft noise leaving her parted lips. I didn’t move an inch, too chickenshit to face her. When she wrapped both arms around my torso, I let her, secretly wishing I could grasp her as she did me.

The lust I’d felt had changed. I’d gotten to know her, and the idea of her giving up her life for my foolish wish made me nauseous. Ari wasn’t some divine being without a personality. She had a spark to her that ignited something inside of me, and I’d reveled in her flames.

The longer I thought about it, the more I realized how much of a mistake I’d made. Loneliness could do that to a person—twist their perception of reality. And I had been so very lonely. I jumped at any sign of affection. Well before I ever met the star maiden. Pathetic, really.

And Grace had filled that hole for a long time.

Yet one courageous and selfless act had changed my perception of everything .

I swallowed thickly as I watched Ari sleep, tracing her lips with my eyes. Ari gave everything she had to those she cared about, and she cared so easily. So openly.

Unlike me, who shoved everyone away except Liv, Ari maintained faith that people could change.

That they could be good. Staring at her now, so peaceful in her slumber, so at ease lying on my chest, made me realize I wanted more than the bare scraps life threw at me.

I yearned to be appreciated for who I was, and not what I could become.

For someone to see my darkness and not turn their cheek.

What I found myself desiring was impossible, even if my mind pictured all the idiotic ways I could help the star maiden escape her fate. And yes, the selfish part of me wanted to explore the feelings that were gradually developing between us .

I was so fucked.

My muscles tensed when she groaned, her luscious body rubbing against me as she roused.

If she moved any lower, she’d feel just how my body responded to her.

My cock swelled, pained, and harder than stone.

When I’d felt her come on my fingers that night of delirium, I’d wanted to get on my fucking knees and pleasure her until she passed out on my tongue.

The crushing need to make her unravel around my fingers, tongue, and cock had consumed me.

She stormed into my life like one of those ridiculous fairy tale warriors my mother adored, and I was but a mere mortal; my fall was inevitable.

But she won’t abandon her sisters .

That was the issue, and I couldn’t blame her. If the roles were reversed, I couldn’t live with myself if I abandoned people relying on me.

Still…Ari deserved a full life.

The whole thing—where the Eternal sent her to a prison in the sky—haunted me.

Fuck . She moved her leg over my length, the friction pure torture. All thoughts abandoned me, and I shut my eyes, counting in my head and thinking about anything else aside from her skin on mine.

“Elias?” a sleepy voice murmured my name, the sound like a melody.

I opened my eyes.

Ari lifted her head, her silken hair sliding across my neck and tickling my cheek. My heart stopped altogether, her eyes widening as she realized our positions. With a gasp, she pulled her leg away and scooted over, a sweet blush darkening her cheeks.

“I’m sorry,” she murmured, averting her eyes. She bit her lip, the action making me jealous that I wasn’t the one doing so.

I cursed myself. Again . I knew exactly when I’d become bewitched by her, and yet I couldn’t stop if I wanted to. It would be so much easier if I wanted to.

“Don’t be sorry,” I replied, swallowing hard. “Did you sleep well?”

Shit. Small talk. My worst enemy.

Ari nodded, her brow furrowing.

“What’s wrong?” I lifted my hand without thought, my fingers inches away from grazing her face. I flinched at my own action and hastily withdrew. She didn’t need me all over her. Not after our talk.

“Um, nothing is wrong.” She smiled widely. Jumping from the bed as if it had caught fire, she stood and smoothed down her rumpled clothing. “I’m going to…I’m going to make us some breakfast.” She nodded eagerly, her actions too bright. False.

She wanted to pretend last night hadn’t happened, and I had to respect that.

Unable to pull myself out of bed, I watched her in my kitchen, gathering her supplies. I didn’t say a word when I spotted a few eggshells slip into the bowl she used for mixing, nor would I remark on the taste of them when she forced me to eat them.

After she yanked me up and shoved me into a seat, she presented the eggs with a side of sliced bread. I could tell she attempted to spread butter on it, but since the butter had been in my small icebox, it ended up tearing the bread to pieces. I ate it anyway.

All the while, I focused on the fight ahead. If I put all of my attention on the match, then I wouldn’t focus on her. A solid plan. I could make my fortune and start anew. Go somewhere different. Since Ari wasn’t about to change her mind, I had to get on board.

I gripped my water glass so hard I was surprised it didn’t shatter.

“Thank you,” I said after I finished. I slipped out of the chair while Ari raised a curious brow at my brusque tone. She leaned against the countertop in response, her arms crossed as she assessed me. That look still vexed me.

Grabbing fresh clothing, I made my way to the bathroom and locked the door. I bathed before dressing, even though I’d be sweaty soon from training, but the longer I sat in here, the better.

“You take longer to dress than I do!” Ari shouted through the door, her voice obnoxiously teasing. It grated on me how easily she could pretend. I used to be like that.

I could be like that again. I would .

“I’ll be out in a minute.” I pushed my arms through my black shirt and began with the buttons. “Calm yourself,” I said, though I smiled despite my sour mood.

My reflection in the mirror, however, depicted a stranger.

Once Ari had barged her way into the bathroom and dressed, we set off for Darren’s. She wore a similar outfit as yesterday, though her shirt was a charcoal shade that brought out her silver hair.

When we reached the bakery, Ari headed for the back entrance to Darren’s club, but I stopped her, my fingers curling around her wrist. She glanced up at me in question, but I guided her to stand in the line for the sickeningly sweet pastries.

I despised them, but when her face lit up as she peered into the display cases, warmth filled me.

“I want this one.” She pointed to a chocolate croissant when our turn arrived. “Oh, and this one too!” She jabbed her finger at a slice of red velvet cake. “And?—”

“You’re going to kill yourself with sweets,” I said with a small chuckle. It felt foreign on my lips. “We can order more tomorrow.”

She beamed at me, but I hastily turned away and snatched the handle of the brown bag the baker presented. Hesitantly, I slipped my free hand in hers and led her past Billy and into the ring.

For the next few days, I’d train. Already, fighters lined the ring, a few sparring off. A thrill shot down my spine. I needed to work off the frustration simmering in my veins. Maybe it would help if some blood painted my knuckles.

“You can watch here if you’d like.” I tilted my head to an empty row of seats before handing Ari the bag of sweets. “If you get bored, Liv comes around in the afternoon.”

“I want to see what you can do,” she said with a smirk. “All this talk about your abilities, and I’ve yet to see you in action.”

I scoffed. “Suit yourself, but I hope you don’t faint at the sight of blood.”

Ari rolled her eyes. “It’s like you haven’t even met me.” She took her seat and leaned back, waving a hand for me to continue down into the arena. “Now show me what you can do, brute.”

At least she still spoke to me without slapping me like I deserved. While I suspected she feigned most of her cheery attitude, she seemed genuinely excited to watch.

I’d give her a show if that’s what she wanted. The animal in me reared, kicking at the barrier I locked it behind. It had been weeks since I had a decent fight, and today, Connor stood in the ring.

Slipping down the steps, I headed for the changing rooms. When I emerged, I wore nothing but my usual boxing shorts, my bare chest exposed.

I’d wrapped my knuckles with tape, my sights set on Connor, the man who Darren thought could replace me.

Cocky as shit, the blond from the south possessed a mean streak. One I couldn’t wait to end.

“Elias!” Nash, one of the older fighters at the arena, sprinted over to me, his brown curls falling into his scarred face.

He’d been on the receiving end of one too many hits.

“I thought you weren’t coming back for another week!

” He patted my back like we were buddies.

Not that I didn’t like the man, but making friends could be dangerous.

Darren would love nothing more than to see us beat the shit out of each other.

“Just got back.” I tried to smile at Nash, but he frowned in reply. I imagined my feigned grin came across as more eerie than pleasant. I wasn’t as good at faking it as Ari.

“Great,” he said, moving backward. “Hope to see you fight in the festival!” He turned his back and resumed his match with Wyatt, his sparring partner.

They were far more than partners in the ring, and their flirty banter often made it to the arena’s floor.

On several occasions, Nash had invited me to go out for dinner with him and Wyatt, but I’d always had an excuse. I shouldn’t be such a prick next time.

I scanned the space, pretending to size up which opponent I would choose, but Connor already strode my way.

While bulky and slow, he threw a mean punch. His red shorts hung low, the black skull with an arrow through one eye embroidered on the material. Killer is what they called him now. One punch four months ago had ended with Davi being sent to an early grave.

Connor didn’t even ask to fight. He walked up to me and threw the first punch.