CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT

Zora was famished. Not in the literal sense, of course, but she certainly felt as if she hadn't eaten in several days. The nervousness she felt at home and during the car ride quelled her raging appetite, but only momentarily. As soon as she walked into the lively restaurant, it reappeared with full, commanding force. She was surrounded by the tantalizing smells of melted cheese and sautéed onions and homemade ketchup and cherry pie, the sound of a fryer being placed into a vat of sizzling oil making her mouth water.

Being a shape-shifting wolf had many perks, but the unsated hunger, combined with a keen sense of smell, was not one of them.

The appetizer she was sharing with Allen—fried pickles—barely made a dent in the emptiness of her stomach, and though she would have preferred to inhale the food by herself, she painstakingly reached for one piece at a time.

"Do you know what you're gonna order?" he asked, eyes scanning the dinner section of his menu.

"Yes."

The faintness of her voice grabbed his attention, and he looked up at her wearing his infamous smirk. "Y'know, you've been pretty quiet tonight…which is strange 'cause I was expecting to be cussed out by now. Is something wrong?" He leaned forward, resting his chin on his palm. "Am I making you nervous?"

She rolled her eyes. "In your dreams, Walker."

"Ah, there she is," he grinned. "What's up with you, anyway?"

She chewed on another fried pickle, contemplating answering his question. It wasn't like she had to be authentic; she could tell him something generic and leave it at that. Their date was a one-and-done sort of deal, a bullet point she could cross off of her list of experiences she wanted to have. But he was looking at her as if he was actually interested in hearing what she had to say, and so she decided she would be genuine after all.

"I am nervous. Not because of you," she added, chuckling at his feigned look of devastation. "I haven't…done something like this before."

"You mean a date?" he questioned, and when she nodded, he leaned back wearing an expression of surprise. "Well, damn. I guess I'm honored to be your first."

"Remember the deal we made?" she reminded him. "No saying any creepy shit."

"Right, my bad," he grinned playfully, holding up his hands in surrender. "I have to say, though, I'm kind of shocked. I thought a girl like you would've been on loads of dates."

"What do you mean 'a girl like me'?"

"You know, a hot girl."

This made Zora falter, her face feeling overheated. His statement caught her off guard and he was fully aware of it, smugly enjoying the blush creeping across her cheeks.

Say something, but don't be weird about it. "Um…thanks." Wow. Real smooth, Zora, she chastised herself, lifting her menu to hide her embarrassment. Real smooth.

A waiter soon appeared to take their orders, and after several more minutes of casual conversation, their steaming food was placed in front of them. Zora gulped as she peered down at her meal—a veggie burger with everything on it, a side of fries, a separate plate of fries, and a large chocolate milkshake with whipped cream and a cherry topping. She would've ordered more if she could, but then she remembered she had to retain at least some semblance of normalcy in front of him.

"I don't think I've ever seen anyone stare at food so lovingly," Allen teased, taking a bite of his burger.

You should see the rest of the pack then, she thought, opting for, "I just love eating," instead.

They ate mostly in silence after that, pausing briefly to answer a question from one another or to laugh at each other's jokes. Zora was in the middle of polishing off her second plate of fries—which she had to remind herself to eat slowly, unlike the burger and side of fries she scarfed down with ravenous speed—when Allen asked, "So what's the deal with you and Black?"

She had just taken a sip of her milkshake, and after hearing his question, nearly choked. "Me and Jacob?" she coughed, sputtering. "Why…why do you ask?"

"Just curious. Dude nearly ripped my arm off when I spoke to you at the beach. I figured there has to be something there."

Zora remembered the instance he was referring to, the scene fresh and clear as it played in her mind. She'd been trying to appear as undeterred as possible in front of Jacob—even though the protectiveness of his display did enthrall her.

She met Allen's inquisitive stare, trying (and failing) to maintain a straight face. "It's complicated."

"Complicated, huh?" he leaned forward again, his interest piqued. "That means there is something between the two of you."

"Why does it matter to you?"

"It doesn't, really. I'm just trying to figure out why you agreed to come on a date with me, if you're trying to make him jealous or something."

Zora's eyes widened. "No!" she said quickly. "No, it's not like that at all."

He shrugged again, aware that he'd successfully struck a nerve. "If you say so."

He continued eating the last of his burger, and while she shoved a few fries into her mouth and chugged the rest of her milkshake, she fixated on the tone of his voice. It sounded like he didn't believe her, and it bothered her because she was being truthful. She wasn't trying to make Jacob jealous, but maybe it came off that way. Or maybe…she thought uneasily, maybe her subconscious did want him to feel that way after all, and she hadn't even been aware of it until now. Either way, she found herself wanting to explain, cursing whatever sort of reverse psychology Allen used on her, and divulged some of the story anyway. She was careful to omit any details involving werewolves, vampires, and imprinting; and when she was finished, she exhaled a long, relieved breath.

"Wow…" he trailed off, lost in thought for a moment. "And I thought I was a dick."

"He's not a dick - well, he was, but he's not anymore."

"Fair enough," he chuckled. "So, where does that leave the two of you then?"

"I don't know," she answered, but it was another lie. She couldn't tell him the truth—that a supernatural bond tied her to him and him to her. She knew of Jacob's feelings towards her, and she was fully aware of how she felt about him. It was up to her whether they finally received what they both wanted, and the one thing she couldn't lie about (to herself, of course) was that the thought was scary as hell.

"Well...if at any point tonight you want to make him jealous, let me know. I'd be more than happy to assist." He winked, and she wondered in amazement how he managed to imbed an innuendo in just about every sentence he uttered.

She snorted. "You wish."

He placed a hand over his heart, dramatically clutching at the fabric of his shirt. "You wound me, Medina."


After dinner—which, to Zora's delight, had been free after all—they leisurely sauntered through Port Angeles; first, stopping at a candy store to satisfy Zora's ever-present sweet tooth; and then, visiting an arcade where she'd bet and lost some of her candy after several disastrous rounds of Pac Man, but had managed to redeem herself when Allen failed miserably (many, many times) trying to beat her at Mortal Kombat.

As her curfew approached—and since the drive back to La Push was over an hour long—they decided to head back early so that she would be home before 11. This time, the ride was considerably less awkward, and Zora felt much more comfortable bantering with him and horribly singing along to songs on the radio.

They arrived back in town with some time to spare, and rather than being dropped off right away, she opted to hang out with him a little while longer. She was having fun, and when he had asked her if she wanted to head to the cliffs, she eagerly accepted. She had never cliff-dived at night, and with the moon being full and brilliant, she was sure its reflection in the water would be a magnificent sight.

When they pulled into the empty parking lot, she bounded from the truck, paying no mind as he retrieved something from the glove compartment. She was too busy making note of the fact that the trail they were going to take would lead them to the lower cliffs, an observation that led to a smug smile and the assumption that he was probably afraid of heights.

"Ready to go?" he said, grinning and shining his flashlight at her.

She gave an eager nod and let him lead her into the woods; however, she soon found herself leading him, the agility he thought he had no match for her light-footed gait.

"How are you not winded?" he called from several feet behind her, breathing heavily.

"I hike often!" she shouted back, chuckling to herself as they continued up the narrow incline.

The higher they ascended, the more insistent the wind became. Though they hadn't broken through the trees yet, she could smell the salt in the air and could hear the waves tumbling against the rocks below. She reached the bluffs first, her legs dangling over the edge as she waited for Allen to join her.

"I, uh…I shouldn't have eaten that burger…right before a hike." He dropped his flashlight and collapsed into a cross-legged position beside her, chest heaving and heart hammering wildly. "That's why it…it took me so long...to catch up."

"Right," she said, not hiding her amused grin. After he managed to catch his breath, she asked him, "You ready to cliff dive?"

"Cliff dive?" he repeated, sounding surprised. "At night? No, that wasn't the plan."

She frowned. "Then why are we here?"

He gave her a sly grin then, reaching for something in his pocket, and she felt so dumb and naïve in that moment. She should've known that the only reason he had taken her to a secluded spot was so that he could try and get what he wanted from her all night, what he probably wanted from her since they first met. That was why he asked her out in the first place, she surmised, and though his attempt wouldn't get very far because she would kick him into the ocean if need be, she was still pissed. She was actually enjoying herself, and now he was going to ruin whatever positive memories she could've had for her first date by whipping out a condom and trying to coax her into sleeping with him.

Except he hadn't retrieved a condom.

It was something much smaller, what looked to be a piece of white wrapping tissue twisted into a tight, horizontal shape. For a few seconds, she gazed at it quizzically, and then her eyes widened.

"Is that a joint?"

He nodded proudly. "Rolled it myself."

"Oh, my god," she murmured, slapping a hand to her forehead. "You know you can't have that here, right? It's illegal."

"I won't tell if you won't," he said playfully, reaching into his other pocket to grab a lighter.

She couldn't believe this! She was an apex predator, top of the food chain, was supposed to have one of the most powerful senses of smell – and yet, she hadn't caught the scent at all. He probably hadn't carried it into the restaurant, she assumed, which means it must've been in his truck the whole time. It was this thought that gave rise to a stark realization – she thought she'd been smelling the lingering scent of a skunk's spray on the road…to and from Port Angeles.

It was official: she was definitely dumb and naïve.

"You can't smoke that," she told him, her voice rushed. She quickly looked behind herself and listened for any movement within the trees.

"And why is that?" He lit the end and took a long hit, holding the smoke in his lungs for several seconds before exhaling it in billowing plumes.

"Because…" Because it's bad and any member of my pack could be watching us in the darkness right now and they could tell Sam or my mom and if either of them find out, I'll be in a gigantic amount of trouble and my life will basically be over.

Allen watched with exaggerated amusement as she tried to think of a response. "Listen, Zora, no offense…but you seem anxious as fuck. This little buddy right here"—he held the joint up to her face, grinning lazily—"will help you relax."

She shook her head. "Thanks, but no thanks."

"Alright, ask yourself this question then: what's the worst that can happen?"

Lots of things – they could get caught, their parents could find out, they could get caught, they could get arrested, they could get attacked by a sleuth of wild bears and she'd be too stoned to fight them off, and lastly, they could get caught. She could think of endless, albeit unlikely, scenarios that proved why she shouldn't do it. But the longer the list she conjured, the more she realized Allen's observation was (irritatingly) correct. She was an anxious person by nature, a constant worrier who overanalyzed every single detail, who always needed to be in control of every aspect of her life. It was actually exhausting sometimes, and who was she kidding? The prospect of calming down was inviting. She couldn't deny that there was also something thrilling about doing something off-limits, something risky and exciting and scary all at once. She had to be responsible all of the time, and just this once, she didn't want to be. And if taking a hit meant she could temporarily let go of her cares and have a little bit of uninhibited fun…well then, she was sold.

"Okay, fine. I'll do it. But not because of you or peer pressure or whatever. It's my choice."

Allen burst into a fit of giggles, already blitzed from the few puffs he'd taken. "Yeah! Girl power."

He handed her the joint, and after sluggishly instructing her on how to inhale, lit the end for her. She did as she was told, holding the smoke in her lungs for a full five seconds, before exhaling and coughing so violently that her throat ached.

"Good job," he grinned. "You'll start to feel it soon."

She wheezed a laugh at his encouragement, and then stared into the water and waited patiently for the high to take effect. And she waited, and waited, and waited, and still, there was nothing. She was starting to wonder if she was immune, if she was so tightly-wound that even cannabis couldn't subdue her. It was kind of infuriating considering Allen was so far gone beside her (he'd smoke the rest of it) that he was having a conversation with himself.

She sighed and fell on her back, but as she lay down, it felt as if she were moving in slow motion. She hit the grass softly, and then she felt it, a peculiar ripple that began in her forehead and inched its way across her entire body. She gasped, the noise echoing, and suddenly everything felt magnified—the wind rustling the trees, the sound of the waves swelling, the grass tickling her arms and legs. She stared at the sky and the stars were bright, pulsating little dots of light, and she wished she could be up there, floating through space and galaxies and stardust and planets and the universe which was so big and dark and cold and mysterious and stretched on forever and ever and ever and ever—

"Holy shit," she whispered. "I can feel it."

Allen lay next to her, his eyes closed. "It's wild, right?"

She nodded. "I feel…heavy, but it's a peaceful heaviness, like I could sink into the earth and everything would be okay."

"Damn, that's like…poetic."

She snorted a laugh, and the noise sounded so foreign, so unlike anything she'd ever heard before that she kept laughing. Allen quickly joined her, a chorus of loud chortles and desperate gasps of breath breaking the stillness of the night as they clutched at their cramping stomachs. When they finally managed to quiet down, Zora remained still, listening to the sound of her breathing and feeling the beating of her heart.

"You alright over there?"

"Yeah," she murmured, bewildered at how far away he sounded despite lying next to her. "Just thinking."

"About what?"

"About all of the things…all of the…everything."

"Sounds complex," he chuckled. "Wanna know what I'm thinking about?"

She hummed a noise of agreement, a quaint smile on her face as she weaved her fingers through the soft, cool grass.

"I'm thinking about how close we are to the edge of this cliff."

Her smile grew as she heard the nervous acceleration of his heartbeat, realizing her earlier assumption had been correct after all. "Are you scared?"

"A little. Me and heights…we don't mix. You and I could easily fall into the ocean."

"That wouldn't happen. I'd catch you." And she genuinely meant it. Her reflexes were so quick—well, maybe not in that moment—that she'd easily pull him from harm's way if necessary.

But the atmosphere had swiftly changed. In his heightened state, her words took on a different meaning, a deeper meaning. I'd catch you danced through his mind, his heart thrumming as he moved from a laying position to resting on his elbow. Zora stiffened when she felt his fingers tentatively caress her palm, and when she opened her eyes, he was staring down at her, his hair falling past his face and tickling the sides of her own. He was gazing at her lips, and suddenly, all of this felt wrong—the expression he was wearing, the softness in his eyes, his closeness, his warm breath, his whispering of her name...

She wanted all of those things from one person only, and it wasn't the boy who was about to kiss her.

"What time is it?" she blurted, her words piercing the silence and breaking the moment.

He was still staring at her mouth, a thinly-veiled look of disappointment on his face as he quickly glanced at his watch. "10:46."

"I have to go home. My…my curfew."

"Right," he mumbled, finally leaning away from her. "Let's get you home then."

He helped her to a standing position, the sudden upright motion producing another rippling sensation in her head. It slowly washed over her, and she wobbled on the spot. She was much higher than before.

"Is it normal to…to feel like…this?" she asked him, using her hand to mimic the motion of an ocean wave.

He chuckled. "Yeah, that's normal. You'll sleep it off, though. You'll probably get the best sleep of your life."

Sleep. How wonderful that sounded. It was the only thing on her mind as Allen led her back to his truck, feeling like she was wading through water as she ambled down the trail and plopped into the passenger seat. Her eyes remained half open as she gazed out of the window, the forest whipping past them fast and slow at the same time. After what felt like an eternity—and she seriously thought it had been—he pulled into her driveway.

"We're here," he said, his voice pulling her from her stupor.

"Wonderful," she murmured dreamily, casting him a sleepy smile. "This has…all of this has been very…wonderful.

"Yeah, it has." He smiled, suddenly feeling awkward. "You should, um, call me sometime…if you, y'know, want to."

She gave a sluggish nod, smiling again before climbing out of his truck and trudging towards her house. She didn't look back as he retreated, too preoccupied with trying to push the key into the lock as noiselessly as possible. As inebriated as she was, she knew it would be in her best interest to avoid an interaction with her mom—she'd figure out Zora was not in her right mind in seconds.

After several tries, she tiptoed inside, greeted by the sound of the TV humming softly in the background, and nudged the door closed.

"Zora?" Autumn muttered from the living room, her voice drowsy.

"Yes, mom?" Zora answered back, her heart lodged in her throat as she awaited a series of questions or the sound of footsteps to approach her. Seconds passed, and much to her luck, neither of them came.

"Glad you're home, sweetheart. Tell me all about your night tomorrow."

She listened as her mom dozed off again, trudging towards her bedroom once she heard light snores. She saw the pile of clothes and shoes still resting on her bed and groaned, pushing them aside and collapsing onto her mattress. I'll clean later, she thought, sinking further and further into a deep slumber.

She must have been asleep not more than five minutes when she was awoken by a peculiar sensation in her chest, an insistent tugging that grew stronger and more fervent. She promptly sat upright, heavy eyes wide and perplexed. Weird, she mused, noting the way it pulled against her, as if it wanted to lead her somewhere. Though she questioned if the feeling was real, she followed it anyway, her tiredness forgotten as she opened the window beside her bed and stumbled her way out. Remaining low to the ground, she listened for any stirring from her mother, any noise that would alert Zora that she was awake and needed to climb back inside immediately. When she heard no such thing, she set out on her way, allowing her heart to guide her.


Jacob couldn't sleep.

He was sprawled across his bed, and despite the exhaustion he felt, his mind wouldn't allow him to slip into an unconscious state. Whenever he felt this way, he would usually shed his clothes (and skin) and go for a run. It was much more liberating to do so as a wolf, his speed and strength propelling him deep into the darkness of the trees. It was the forest that made him feel most at ease, the dank musk of moss and pine providing a sense of calm that holing up in his bedroom couldn't bring him. But phasing meant that he would have to share his mind with whoever was running a night patrol, and as much as he enjoyed the company of his pack mates, he wanted to be alone.

He wasn't usually one to wallow; in his friend group, he was known as the optimistic one, the person who was always bright and energetic and could see the light in any situation. They were qualities he liked about himself, qualities that made him an enjoyable presence to others. As he stared up at his ceiling, though, his eyes tracing a small, winding crack, he couldn't muster an ounce of positivity.

Because Zora was on a date tonight, and it should've been with him.

His sadness felt irrational – after all, it was his fault that she would rather hang out with a guy she barely knew, his fault that she felt more comfortable around a stranger than her own imprint. Quil and Embry would tell him he was being dramatic for saying that he pushed her into the arms of someone else, but in this instance, wasn't it true? And if he hadn't been so adamant and stubborn, so blinded by something that wasn't even there, everything would be different.

They would be different.

But they weren't, and he had to deal with the repercussions of his actions, something he'd been doing since she returned home from her pursuit of the bloodsucker. The memory still made him sick to his stomach; he hadn't even deserved the revenge she sought for him, hadn't deserved any of her compassion or empathy or love when he had been so selfish and shitty.

He knew it was the imprint that kept her linked to him, and he realized too late that it wasn't forcing them to be together. All she had done was find her person in him, and though a deep connection would always remain between the pair, he now understood both he and Zora had all of the choice in the world to feel whatever they wanted to. She chose to love him, and the moment she'd seen him, the moment their eyes met and everything clicked, he'd made a choice, too. He wanted her from the beginning—he was just stupid enough to try and fight it.

He sighed, closing his eyes so he was surrounded by total darkness. He'd made plenty of mistakes, and as much as he wished he could take them back, he couldn't change the past. He couldn't dwell anymore either, which was why when Zora confessed to the date and explained why she accepted, he hadn't been angry with her.

He was only angry with himself.

And truthfully, he wasn't even mad at Allen. He'd noticed her and acted on his intrigue and who was Jacob to be upset about it? He and Zora were friends—not a couple or involved in any other romantic entanglement—and she was free to do as she pleased. That didn't mean he didn't want to punch the guy in the face, though. He would gladly do so if the opportunity ever arose.

Mostly, he was hurt, and he couldn't place the blame on anyone but himself. It was why he'd been trying to steer clear of Zora (and everyone else for that matter). He needed some time to himself, something that was difficult to accomplish when having to share a brain with a bunch of other people. But he did miss her, and he hoped that wherever she was, whatever she was doing, she missed him at least a little bit, too.

He turned on his side, hoping to find a more comfortable position to lull him to sleep. He wasn't sure how long he lay there, but the minutes seemed to drag on and on, and he was still fully awake. He sighed again, deciding that if he couldn't sleep, then he'd at least do something productive…like scour the pantry and refrigerator for a snack. As he sat up, he heard a faint tapping against the window above his bed. It wasn't uncommon for his friends to show up in the middle of the night and try to convince him to partake in whatever shenanigans they conjured up—last night it had been a race to see who could reach the Makah rez the fastest—so when he pushed it open, poked his head out, and looked to his left, he was surprised to find Zora standing there.

"Hi," she whispered.

He blinked hard to make sure she wasn't a figment of his imagination, and when she hadn't disappeared, he whispered back, "Hey."

She was staring at him with the same intensity he'd seen when they first meant, a wide-eyed, mouth-agape expression of astonishment and curiosity and tenderness and warmth. It made his stomach flutter.

"What-what what are you doing here?" he stammered.

"It led me to you."

He wore a look of confusion, trying to decipher the meaning behind her statement. "I don't…I don't understand. Shouldn't you be with Allen right now?"

She shook her head, smiling and pointing a finger at her heart. "It led me to you. There was a feeling right here…a tug and I followed it and…it brought me here. To you."

His heart was racing suddenly and he wasn't sure why. Maybe it was her words—it led me to you—and the softness with which she spoke them; maybe it was the way she was staring at him, a dazed look of wonder and adoration and something deeper, something intimate; or maybe it was that she had drifted closer to him, her gaze fixated on his lips, and all she had to do was lean forward the smallest bit to close the distance between them.

He wanted her to.

And when she looked up at him and met his yearning stare with her own, he finally noticed something was off about her—the slowness of her speech, the laziness of her smile, the red haze in her eyes, the pungent aroma in her scent...

"Wait a minute," he said, his brow furrowed. He couldn't believe what he was about to say. "Are you…are you high right now?"

She giggled. "As a kite."

His mouth hung open, her response shocking him into silence. Zora, the girl who was usually reserved and sometimes overly cautious, was actually high. And based on her uncontrollable laughter, was in a state of blissed-out euphoria – something that didn't seem likely to end anytime soon. He was almost amused, but once he realized she had been in the company of a guy whose motives were entirely questionable, his frown deepened. And unlike her, he could not find any humor in the situation.

"Seriously, Zora?" he sighed. "You know that's completely irresponsible and dangerous and anything could've happened and"—he paused for a second, a thought that had him clenching his fists and gritting his teeth dashing through his mind—"that asshole, did he force you to smoke? Did he force you to-to do something you didn't want to do?"

The anger in his voice made her eyes widen. "No," she assured him, "no, no, no. He didn't…nothing like that happened. It was…it was my choice."

"You wanted to smoke?"

"Yes," she murmured. "I just wanted to have fun."

Her downcast appearance and the adorable pout she wore quickly made him rethink the judgment in his tone, most of his frustration simmering. While he didn't understand why she would make such a choice—and found it somewhat difficult to believe that Allen hadn't pressured her because the dude seemed like the pushy type—he wouldn't hold it against her. The last thing he wanted to do was drive her away again.

"I'm sorry," he said sheepishly. "I shouldn't have jumped to conclusions. I was just...I was worried about you."

And just like that, her whimsical smile was back, the tense moment forgotten. "It's okay," she responded, heavy eyes bright and demeanor cheerful. "So...wanna go to the beach?"

"The beach?" he questioned. At this hour? No, it was probably best to walk her home; and considering her mom was known to wake up in the middle of the night to check if she was still in her bed (and would not be happy to find that she was gone), he should get her home now. But he made the mistake of looking into her pleading brown eyes, her hopeful expression and whispered stream of "Please, Jacob? Pretty, pretty, pretty please…" undoing every bit of resolve he had.

He would follow her wherever she wanted him to.

"Fine," he told her, chuckling when she squealed with delight. "But just for a little bit. We have to get you home soon, okay?"

She nodded eagerly. "Okay."


In all the time he had known her, Jacob had never seen Zora act so carefree.

As soon as they arrived at Second Beach—which had taken longer than usual thanks to her inebriated clumsiness—she ripped off her sandals and ran towards the shore. She was waist deep in the ocean by the time he caught up with her, laughing and twirling and splashing in the water, and it was a beautiful sight.

She was a beautiful sight.

He knew she wouldn't behave this way if she was sober—hell, he wouldn't even be there if she wasn't stoned right now—and he knew that whenever she finally came down, she would probably regret everything she had said and done, including showing up to his house and dragging him to the beach at night. So he vowed to enjoy what little time he had with her and joined her, the two of them laughing and twirling and splashing in the water together. And when they decided they had had enough of diving beneath the dark waves to look for seashells and colorful rocks, and chasing each other up and down the empty shoreline, they collapsed onto the sand with wide smiles and drenched clothes.

It was easily one of the best nights he'd ever had.

"Zora," he whispered after several minutes of silence, his gazed fixated on the glimmering stars above.

"Jacob," she whispered back.

"What did you mean earlier…when you said 'it led me to you'?"

She paused in what he assumed was contemplation, remaining quiet for so long he thought she had forgotten the question. But then she rolled onto her side to look at him, and he drew in a surprised breath at the feeling of her body pressing against him. He was painfully aware of how fast his heart was beating, a jolt of electricity coursing through him when she placed a warm hand on his chest and held his hand over hers.

"The pull…don't you feel it?"

He nodded, afraid that any word he uttered would sever whatever was happening between them. He knew of the feeling she was referring to, and he realized it was nowhere to be found now that they were close to each other - it had disappeared the second she tapped on his window.

"I could feel that…that you needed me," she continued slowly, softly. "That you missed me. And, well…I missed you, too."

He was amazed to find that he wasn't dreaming.

For once, Zora was admitting something, thoughts and feelings she'd managed to hide in that steely mind of hers. She was finally letting her guard down and allowing him in, an action he knew her sober self was resolute in not doing (and would most likely be mortified once she remembered what she revealed). Still, he relished in the moment, and even though he couldn't find the right words to express himself, his tender smile was enough of a response for her. Just because he couldn't think of something to say, however, didn't mean he couldn't think of something he wanted to do. The desire to kiss her was there, had shown up the moment he caught sight of her frilly-blouse, mini-skirt clad figure—it still entranced him, by the way—standing beside his house, and it grew stronger with each passing second. He wouldn't do it, though; he needed her consent for that, and it was something she couldn't give in her altered state.

Instead, he settled for her lying next to him, an atmosphere of contentment surrounding them as Zora identified different constellations and recited the symbolization behind them. She was in the middle of explaining the mythology of Cassiopeia, a finger raised to the sky to point out its shape, when he felt her other hand slip into his. Hearts racing, she gave a gentle squeeze and twined their fingers, continuing on with her story.

He changed his mind – it was definitely one of the best nights he'd ever had.


(Revised 3/31/2021)