Read Online The Mortal One (The Mortal One Series) by Shannon Bell - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Shannon Bell
Ads: Link
going to burst.
“We need some privacy,” I said quietly, looking around, becoming very aware that we were completely exposed to any curious visitors of the gardens.
“Not tonight, I’m afraid,” he frowned, looking up at the night sky.
“Why?” My eagerness surprised me. I was offering myself to him without hesitation.
“The sun will be coming up before I can get you somewhere private and….” He trailed off.
I nodded. It was beginning to make sense. “Soon, perhaps?”
He smiled at my voracity. “Yes, perhaps soon. Until then, let me at least take you back to your hotel.”
I nodded. “You know, I’m supposed to fly back to Florida tomorrow. My three weeks are up.” I had seen the plane ticket on my desk earlier today and had spent entirely too much time staring at it, trying to figure out what it all meant.
Nico looked at me with a sullen expression. “You know you can’t, right?”
“I know. I don’t know what I’m supposed to do, though. My best friend has my itinerary. She’s going to expect me back.” Not getting on that plane to go home wouldn’t be something easy for me. Had I known I wasn’t ever going to see her or any of my other friends again, I would have spent longer saying goodbye or something.
“You’ve made this choice. It won’t be easy right away, but after a while, she and everyone you know will have passed.”
Wow, how morbid. I knew he was right, but this might actually be harder than I expected. “What about some sort of contact?”
“How do you mean? Calling them?” He shook his head and avoided making eye contact with me. I saw him frown and knew it was hard for him to tell me. “Think about it – what could you possibly say?” He squeezed my shoulder to try offering me some sort of comfort. I looked away from him and stood up from the step. I went down a few stairs and ran my hand along the railing. In the distance, the city lights twinkled, just beyond the trees and the outline of Palazzo Pitti.
I knew he was right, but I didn’t want to leave my friends hanging, either. I had roots in Florida and not returning would be strange. Like Nico said, maybe it wouldn’t bother me after a few decades, once everyone I knew was gone.
I stood awkwardly, realizing my feet were sore from walking around the city. Maybe he didn’t get tired, but I was only human, after all.
Something else hit me. “What about my clothes? My things?”
He scratched the bridge of his nose. “What?”
“All of my belongings. I only have a limited amount of clothes here. All my belongings…my entire life…it’s all in Florida.” My mind swam with the contents of my apartment, my books, my collection of shoes, my everything. Leaving that for someone to dig through was unacceptable.
Nico sighed and took a few steps in front of me. His slim physique was a dark shadow in front of me as he peered in the direction of the Duomo, its rounded rooftop peaking up over the trees.
“Nico?” I asked again.
He turned to face me and stared at my boots instead of my face. I shifted and realized that he was avoiding answering my concern.
My head dropped and I sat down on the bench in front of me. “It’s gone, isn’t it? I have to rebuild everything here.”
Nico glanced up at me and took a step forward. “Yes. I feel like I keep apologizing to you since I’ve met you, but again, I’m sorry.”
I stood up again and grimaced, my boots digging into my ankles.
“What’s the matter?” He asked, seeing the hint of pain shoot across my face.
“I could say everything . But to start with, these boots are killing me.”
Nico scooped me off my feet. “Allow me.” Before I could ask what he was doing, he bounded up the stairs and jumped onto the roof. I fought the urge to scream because I knew it wouldn’t be a good idea. He sensed my nervousness and brushed my lips with his own. We were suddenly flying across the rooftops of Florence.
He set me down around the corner from the
“We need some privacy,” I said quietly, looking around, becoming very aware that we were completely exposed to any curious visitors of the gardens.
“Not tonight, I’m afraid,” he frowned, looking up at the night sky.
“Why?” My eagerness surprised me. I was offering myself to him without hesitation.
“The sun will be coming up before I can get you somewhere private and….” He trailed off.
I nodded. It was beginning to make sense. “Soon, perhaps?”
He smiled at my voracity. “Yes, perhaps soon. Until then, let me at least take you back to your hotel.”
I nodded. “You know, I’m supposed to fly back to Florida tomorrow. My three weeks are up.” I had seen the plane ticket on my desk earlier today and had spent entirely too much time staring at it, trying to figure out what it all meant.
Nico looked at me with a sullen expression. “You know you can’t, right?”
“I know. I don’t know what I’m supposed to do, though. My best friend has my itinerary. She’s going to expect me back.” Not getting on that plane to go home wouldn’t be something easy for me. Had I known I wasn’t ever going to see her or any of my other friends again, I would have spent longer saying goodbye or something.
“You’ve made this choice. It won’t be easy right away, but after a while, she and everyone you know will have passed.”
Wow, how morbid. I knew he was right, but this might actually be harder than I expected. “What about some sort of contact?”
“How do you mean? Calling them?” He shook his head and avoided making eye contact with me. I saw him frown and knew it was hard for him to tell me. “Think about it – what could you possibly say?” He squeezed my shoulder to try offering me some sort of comfort. I looked away from him and stood up from the step. I went down a few stairs and ran my hand along the railing. In the distance, the city lights twinkled, just beyond the trees and the outline of Palazzo Pitti.
I knew he was right, but I didn’t want to leave my friends hanging, either. I had roots in Florida and not returning would be strange. Like Nico said, maybe it wouldn’t bother me after a few decades, once everyone I knew was gone.
I stood awkwardly, realizing my feet were sore from walking around the city. Maybe he didn’t get tired, but I was only human, after all.
Something else hit me. “What about my clothes? My things?”
He scratched the bridge of his nose. “What?”
“All of my belongings. I only have a limited amount of clothes here. All my belongings…my entire life…it’s all in Florida.” My mind swam with the contents of my apartment, my books, my collection of shoes, my everything. Leaving that for someone to dig through was unacceptable.
Nico sighed and took a few steps in front of me. His slim physique was a dark shadow in front of me as he peered in the direction of the Duomo, its rounded rooftop peaking up over the trees.
“Nico?” I asked again.
He turned to face me and stared at my boots instead of my face. I shifted and realized that he was avoiding answering my concern.
My head dropped and I sat down on the bench in front of me. “It’s gone, isn’t it? I have to rebuild everything here.”
Nico glanced up at me and took a step forward. “Yes. I feel like I keep apologizing to you since I’ve met you, but again, I’m sorry.”
I stood up again and grimaced, my boots digging into my ankles.
“What’s the matter?” He asked, seeing the hint of pain shoot across my face.
“I could say everything . But to start with, these boots are killing me.”
Nico scooped me off my feet. “Allow me.” Before I could ask what he was doing, he bounded up the stairs and jumped onto the roof. I fought the urge to scream because I knew it wouldn’t be a good idea. He sensed my nervousness and brushed my lips with his own. We were suddenly flying across the rooftops of Florence.
He set me down around the corner from the
Similar Books
