Project Alaric: Book One ✔️

Chapter Sixteen

Emery Gray

I was pretty sure my heart was still bouncing around my chest cavity with joy. This was one of the very few times I've had the chance to be alone with Alaric. Now, if we discount all the people walking around Independence Mall, then we were spending time with each other. I had no idea what he wanted to do here, but I didn't care. I was glad to separate myself from the all-too-social situation of Alaric's family home.

It wasn't to say that I didn't absolutely fucking love his family. Alaric was right, Brielle talked my ear off, and I listened to every single word. Harper told me about a boy in school she was crushing on, and then they asked me about my family. We stayed up until the early hours of the morning the night before yesterday. There was so much to talk about with people I didn't even know. But the more we talked, the more I learned. They even graced me with stories about Alaric growing up.

At one point, they hinted whether I knew about what happened to him. I admitted that I did, but I didn't want to talk to them about it. Whatever details they had were still for Alaric to speak about. And apparently, I gained even more of their respect for being a respectable human being.

After we moved on from that topic, they tried to ask me for dating advice, and I told them I was the wrong person to ask. The only boy who was the biggest threat to becoming my first real relationship was their brother, so I didn't mention it. But I told them what to look out for when they pursued a man. And the old talk about never giving what they didn't want to give, and never giving in if they feel pressured to say yes.

Then Brielle said she wanted to take a gap year once she graduated high school–to which I asked what her parents said about it. Once she told me they supported her, I told her that it was a great choice. I never took a gap year between high school and community college, but I was now. I haven't applied to university yet to finish my Bachelor's degree–I didn't know what I wanted to do. So, I've been taking time to spend with myself outside of school. I was twenty-two years old. I had a little time. My parents supported me. Even if I felt like I was sponging off them.

Probably because I was.

For now, I was going to pay attention to the warm fucking hand that just grabbed mine. I shot my gaze down, and watched Alaric intertwine our fingers. Then he had the audacity to keep walking like he didn't just stop my heart for a second. But if he wasn't going to draw attention to his little show, then I wouldn't either.

Alaric guided us through the crowd of the mall, not seeming to have a destination. I feel this little outing had more to do with hanging out with me outside of everyone else than it did anything else. I wondered if he was trying to find something to do to appease both of us. Though, I didn't give a shit what we did. I was happy to be with him. Even if we were in a weird place between not being in a relationship and being in one.

I still haven't figured out what the right time was. Would I magically know? Would the elements give me a sign? Hey, shift the wind in my direction if I should kiss him now. I wanted to kiss him again, but if I kissed him–it sealed our commitment. And it wasn't as if I wasn't ready for a relationship. It wasn't like that. It felt like the voices of society were barreling down on me–telling me I wasn't allowed to have this relationship unless I worked harder to get it.

Hell, there wasn't much I didn't know about Alaric at this point. Apart from how he operated when he was home–what kind of habit did he have? Well, I knew he tapped the tips of his fingers together when he was in deep thought. He tended to chew his fingernails when he was dealing with anxiety. Sometimes he would blankly stare at one spot when he was lost in his head.