When I finally pull back, we're both breathing unsteadily.
Footsteps nearby. A student walking past sees us standing close, stumbles slightly. “Oh, sorry!" They hurry away, head down.
I don’t pull away. "I don't care if they saw." I rest my forehead against hers. “Are you… Do you…” I feel her heart racing through our clothes.
She smiles, and my heart performs a somersault. “I’m happy, Julian. I don’t care if they saw us either.”
“Pen was right. I needed to stop thinking about it and get out there and do it.”
“It was the best plan.”
I finally relax against her and breathe in her scent. Unmistakably different. "Your scent just shifted." She nods. "All three of us now."
“Complete.”
"Clarity." I smile to myself. "You smell like clarity, and… books."
"Books.” Her lips linger near mine, our breaths mingling. “I was going to say sharp. In a good way."
"I'll take that."
We stand there for another moment. Neither rushing to separate. "I want to kiss you again, Elowen. Once was never going to be enough."
I don’t wait around. This kiss is brief, my hand tightening around her waist.
"I'll need to revise my calculations." I smile with the joy gurgling low inside my belly.
"Maybe stop calculating?" She arches an eyebrow.
"I'll try. No promises."
We walk the rest of the way to Hawthorn Hall in comfortable silence, our fingers entwined, and pause outside her door.
"Your scent will be different tomorrow."
She nods. "Good different though."
"Calder and Tyler will notice immediately."
"Is that okay?" She tilts her head, studying my reaction.
"It's right." I trace her jawline with my fingertip. “You have a small scar here, just below your ear. I noticed it weeks ago."
"Climbing trees as a kid." She chews her bottom lip, and I know I’ll never stop wanting to kiss her. "You notice everything."
"About you?" I peer into her eyes. "Yes." I kiss her one more time. "Goodnight, Elowen."
"Goodnight, Julian."
I listen to her movements behind the closed door before walking back to my residence halls, and I think about nothing but the feel of her lips on mine.
17
ELOWEN
Herbal identification labpasses in a blur of cataloging and root structure analysis the following morning. Professor Robbins compliments my technique with scent-extraction, says I have anintuitive understanding of methodology.
Inherited from Asha, though she doesn't know that.
