I look at the time. Erin should be back any minute. When she is, I’ll tell her I’m well enough to go home. I’m not there yet, but I’m ready to be somewhere that feels like mine again.
Late afternoon paints the sky a thousand shades of orange.
I fold the corner of my page and close the book, pressing it to my chest.
Color psychology. A different way of understanding why shades feel the way they do.
According to the chapter I’m on, orange is warmth. Vitality. Safety.
And I get it. Orange is the hibiscus in my garden. The last embers of the day on the horizon.
Then my brain does what it always does and makes it personal.
Amber.The color of Tom’s curls; a shade I’m craving in a way that feels stupidly specific. I can almost feel them threaded through my fingers as I kiss the spot between his brows.
I drop back into the hammock, one leg hanging over the edge, nudging myself into a slow sway. It keeps me moving without waking the rusted creek.
Tom steps outside with two cups of tea.
“You look dangerously hot like that. All relaxed and thinking.”
My lips twitch. I almost forgot his ability to shut me up with a single clever line.
“Figured an orange sky calls for tea.” He passes me the cup.
I meet his eyes and can’t help wondering if he sees it too. How aligned we are, without even trying.
I make room for him beside me. We settle next to each other, swaying softly, his legs resting comfortably over mine.
“Thanks, Sapphire.” I gently touch the bruises on his face, relieved to see they’re fading.
“How do you feel?” he asks.
“Better now I’m home, and you’re here beside me.” I take a sip, resting my face against his chest. His bare skin feels like warmth.Safety.
“Me too. I needed to know if you were okay. You made me worry so much, love.”
“Sorry. Didn’t mean to.”
He holds his breath for a second, he’s weighing his words.
“So… what happened at Arcadia after I made my spectacular exit?”
I sigh, giving a small shrug. “I don’t know. Got overwhelmed. The drugs were wearing off, the place was chaos. You. You and your cup-swap trick.”
I can feel him smirk.
“It was a lot. After the dogs searched my studio and I was all alone, I got overwhelmed and threw that heavy amethyst through the table.”
I’m not telling him what I really experienced at that moment.Overwhelmedwill do for now.
“So calm. So fucking peaceful, Yosh. I don’t want to be around when you get mad at that big rose quartz you have.”
I jab my elbow into his side. “Oh my god, McKenna. You’re the worst.”
His grip on my arm tightens, holding me close against him. He smiles down at me.
“You know, I missed that.”
