At her words, I realized she was, and it was me who was unsteady now as I felt every flicker of response my touch pulled from her, every reaction I tried not to focus on.
Time began to blur, and it was only when I felt myself completely spent that I knew I had been successful.
“That should,” I exhaled, the breath heavier than it should have been. “That should be enough for now.”
She didn’t respond, but her breathing had slowed, her body fully relaxed—another clear sign that my work here was done, as I was sure she was experiencing that intoxicated state my clients always felt after.
“You can get dressed,” I said, already turning away before she could see my condition, how weak and pale I must have looked.
I left the room, giving her privacy, and the moment I was alone, I felt myself crumple. My hands braced briefly against the wall, my breath uneven, while my heart beat harder than it should have for something that was, by all definitions, routine.
I closed my eyes for a moment, trying to separate what was mine from what I had taken from her, but the lines felt blurred. Because it hadn’t just been her painful emotions. I had felt her lust and attraction, a small part of me pleased to know it wasn’t one-sided, though I had no idea what to do with that now.
I exhaled slowly, dragging a hand through my hair as I straightened, my thoughts pulling in too many directions at once. Because this changed things, and I wasn’t sure if I could handle that.
Chapter 9: Kara
IFELT... LIGHT. Even lighter than I had after our first session, and with the buzzed, high feeling I was currently experiencing, I knew he had done it again.
Relief flooded through me after everything he had taken. Though there was one feeling he couldn’t take away, one I wouldn’t want him to, and that was how I felt about him. Feelings that had only grown over the last few weeks, and I knew, without a doubt, no amount of sessions could take that away. And what’s more, I didn’t want those feelings to disappear.
I smoothed my dress back into place, trying to push the thought aside before it could spiral into something bigger. I didn’t want to ruin whatever this was between us. He had become my friend—someone I actually looked forward to seeing every day—and if this was one-sided, I wasn’t ready to lose him yet. I would rather keep him as just a friend than not have him in my life at all, if that’s what it took.
After I felt sober again and was sure I wouldn’t blurt something that might embarrass me in this state, I stepped out into the hallway, ready to get back to what was probably a very cold dinner by now, and froze.
Octavius was leaning against the wall, one hand braced beside him, his head slightly bowed like it was taking more effort than it should have just to stay upright.
There was no way this was a normal response after a session,right?
Because right now he was so pale, even his tentacles were a muted orange color, and he looked like he might pass out right there in the hallway.
“Oh my gosh, are you okay?”
He lifted his head slightly, and even that small movement seemed to take effort. “Yes,” he said, though it came out strained. “That was just...” He paused again, like he was trying to catch his breath. “Just a lot to take in.”
Guilt hit me instantly as I realized this was my fault. I hadn’t even thought about it—what it actually meant for him to take all of that from me. Of course he felt it. I mean, it had to go somewhere right? Emotions like that didn’t just disappear into nothing, but I hadn’t realized it could affect him like this, that he would feel everything I felt in return.
“I’m so sorry,” I said quickly, stepping closer without thinking. “I didn’t know it would be this draining on you, and I didn’t realize I was holding that much. I thought maybe it would just be a little, since we already had a session before.”
“I thought so too,” he admitted through a raspy breath. But when he tried to straighten, the movement only made him sway, his balance slipping in a way that set off immediate alarm bells.
“Whoa,” I moved quickly, catching him before he could hit the floor. “Okay, no, we’re not doing that right now.”
His breath was uneven, and his weight was heavier than I expected as he leaned into me, his strength doing him no favors in this state, and I could feel how much effort it was taking for him just to stay upright.
