A Kiss at Midnight (Delilah and Caelum) novel Chapter 20

Chapter 20

Chapter 20

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“So, Kaia dragged out the word as she takes an empty spot beside me on the football bleachers, her iced coffee balancing between her knees. “How was it?”

“How was what?” I asked, barely glanced up from my phone.

She stared at me like I was genuinely stupid. “The tutoring session with the virgin nerd, obviously. What else would I be asking?”

The football team was running drills below us, while half the cheer squad pretended to stretch when they were really just standing around gossiping.

“Do you have to call him that?” I asked, fighting a smile.

She shrugged without an ounce of guilt. “I can’t think of a better nickname, so yes. Anyway, stop dodging.”

“The point being?”

She groans, throwing her head back. “Deli, I’ve been waiting all day for updates. I could literally feel the curiosity eating me alive.”

“Well,” I said smugly, “I wouldn’t want to keep Her Highness suffering.” That earned me an eye roll.

“So?” she pressed. “What happened?”

I shrugged lazily. “It was… fine.”

Kaia blinked slowly. “Fine?”

“What do you want me to say?”

* I need details, bitch.” I rolled my eyes while she nudged my shoulder impatiently.

“We didn’t even do much.”

Her brows shot up instantly. “Define much.”

The corner of my mouth twitched. “That reaction already tells me enough.”

“Delilah.”

I laughed softly. “Okay, okay. I sat on his lap for a bit, rolled my hips on him just enough to mess with his head. That’s it.”

Kaia slapped a hand over her mouth. “Oh my God.”

“It was hilarious,” I admitted. “Having him completely out of his comfort zone. Funniest thing I’ve seen all week, he was blushing so hard I thought he might actually combust.”

“Wait,” she said, grinning now. “Is he really that innocent?”

“You have no idea.”

“Like… innocent innocent?”

I finally looked at her properly. “Kaia, this boy looked seconds away from passing out because I sat on his lap.” She burst into loud laughter, drawing looks from a couple girls nearby.

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Chapter 20

“At least he didn’t run away this time,” she managed between laughs.

“Growth,” I said proudly, then smirked to myself.

And she immediately noticed. “What with the look.”

Svouchers

“I may or may not have given him a little assignment.” Her eyes widened, I leaned closer and whispered the details.

Kaia’s jaw dropped before she started wheezing with laughter all over again. “You are actually evil.”

I grinned unapologetically. “Please. There’s nothing evil about it. He gets pleasure, while I get stuck solving/maths problem.” Before she could answer, movement down on the field caught my attention.

Jace Moreno

Wide receiver, ego the size of Texas and unfortunately attractive

He jogs toward the bleachers after spotting me, football tucked beneath one arm while sweat darkened the collar of his practice shirt.

Kaia noticed, leaning back with interest. “Well, well.” I smirked a little bit.

Jace stopped directly in front of me before pulling his helmet off. “Quinn.”

“Moreno.” His eyes dragged slowly over my cheer uniform before he grinned. “You coming to the party Friday?”

“Depends.”

“On.”

“How good the alcohol is.”

He laughed softly. “I’m sure it’s going to be worth your while.” Kaia lets out a scoff from beside me, but I ignored her.

Jace rested his forearms against the lower bleacher railing casually. “You missed my game winning catch last week.”

“Didn’t know my presence was required..”

He shrugs “I just think your presence would have made it more fun.”

“Aww,” I smirked. “Too bad, too busy right now.”

“Doing what?”

| I tilted my head innocently. “More important things.”

His grin widened slightly. “Cold as ever.”

“You’ll survive.”

“Doubt it.” Kaia looked seconds away from losing consciousness from secondhand embarrassment.

Jace noticed my phone in my hand. “Whose attention span am I competing with now that you are done with Pierce.”

“Nobody important.”

That was technically true, Landon definitely didn’t deserve important status right now.

His smirk deepened. “You still never answered my question though.”

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Chapter 20

“What question?”

“Friday.”

I pretended to think about it for a second before shrugging lazily. “Maybe.”

“That usually means yes.”

Voucher

“That usually means maybe.” Jace laughed under his breath before stepping back as Coach yelled from across the field.

“Duty calls,” he sighed dramatically.”

“How tragic.”

His eyes stayed on me another second before he pointed casually. “Wear red Friday.” Then he jogged back toward the field before I could answer.

Kaia stared at me, then slowly turned. “What the hell was that?”

“A conversation?” I innocently bat my eyes at her before opening Instagram absentmindedly while she shakes her head. reaching for her iced coffee beside her, then immediately froze.

“You’ve got to be fucking kidding me.”

Kaia looked up instantly. “What?” I shoved my phone toward her face.

“Look at this,” she raises a brow, staring down at the screen.

It was Landon, half naked in a pool chair with wet hair pushed back, sunlight hitting the water around him like he belonged in some overpriced cologne ad.

Kaia looked confused. “Okay…he’s shirtless. What else is new.”

“Look closer.”

She sighed. “Delilah, all I see is your emotionally unavailable ex trying to thirst trap Instagram.”

“In the glass reflection,” I snapped. Her eyes narrowed before she leaned closer, a second later her mouth fell open.

“No fucking way.”

“Yes fucking way.” Reflected faintly in the sliding glass doors behind him was Sophie.

Fucking Sophie Delgado.

Wearing one of his shirts, a black oversized shirt that barely covered her thighs. My jaw tightened instantly.

“What the hell does he even see in her?” I muttered bitterly.

Kaia handed my phone back carefully. “Maybe it’s not what it looks like.” I gave her a look.

“She’s wearing his clothes, Kaia.”

“Okay yeah, fair.” I zoomed into the picture harder like somehow it would magically become less irritating.

It didn’t. If anything it made it worse with how comfortable Sophie looked, like she belonged there and had she slept there.

“Oh my God,” I groaned, dropping my head back dramatically. “I actually hate boys.”

Chapter 20

“That’s not new.”

“I’m serious.” I looked back at the photo again. “Her? Seriously?”

i

Sophie was painfully average, pretty in a soft boring way. I genuinely didn’t get it.

Kaia watched me for a second before speaking carefully. “Maybe stop focusing on Landon for a while.”

I scoffed. “Right.”

“No seriously.” She turned toward me fully now,” Ignore him.” I looked at her like she had lost her mind.

She continued anyway. “Think about it, you have been giving him attention this whole time.”

“Because he’s being stupid.”

“And he knows you’ll still chase after him anyway.” That irritated me because unfortunately she wasn’t wrong.

Landon knew exactly what he was doing, he knew I’d react, knew I would get jealous and still be there.

Annoying

Kaia shrugged. “Maybe if you stop caring so much, he’ll finally notice.”

“He notices me, that’s for sure.”

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“You know what I mean.” I stayed quiet. Belows us, the football team started yelling over some play while one of the cheerleaders nearly dropped during a stunt.

I barely noticed, because annoyingly enough, Kaia was making sense.

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