A New Dawn

Chapter 18 - Idris

The rest of dinner isn't as intense as I thought it would be. No one brings up the argument or Briar's performing past again. Just polite conversation from the moment Briar and I sit at the table. But once dinner is done and Gareth finishes his fair share of cleaning up, he mutters some excuse about being tired. He quickly kisses Thera's and Briar's cheeks and tells me and Marlowe good night. He hesitates before nodding at his dad without really looking at him. Briar narrows her eyes as she watches him stalk upstairs, but she doesn't ask questions. Not even when she catches Everett watching Gareth with an unreadable expression. She just settles back on the couch with her laptop and starts reading again.

I settle on the couch with her and get lost in another chapter. Our process is slow, so we're not even halfway through when Marlowe leaves and the rest of Briar's family head up to bed. It probably takes another half an hour after that for us to finish the chapter.

"Do you want a ride home?" Briar yawns, stretching her arms above her head.

"Maybe later," I say, stretching, too.

Briar props her head up, resting her elbow on the back of the couch. "Isn't it a little late? Even for you? Your parents will worry, won't they?"

I check the time on my phone. It's a little after nine, but I've come home later this summer. Just in case, I text Nanay that she probably shouldn't wait up for me. I'll still get lectured about not spending enough time at home helping out with chores or something like that even with the Internship Excuse, but that can wait.

"Problem solved," I say, dropping my phone on the couch.

"If you're sure." Briar runs a hand down her face. "But there's nothing for you to do. We already read two chapters today."

I swallow, giving Briar a meaningful look. "Maybe we can watch more videos from Sarina's YouTube channel."

Briar's head snaps up. The dim light of the lamp glints off her eyes as she frowns at me. "Why?"

"Because I love listening to your voice."

Her cheeks darken as she blushes. "Thanks..."

I smile. "So can we?"

Her jaw tenses and her eyes darken as she stares at the wall across the room. Her eyes change color from amber to dark brown and back as she thinks it over. In the end, she lets out a breath and nods. "But I get to pick the videos."

Whatever gets her to let me watch them. It takes her a while to choose one, but once she does, she keeps tensing and glancing at me whenever she sings or dances or acts or plays an instrument in the video. I make sure to smile at her every single time, but even when she's not looking at me and I'm not focused on the video, I smile at her. What's there not to smile about when I'm sitting with someone so breathtaking?

After the fourth video, Briar turns off her screen. Damn... Guess she's reached her limit. But at least I got a good dose for my Briar addiction. And it really is an addiction now.

I take a look at Briar, and I have to smile at how hard she's blushing right now. No wonder she finds every opportunity to tease me. It's entertaining as hell. And with her, it's absolutely adorable, especially considering what a force of nature she is any other time.

She looks down at her lap, tucking her hair behind her ear. It untucks itself almost immediately, and I feel the urge to fix it for her. I have to grit my teeth to stop myself, gripping the couch cushions.

"What?" Briar asks.

I realize she's looking at me, and now all I can focus on is her eyes. I think it occurs to me for the first time how attractive they are. All the time. Not just when they're in a certain light. And now her eyes are directed right at me.