“Okay, honey,” she said, brushing her fingers through my hair and kissing my forehead.

I watched her leave the room, then reverted my attention back to calculus. I was finding it hard to concentrate. My thoughts drifted to Sun Beach, and how much I wanted to join the others in bathing. I managed to eventually finish up my math homework, even though it took twice as long as it should have.

I tucked my homework back into my bag and made my way to the music room. I was bursting for some creative output after all the left-brain work I’d been subjected to. On the way, I checked Ben’s room. He’d left already, perhaps hours ago, and had likely been enjoying the sun all this time.

I walked over to the bookshelf in the corner and began sifting through music sheets. I settled on one and sat down at the piano. Smoothing the paper out on the music stand, I began to play.

I’d barely gotten halfway through the piece when a thump came from the opposite end of the room. I stood up in time to see Micah crawling through the semi-open window, his broad shoulders squeezing through the gap.

“Micah!” I hissed. “How on earth…?” I hurried over to him and stared out of the window. Just looking downward made my stomach flip. “Don’t tell me you climbed all the way up here.”

Twigs were caught in his hair. He breathed heavily as he looked down at me, a smirk forming on his lips. “Your brother told me that you’ve been… grounded? I think that’s the word he used.”

Before he could utter another word, I rushed to the music room’s entrance and pulled the door shut.

“You need to be quiet. My grandfather is here. He might have heard you already.”

Micah’s amused expression didn’t leave his face as he walked around the room, surveying our instruments. He stopped at the grand piano, running his fingers along the keys.

“I’ve never touched one of these before,” he said. “You play?”

“Yes,” I replied with a sigh. “Look, Micah, you shouldn’t be here. I’ll be allowed out again after the weekend. I can see you then.”

He wet his lower lip, a spark of mischief in his eyes. “I just think it’s an awfully nice day to be grounded.”

“Yeah, well, there will be plenty more nice days to come.”

He fell silent, and began pacing around the room again, this time moving back toward the window, to my relief. But then he stopped again.

“I could unground you, for a while…”

He held out his hand, cocking his head to one side.

I bit my lower lip, staring at him. My conscience was ordering me to tell him to beat it. But another side of me, a wilder side, the side that was fed up of being inside on this beautiful warm day, was telling me to take his hand.

Eventually, the latter won over.

I blew out, hoping that I wouldn’t regret this decision. Holding a finger to my lips and glaring at him, I grabbed his hand and pulled him out of the music room. I led him into my own room.

“Wait here,” I said, and closed the door.

I found my grandfather in the living room with a book on his lap. He looked up as I entered.

“How’s the homework going, darling?”

“I’ve finished,” I said, letting out an exaggerated yawn. “I’m exhausted now. I’m going to have a nap, so please don’t let anyone come in my room. I’ll probably be sleeping for the next few hours…”

“I’ll make sure nobody disturbs you,” he said.

I returned to my room and placed my Do Not Disturb doorknob sign outside my door just as an extra precaution. Micah already had my window pulled open, expectation alive in his eyes.

“Well?” he said.

“Unground me.”

Chapter 25: Rose

Micah bent down to allow me to climb on to his back. I felt more secure around him in his human form. He was easier to cling to, at least. I locked my arms over his broad shoulders, my legs around his muscular waist. I closed my eyes as he swung himself out of the window. I gripped so hard I thought I might be strangling him as he leapt several feet over a sheer drop into the branches of a nearby tree.

“Where are we going?” I asked, gasping as he began leaping from branch to branch. His hands gripped my legs and held them in place.

He didn’t respond as he continued to leap down with furious speed.

“We can’t afford to bump into my parents,” I pressed.

“Don’t worry, Princess. I’ll make sure that we won’t.”

I was breathless by the time we reached the forest ground. I was expecting him to set me down on my feet. But he began racing through the trees.

“My parents are probably having their meeting in the Great Dome. So don’t go anywhere near there.”

I realized soon enough where he was taking me. We were headed for Sun Beach. He set me down on the sand as soon as we arrived. I cast my eyes around. Ben swam in the waters with some of his friends. I also saw some of my own girlfriends. Micah unbuttoned his shirt and, heading straight for the waters, dove in and began swimming about.

I dawdled over to the edge of the waters, wishing I’d brought my bikini. I would have to make do with just dipping my feet in the enticing ocean water.

Micah swam up to me. “Are you not coming in?”

Before I could answer, a familiar voice called out my name.

I turned to see Griffin walking over to me, wearing his swim shorts.

“Hey, I thought you were grounded?”