✓ | Curse Breaker ⋆ Julian Blackthorn [1]

xix. TINY MOMENTS

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CHAPTER NINETEEN: TINY MOMENTS

❛a poem begins with a lump in the throat.❜

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When Zoya stepped her foot into the kitchen, she had stumbled upon Mark and Julian. The brunette boy was busy with cleaning the dishes while Mark merely leaned against the kitchen island. By the looks of it, the two brothers were engaged in a conversation, but it died the moment the Caldwell girl joined them.

Zoya had been late to breakfast and she had known it. However, she wasn't going to disregard Emma's desperate pleadings to accompany her on a run. Namely, Emma was worried about Zoya and just wanted to be present while she trained - to make sure she didn't injure herself.

Zoya found the request annoying, but let it slide without many questions.

"You look good," Mark spoke as he glanced at Zoya. His hair was freshly cut and the boy looked more polished than before. "A little tired. Didn't sleep well?"

Zoya allowed a small smile to climb up her lips as she found her way to the fridge. She grabbed two smoothies, knowing that Emma would arrive soon. "I slept surprisingly well," Zoya responded. She had known that she had fallen asleep beside the rest of the Blackthorn siblings, but when she awoke, she found herself alone. Automatically, she had assumed Julian was the one who ushered his brothers and sisters out of her room. "But Emma tortured me by ordering me to accompany her to an astonishingly long run."

"I heard Emma and torture in the same sentence," a new voice joined the conversation. Zoya's parabatai lingered in the doorway, hazel eyes glaring in a joking manner at Zoya. "So I had to show up."

"Of course you had," Julian chuckled, spinning to brush his hands with a dry towel and nearly colliding with Zoya. Instinctively, his hands found themselves on the girl's waist, steadying her. "Sorry," he mumbled sheepishly.

Zoya felt her heart jumping in her chest at the newfound closeness. "It's alright," she smiled shyly, shaking her head and finding her way toward Emma.

"I am going to allow that to slide, Jules," Emma passed him a bitter smile, accepting a smoothie from Zoya. Her lips curved up. "Thank you, my lovely parabatai."

"So," Mark began. "As I understand it, what I am currently wearing is not semiformal enough for the performance tonight?" The boy's gaze travelled down the dark shirt and a pair of jeans he was wearing.

Emma's brows arched up. "So Mr. Rules unbent and decided you could come tonight?"

Julian shrugged his shoulders. "I'm a reasonable man."