22
1177 Words
Roxy appeared beside me with a tray of food. She looked from him to me. “Is everything okay?”
“We were just finishing up.” I needed distance and fast. I turned my head and found Katherine and Lillith entering the Student Center. “And there are our friends. They must be looking for us.” I grabbed Roxy’s arm and hauled her away.
“Hey, Sadie!” Donovan called after me.
My feet stopped of their own accord. Stupid traitors. I glanced over my shoulder.
He tugged at his ear again. “Are we okay?”
The concern wafted off him. This whole situation sucked. If I’d been human or he’d been a wolf, we could have acted on the attraction between us. “Totally.” I turned back around, desperate to stay but also get away. It felt like two halves of me were at war.
Totally? Roxy mocked as we made our way to the vampires. When did you begin talking like that?
I purposefully said the next words, trying to get her to focus on something other than what had gone down. Bite me.
Good try, but even though I love ragging you about your love of vampire puns, it won’t work. She waved the vampires over as we took a table in the corner away from Donovan and Axel. What the hell happened after I left?
She wouldn’t stop until she got the truth. I could’ve sworn his scent was musky for a second, and then he proceeded to talk about my father and how it must be hard being away on my own after growing up like that.
Damn … She snorted, and her shoulders shook. The two of you are a hot mess.
Exactly. It hurt to admit, but the truth smacked me in the face. Which means I need to stay as far away from him as possible.
That’s what I told you earlier. She stood tall. It feels so good to say I told you so. It doesn’t happen to me very often.
For someone so adamantly against him, you sure made a point to dress up even more than usual. That could only mean one thing. You thought Axel would be there.
Her face fell. What? No!
The stench of rotten eggs filled the air. You b***h. And you gave me such a hard time.
“Hey, guys,” Roxy said a little too enthusiastically. “What brings you here?”
“Food … of course.” She lifted the cup in her hand. “We stopped to get a drink before coming here.”
In other words, they had to keep up the illusion of being human.
“Sounds good to me.” Lillith walked over to the round table for four. “This is perfect, anyway.”
“Everything okay?” Katherine sat between Lillith and me. “You seem upset.”
“It’s nothing.” I didn’t want to talk about it anymore. “So, have you heard anything?” Steering our conversation toward corrupt vampires should make them focus elsewhere.
“Not yet.” Lillith frowned. “Our only hope is stumbling upon her here.”
I picked up my chicken sandwich and took a bite. “We could walk around and look for her. She could be hanging around here after her night class or something.” If a morally compromised vampire like that attended here, she wouldn’t have a choice but to take night classes.
“That’s not a bad idea.” Katherine sipped the blood. “She’d either be around here or at the library.”
“Or gym,” Roxy added.
“Which is connected to the library.” We’d been stalking the perimeter there, anyway. “It wouldn’t hurt.”
It was after six but late August. It didn’t get completely dark until around nine, so we had time to kill before then.
My favorite scent in the world filled my nose.
“Hey, Sadie.” Donovan sounded unsure. “Can I talk to you for a second?”
Say no, Roxy commanded. Just say no.
I turned to face him, forming the word “no,” but I stopped.
He rubbed his neck and bounced his foot. “Please.”
The please did me in. “Okay.”
Roxy glared at me. That was not “no.”
He’s my lab partner. At least I had that excuse working in my favor. I can’t be a complete jackass.
“You have five minutes.” Roxy leaned back and scowled at him. “That’s it.”
“Come on.” The longer we stayed with her, the more she’d embarrass me. I stood and felt a tingle down my spine. I turned to find Axel glowering at me.
Both our best friends were in full protection mode.
“Let’s go outside,” Donovan said with annoyance. “Otherwise, they’ll watch us the entire time.”
I followed him outside and away from the people congregating outside the main door.
He faced me and took a step closer than necessary. “Did I offend you? I didn’t mean to step over the line.”
“No, you didn’t.” I was softening toward him, which would be problematic. “You see too much.”
His forehead creased, and he nibbled on his bottom lip. “How so?”
I wanted to be honest with him, so I had to be careful how I played this. “You’re right. My relationship with my dad is complicated, to say the least, but he’s not the type of man to go against.”
“To go against?” He laughed. “Who said I wanted to go against him?”
“No, I know you didn’t, but my father doesn’t like me hanging out with just anyone.” I was walking a thin line. “They have to meet his strict criteria, and if they don’t, he won’t allow it. That’s why Brock is here.”
“To tattle to him?” Donovan lifted a brow. “Why would he be willing to do that? Is he family or something?”
“No, but his family wants to align with mine.” I almost gagged. I hated everything about my world. “So, Brock was more than willing to come watch me.”
“That’s not normal.” He took another step toward me, leaving only a small space between us. “I’m guessing I’m not the caliber of man he wants for you, and that’s why you’re putting distance between us.”
“Putting distance between us?” I could barely hold in my giggle. “We only recently stopped fighting. But, no, that’s not why. I don’t want you to get hurt.”
His blue eyes darkened. “Are you promised to Brock or something?”
“What? No.” I’d never agree to mate with someone like Brock. “Never. I’d rather be on the run my entire life than settle with a douchebag like him.”
- Writer
