A lump formed in my throat. It all made sense. The story Professor Sommers had told me, Julia’s comment about Nate’s ex being ‘done’ in front of him, and everything Evy had told me about his commitment issues. And how Nate had seemed terrified on Monday, when I’d told him I was going to the labs and he wouldn’t follow me there. It unraveled in my mind like a knot being pulled loose, and the pain I felt for Nate, for the loss of Kiara Knight, was real and deep.
I stayed silent for several moments, taking it all in, forming the story in my mind. When I looked back up I saw three sets of eyes studying me. I swallowed the lump – or tried to anyway – and asked what I was afraid of. “You think I’m in danger too? If that girl – Kiara – was killed for her research…?”
“Garth killed Kiara because he’d drunk blood containing the enzyme, Ali,” Kay assured me. “And he’s not around to hurt anyone else anymore. It’s not going to happen to you too.”
“But you should be careful,” Luke warned in a low tone. “I don’t know what your Professor has told you, but there are people that don’t want that specific research to end in a successful manner. I have a buddy in the local PD, and he’s been dealing with several threats around the matter. Just keep it low, don’t say a word to anyone. If you can do that, you’ll be fine. Nate, Kay and I won’t let anything happen to you.”
That lump was threatening to choke me. “Thank you,” I whispered again, suddenly utterly grateful for having made these three people my friends that day. I glanced back to where Nate had gone. I pushed my chair back and stood. “I’ll just go and apologize. I didn’t mean to—”
“Ali, don’t,” Evy said calmly. “Go talk to him if you want, but don’t apologize. We miss her, but we’re never sorry to remember her or talk about her.”
I nodded with a sad smile, before following the route Nate had taken. I found him easily, right outside the restaurant, leaning against the building’s corner and looking completely lost in his head.
“Nate,” I called to him when I was only a few steps away.
He looked up from staring at the ground, giving me a sad smile. It hurt to see him like this. “Hey, Ali. I’m sorry—”
Without even thinking, I closed the distance between us and wrapped my arms around his waist, leaning my cheek against his chest. “I’m so sorry. I had no idea. I wouldn’t have brought it up had I known.”
After a brief moment, his strong arms came around me, holding me too. His hands wrapped around the edges of my hair. “Don’t apologize, Ali. It’s okay. I was just thinking how fate can sometimes be weird. I mean, you walked in that music room a week ago. What were the chances that it would be you who would take up Kiara’s research? I didn’t mean to make you feel bad about it. It just…”
“Hurts,” I finished for him. I looked up at him, propping my chin against his chest now. “I know, Nate. My father died seven years ago and it still hurts. I know what it’s like to lose someone you love.” A shadow of pain passed behind his eyes, and it brought immediate tears to my eyes that silently flowed down my cheeks.
His hands came up, and he used his thumbs to wipe my tears away. “You’re the sweetest person I know, Ali. You only know me for a week, the others for a day, and you’re already shedding tears for us. I’m sorry if I’m an asshole sometimes. Maybe you should raise that fine. I already owe you about three hundred bucks. You could make a fortune.”
I laughed softly, a few more tears sneaking out which he quickly wiped away as well. “Under this new intel coming to light, I may have to remove that fine entirely. Maybe I should be paying you instead.”
He laughed too, my teasing seeming to make him feel lighter. “Don’t say that, or I’ll think it’s okay for me to be an asshole. Thank you, though. For understanding.”
I nodded and pressed my cheek against his chest once more. “Of course. And if you want to talk to someone not immediately connected to her, I’m here.”
His arms tightened around me, and his one hand sank in my hair, cupping the back of my head, keeping me close to him. “Maybe I will. I hope I won’t have to, but maybe I’ll eventually need it.”
We stayed like that for a few serene moments, me listening to the steady rhythm of his heart, and him running his fingers through my hair, both of us not caring about the rest of the world around us.
I thought about the man I was holding. He was only twenty-two years old, and he’d lost his parents at a young age. He’d survived that only to lose the woman he was clearly in love with in the most horrific way. And yet he still could smile, and laugh, and play the piano so beautifully it would make my heart clench. He’d lost so much, and yet he was still fighting to go on.
And in that moment I felt a small piece of my heart jumping from my body to his, and I knew I’d lost it forever. If I wasn’t careful I could lose all of it to him. I could fall hard for this sweet, strong man, and there wouldn’t be any coming back from that.
And I didn’t even know if I wanted to be careful.
My second week in College passed by in a blur. I spent many hours in the labs, trying to recreate some of the circumstances under which the vampire’s blood had developed the immunity following Kiara’s notes, but it all ended in a total bust. The girl was brilliant and her notes were detailed, but without the original samples I had no options. Every vampire’s blood I experimented on simply turned into a beast’s blood as soon as I added the enzyme parts. It was like watching a war happening on the other end of my microscope, with always the same outcome.
I saw Nate several times at the lunchroom, and Evy dropped by my room twice, but I hadn’t spent much time with them. The truth was I was buried in the labs even after classes were over. Finding an answer to Kiara’s research had become something more than a challenge to me. It was my way of helping Nate and the others move on. Plus, the fear that someone would find out about me being involved was pushing me too. I wanted to just get it done and over with.
Nate found me in the lunchroom Friday, and his face lit up before he schooled his expression to seem angry. He had to know I’d seen the cover up and it wouldn’t work, but he didn’t change whatever plan he’d been thinking of.
He dropped on the chair beside me. “You, young lady, are grounded.” He mock-scowled.
“Um, what did I do?”
“You haven’t come by the apartment in a week. Poor Kay is having withdrawals. He’s constantly asking about you.” He leaned forward to add in a conspiring whisper, “Don’t tell Evy, but I think he’s a little infatuated with you.” Then he sat back again, lifting his hands. “Just saying.”
I smiled big, but then noticed his bloodshot eyes and the dark smudges under them. “You haven’t slept much, have you?”
He shrugged, running a hand through his hair. “Not anything new about it. I’ll find my trigger and when I do, I’ll kick sleep’s ass.” He grinned. “I mean, its bottom.”
I laughed. “It suits you, you know. British accent I mean. You should try it more often. The ladies will be dropping like flies around you.”
He mocked being hurt and clenched his chest, right above his heart. “I’m offended, England. You mean to say girls aren’t already dropping like flies?”
I gave him a sassy grin. “Oh, they have been. Let me rephrase that. Girls and boys will be dropping like flies.”
He grimaced, which made me laugh hard. “I don’t need that, thank you very much.”
“Alright, alright. And to go back to your first statement, I can make an impromptu visit at the gym tomorrow morning.”
Something incomprehensible passed behind his eyes. “Maybe you should just come by the apartment later tonight. I can come pick you up, or Evy could.”
I gave him a lopsided smile. “Um, I was planning on doing some extra work this afternoon. Some more, um, research.”
He seemed stunned for a moment, and then he gave me a sweet smile. My heart immediately started jumping. “You’ll figure this out eventually, Ali. You don’t need to exhaust your
self every day. Hell, you have four years to research this at a normal pace.” His look turned pleading. “Come over tonight. We can watch a movie with Kay and Evy.” He sighed. “I can call Luke to come over too if you’d like.”
It was fairly tempting. I loved the whole gang. And with Luke there it wouldn’t be too awkward between me and Nate in case Evy and Kay wanted to, um, retreat early.
I knew he could see my resolve breaking, because his eyes glinted and he gave me a lopsided smirk that melted my insides. “And you can sleep there tonight too. Take a break from your awesome roommate. I promise to sleep on the couch and not grope you… too much.”
I laughed. “Alright. I do not promise I’ll sleep there – the groping part does sound tempting – but alright. I’ll pick up a taxi ride as soon as I’m ready.”
He shook his head with vigor. “Nope. No cabs. Give me your phone.” I gave him my mobile and he typed something. His own phone chimed and he handed mine back to me. “Now you have my number and I have yours.” He stood and pressed a kiss on my forehead. “Call me when you’re ready. I’ll be over in a flash.”
The skin on my forehead tingled for a long while after he left, and I had a goofy smile plastered on my face the rest of the day.
When I returned to my dormitory that afternoon, I took a shower and prepared a small sleep-over bag for the night. It wasn’t in my plans to stay the night at Nate’s, but it was a possibility. One that, admittedly, had my heart working overtime.
Julia walked in the room when I was zipping my bag shut. She lifted an eyebrow. “Going somewhere?”
I sent her a dry look. “Not that it’s any of your business, but I may be spending the night at a friend’s flat.”
Both her eyebrows shot up. “You’re sleeping with him already?”
I startled. “Pardon?”
“Not that I blame you of course. He’s the hottest guy around, if you exclude his brother, but that one is already taken by that bitch, Evy.”
My entire world was painted in red within a second. I walked to her and shoved her as hard as I could. “Shut your trap. How dare you speak like that over someone you know nothing about? Evy is the sweetest girl around, and she’s my friend. You will not talk about her like that, ever again. Or Kay or Nate or any of us. Is that clear?”
“Gee, okay.” She looked at where I’d touched her with a grimace of disgust. “No talking about them at all. You don’t have to be touchy about it.”
“Good. Keep that in your pretty little head.” I grabbed my bag and left, phoning Nate on my way down the stairs. “Hi, music-boy. I’m currently going down the stairs of my dormitory. I’ll find a taxi and—”
“Good. I’m right outside. You’ll see me.” And he disconnected.
I almost tripped down the rest of the stairs in my surprise. Nate was already outside? How long had he been there? Because I hadn’t told him what time I would be ready. A giddy feeling coursed through me and I smiled big.
I exited the building and immediately saw his dark blue car waiting right outside. I walked over to the passenger side – still getting a little confused with the sides – and climbed in.
I glanced over at him. “How long have you been waiting?”
He shrugged, pulling out of the parking lot. “Not long, maybe five minutes ago. I was about to call you when you called.”
We drove to the flat, talking about nothing of importance. He teased me about getting a tan with all the new clothes I’d bought, and that I would soon look like a true Californian girl. I made him repeat words using a British accent and he was really good at it.
While we were climbing up the stairs – me in the front and him following behind – he toyed with my hair, tugging a strand with enough force to make my skin tingle but not hurt. I tried to swat his hand away, and failed every time.
“Luke’s not here yet,” he said as we reached the door. “Don’t think I lied to you about that.”
I stopped and looked over my shoulder at him in confusion. “Why would I think you lied?”
He shrugged and tugged at my hair again. This time I was expecting for it and swatted at his arm. He gripped my wrist and pulled me to his chest, holding my hand captive between us. My pulse sky-rocketed. “You didn’t seem to want to come over until I told you Luke would be here,” he whispered. Then he shrugged again. “I just wanted you to know that I wasn’t lying.”
I laughed softly, but it probably sounded somewhat odd. “Only because the more we are the more fun we’re having.”
His statement had caught me off guard though. I couldn’t decipher what he really meant. Was he really concerned that I didn’t want to spend time with him? That maybe I was somehow upset over the times he’d declared himself an asshole?
I felt the need to reassure him, and brought my other hand up to place on his chest. I felt his heart jump under my palm, and my own responded in kind. “And I wouldn’t miss the chance to earn a few more hundreds of dollars.”
His lips quirked up at the corners. “I thought you said I was exonerated for my past behavior, and no fine was necessary.” He brought his other hand up and wrapped it around my other wrist. His thumbs started rubbing small circles over the sensitive skin on the inside of my wrists, making me shiver. His voice dropped even lower. “Don’t tell me you’re taking it back now…”
There seemed to be words hanging after that last one. Now that I’m about to misbehave again. Now that I’m about to kiss you. Now that we’re alone. So many possibilities and yet I would remain wondering, because in that moment the door behind me swung open, and he dropped our hands to take a step back.
I spun around to see Evy standing in the doorway, with a hand on her hip and a smirk on her lips. I narrowed my eyes at her in warning. I knew she was going to tease.
“What the hell are you two doing out here?”
My lips tipped up in one corner. “Giving you and Kay some alone time to… wrap things up?” I said pointedly. Her top’s strap had slipped over one shoulder, and I could see the skin below her neck was a little pink, probably from friction against something rough, like Kay’s hands or stubble.
As I’d expected, Evy blushed and pushed the door open wider. “Shut up. Just get in here and stop conspiring against us.”
I chuckled softly, feeling Nate behind me letting out an audible breath. Marvelous. He would apologize again. This was an endless cycle it seemed.
We got in and I was immediately picked up in a hug by Kay. “Ali! Where have you been, little thing? I’ve missed you.”
I laughed, giving him a grin when he put me back down. “Pardon. Sometimes I lose myself in my studies.”
He ruffled my hair. “Then you’re excused, as long as you don’t do it again. Come over any time, here or at the gym.”
I nodded in response. My eyes opened wide when I took a sniff of the marvelous scents coming from the kitchen. “Nate says you’re a skilled cook. What are you making?”
Kay smirked. “You’ll see in a while. Dinner’s almost ready, and Luke will be here any minute now.”
“Ali, get over here,” I heard Nate calling from the sitting room.
Kay’s eyes went up to look over my shoulder and then back to me, holding something that looked like mischief in them. “Go to your man.”
I sent him a dry look. “Amusing, Kay. Utterly amusing.”
He chuckled softly. “It is, actually. Especially when you answer so politely.”
I span around and told him over my shoulder, “Then perhaps I ought to get a little cruder?”
“Why?” Nate asked in confusion as I got near him at the sofa.
I waved at him dismissively. “Just a cruel game Kay likes to play.”
Nate frowned. “Playing games with my brother that I don’t know about? I don’t like the sound of that.”
I laughed. “Have no worries. It’s not some kind of conspiracy, I assure you. Kay merely makes fun of me for sounding so, um, British.”
Nate’s frown turned into a sc
owl. “Kay!” he called. “Stop bothering England.”
“Make me, asshole,” Kay called back.
Nate stood from the sofa, probably to go and ‘make’ Kay stop bothering me, but I put a hand on his chest and pushed him back down. “Behave, Nate.”
His hand shot out once more and wrapped around my wrist. But this time he didn’t pull me to him. He let go of my wrist a second later, and ran his hand through his hair. “Don’t do that, Ali,” he whispered. “The asshole in me reacts.”
Should I tell him that I liked it when that happened? Maybe he just needed my confirmation. Maybe he thought I didn’t want him that way.
Before I could think of how I should answer, the door buzzed and cut me off.
“Nate, can you get that?” Evy called from the kitchen. “It’s Luke.”
Nate grumbled something incoherent and began to stand, but I stopped him. “I’ll get it.” His emerald eyes found mine, and I could see his mood had changed. He looked upset, or angry, or sad. I couldn’t be certain which one. But I couldn’t understand the reason.
I went to the door and pulled it open. Luke was standing behind it, and when he looked at me he grinned big. His eyes flickered behind me for a second as he walked in, and when they returned to me they had a dangerous glint in them.
“Hi, Luke,” I smiled, albeit a little warily. What was he planning? Was everyone planning something?
“Ali.” His grin widened and, truthfully, turned a little scary. Then he scooped me up in a hug, squeezing me so hard I saw stars.
With my feet dangling around, I wrapped my arms around his neck to gain a little more balance and laughed. “Well, this is the most I’ve been hugged in a day.”
Luke chuckled, his chest vibrating against me, and I felt his nose pressing above my ear. “Give us a break. We’ve missed you. And, besides, it’s all a plan to make your boyfriend jealous,” he whispered.
Vampire Friend (Vampire Hero Book 2) Page 10