by S R Watson
“That sounds fair,” Genesis responds, surprising us both.
“Awesome. Bring the jewelry you want to use for the spell by six p.m. tonight. Elysian, I’ll give you my number.”
I don’t even look over at Genesis as I exchange numbers with Madison. Jealousy is a vibe, and I can feel that shit radiating off my back.
“The food was amazing. Thank you for letting me crash your get-together. I’ll see you both later.”
Genesis waits until Madison is out of sight to comment. “I still don’t trust her, but I’m trusting you. Oddly, I believe you have my back. So I’m going to go out on a limb here and not be the rule follower. If this works, I can go see my adoptive parents. I won’t tell them what I am, but maybe I can get them to shed some light on who my biological parents are.”
“Yeah, I can arrange for my buddy Josh to visit and call my folks. A little normalcy to hold on to will make this whole transition more tolerable.” I begin to pack up the uneaten food, containers, blanket, and towels. “Sorry we were interrupted, but at least some good came out of it. Let’s reschedule this get to know each other session for tomorrow. We can have a Nick at Nite marathon.”
“Sounds cool as long as you check your crassness at the door,” she warns.
“I’ll try.”
We get back on Shelby and head back toward the dorms. Tonight is going to be an adventure, but I’m ready to take back some of my autonomy. Six can’t come fast enough.
Chapter Eleven
Genesis
I can’t believe it. We’re on the outside of the academy. We follow Madison through the woods in pairs. Elysian grabbed my hand so we weren’t separated, and he still hasn’t let go. Our steps are in sync as we walk hand in hand. I clutch the pendant around my neck, hoping the casted spell bound to it works. Each step takes us farther away from safety.
“We’ve made it,” Madison announces as we’re the last to arrive at the clearing. We’re now standing in a small parking lot of an abandoned building. “Our ride is only a few minutes away.”
She looks down at our joined hands. Elysian must notice this too. He slowly untangles his fingers from mine. I immediately miss the warmth of his fingers.
“Where are we headed?” I ask.
“Club Fusion and then food after it closes at two a.m. We will arrive back here at four twenty a.m. to allow time for the hike back to the academy before the veil comes down at five a.m.”
I want to ask more questions, but a SUV pulls up. The others waste no time getting in, so I follow their lead. I guess we’re sticking together, so I’ll treat this as a trial run. If things go smoothly, then next time, I’ll opt for some time to see Jan and Steve.
“I’ve got something for you,” Loren says as she scoots in next to me. I haven’t seen much of her today, but she did confirm that these little rendezvous originated from her plan.
“What is this?” I ask as she passes me her tote.
“A change of clothes. I didn’t get a chance to tell you to dress for the club and to wear sneakers for the short hike. Once we get to the parking lot, we change into our heels.”
I look around the three rows of seating, and she’s right. Everyone is dressed for the club, even Elysian, who is currently sitting in the middle row talking to the only other two guys that are going with us. The romper I’m wearing is cute and goes great with my sandals, but it’s a far cry from club wear. I pull out a black spandex dress. Looks simple enough. Strappy black heels sit at the bottom of the tote.
“This is cute. Thank you.” I smile. “I don’t know how much good advanced notice would have done anyway. I don’t own anything like this.”
“You’re welcome. Now let’s get you changed.”
“What? Where? You mean right now?” Surely, that’s not what she means.
“I’ll cover you. Just pull your romper down to your waist and then slip the dress over your head. Easy peasy. Nobody is going to look back here.”
“We won’t look,” Elysian mocks as he turns to stare at me. “Just be quick so we aren’t tempted.”
“Come on. Don’t antagonize her,” Loren pleads. “We’re heading straight to the club, and we need her to change now, so eyes forward.”
He winks at me before turning back around. Loren shields me with her body, but it doesn’t do much good if somebody chooses to look back here. Not to mention the passing cars. Can they see inside the SUV? I need to stop overthinking it. I quickly pull the romper down to my waist and slip the unforgiving fabric over my head. Without warning, Loren unsnaps my bra and gives it a pull. I work quickly to get the dress over my now exposed breasts.
“What was that?” I whisper hiss.
“That bra won’t go with the dress. Well, no bra would. You’ll see.”
I’m already questioning if I should have been so quick to accept the change of clothes. I lift my butt from the seat so I can push the romper down my legs and pull the dress down. The length leaves much to be desired, so I’ll have to pull it down some once we’re out of the SUV. I put my romper in the tote and change into the heels. We pull into club valet, and my nerves begin to kick in. This place is huge.
I’m the last to get out with Loren’s help. I tug at the hemline of the form-fitting dress, but it’s evident that I’m lucky to even have my ass covered because it’s not going past my mid-thigh. The swell of my breasts peeps through the keyhole of the dress, and the back of the dress is completely open.
“That’s some dress,” Elysian comments as he peruses me, walking a circle around me to survey every detail.
“Hush it. You don’t have to tell me how ridiculous I look. I feel like a streetwalker. That’s it. I’m changing back into my romper.”
“Oh, to the contrary. You look smoking hot. Let’s just fix your hair.”
“What’s wrong with it?” I frown. He grabs the pins from the bun I spent thirty minutes perfecting and watches as my hair tumbles wildly past my breasts. He gives it a few fluffs, and I finally push his hands away.
“After you.” He smirks.
I walk past, feeling his eyes on my ass. We bypass the line forming around the building without having to show any ID. One of the brunette witches—Kristin, I believe her they said her name was—has some serious connections with this place.
“He likes you,” Loren teases.
“And that’s why he’s already sped up to catch up with Madison,” I challenge. “He’s a big flirt. His innuendos are nothing short of personal entertainment until he gets his girl back.”
“I don’t know. We’ll see, but tonight, he’s not your only prospect. Wait until you see all the heads you turn in that dress.”
She grabs my wrist and steers me toward a bar to our left. The rest our group disappears through the crowd. Rock music pumps at decibels loud enough to make you go deaf. Loren’s lips are moving but trying to actually hear her is a struggle. Once we get farther away from the dance floor, her words become audible. I ignore her turning heads remark.
“We’ll meet the group upstairs in VIP in a moment. I just wanted a chance to get you alone and see what’s up with you and Elysian. Like I said, I think he likes you, and I know he took you on a picnic. Madison said she ran into you two at the creek.” She turns and order two Long Islands and two shots of tequila before returning her attention back to me.
“The picnic was supposed to be just us getting to know each other and comparing our history to see if we can figure out how we’re entangled. If you like him, then by all means, go for it. I don’t think he’s emotionally available, but if that’s what you’re interested in, then go for it.”
“Can you stop saying go for it? I’m not interested in him for me. I was trying to get you on that before Madison gets her way with him.” She passes me one of the Long Islands and a shot of tequila. “Drink up. Time to let loose,” she says, clicking her shot glass with mine.
I knock back the tequila and chase it with the Long Island. Disgusting. My eyebrows lift at how strong the drink
is. I have to be mindful of what happened the last time I drank alcohol.
“She can have him,” I insist. “What’s up with the two of you, anyway? You call Madison a conniving twat, but then you participate in these escape excursions with her.”
“We have mutual friends. Basically, the group here with us tonight. We’re the Elite Eight, but I’ll tell you about our little group later. One of the guys isn’t here with us tonight. I tolerate Madison, but that doesn’t mean I’m not aware of how fake she is. She will use people to get what she wants, and she thinks that she’s God’s gift, and everyone should be grateful for her presence. Trevor and I used to date until she slept with him.”
Trevor is one of the guys that came along with us. Tall and slender with a swimmer’s build. Now her disdain for Madison makes sense. It’s always a guy. “Did she know that the two of you were dating?”
“She said she didn’t, but he and I went everywhere together. We weren’t official, but we were dating. She knew I liked him.”
“And what was Trevor’s excuse?” I take a few more sips of my Long Island, the buzz already filtering through my veins.
“Of course, he said it was a mistake—a one-time thing. At the moment, he rationalized that I wasn’t his girlfriend, so we were both free to see other people. It hurt, but I got over it. I forgave them both, but I won’t forget.”
“You’re too hot to get hung up on someone who tries to justify sleeping around. I’m not looking for a man, but I’ll be your wing woman.” I grin.
“Let’s go meet up with group.” She laughs.
I get upstairs just in time to see Madison gyrating against Elysian on the smaller dance floor. R&B vibes up here contrast with the rock playing downstairs. Kristin passes us a glass of champagne from the bottle chilling at the table reserved for us. Loren gives me a knowing look as she takes in the performance between the stud and the twat. She couldn’t possibly rub her ass any harder against his cock. I can feel my lips purse as my grip tightens around my champagne flute.
“Smile, beautiful,” a preppy blonde says. His eyes twinkle with interest. “Come dance with me.”
Normally, someone telling me to smile is annoying in and of itself, but I do. I smile big. He presents me with an opportunity to show Elysian that he’s not the only one that can flirt. Rhianna’s “Loveeeeeee Song” begins to play as I let this handsome stranger lead me to the dance floor. He immediately backs me into his chest and hardness before beginning to sway with me. His hands caress my shoulders as I let my head fall back against his chest. It’s not long before he brazenly skims his hands down to my hips.
“You don’t know all the wicked things I’d like to do to your body,” he whispers against the shell of my ear.
“Beat it, buddy. You’re barking up the wrong tree,” Elysian warns out of nowhere.
“Screw you,” I slightly slur. “Why don’t you go back to your public dry humping with Madison?”
“No can do, sweetheart. I told you that I’ll always have your back, and right now, you’re intoxicated. If you were sober, you could screw this guy’s brains out, and I wouldn’t intervene.” He gives the guy a death glare—a silent warning.
“I’m perfectly fine, so you’re free to go.” The guy backs away with his hands up. I didn’t even get his name. “That was totally uncalled for.”
“That was for your benefit. You’ll thank me tomorrow,” he promises.
“Bullshit! You’re such a cockblocker,” I slur again.
“Hate to break it to you, love, but you don’t have a cock. And that slur of yours just proves my point about you being intoxicated.”
“Ugh,” I groan. I push past him and head straight to grab another flute of champagne from our table. I down the contents before Elysian can snatch the bubbly goodness away. “Too late,” I sing. I stick my tongue out for added emphasis.
“Real mature,” he deadpans. “But congrats. You’ve earned yourself a designated babysitter for the night.”
“Seriously. I’m fine. Don’t let me ruin your and Madison’s time being humping buddies.”
“Careful, sweets. Your jealousy is showing again.”
“Who’s jealous?” Madison interrupts.
“Oh, I was teasing Genesis because she is already drunk. She’s jealous that I can hold my liquor better than she can,” he covers.
Madison believes his lie. “Well, let her rest for a bit. I want to show you something.” She passes me a bottled water.
“Ummmm. I’m supposed to be looking out for Genesis.”
I can hear the hesitation in his voice, and that stings. He feels obligated to make sure I’m okay, but he wants to leave with Madison. I’m sure the something is her vagina, and I’m sure he knows this, hence the hesitation.
“Just go already. I’m not going to fuck this up for everybody. I’m going sit here and sip on this water.”
Elysian looks at me one more time, unsure, but leaves with Madison. I meant what I said. I have no plans of being the one everyone has to worry about. I’m too occupied with suspicion of why it bothered me to see that he wanted to leave with her or if he would fuck her? I’ve avoided his type and for good reason. Guys like him go for the Madisons, so what the hell am I doing? Well, besides trying to convince myself I don’t like him in that way. I sit back farther and watch the people dance, drink, and everything that I’m not. This was a mistake. Next time, I’m opting to see Jan and Steve. I just need a good explanation on why it is I’m seeing them so late. I’d rather see them and a few friends from the university than have a front row seat to Madison and Elysian’s hookup chronicles.
At some point, I become the table watcher for all of our things while they all go out to mingle. Elysian has been by a few times to check on me, but this time, he takes a seat next to me.
“You shouldn’t be sitting here alone. That’s okay, though. I’m here now. How are you feeling?”
“Like I want to be alone,” I reply, sarcastically. “I’ve managed fine all night without you, so I promise you I’m good.”
“You told me to go,” he argues. “You can’t be pissed that I actually went.”
Oh, I can, but that doesn’t mean I’m going let him think I’m jealous. “I’m not pissed that you left with her. Just stop coddling me.”
“You got it.”
He doesn’t say a word to me for the rest of the night. Instead, I watch him get drinks for Madison and tear up the dance floor with her. Loren checked on me a few times, and I assured her that I was okay. I gave it the old college try, but this is just not my scene. Watching the man that I refuse to admit I have a crush on have a good time with another woman isn’t my scene either. When the DJ announces last call for alcohol, my ears perk up. It’s almost closing time, and I’m ready to get out of here. My enthusiasm takes a nosedive when I remember the second half of our plans—to find an all-night spot and get some food. The veil doesn’t come down until five a.m.
Fifteen minutes later, we’re waiting for valet to pull the SUV around. Elysian still isn’t speaking to me. He won’t even look at me. I know I was a bitch to him when he was just trying to look out for me, and it’s not his fault that his big brother act was pissing me off. He surely didn’t treat Madison that way. Once we get into our ride, I climb to the back and kick off the heels. Feeling more sober, I decide that I’m not getting out at our next stop. The ride to the diner was short, but it gave me enough time to solidify my decision.
“Aren’t you getting out?” Loren asks after I’m the only left in the SUV. The group is already heading inside. “I got a bit of a headache, and the bright light inside the diner doesn’t look ideal,” I say, knowing that’s only a part of it. I’ve had my fill of watching the Elysian and Madison show. I think Loren knows too.
“If you change your mind, come and find us, okay?”
I nod, but I won’t change my mind. She closes the door and heads inside the diner. I lay out on the seat and close my eyes. Sleep overcomes me, and I don’t resist.<
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Chapter Twelve
Elysian
I lie in my bed, thinking about last night as I bounce a tennis ball against my headboard. Genesis really got under my skin with her bouts of jealousy even though I admit that some of my acts were purposely to give her what she was asking for. She pushed me on Madison and then got pissed that I followed through with her repeated suggestion. Nothing happened last night. Madison showed me the rooftop of the club and gave me a tour of the entire club, introducing me to people who have no idea she’s a vampire. She genuinely enjoyed my company, which was a nice change. I think she understands that friendship is all that I’m offering at the moment.
I get up and shower. It’s already one in the afternoon. I didn’t even lie down until six a.m. I have no idea what I’m going to do with the rest of the day. Yesterday, I told Genesis that she and I could make up for our interrupted picnic today, but after last night, I don’t think it’s a good idea.
After getting dressed, I call my buddy, Josh. I listen intently as he tells me how preparation for wrestling season is going. He explains that he understands that I had to go back home due to family matters and that the team wasn’t upset with me. Yeah, family matters as in one of my biological parents is a god, and the parents I grew up thinking were my folks may not be at all. At least now I know the lie that was told on my behalf to get my classes transferred to online. I ask about Shelby, and he reluctantly tells me that she is seeing someone from the debate team. I don’t let on how much this crushes my spirit, but what am I hanging on for? She’s clearly not, so I need to let go for us both.
I end the call and open my door with the intent to just explore more of the campus. Madison pauses with her fist midair, her knock suspended. “Oh, hey.” She smiles. “Looks like I almost missed you.”
“Yeah. Nothing official. Just thought I’d explore more of the campus.”