by Tijan
“Davina?” Adam called from a distance. He was five feet away. I was the one far far away, still locked in a battle of wills with the vampire. “Davina!” Adam called again, more insistent this time.
Roane held my gaze captive. He held a dark promise in his if I didn’t adhere his warning. Well—two could play at that game. “Then don’t use your eye radar thing on my friends.”
He blinked slowly and released my arm, but it felt like some force still held me close. If he moved his arm an inch we would’ve been in an embrace. He murmured, almost sensually, “She’s not your friend.”
“I know that. It doesn’t matter. You don’t do it.”
His eyes judged me, like he wanted to call me a liar. “Fine. It’s your back for her knife.” Then he moved back, just an inch, and I felt like I could breathe.
“Davina!” Adam called again.
When I looked at Adam, I think my heart stopped. He looked utterly and completely concerned for my welfare. Shelly looked pissed off with her arms folded. Her eyes darted from Roane, to myself, and then to Adam.
“Hey…” Adam gentled his tone, but he stepped forward and touched my arm. “Are you okay? I mean…” He raised cautious eyes to Roane and quieted his tone. Little did he know that there was a vampire five feet away. “That didn’t look friendly. You know?”
“I’m fine.” I patted his arm reassuringly. “I promise. That was… it was just a little misunderstanding.”
Roane snorted behind me.
“So, you guys are going to the Shoilster? I haven’t been there. I’d like to come!” Adam exclaimed suddenly and a little bit shrilly.
“What? I mean…” Shelly was startled, but she recovered instantly. She linked her elbow through his and turned a charming smile towards us. “I mean, that’d be great. Let’s go. It could be, like, a double date?”
“A double date?” Adam asked, confused, as he shook his head. “No. We’d just be… hanging out, right?”
I sent Roane a helpless look, but he just smiled tightly and turned his back. Bastard vampire. “Well… okay, but I don’t know. I think. I guess, I—um—we could go for a little while?”
“Great.” Shelly was all for it.
“Great.” I echoed Shelly’s sentiments and surprised both of us when I slammed a hand on Roane’s (very) chiseled chest. We both jumped under the contact, but I gritted my teeth and grabbed his hand.
“Let’s… we’ll meet you there.”
“Uh…” Adam muttered.
Shelly locked her hands with his. “We’ll meet you there! Sounds like a plan.”
They were out the door before I could blink, literally. Once they were gone, it was just me and Roane. I gulped painfully. My hand was still on his chest and I felt him laughing. “Wha…?” I turned, dazed, when I saw an actual smile on his face.
I think I just wet my pants. “Stop!”
Roane just laughed harder and shook his head. Did I mention that my hand was still plastered to his chest? I didn’t think I could move it. “A double date? We’re on a date? I thought you were all about keeping your friend safe, but now I don’t know what’s more pathetic. You and this boy that you’re infatuated with or… the fact that I actually came here?” He chuckled again to himself and moved away.
My hand abruptly fell to my side. “Really? I’m pathetic?”
His laughter dissolved quickly and he sobered while he studied me a moment. Then he shook his head, almost gently, and chided, “No, it’s just your pursuit of being normal.”
My mouth went dry and my body went numb.
He added, impervious, “You’re not normal, but you’re so blind to who you are that you’re willing to do anything for that boy. And he is a boy, trust me.”
“I’m not blind.” I didn’t say anything about the ‘boy’ factor. “I am too normal.”
“No, you’re not.” He stepped closer, unnervingly so. Then he murmured and this time it was fully sensual, “You’re above normal. You just don’t want to admit it.”
“I have a roommate. I go to college. I skip classes. I volunteer at the hotline and I hate it! That’s normal. How can that not be normal?”
“And the fact that you’re telling a vampire all this?” Amusement flared in his depths, but it mingled with something else, something that sent a shiver down my spine and not one of those good ones.
“You’re not normal. When you accept that, you’ll accept your destiny.”
My destiny?
He turned to leave, but he seemed to glide from the room. I was left behind to echo, “I’m a college student. That’s my destiny… what destiny? I’m like everyone else.”
But there was no one in the lounge.
“Hey!” I called out, sharply.
CHAPTER SEVEN
“Your boyfriend thinks I’m the bad guy,” Roane spoke up when we parked outside of the Shoilster.
I didn’t even spare him a glance. It wasn’t worth it. “You are. You’re a vampire. You’re evil.”
“He’s clueless and he’s in danger.” Roane turned to look at me and this time I met his gaze, but my eyes quickly filtered over his shoulder to where Shelly and Adam waited beside the front entrance—talk about an imposter nightclub. It was one of those clubs that had the nicest décor, but the food wasn’t cooked properly, never tasted good, and hardly ever filled a person. Yet, they arranged it nicely, complete with a garnish on the very tip of the plate so it seemed like it was worth the lavish price. It was Shelly’s wet dream. It had all the trimmings, but none of the quality.
“Watch it. You’re broadcasting again,” Roane warned with a hint of amusement.
“Shut up!” I lashed out, harshly. “You’re evil and get out of my head.” I reached for the door handle, but Roane slapped a hand over mine.
I froze. I didn’t dare move because his hand had a cemented hold over mine. His body brushed against mine and if he’d been human, I would’ve felt his breathing against my cheek. I kept my eyes down, anywhere but his. Then he remarked, “I’m not in your head and that goes both ways, Empath. You stay out of mine and I’ll return the favor.”
“If you call me that again, I will…” I threatened, but I caught my words.
‘Don’t let them know you. Don’t explain anything to them!’ That had been Kates’ first lesson to me when I confessed I was worried a vampire was stalking me. The other lessons… I hadn’t been the one to think of setting Craig on fire, but I’d been the one to throw the match. And this one—this vampire…
“Vampire,” I snarled in return and turned to let him meet my stormy eyes. “I didn’t want to call you, but your name popped up in my magic eight ball. There’s a reason, and I’m thinking you know what it is, so let’s figure out a few ground rules.”
He let go of my hand and a rush of blood swept through it. I could’ve sobbed from the release of pressure, but my eyes hardened. “I will not ‘feel’ you. You will not listen to my thoughts and after we’ve ditched Adam and Shelly you will help me with Kates. After that, you and I go our very separate ways.”
“Gladly.” It was the second time he used that word with me and the same acid dripped from his tone.
“Fine.”
“Fine.” Then he reached for his door and was outside before I could blink.
I took a deep breath and muttered to myself, “Okay. Calm down. Be cheerful. And just fake your way till the end.” That’d been another lesson from Kates, but it hadn’t pertained to vampires. I liked to be adaptable and as I strode out into the cold air, I found I could breathe a little easier. Adam gave me a tentative smile. He moved away from Shelly and stepped close. “Are you okay? You don’t look like you’re up for this tonight. We could always…”
“Double date some other night?”
“It’s not a date or a double date, not for me anyway.” Adam frowned and stepped even closer. The air was cold enough to block his body heat, but I shivered as I imagined myself pressing against him. I felt a flush in my cheeks and ducked my h
ead. I didn’t want him to see how red I was, but I caught a movement from the corner of my eye. Roane shook his head with a flash of scoffing amusement. He made a point of turning his back to me.
My cheeks were aflame now, but not from eager anticipation. I could just… I held my breath and focused hard. I wanted to piss him off, I wanted to… I only knew one way to do it, but I’d just made a