“Partly.”
“I’m sorry.”
I shrug.
“Why purple?”
“Mum had a necklace with bright purple beads. She’s wearing it in every photo I have of her. It’s the colour I see whenever I think of her.” Sadness overwhelms me. I’m glad I’m sitting as my legs fall asleep and my head nods.
Stefan waits quietly until my body shudders into wakefulness again. I can’t begin to tell him how grateful I am that he noticed I was struggling and that he didn’t try to carry on the conversation.
“Even though it hurts, it must be good to have those memories of her.”
“It is.” I debate asking him about his mum but decide not to.
“You don’t drink?”
I shake my head. “Alcohol doesn’t mix well with my drugs and worsens my symptoms. If I drink caffeine too close to taking my stimulants, my heart races. I did it once. It was scary. I don’t recommend that combination.”
“Spiders?”
“I was at a sleepover for a friend’s birthday. They stole a horror film from their parents’ DVD collection about spiders. I was what… ten? Maybe eleven? It scared the shit out of me.”
Stefan sips his drink and stares at me thoughtfully. “Do you know what you didn’t tell me?”
“What?”
“Anything about your kinks.”
“Ah, well, that’s something you have to earn.”
He leans a little closer to me. “How do I do that?”
“You can start by telling me something about yourself.”
“What do you want to know?”
I narrow my eyes while smiling. “I just rattled off a bunch of stuff. But okay, why vampire chic?”
He laughs loudly. “Vampire chic?”
“Yes!” I gesture to his clothing. “Don’t get me wrong. It’s a hot look on you, but it’s not exactly everyday wear.”
“It is for me. I got my sense of style from the Dom who trained me. Charles. He also taught me how to play chess.”
There’s a look on Stefan’s face that tells me his relationship with Charles ran deeper than mentor and mentee. I’m not sure if it’s something I should ask about. Perhaps it’s best left for another time when we know each other better. I’d rather not touch a nerve or make Stefan sad.
“Favourite colour?” That’s a safe question that I’m ninety-nine per cent sure I know the answer to.
“Black.”
Yup. I knew the answer. “Favourite food?”
“Sweet and sour chicken.”
I rest my chin on my hand. “And there was me thinking it would be something black.”
“Like?”
