I know he’ll hear what I’ve said, but I don’t expect his footsteps to grow closer. Suddenly, a hand appears in front of me as he plucks the last strawberry from the sidewalk with nimble fingers.
He holds it out for me in his palm and punctuates the action with a flat, “Here.”
I take it from him gently, careful not to brush against his skin, but I can still feel the lack of warmth at such close proximity.
“Is this supposed to be an apology?”
He smirks, actual amusement lighting up his stoic features. “It’s the closest you’ll get.” He straightens back to his full height and walks away. Without turning back he says, “You’ve got strawberry juice on your chin, by the way.”
I wipe clumsily around my mouth and curse at him under my breath for making my day just a little bit worse.
Chapter Two
AIDAN
That woman is infuriating.
She’s like an insect in overalls, following me everywhere I go, incessantly buzzing in my ear.
Anyone else in this suburban circus attraction of a town would simply ignore my surly attitude and walk away. But this woman, Joanna, has never ceased to push back against me. She always has to have the last word in every conversation. But not this time.
Though her constant chatter makes me want to rip out my eardrums, it’s hard not to notice she doesn’t fear me like the others. She doesn’t like me, that’s for sure, but she’s not afraid.
I like that.
There are few people in Shadow Hills who have taken the time to talk to me. Being a vampire isn’t like being any other paranormal—we are outcasts among outcasts, a monster other monsters fear. Luckily for me, I did not come to Shadow Hills in search of companionship. It’s only because of the persistence of people like Jamie to include me that I have friends at all. And now, since the incident with his mate, Raegan, almost getting attacked back in the fall, I’ve gotten closer to her as well.
Joanna, however, is a different story. She’s nowhere near as open and receptive as her friends. It’s odd, because when I see them all together, her attitude and demeanor are categorically conflicting—she emits joy and participates in the conversations, but there’s always a small part of her that looks like it’s holding back. I never hear her share much about her own life. I didn’t know she owned a dog rescue until Raegan told me.
But with me, it’s like she desperately wants a sparring partner, and I’m the only one who can keep up. It’s because of this that her quips roll off my back. I am completely unfazed by her irrational loathing. If poking fun at me makes her feel better about herself, she can have at it. It makes no difference to me when her opinion means little to nothing.
I continue my walk as intended, not stopping until I’m inside Double Double. The crowd is unpleasant, but I was unable to make my routine visit this morning due to the meeting I held with Mayor Musthaven about the ribbon cutting ceremony. A few months ago, I donated the remaining funds necessary to restore the walking path in the park. Over the years, the trail developed the usual wear and tear, but after several residents reported tripping over the divots on their walks, something had to be done. Not only did I help out with what was required to fix the path, but I also made sure to allocate funds towards proper lighting and a designated pet area.
The mayor has been so overwhelmingly grateful for my involvement that he wanted to properly honor me. And so, I now have a park in my name: Ward Park.
Marvelous. Whenever I get the itch to offload a chunk of my wealth, typically I put it towards something anonymously. It’s what I did when I purchased the building I live in. Everyone in town assumes I rent the basement apartment below the movie theater, but really, I own the whole thing. It’s not like I’ve purposefully kept it a secret, but it’s been quite an unexpectedsource of entertainment choosing the movies that show each month.
But because I’ve attached my face to the park renovation, I’m now forced to wait in line for my latte, four hours off schedule. Luckily, when it’s me versus a crowded room, most people have no interest in talking to the vampire.
“Hey Aidan!”
Apparently, I was wrong.
Raegan shuffles toward me, the bell above the door chiming softly as another customer enters the shop. She’s wearing a bright, eager expression that matches the vibe of her daisy patterned sweater and sets my teeth on edge. She’s about to ask me something, and I’m almost certain I’m not going to like it.
“Hello,” I greet her cautiously.
She beams up at me, the freckles on her nose more prominent than ever. She’s happier than I’ve ever seen her, and only one thing can be attributed to that. I glance behind the counter, looking for that source, but he’s nowhere to be found.
“You want something,” I say bluntly, keeping my eyes to the front of the store while still acknowledging her.
“Well…” Somehow, she maneuvers me out of the way of other patrons, preventing me from taking my spot in line. “Being Jamie’s bestie,” I cringe at the word, “it was sort of a given you’d be one of the first I’d ask, and since I kinda already signed you up, I was hoping you’d accept the honor of being one of Shadow Hills’ representative singles tonight.”
I frown. “What on earth does any of that mean?”
She holds her breath as she asks, “Will you be a contestant in speed dating?”
“No.”
