“Don’t,” I said, not sure what I was asking him not to do. Touch me? Stop me from wanting him to?
The firelight flickered across his face, catching the faint lines of restraint there. I could see it, the effort it took for him to keep distance.
“Why are you doing this?” he asked quietly. “You could report me. You should. You’d probably earn back the Guild’s favor.”
“Yeah, well, maybe I don’t want it,” I said.
“Then what do you want?” Simon asked.
I hesitated, because I didn’t know how to answer that. Not really.
The truth slipped out anyway. “I don’t know. Maybe I’m just lonely.”
Did I sound too pathetic? His eyes softened. The space between us felt charged, fragile, like if I moved too suddenly the whole world would tilt.
Simon reached out slowly, giving me every chance to pull away. When his fingers brushed mine, I didn’t. His hand was cool, almost startlingly so, but the contact sent heat flooding through me.
“Kit,” he murmured, voice low enough to barely be a sound.
I didn’t know what to say to that and wished I was better at conversations. Should I tell him that sitting next to him was enough?
The quiet stretched again. Then Simon rose, moving to place the empty cup aside. He stood close enough that I could feel the cool brush of air when he turned back.
“You should go,” he said softly.
“I know,” I answered.
But I didn’t move. His gaze dropped briefly to my mouth before flicking back to my eyes. The restraint in that single motion made my pulse stumble.
“I’ll be fine,” he said, more to convince me than himself.
I nodded, forcing myself to step back. “Text me when you’ve eaten properly again.”
He huffed a soft laugh. “Yes, sir.”
“Smartass,” I grumbled.
When I reached the door, I hesitated and looked back. “Hey, Simon?”
He lifted a brow.
“You’re not imagining it,” I said quietly. “Whatever’s following you, I’ll look into it.”
Something flickered in his eyes. Fear, maybe, or something close to relief. “You don’t have to.”
“I know,” I said. “But I want to. I owe you after all. For saving my life.”
SIMON
I’d gotten used to waiting.
It was one of the few things a vampire could still master after everything else faded. Patience. Time stretched differently when you didn’t need to sleep or breathe.
But that night, waiting felt different. Restless and electric.
I’d already fed earlier, just like Kit kept telling me to.
“Keep your strength up,” he’d said, half a threat, half concern, the way only he could manage.
