I continued to listen as we moved through the cafeteria line. Unlike the vampire crypt, the cafeteria had a handful of students downing coffee or doing what Tate and I were about to do, getting our greasy fill.
“Isn’t it so weird to see the professors out of class?” Tate chuckled, ushering me down the line.
My eyes followed his line of vision to the group of studious types sitting around a table, drinking coffee. A familiar blond head sat amongst them. As if feeling my eyes on him, Julian’s head turned, his blue eyes locking on me through his glasses.
Suddenly, I felt guilty. Like I was cheating on him by standing here with Tate. Which was ridiculous since we hadn’t even done anything, and Julian had made it abundantly clear that we weren’t and wouldn’t be anything.
“Coffee?”
“Huh?” I jerked my head back to Tate, then to the cup of coffee in his hands. “Yes, please.” I took the cup with a grateful smile.
“How are your classes going?” Tate placed a plate of greasy fried eggs on my tray. Then, without asking, he added a pile of bacon on the side and a large glass of orange juice.
I stared down at the tray, surprised by his choices.
“Sorry.” Tate dipped his head with a grin, “It’s my go-to hangover cure. Grease and vitamin C. And I figured you probably didn’t have one of your own.”
My brows furrowed. “What’s that supposed to mean?”
Tate and I shifted down the line, paying for our food before finding an empty table.
“No offense,” he sat sideways on the bench so he could face me, “but you don’t seem the type to have needed a hangover cure before.”
I ducked my head and focused on my food. “That obvious, huh?”
“It’s cute.” Tate tipped my face so I looked up at him. “It almost makes you innocent, you know? Sans being blood bonded to a vampire.”
Busying myself with putting cream and sugar in my coffee, I tried not to let his words bother me.
Innocent. Tate saw me as someone innocent because I’d never had a hangover. If he knew that I spent most of my nights hunting down his kind and other supernaturals, many times coming home covered in blood, would he still see me as innocent?
“Hey.” Tate bumped his head against my shoulder. “I didn’t mean anything by it. Just ignore me. I sometimes say things without thinking them through.”
I gave a tight smile. “No, it’s fine.” I shoved bacon in my mouth and instantly perked up. Nothing in this world could not be solved with bacon.
We ate our food quietly after that. Between Tate shooting puppy dog eyes my way every few bites and Julian’s eyes boring holes in my back, I was surprised I could keep anything down. When I was about to give up and leave, Xinyi appeared with a dramatic groan.
“Coffee, give me coffee.” She reached across the table and stole my cup. She downed half of it before gagging. “Ugh, fuck. How about some coffee with your sugar, Jack?”
I took the cup from her and pursed my lips. “Then get your own.”
“But I don’t wanna,” Xinyi whined.
“Here.” Tate pushed his cup toward her. “It’s black, promise.”
“You’re my favorite.” Xinyi snatched the cup up. After a few swallows, she peered between the two of us with a sly grin. “You two were awfully cozy last night.”
A sideways look at Tate made my skin heat. Suddenly, I wasn’t hungry anymore. I pushed away from the table, taking my tray with me. I brushed past Julian’s table on the way, and his eyes followed me as I dumped my tray and left.
I kept walking, focused on getting to the library and not on the strange feelings swirling in my stomach. Feet thudded behind me. I shot a look over my shoulder to see Tate trailing after me. Our eyes locked, and something low tightened.
His nostrils flared, but his steps didn’t quicken.
My hands pushed the library door open. The librarian, a gentleman in his late forties, glanced up from his computer before ignoring me.
I found an empty table and sat my bag down, pulling my History of Vampirism book out.
I felt him before I saw him. His presence pressed in around me. His fingers brushed my shoulder, sending a shudder through me as he sat next to me at the table.
