He smiled again, and his fangs showed this time. “I’ll take it. Tonight anyway.”
By the time Tai arrived, a few minutes past 2:30, everyone but Logan held a drink, and Mackey had relaxed into his usual nonchalance. They were perched on the row of stools, chatting and laughing, telling stories of their week and sharing book and movie recommendations, when Tai’s car pulled in and parked.
Nova paused mid-review of her latest cult documentary. She whispered to Claire, “Can we turn around, or…?”
“Do what you’d do if we were meeting at the penthouse,” Claire said.
“At the penthouse, Tai would already be there,” Logan said.
She rolled her eyes. “Or anywhere else. My place. Your place.”
The door opened, and Tai stepped inside. He was wearing blue jeans and a casual black button-down, the sleeves rolled to mid-forearm, the top two buttons open. He looked as gorgeous as always…and he looked terrified.
Claire forgot her instructions to the rest of them. She slid off her stool and went to him, took both his cold hands and held on tight. “Hi, my love.”
“I’m here,” he said quietly.
“You are. How do you feel?”
He looked past her toward their friends, who remained at the bar, in a row, holding open glasses of the thing he sometimes craved beyond reason. He took a slow breath, then let it out.
“Okay so far,” he said.
“Want to come in?” She gave his left hand a gentle tug. He hadn’t moved from the doorway yet.
“I…I think so, yeah. Hey, y’all.”
“Hey, Tai,” Logan said. Nova waved, and Philippa and Mackey nodded to him, Philippa with a smile.
At the end of the bar, Tai slid onto a stool next to Mackey. “Okay,” he said. “I…yeah, I think it’s okay. I need a minute. Just to sit here. If that’s okay.”
“Whatever you need is okay,” Philippa said.
“Hear, hear,” Nova said.
“Nova, go ahead and finish about your documentary. Everybody ignore me while I try to chill out.”
For the next ten minutes, they did. Claire sat on his other side, the only one unable to ignore her eternal, her shoulders tense as long as his were. Then Mackey took a long drink beside him, and Tai’s entire body went statue-still…but only for a moment. All at once, the tension drained out of him, and he had to brace his arms on the bar as his shoulders caved.
Mackey set down his glass and put a hand on Tai’s shoulder. “Hey, man. Still okay?”
“I should’ve reacted to that. I mean, I would have before. But…nothing. It’s okay. All y’all sipping, open glasses… I can hardly believe it, but no needles, nothing. I’m fine.”
The twins gave a simultaneous cheer.
Tai swiped a hand under his eyes. “Thank you, all of you. I needed this. I didn’t want to ask for it, but Claire said you’d be glad to help.”
“Always,” Philippa said.
Claire blinked as the old flash of future-sight returned to her. This was the day she’d seen months ago. The black button-down, rolled sleeves and his arms resting on the bar, a single lock of hair over one eyebrow, his eyes shining with relief and gratitude and joy. This was it.
She wrapped him in a hug, and their hearts gave a beat together. He kissed her, which made the twins cheer again, which made them all laugh. After a little while, they left the bar and sat around one of the tables, still talking, still laughing, still simplybeingtogether. They shared the scone tray, and two hours in, Tai got his own chilled glass and sipped it, easy and relaxed. The condition that had gripped him so hard the night of their first date, turned his eyes black, stripped him down to thirst and prey drive—she knew it wasn’t gone, would never be. But Peter’s treatment plan worked. Her eternal wasn’t only better; he was thriving.
Their friends stayed until almost six. Soon Claire would have to open back up for the breakfast crowd. Not yet, though. When she and Tai were alone in the bar, they dashed like teenagers to the break room, the first place they’d ever kissed, and there they kissed again. Tai poured his everything into this kiss, even the rawness that had been with him at the beginning of the night and the sweet calm that had washed it away. Claire returned it all, gave him her everything too. Hands and lips, ice and sparks—she held him, kissed him, touched him, felt it all, loved this man more than she’d ever thought she could love anyone. She pressed her lips to the silver scar that bore the exact shape of her bite. Tai met her, matched her, his hands in her hair, his mouth hard on hers, and he kissed her silver scar too.
When daybreak began to seep up the horizon, they stepped outside to watch. Unsatisfied with the view from the ground, they leaped up to the roof and faced east. Downtown streetlights dampened the effect, but the lightening of the sky was stillnoticeable, especially when the paling gray was shot with beams of pink against clouds that threatened rain. Tai wove his fingers through hers, and Claire leaned against his arm, her head on his shoulder.
“Tell me something I don’t know,” he said.
