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“So… Lukas says he can feel me, hear my heartbeat, things like that.”
“Yeah, he mentioned it before when Mera and I spoke to him while you were sleeping the other day after we stayed over at Aiden’s,” Riley said.
“He told you about what happened then…”
“Yeah, well,” Riley glanced over at Aiden. “He told us how he could feel how you responded to Aiden.”
Blaire blushed, not meeting Aiden’s eyes. “Yeah…”
She felt thankful Lukas hadn’t spilled everything that happened at the movies or in the bedroom before she slept, even if it was embarrassing for Aiden to hear she had responded to him when she did her best to hide it in the moment.
“Well, the thing is, I’m starting to sense his feelings, too. I can’t hear his heartbeat or anything like that, but whenever his emotions are strong, I feel it. It messes with my head. Like today, he was in so much turmoil from the moment we got to class. He was upset, and then angry. All I wanted to do was to make it better. It was like my body was screaming at me to fix it for him.”
“Shit, Blaire,” Aiden said.
Riley stared at her with her mouth open.
“What? What’s wrong?”
“Something is really pushing your bond together, and if you two aren’t doing anything more than what we know and have seen, then something weird is going on,” Riley said. “Mera said without a strong emotional connection, there has to be physical intimacy for that to happen.”
“But… other than kiss me, and put his arms around me, we haven’t done anything for real,” Blaire mumbled.
Aiden raised a brow. “What do you mean ‘for real’?”
“I mean, other than… dreams.” Blaire’s face warmed, and she looked at the floor. Thankfully, Aiden didn’t ask her to elaborate. He was a smart guy; he should be able to put two and two together, and judging by the sigh he let out, he did.
“This is intense. Something weird is definitely going on,” Riley said.
“Yeah, but we don’t have time to look too deep into it. We’re already late for class…” Aiden pointed at the clock on the wall.
“Shit!” Riley took off running down the hall.
Aiden chuckled. “So much for helping you get to your next class.”
“I’ll be fine. I said I was better.”
“Yeah, no. I’m not hearing it. Let me walk with you?”
Blaire looked down. She wasn’t going to argue with him. She had probably hurt him with some of the things she said, even if it was honesty. Leading someone on didn’t sit right with her. Hurting someone didn’t either, but if it must happen to maintain honesty and friendship, then so be it. “Fine.”
Aiden picked up her backpack from the floor and put his hand on her back as he guided her down the hallway in silence.
25
CONCERN
Everyone sat waiting at the table in the cafeteria’s corner that had become their regular spot as Riley and Blaire walked up, carrying their trays.
Blaire managed to get two portions of teriyaki chicken with her vegetables and soba noodles when Riley told the lady in the line Blaire hadn’t eaten in two days. The woman looked appalled and scolded Blaire, telling her that around here that just won’t do, and she wouldn’t be doing her job if her students weren’t well fed. She said humans needed to keep their strength up. Blaire cringed at the implication of those words, thinking back on the shared blood conversation from earlier.
“Hey, everyone!” Riley said cheerfully, plopping down in the seat between Seth and Mera across the table from Lukas. She immediately stuck a straw into her blood packet and began to drink.
“I just don’t get it…” Blaire said, pausing in front of the table and staring at Riley with a pinched expression. She chewed the inside of her cheek.
“Get what?” Kai asked, as he cut the noodles on his plate into smaller bites.
“You realize you’re drinking someone’s blood? A human?” She sat her tray down at the only empty spot left.
