Chapter 7

I thanked the Lord above that Jessica and James were both still fully dressed. They had just stopped kissing and James was looking over Jessica’s shoulder at Rowan.

Rowan shared a puzzled expression. That definitely threw a wet blanket on the nice moment we were having.

“Dios Mio, Jessica! What did I say about boys in our dorm?” I exclaimed.

Jessica looked at me and then looked behind me at Rowan. “Uh-huh. You’re one to talk.”

“He was just walking me home,” I put my hands up in defense.

“That’s how it always starts. Good for you, Astrid.”

I didn’t think my face could have gotten any redder, but it did. “Jessica!”

Rowan cleared his throat and asked James, “What are you doing here?”

“Exactly what it looks like. What are you doing here?” James countered.

The completely silent pause spoke for itself.

Jessica proceeded to get up off the bed, brush down the wrinkles on her shirt and said, “Well, this is now thoroughly awkward, so I’m going to just kick you out.”

James nodded and got up. “Probably for the best.” He passed me in the doorframe and said, “Come on, let’s go Rowan.”

They started to leave, and I turned to call after him. “Hey, Rowan.” He paused and caught my gaze again. “Thanks.”

A small smile curved his lips and he replied, “Anytime.”

James was giving Rowan a weird look. Jessica peeked out the door and waved at James. Then, she grabbed my arm and pulled me right inside our room, and shut the door. She looked me right in the eye.

“What was that?” Jessica asked.

I shrugged; my cheeks still cast in a red hue. “What?”

Jessica mocked me. “Thanks.” She put her hands on her hips. “Was that flirting?”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” I replied as nonchalantly as I could.

Jessica gasped. “You were! I thought you hated him.”

I bit my lip and explained. “Well, he apologized to me the other night and today he walked me back. There’s not much to it.”

“Why are you getting back so late anyways?”

I started to change into some pajamas. “Stop giving me the third degree. There’s this new bi*ch in my culinary basics class and I stayed behind to help the TA out so I wouldn’t have to see her stupid face longer than I had to.”

“Wow, you move on to another enemy pretty fast. Maybe give yourself some time to mourn the last one first,” Jessica teased.

I rolled my eyes. “Shut up. What was James doing here anyways? Hmm?”

Jessica laughed. “Come on, you know I don’t get embarrassed like you.” She reached over to pinch my cheek and said, “When I see something I like, I go after it. I’m not ashamed. I’m don’t play games.”

“So, you like James?” I asked, knowing that would press her buttons.

She made this noise between a scoff and a snort, like she was offended. “Like is a strong word.”

“Is it really?” I raised my eyebrows at her, stepping over to my dresser to comb some of my curls.

Jessica huffed. “I’m supposed to be interrogating you!”

“So, you do like him?”

“This is just some fun. I don’t do relationships,” Jessica said.

“Does he know that?” I asked seriously.

Jessica was quiet for a moment. I could see emotions play across her face and she pressed her hand across her mouth. “Oh, no.”

“He seems nice, Jessica. Don’t play with him like that.”

Jessica nodded. “Estas bien. I should call him tomorrow. What about you? Do you like Rowan?”

The mere mention of his name sent fire up to my face again and I chewed on my lower lip for a moment. “Still too early to tell.”

*****

Rowan seemed deep in thought as both he and James walked back to their apartment. James was giving him a side eye. James waited until they were outside to say anything.

“You seem better. Don’t want to kill her anymore?” James asked seriously.

Rowan glanced at him. “It’s easier. Now that I can expect how I’m going to feel, I can control it.” It was true. He had tightened the reigns on his restraint, and it made it much easier to be around Astrid. The scent of honeysuckles and lavender still surrounded her, but instead of being painful, her scent started to become enjoyable.

However, when she swept her mass of curls to the side to reveal her tender throat, Rowan found himself tightening the restraint even further to the extent of pain. Rowan frowned.

“Claude came to visit me after my lecture,” Rowan started.

James froze. “What happened?”

Rowan sighed. “What always happens. We fight. We argue. Then Astrid showed up.”

“Oh no. That’s not good.”

“No, it’s not. I know for a fact that he got a whiff of her, because I did just before she told him to get off campus,” Rowan recalled.

James snorted. “Wait, Astrid, the shy one, told Claude, your creepy brother to get lost? I wish I could’ve seen his face.”

Rowan didn’t find it very funny. “It’s not funny, James.”

James held up in hands in defense. “I know it isn’t but considering how many times that SOB has tried to murder me, let me enjoy this.”

Rowan was quiet again, thinking back at how Astrid seemed sincerely fascinated in his interests. Maybe she would be interested in hearing about his thesis? No. She was just being polite. Sincere or not, it was nice to talk about something he liked when his family shot him down all the time.

“Claude will be back,” James mused. “If there’s anything he hates more than you, it’s a human that defied him.”

He knew James was right. “She’ll be safe in her dorm and during the day.”

“She won’t be safe at Jessica’s party, though,” James pointed out. “I can only do so much, besides, you know that Claude’s favorite flavor is drunk college girl.”

Rowan sucked on his front teeth. He hadn’t even really considered going, not yet. Now it appears as if there was really no choice. It made his mouth dry to think about Claude taking advantage of a drunk, vulnerable Astrid.

He imagined that she would have an intoxicated flush across her cheeks, curly hair let down and wild. Maybe pulled to one side to reveal her tender, soft throat. The mouthwatering scent of honeysuckles. Her big brown eyes behind those cute glasses. Rowan felt his skin prickle as goosebumps raised each hair on end.

Oh no.

He cleared his throat loudly and tried to scrub that image from his mind. James looked over at him, noticing his tense silence. “What are you thinking about?”

“Just thinking about how to keep Claude away,” he lied.

James accepted that answer. His phone dinged. It was Jessica.

Can we talk tomorrow?

Rowan noticed James’s face fall for a moment. “What is it?”

“Jessica wants to talk.”

“Oh.” Rowan concurred as a meaningful addition to the conversation.

James sighed and tucked his phone away. He noticed Rowan staring at him. “It was fun while it lasted.”

Rowan tilted his head to the side, confused at the nonchalant comment.

“I wasn’t looking for anything serious anyways. I’m more bothered that she won’t want to be friends anymore,” James admitted.

“I’m surprised to hear you say that.”

James shrugged. “Sex is sex. I can usually find someone that wants to have sex with me. Friendships mean more. I like Jessica.”

Rowan tried to be supportive, but it came off as indifferent. “No point in worrying about it before tomorrow.”

James knew that Rowan was right, so he put it out of his mind. “Do you mind if we stop by that burger place on campus? Should still be open.”

Rowan shrugged. “Sure. It’s not like I sleep anyways.”

As Rowan watched James fulfill his human hunger, it looked so easy. Rowan was always hungry, always thinking about the next time he can sink his teeth into something. Claude was right about one thing. Live feeds sustain better, but Rowan hasn’t fed directly from a human in decades.

He thought that blood bags would sustain him enough, but one look at Astrid was proof that he was a ticking time bomb. Even though Rowan was sticking around to keep Claude away from an innocent woman, he didn’t think he would want to stay away from her even if he had the choice.