21

I tried to elbow her in the ribs, making her laugh as she sidestepped my blow. It almost distracted me from the fact that Noah’s presence caused crackling energy to snap through the room.

I hadn’t seen him since the stabbing. I remembered dancing with him. How his hands had wandered, and the way he kept trying to steal kisses but would purposely miss my lips until I’d been crazy with the need for him to just do it already. I remembered the taste of his blood as he forced me to drink, and how after the first taste, he hadn’t had to force me at all. And then... nothing.

Crickets.

He’d totally ghosted me.

I mean, we weren’t exactly dating or anything. But I thought maybe we were starting something. He’d made it pretty clear he was interested in me and then completely fell off the face of the earth. Granted, I’d been unconscious, and Caleb had mentioned how he’d told everyone to stay away. Still, I thought Noah might care enough to wonder how I was doing, at the very least.