I’m not trying to pressure you.”
Maybe he wasn’t, but I sort of felt pressured anyway. “No, it’s okay.”
I sipped it slowly. I have to admit, the little rebellion felt fun.
While the boy sneetches were all proving to be friendlier than I had given them credit for, the girls at Hootenany’s remained aloof and snobby, sending me barely concealed looks of annoyance. Well, too bad. I was enjoying myself and I really didn’t care whether they liked it or not.
After another lemonade, more boys squished into the round booth. They were all so genuinely curious, asking me so many questions about everything but my disappearance, the time seemed to fly. They wanted to know my favorite sports, colors, food, and then one asked what was it that made girls go crazy for Haden Black.
A hush fell over the table as they all leaned in, eager to hear my wisdom. I thought for a moment before I spoke. “He’s handsome. And charming. As are all of you, of course,” I said, trying to be diplomatic.
Each boy smiled, a light pink tingeing his cheeks. And then they wanted more from me, shouldering each other aside to hear me better. I wasn’t used to all the rapt attention. I tipped back my glass to give myself more time, and more liquid courage, and then coughed, as the content in the bottom of my glass was far more potent than the rest of the lemonade had been.
“But seriously,” Pete said, leaning closer, patting my back. “What’s his secret?”
“His secret?” I repeated, again stalling for time. I couldn’t tell them that Haden had the Lure, a special demon trait he was born with that made him attractive to humans. And even that wasn’t what had drawn me to him—the Lure actually repelled me from the start. I’d always been immune to his demon power . . . so what was it that had made me fall so hard so fast?
From our first meeting, Haden had unsettled me—no, he’d awakened me. He was exciting and dangerous, but at the same time protective and chivalrous. The desire between us grew more every day, and it was a robust and vital thing that often seemed to take on a life of its own. But to me, Haden was so much more than the way he looked or the way he charmed and seduced. He was vulnerable in ways that most people never saw; he’d been the loneliest person I’d ever met.
We’d known instantly that despite our many differences, we shared a sameness as well.
“C’mon, Theia, don’t hold out on us. . . . What’s Haden Black’s secret?” another boy asked.
“It’s . . . a mystery,” I answered.
Pete rolled his eyes. “At least tell us where he gets his cologne. Because I think even the Old Spice Guy would switch if he heard how the girls went on and on about how good he smells.”
“It’s not Axe,” one boy offered.
“No shit,” another answered.
“I heard he gets it from France.”
As they continued to argue about what the girls at school possibly saw in Haden, I began to feel a little lost. I hated the way Haden and I had left things. I missed him. Even worse, I felt awful that I had suspected him of being capable of draining Brittany’s essence. Of course he would never do that. He’d already told me he didn’t need to feed to survive. I’d let my jealousy get the best of me. I obviously needed to get a better handle on my emotions.
As I sat there, thinking about him, I began to really miss him. I wanted him. A new need clawed its way to the surface. I was done waiting. What exactly had I been waiting for anyway? We loved each other and it was time to take the next step in our relationship. Emboldened further by my spiked drink, I decided to do something about it.
I declined another “refresh” of my drink, but it took a while to get out of the restaurant. I got stopped several times on my way to the door with offers of rides home, a few welcome backs, and two boys who wanted me to watch them arm-wrestle. Honestly, they made me feel like I was some kind of celebrity or
Maybe he wasn’t, but I sort of felt pressured anyway. “No, it’s okay.”
I sipped it slowly. I have to admit, the little rebellion felt fun.
While the boy sneetches were all proving to be friendlier than I had given them credit for, the girls at Hootenany’s remained aloof and snobby, sending me barely concealed looks of annoyance. Well, too bad. I was enjoying myself and I really didn’t care whether they liked it or not.
After another lemonade, more boys squished into the round booth. They were all so genuinely curious, asking me so many questions about everything but my disappearance, the time seemed to fly. They wanted to know my favorite sports, colors, food, and then one asked what was it that made girls go crazy for Haden Black.
A hush fell over the table as they all leaned in, eager to hear my wisdom. I thought for a moment before I spoke. “He’s handsome. And charming. As are all of you, of course,” I said, trying to be diplomatic.
Each boy smiled, a light pink tingeing his cheeks. And then they wanted more from me, shouldering each other aside to hear me better. I wasn’t used to all the rapt attention. I tipped back my glass to give myself more time, and more liquid courage, and then coughed, as the content in the bottom of my glass was far more potent than the rest of the lemonade had been.
“But seriously,” Pete said, leaning closer, patting my back. “What’s his secret?”
“His secret?” I repeated, again stalling for time. I couldn’t tell them that Haden had the Lure, a special demon trait he was born with that made him attractive to humans. And even that wasn’t what had drawn me to him—the Lure actually repelled me from the start. I’d always been immune to his demon power . . . so what was it that had made me fall so hard so fast?
From our first meeting, Haden had unsettled me—no, he’d awakened me. He was exciting and dangerous, but at the same time protective and chivalrous. The desire between us grew more every day, and it was a robust and vital thing that often seemed to take on a life of its own. But to me, Haden was so much more than the way he looked or the way he charmed and seduced. He was vulnerable in ways that most people never saw; he’d been the loneliest person I’d ever met.
We’d known instantly that despite our many differences, we shared a sameness as well.
“C’mon, Theia, don’t hold out on us. . . . What’s Haden Black’s secret?” another boy asked.
“It’s . . . a mystery,” I answered.
Pete rolled his eyes. “At least tell us where he gets his cologne. Because I think even the Old Spice Guy would switch if he heard how the girls went on and on about how good he smells.”
“It’s not Axe,” one boy offered.
“No shit,” another answered.
“I heard he gets it from France.”
As they continued to argue about what the girls at school possibly saw in Haden, I began to feel a little lost. I hated the way Haden and I had left things. I missed him. Even worse, I felt awful that I had suspected him of being capable of draining Brittany’s essence. Of course he would never do that. He’d already told me he didn’t need to feed to survive. I’d let my jealousy get the best of me. I obviously needed to get a better handle on my emotions.
As I sat there, thinking about him, I began to really miss him. I wanted him. A new need clawed its way to the surface. I was done waiting. What exactly had I been waiting for anyway? We loved each other and it was time to take the next step in our relationship. Emboldened further by my spiked drink, I decided to do something about it.
I declined another “refresh” of my drink, but it took a while to get out of the restaurant. I got stopped several times on my way to the door with offers of rides home, a few welcome backs, and two boys who wanted me to watch them arm-wrestle. Honestly, they made me feel like I was some kind of celebrity or
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