Page 20 of In His Veins

It’s something I’ve been thinking about from the moment I left that alley. Yes, it was terrifying to receive a finger as a gift, but he’s the same person who has taken away my biggest fear. I feel like I can breathe easily for the first time in nearly a decade.

“I can’t. I won’t. He saved me, even if the other stuff is really weird.”

“I get that. I’ll keep your secret too, as long as you promise you’ll at least tell me if he makes another move, okay?” That seems pretty fair, so I agree.

“Sorry about our brunch plans. Rain check?” There’s shuffling on the other end of the call.

“Yeah, well, some things are more important I suppose. And sure, although you could make it up to me by going out with me tonight. It’s margarita night at Rafters and I need tequila after the last few days.” I’m surprised that I don’t feel any sort of reluctance. If anything, I feel an odd kind of freedom.

“Actually, yeah. I’d love to go.”

* * *

Rafters is as overwhelming as I remember it, but every time I see a tall blond man, I only see a tall blond man. Relaxing into the crowd of dancers, I keep dancing, even when I lose track of Paige. Hands are on me and my eyes close as I sway into the touch.

Eventually making my way to the bar, I find Paige chugging a margarita. She lifts her drink in a salute when she sees me.

“It’s good to see you like that,” she says before taking a few ice cubes in her mouth and biting down.

“Chase is right, you know.” Paige looks as if she hasn’t heard me, but I notice the way her head subtly tilts in my direction. “I used to be a homebody before I met you.” She smirks and gestures for the bartender’s attention.

“Wrong. You were boring before you met me.” I pretend to be wounded, but it’s kind of true.

There were so many things I had always wanted to do, and Paige gave me a lot of courage to actually try them. She may have been the one to convince me to get a tattoo when I was drunk, but she was the same person who convinced me to study art in college, even if it was impractical. Chase can say whatever he wants about Paige Hawthorne, but she brings out the best in people, and that’s a hill I’d die on any day.

“That’s fair, but I’m feeling very un-boring tonight.” I grin at her, and she rolls her eyes.

“To your credit, you look ‘very un-boring.’” Her compliment thrills me and makes me feel even more confident. Paige is the kind of person who won’t give you a compliment unless she really means it. From personal experience, her blunt honesty can hurt sometimes, but it makes her praise mean more. I also stole the dress out of Paige’s closet, so she may be complimenting herself more than me, but I’m determined to take the win.

“Come dance with me. You’ve been at the bar all night.” I tug on her hand, but she doesn’t budge. She chuckles and takes an elegant sip of her drink.

“Oh, how the roles have reversed. I’m just fine here, thanks. I came for margaritas, and I’ll be damned if I walk out of here without more tequila than water in my body.” I steal a few quick gulps of her drink as she sets it down. The tequila burns my throat on the way down and I cough.

“Jesus Christ, how many shots do they put in their drinks?” She looks slyly at the bartender, but doesn’t respond. “Let me guess,” I say sarcastically, “He owes you a favor?” She salutes me again and takes another sip.

“Seriously, how do you do it? Even if I wanted to take someone home, I don’t even know how to start that interaction.” A group of people bump into me from behind, causing me to tip toward Paige, breathing in her jasmine and incense scent. She steadies me as someone’s drink spills on the floor.

“If I tell you what to do, would you actually do it? If I could guarantee my

advice would work?” Her tone is serious, and I consider it. I’m just the right amount of buzzed and still feel so free after hearing the news about Eliott that I think I could really do it. She seems to accept my nod.

“You have to stay alert and watch everyone’s body language. Everything you need to know is in the tilt of their head, the curve of their shoulders, the swing of their hips. For example, that guy over there,” she says, nodding across the room, “has been looking for a chance to dance with you all night, but you have to keep your eyes open.”

“Thank you for your sage advice.” I can’t keep a straight face and she shoves me.

“Laugh all you want, but if you ask that guy to go home with you, I guarantee he’ll say yes.” My humor fades and I reassess the man across the room. He’s tall and blond, making me uneasy but I try to ignore it. His hair is cropped close to his skull and he has on loose ripped jeans and a baggy t-shirt. He catches my eye and lifts his hand in a small wave. I look back at Paige.

“You swear this will work?” She raises an eyebrow.

“As long as you don’t go over there and say something fucking stupid, you’ll be fine.” I roll my eyes and steal a few more gulps of Paige’s drink before prowling towards the man. His eyes are hooded as he watches me approach and I feel a flutter low in my belly. His jaw and cheekbones are defined, and despite his baggy clothes, I can tell he’s in the gym daily. He bends low to speak in my ear.

“My name’s Nathan.”

“Ava,” I try to say over the pounding music.

“Wanna dance?” His hands are in his pockets when he asks, but after I nod, he holds my waist and guides us through the music. He runs his hands along my body as I do the same.

By the fourth or fifth song, I realize that I don’t know anything about him except for the fact that I want him in my bed. I don’t know what’s come over me, except that I feel so free and so very alive.

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