Page 48 of Blood and Buttercups

I follow him, finding it difficult to catch my breath.

“Lock your doors,” he says as he heads to his SUV.

I nod stupidly.

He pauses before he gets in, turning toward me. “Night, Piper.”

I lift my hand. “Night, Noah.”

A smile flickers across his face, and then he’s driving away.

He’s only been gone for a few seconds when I almost call him and ask him to come back…and then I realize I still don’t have his phone number.

I’m barely back in my house when my phone vibrates with a text.

Montgomery: Have you taken your prescription yet?

I groan, letting my head fall back. Dragging my feet, I head into the kitchen and pull one of the bottles out of the fridge.

“It’s not real blood,” I tell myself.

Montgomery: If you’re having trouble getting it down, try adding it to a smoothie.

“Seriously?” I ask my phone. Then I sigh, plopping onto a barstool.

Piper: Okay, thanks.

I stare at the bottle and then take it back to the fridge. Then I go upstairs to get ready for bed.

For the secondmorning in a row, I wake up to a text. But if I thought talking to Montgomery filled me with dread, it was nothing compared to this.

Bleary-eyed, I blink at my phone screen, a shot of adrenaline coursing through my veins when I see Ethan’s name.

Ethan: I saw you last night, but it looked like you were with your conservator. I hope NIHA doesn’t give you too much trouble. They usually stay close for a few months, and then they’ll give you some breathing room. I need to keep my distance while they’re hanging around, but I’m here if you need me.

Ethan: You looked pretty, by the way.

Crap. Crap. Crap.

Panic is like an elephant on my chest. My knee-jerk reaction is to call Noah, but I can’t.

When another text comes in, I start to tremble.

Ethan: I know I said I’d give you space, and I will. But I don’t want you to think I’ve forgotten about you. I am still most devotedly yours.

What do I do?

I rack my brain and then finally make a decision.

Piper: What do I do if the vampire who infected me tries to get in touch?

I sit up, my legs shaking under the comforter as I wait for my conservator’s text.

Almost immediately, my phone buzzes.

Montgomery: Do not answer. We’ll get you a new phone number.

Piper: Okay.

---