Page 31 of What Happened on Roslyn Street?
Not to mention that I’m still in possession of his watch—which I leave in my dorm for safekeeping.
He surprises me. There’s a gentle knock on the door at exactly seven o’clock.
Margaux and I stare at each other with wide eyes.
“It’s time,” she whispers.
“Remember my funeral requests, okay?”
“Anyone who doesn’t wear black is gone, and your mother’s speech is limited to two minutes. I remember.”
“And my father doesn’t get a speech at all.”
“Got it.”
I’m going on a date with Caldwell, except—no, I’m not. I’m only going for information. Nothing else. I inhale deeply, inspecting my reflection in the mirror. I fluff mybob, make sure my bangs are in place, smooth down my skirt…
And I’m gone. I slip out before Margaux can come poking around, and as expected… there’s Caldwell.
My outfit is appropriate, I decide—not that it matters. He doesn’t care what I wear. That would be a green flag if he wasn’t so suspicious.
He’s dressed similarly to me in simple brown slacks, with a patchwork sweater and a brown coat to top it off. It’s the first time I’ve seen him without glasses, and his multicolored eyes are more striking than ever.
I’ve always wondered if the glasses are for decoration. Vampires have enhanced senses, and I think that includes vision. I’ll have to check with Margaux.
He looks at me, and it nearly tricks me into thinking he cares about my appearance, after all. His eyes drag over me, stopping at the thin strip of skin at my midriff… and again at the exposed skin of my thighs. If he’s been looking at me that way, this is the first time I notice.
I swallow as his eyes lift to meet mine, settling onto me with a dark intensity.
“Good evening,” he says. “You look wonderful. I knew you would pick something lovely.” His little smile is back, reflecting subtly in his eyes.
“Yes, well…” I straighten my posture, lifting my chin. “Thank you for the vote of confidence. Where are you taking me?” I’m nervous about the answer, subtly patting the bag at my side. The stake is there. I can’t feel it, but I know it is, and it’s the only comfort I have.
“We’re not going anywhere,” he says, leading the way. “I set something up for us. It’s not far from here.”
We’re not leaving Strode, and that should be a good thing, but it does nothing to put me at ease. Most of the murders happened on campus. At least itisn’t too late into the evening. It’s a small sliver of hope that he may not intend to eat me this time.
I swallow my fears. “We’ll be expected to go inside in two hours,” I point out.
“I know.” He looks at me from the corner of his eye, his lips twitching into a slight smile. “Were you hoping to steal more time with me? I thought two hours would suffice.”
My lips pop open in surprise—prepared to deny his question—but that doesn’t help my mission.
“Maybe so,” I say, attempting to match his mysterious smile.
“We’ll see how the night ends, shall we?” He chuckles—the second time I’ve heard something close to a laugh. “There are other places we could go for alone time…”
“There… are…”
To be perfectly honest, I’m not the best at flirting. Margaux is right—she should have been the one to date Caldwell, goddammit! Apparently, it has to be me, and I have no clue how to deal with it. Damn Margaux for being a vampire. If she had blood of her own, he would probably go after her instead.
The weirdest part is that he doesn’t seem to mind my awkward tendencies. There’s heat behind his gaze as he glances at me—again—and I have to remind myself he’s probably planning his next meal.
I’m nothing special, just your average B+ blood bag, but the date he planned is almost enough to make mefeelspecial.
He set up a picnic—a fucking picnic! The blanket is the typical checkered red picnic blanket. It’s littered with candles, a basket, and a small pile of books. It’s exactly the date I’ve always wanted, though I never told anyone, and…
Caldwell shouldn’t know how to woo me, and he shouldnotbe putting this much effort in! His game is diabolical, and if I don’t watch out, he can become a distraction… or a danger.
