Page 16 of Dryad, Try Again
At one point, I look up from my notes to catch him biting his lip as he highlights a page. His hand is tantalizingly close to mine on the table.I wonder what the freckles on his wrist feel like?My pulse pounds as arousal courses through me. I recall Blake’s comment about me sporting wood, and I frown. So I like spending time with him, so what? I can control my erections, and my literal wood form?I have to.
It’s late by the time we finish studying. Tanner seems so pumped to understand the syllabus and the first few chapters, and he keeps thanking me. His gratitude humbles me and renders my cheeks warm. We’re riding the high of a good study session, so I ask him if he wants late night eats at the dining hall. He agrees since he forgot about dinner, too. I almost squeal atthe prospect of a dinner date with him?I mean, dinnerhangout. Platonically.
After getting food, we snag a corner table far from anyone else. I dip my french frights into ketchup and quirk an eyebrow at him as he stares at his plate. “What’s in a wicked sandwich?” he asks.
He picks up the item in question and opens the buns.
“Bread, lettuce, and the blood of witches,” I reply. Tanner’s eyes bug out, and I snigger. “You keep falling for that. You’re too easy, Tanner.”
“Not cool,” he says, chortling through a pout.
“It is pretty funny, you gotta admit.”
“You’re busting my balls because I’m human.”
“That’s the Creelin way.”
We both laugh and continue to eat. I explain to him that most of our food is identical to human food. He chuckles at my explanations, and I find I enjoy the sound of his happiness. He’s so much like the kid in my memories, but all grown up and sexy now. Our friendship appears to be evergreen, never dying, only changing.
When we finish eating, he follows me as I throw away my tray near the exit.
“So, how come I never saw you around the park as a kid?” he asks.
Oh.Time to bring back the elephant in the room.“Well, uh…as you know, I was homeschooled.”
“I remember. My dad thought you were a figment of my imagination. I don’t know if you being a monster made you more or less believable.”
We both laugh. “Right…”
He steps outside and holds the door for me. I’m not sure where he’s going but I want to follow him. “I was gone for a while. Getting hurt would do that.”
I cringe. “Again, I am so?”
He waves his hand. “No, we’ve moved past that, Kovi, I just…” We stroll and I wait for him to finish his thought. “Months later, I went back to Independence Park. You were never there.”
I freeze in my tracks. In all my years of wondering what Tan’s life would be, I never thought he’d want to see me again. I figured he would despise and fear monsters. But instead, he… “You looked for me?”
He shrugs with his hand in his pockets. Even in the darkness, I can tell he’s blushing. “I um…I guess? You were my friend, or whatever…” He mumbles and scratches his eyebrow. My heart does somersaults. It takes everything in me not to reach out and touch his face. “I thought a witch cursed you or something.”
My smile falls. “Oh.” So he thought I was a victim, too.
He quickly adds, “What I mean is…” He rubs his neck and looks away. “I didn’t understand what happened for a long time. And I just wanted to make sure you were okay.”
I nod and try to take it all in. The past twelve years have been leading up to this conversation, so it’s a momentous occasion. “Well…”
“And clearly you’re fine.” Tanner waves his hand at me. “Better than fine. You grew up to be this big, smart, manly dryad shifter.” He grins and my cheeks burn.
“You grew up to be great, too,” I murmur. We’re silent for a moment, letting our words float between us. It’s just me, Tanner, and the night sky. All these years later, Tanner and I still share our own little world.
“Well, the jury’s still out on whether or not I can pass my classes.” We both snicker and he hoists up his backpack. “But thanks for the study sesh, Kovi. This is my dorm.” He points his thumb behind him toward Poe Hall.
“No problem,” I reply. “Um, I could do this again sometime.”
He nods. “I think I’d like that. Goodnight, Kovi.” I swear I can hear him grinning before he takes off in the night.
I smile as I make my way back to Karloff Hall. Tanner wants to be my friend. Just like all those years ago, an inexplicable bond is fortifying between us. But I can’t jump the gun on this. Whatever we become, I need to be patient; with enough time, the tallest trees can grow from even the smallest of saplings.
8
