Page 8 of This Blood That Binds Us
I didn’t give it another thought as I fought my way into the crowded hallway. I lifted on tiptoes to see ahead. It couldn’t have been more than thirty seconds. He was gone, and I was lost in the bustle of backpacks and tired faces, breathless.
Sparing only a moment for the frustration, I went to work on how to find him again. I could wait till next week to find him after the classroom, but that was days away.
I made my way to the large window at the end of the hall that overlooked the courtyard. Thick walls of black-and-white stone stood like mountains, contrasting with the bright greengrass below. It was more populated than usual. Finals were coming up, with the end of the spring semester drawing near. Everything was lush green, and the campus bloomed vibrance.
Black Forest University was an old college, which meant a lot of money went into preserving its rich history that was embedded in the gray stone and large window panes. Students ducked in and out of the stone archways at the edge of the garden, their books pressed firmly to their chests. Jaws clenched and heads down. The campus’s undeniable warmth made me want to spend hours outside watching the breeze blow through the trees.
I contemplated where my vampire would go. Our campus was moderately big. Lots of common areas. Plenty of different classes he could be in. How could I ever find him? The clock tower above chimed, and I looked at the ceiling. It was muffled, but my fingertips vibrated standing directly under it.
I strained my eyes toward the common area across the yard that led to the cafeteria, and whether with sheer luck or fate, I saw him. He was still walking with the same group as before. Even with just a peripheral view, I was positive it was him from of the shiver that ran up my spine. He was real. I wasn’t crazy.
Every movement looked so normal. The way his backpack slung across his shoulder, the way he had a skip in his step to his walk. He looked like a regular college boy. Soon, he disappeared around a corner but not before I caught a glimpse of his smile. A smile like that was going to haunt me for more than one reason.
I had to get away. I wanted to run. To do something about the utterly disastrous and dangerous path my life had taken. But I had Biology labs at four. So, I’d needed to reschedule my mental collapse until after finals.
Instead, I opted for the next best thing, running on the treadmill. It gave my fight-or-flight response, the sedation it needed to get me through the day. Doctor’s orders were for me to take it easy but walking just wasn’t cutting it. Within the following days, I’d done nothing but go to class, then run right back to my room. I spent hours and hours combing the internet for anything I could find concerning vampires or strange sightings, and the closest thing I could find were online forums where people pretended to be vampires. Cool but not what I was looking for.
I hadn’t seen the guy aka the Maybe Vampire Psychopath since that time in the hallway, but it was all I could think about. I couldn’t get through the day without ibuprofen and noting all the emergency exits.
It was taking over my life. Every waking second, I wondered and waited. Any second, he could show up again, and what would I do?
My mind went wild with different scenarios. I could turn him into the police. That option seemed like the safest, but it left me with one problem. What the heck was I going to do about my shoulder? The antibiotics weren’t working. I could try to confront him, but that was the most dangerous option of all. Whoever he was, he attacked me. I couldn’t trust him to tell me any form of the truth. There were too many variables, and even after writing every way it could play out in my notepad, I couldn’t reach a decision.
My calves ached, and I glanced at the little dashboard displaying my run time. Three miles in thirty minutes. Crap. I did the same in twenty-four last week. I smacked the big red button, and my wobbly legs came tumbling to a halt. Still drawing in short breaths, I grabbed my water bottle and brought it to my lips. Empty. Strange. I thought I filled it back up aftermy warm-up earlier. I added that to the list of the things I wasn’t doing at my usual rate of perfection.
I left the long aisles of treadmills and headed for the water fountain. A largely built man dripping in sweat blocked my path, and I stopped just short of ramming into him and falling into a rack of dumbbells. I expected him to say sorry—or anything—but he didn’t. He stared at me with lifeless eyes, the muscles in his face completely relaxed. With annoyance and a strange sense of bubbling anxiety, I went to wait in the short line for the fountain, where only one guy stood ahead of me.
“Kimberly?”
My eyes shot up, and I was met by a non-stranger. “William?”
William’s cologne hit me first. It was a soft punch that reminded me of rich men golfing at the country club. One of my foster dads loved golfing, and I’d tag along. He didn’t look fancy, though. Standard board shorts and a loose-fitting Black Forest University swim shirt that looked one size too small. With his light complexion, he didn’t look like he got much sun. If ever.
“You were supposed to act like this was the first time we met, remember?” He was all smiles as he looked me up and down. “Here, let me get that for you.”
He held his hand out graciously for my bottled water, and I obliged despite my sweaty hands.
“Thanks. Did you just get here?”
Not an ounce of sweat gleamed on him.
I tried to wipe mine from my forehead casually.
“Yeah, I’m about to head to practice.” He motioned toward the big glass doors that led toward the campus pools. Our gym was the most modern-looking building on my campus, equipped with skylights, a new indoor track, and a swimming pool. My guess was that it was a recent build. How the alumni were ever able to survive college without a gym, I couldn’t comprehend.
“I’m training for a marathon,” I carelessly admitted. “It’s over in Big Sur.”
“Damn. That’s impressive.” His dark irises dug into mine, pools of dark ink and chocolate.
“It’s just running.” I grabbed my water bottle, breaking contact. “Just something I like to do in my free time.”
“It’s definitely an accomplishment, considering most college students won’t even get up to get the remote to change the channel.” He smirked.
I shrugged. “Eh, I do that, too. But thank you ...”
“You seem to be in a much better mood today,” he said, moving our conversation from the water fountain. The gym was surprisingly busy for the early morning.
“I am.” I lied. My line of sight went toward the front doors. Thankfully, they were sparkly clean and clear so you could see someone coming from down the street. “You caught me on a strange day.”
