Page 187 of Vampires of Eden
His face warms. “????,???????.”
If you like it, I’ll speak it if you want me to.I kiss the side of his face and hug him tighter. “I can’t learn Spanish. I’ve tried, but I’m shit with new languages. I understand it fluently, though.”
“You don’t need to speak Spanish. We have two languages between us. That’s more than enough.” We relax into the peaceful moment, allowing our shared natures to silently nestle into one another like a couple of sleepy kittens. The sensation is deeply comforting but strange. New and wonderful.
His phone buzzes.
I open my eyes and glance down. Another text from Raphael. “You should call your father.”
Alexander sighs. “I don’t want to speak to him right now.”
“Would you be willing to listen? If I call and put him on speaker? I’ll talk if you don’t want to.” Not too long ago, there was a pivotal moment where I didn’t want to talk to Ansväd Kendrick. I was adamant about it, but Alexander convinced me otherwise.
Looking back, it was a kind of crossroads for me andour relationship. I feel that same certainty now, except Alexander is the one who needs encouraging.
He turns his head within our embrace. “You’ve been talking enough.”
“My voice is getting stronger, though.”
“Don’t overdo it. Let’s call him later today. We both need a shower and I just… want to be with you for a while. That’s all.”
Understanding, I kiss his temple. “Later today. I’ll text Raphael and let him know.”
Alexander stands from the bed and moves toward his suitcase. “Do you… want to shower? Should I help?”
“Yes, please,” I say, switching and using my own phone to send Raphael a text to let him know we’ll call Ansväd later. The reply comes almost immediately.
[Thanks, Danny. Are you alright??]
[Alexander hasn’t responded to anyone since he left Central.]
As I send a message letting him know I’m okay, Alexander’s phone flashes beside me, pulling at my attention. The newest notification is yet another text from this vampire Sebastian.
Unable to stifle my curiosity, I change to Alexander’s mobile, tap in the code, then navigate to the messages and take a deep breath as I look through Sebastian’s thread.
[Leksey! Is this article for real??]
[Is THIS what you’ve been hiding??]
[Are you seriously in a relationship with a first-gen?]
[This is a joke, right? This is not real. This is not happening.]
[Why aren’t you responding? Nadya is messaging you in the group chat.]
[Ashwin too, but ignore her.]
[Leksey! Respond already!!!]
[Are you mad? Is that why you’re not saying anything?]
[Listen… what I said at that party about the first-gen server…]
[Okay, well, it makes sense now. Why you got so upset about that comment.]
[I’m sorry, okay?? I was in a shit mood that night! I don’t really… well…]
[This is weird!! And complicated! Can we talk it through, please?]
