Page 25 of For Dear Life

“We hope Dorian finds something.”

“And hope he doesn’t discover you never gave him the phone.”

Violet smiles sweetly. “Dorian has a long-standing reputation: he operates by his own rules and only selectively shares information. I am his daughter.”

“Violet...”

“Again, he’ll trample over everything and scare the perpetrator—or perpetrators—and make my investigation harder.” She straightens her blazer sleeves. “Holly first.”

“Promise me one thing, Violet.”

“Promises aren’t my forte, but go ahead.”

“Don’t tell Dorian I knew about the phone.”

Violet’s pause before answering flips my stomach. Surely not too big a promise? “I have everything in hand, Rowan.”

If only.

“Alright.”

Violet continues to study my face, and I’m unnerved by the intensity in her eyes. Not as unnerved as I am when she leans closer until her face almost touches mine, her hair fresh with a familiar fragrance.

“I’m glad that hasn’t changed,” she says and pulls away.

“What?” I ask, one tiny step away from tugging her plump, pouty lip with my teeth and kissing her. Properly.

“I don’t have a new desperate desire for your blood since I died. Fortunately. One barely controllable urge around Grayson is enough to deal with.”

“Right.” Her lips still close. Temptation staying.

“Therefore, my attraction to you must be for different reasons.”

Her what? My reverie breaks. Any sensible guy would take advantage of the moment, but any sensible guy around Violet knows not to. I delve into my head for a response, but my thoughts and voice are missing.

“I’m going to find Holly.” Violet hesitates and drops her gaze from my eyes to my mouth and back again so quickly I might’ve missed it. “You look different when you comb your hair. Goodbye.”

I’ve still not regained the power of speech as she wanders away.

Any sensible guy with a normal girlfriend would’ve pressed her to those bookshelves and kissed her, and so much more.

But there’s nothing normal about Violet. And if she heard me refer to her as ‘my girlfriend’, who knows what the outcome would be.

I guess it’s just me, my memories, and the patience of every human saint—and more research to work my way further into this girl’s heart. Violet expects me to do all our research. Maybe I should start trading my discoveries for kisses? I chuckle at the concept and unfasten my bag.

9

VIOLET

The easiest way to catch someone who doesn’t suspect that you suspect them? Act normally. Or rather, act abnormally in my case. Or normally? I’m unsure. Everything grows more confusing.

I regret asking Holly for our ‘girl’s afternoon’ as she insists our activities should expand outside these four walls. She claims that once I’ve practiced socialization with her, I may even enjoy doing so with others. Other teens, willingly, outside of lessons? If Holly seriously believes this, she has no understanding of me whatsoever. More evidence that this friendship is all a ruse.

But, paradoxically, to spend time with Holly, I must take part in social occasions she enjoys. The fire Fridays no longer exist following Wesley’s unfortunate passing, and the majority of Holly’s activities seem centered around the academy now. In particular, her witch boyfriend.

Despite my reticence, it would help to spend time with her off-campus and dig into what’s happening with the humans in town. Perhaps Holly can help, although I worry her association with me on the night of Kai’s party precludes her from joining that social scene.

My other concern—I’ve yet to discover the outcome of the day of the wake, both for the shifters and Sawyers. And especially Kai.

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