Sexting With A Vampire
Chapter 97

Rebecca

After my odd exchange with the moon goddess, I wake up with my cheek pressed against the pillar of the bleachers. Drool covers my chin, but I angrily wipe it away with my sleeve. The sun is still up, so it can't be late, but my stomach gurgles, which means one thing: time to get breakfast or lunch.

I hear the coach still whistling at the football players, but I don't plan on saying goodbye to William. He knew who I was, and yet he had s*x with me?! Gah! I'm so angry with him. What am I even supposed to say to him now?!

I still love him, obviously, but I'm spooked, and confusion runs through my head. Did William always like me, or did it come later? Probably later, but even if that's the case, I'm still weirded out by the entire thing. Muttering to myself, I stand up. I feel pretty damn good, even though my temples suffer from a mild throbbing.

I decide that I've had enough mind-f**k for this entire week. I will head to the store, get some food and move on with my damn life. Move on from William and his stupidly handsome face. Determined, I storm away from the field and soon replace myself stalking down the street. There is a tiny shop further down, and my stomach gurgles again. I should be in class but screw it.

A girl my age looks up from the cash register. She is sitting in a chair and reading something on her phone. I bob my head once, and she smiles before returning to look at her screen. That's the problem with teenagers these days. No focus, and they only care for the damn phones.

Grabbing a basket, I head for the back of the store, on the hunt for an energy drink and some granola bars. There is a group of girls smelling some new cleanser and testing makeup. Shouldn't they be at school?

Whatever.

I'm almost by the energy drinks but freeze in my tracks when I walk past the cookie aisle. Come to think of it, chocolate chip cookies are great for a broken, confused heart.

I immediately start searching the shelf for my favorite. I'm short and realize the one I want is too high for me to grab. I lean over the other cookie brands and tiptoe while sticking out my tongue. "Almost there-" "Do you need help?"

I sway on my heels so fast that I crash into the cookies. My reflexes make me push off the shelf and stand on my feet, but a bunch of cookie packages flies to the ground, scattering like my thoughts. William!

Wide-eyed, I watch him bend down to pick up the cookies. He stacks them in the crook of his arm and stands up to his full height. A smile crosses his features, and I shudder.

He is unmistakenly amused by my reaction.

"I didn't mean to startle you."

Typical William. There is no apology, only his sexy dimple flirting with me again.

"W-what are you doing here?" I blurt out in a way more upset tone than intended. I'm shaken, though, and I've never been good at hiding my inner emotions.

"Take it easy," he chuckles. "I saw you leave the field and followed here just to ensure you're okay."

He puts back the cookies, and after he is done, he shoves his hands back into his pockets. Sweat glistens over his skin, and inky, dark hairs fall from his forehead.

I stare at him blankly, unsure what to say. I'm still trying to process the fact I used to babysit him. That he has been the same person all along and that he knew. HE KNEW!

"Rebecca?" William asks patiently as if knowing I've sunk deep into my own thoughts. "Are you having one of your moments again? Should I come back later?" The last question makes him laugh.

I narrow my eyes at the bastard, blurting out the first thing that comes to mind. "Why didn't you tell me you knew who I was?! Why didn't you mention any of the time-traveling s**t?!"

Surprise fills William's face, but then it twists into something else. His eyes take a feral look, and he smirks.

"Would you have believed me if I did?"

I stare up at him. "No... I suppose I wouldn't..."

"Exactly."

His expression remains mischievous. I gulp and take a step back from him, but he grips my wrist.

Tilting his head, he keeps the smirk. "Where are you going?"

My lips are parched, dried from possible words. Heat is rapidly moving over my skin, and butterflies have tackled away my logic.

William is hot, hot, hot, but I must stay away.

"I'm heading to..." I'm not sure where I'm going. Greta is probably attending her class, but her demon might be home. "I'm heading to Greta's apartment after this." "Can I come?"

I gape at him like a goldfish. "Why?"

"Why not?"

"You do realize that we can't be more than friends? Emma is your mate, not me, and you and I are wrong for each other. So very wrong."

"I don't want to be your friend," William says calmly and backs me into the cookie shelf again. He dips down and meets my eyes. Hunger is dancing in his irises. "You and I have chemistry."

I have to crane my head to keep looking at him. "We don't..."

"You said you liked me."

"I didn't mean it."

"You're lying."

"I'm being logical."

"You're running because, let me guess: you like me, but things got complicated. You're feeling things you shouldn't feel and can't stand for them. It frightens you, doesn't it? Liking someone without there being the safety of a mate-bond?" William hit the bullseye. I mentally wince at his words. The mate-bond means safety and a happily ever after, but falling in love without it? There is no telling where it would lead.

What if William grows bored of me?

Leaves me?

Abandons me?

I haven't told anyone but...

I don't have any parents. I'm a foster kid. I was left on the street, and if my own mom and dad couldn't love me, then... How could I make a man stay in my life?

The mate-bond offers safety, everlasting love, and control. That's the beauty in it. Davis might not be my ideal man, but what about Emma? If I pick William, it would mean ripping out her heart for a man that might not stay with me forever. Christ-my head is spinning too fast.

William leans closer, and his breath catches onto my skin. "When you look at me like that, I want to do dirty things to you. f**k being friends, Rebecca. I want to be more than a friend; if we weren't in a grocery store, your t-shirt would be on the floor." I stare up at him. "What about Emma? Are you alright with rejecting her for something that might not last?"

Searching his eyes for answers, I catch brief hesitation crossing his features before he speaks. "You don't think we would last?"

I swallow thickly, fighting tears. "How am I supposed to know that? The unknown future scares me and makes me afraid of leaping into something. Things are going too fast."

I expect him to be defense, but instead, a sly smile crosses those lush, kissable lips. "So date me?"

My stare turns more intense.

As a red-blooded woman, I would be crazy to turn him down, but agreeing to date William could also be a grave mistake. Saying yes might mean getting my heart even more shattered if he picks Emma. Before I can answer him, William jumps at the gun. He twirls my hair around his finger, brushing my nose with his. My heart picks up speed, but there is nowhere to flee.

"How about I take you out on a date right now? We skip the rest of our classes, and you get the chance to enjoy my company for the entire day. No one else. Only the two of us."

I stand a little taller. "You're making it sound like your company is the greatest thing that could ever happen to me."

He lets out a cocky chuckle. "Isn't it, though?" he leans closer, whispering into my ear. "You would get to see me naked. Again."

A tingle starts in my toes and travels up my spine. When William returns to gazing into my eyes, I'm confident I'm blushing redder than a tomato. The only confirmation I need is his self-satisfied smile. He is such an arrogant bastard.

Yet I like him.

I also want to go with him, but I'm not sure if that's a good idea since the moon goddess told me to fall for Davis. Then again, who the hell does she think she is for picking who I choose to be with, huh?! "Where would you take me?"

His lips curl. "Say yes first, and I will tell you. And if you say no, you will never get to know the answer."

I narrow my eyes. "Why does this feel strangely like blackmail?"

He laughs. "Is that a yes?"

I glare at him. "It's the closest to yes you will ever get."

Ugh, I hope he didn't notice the excitement in my voice. I'm trying hard to keep my uncompromising girl attitude, but I melt the second William lazily smiles at me. "And I will take it."

"Great," sarcasm is dripping from my voice. "Where are we going?"

Without a word, William takes my hand and tugs me to his chest. His hands fly to my waist, and a portal opens underneath his feet while he picks me up.

"W-what is happening?!" I scream. We are slowly sinking into darkness, and I hold on to William for my dear life.

William steals a kiss from my forehead. I want to hiss at him, but he is the only reason I'm not crying my eyes out.

We are descending into the darkness, and I bet the i***t knows. Oh, he knows I can't get pissy with him, and that's why he is taking the opportunity to hold me tighter. "We are traveling in true Howler fashion," he grins. "Buckle up because this might rattle you up a bit!"

After speaking, we spin down the hole at record speed. We twirl down, around, and around, and I scream at the top of my lungs. It's like someone flushed a damn toilet. "I HATE YOU!"

William belts out laughter. "No, you like me-remember?"

"IF WE SURVIVE THIS, THEN I WILL MURDER YOU!"

He snorts. "Promises, promises."