15. FIFTEEN
FIFTEEN
Vera
Bas doesn’t answer my text. Not even a thumbs up or a heart or a be safe. Just nothing. I know he’s read it, so the fact he says nothing makes my belly flip flop and my skin go all clammy.
My hands are shaking as I put on my mascara and almost stab myself in the eye. I end up smearing black all across my cheek, then wiping everything off and starting again.
I don’t like this. I knew things would get weird between us. Now I’m all hollow inside and all the joy has gone out of my date, even though half an hour ago I was excited.
It’s another half hour before I crack.
Vera: hey, I promise the bar is completely safe. I go there all the time. You want me to send you a picture of his profile on the app just in case?
I almost delete it before I send, but I know something’s off. My chest feels all tight, and I can’t stop pacing.
He doesn’t even read this message, which drives me crazy.
I almost call Steve to cancel my date, but no. Fuck that. Bas doesn’t get to sulk and cock block me. That’s not how this works.
So I force myself to get ready. I go to extra lengths to dress nicely, choosing a tight-fitting black dress and boots with a heel that’s maybe a little unnecessary for the college bar, but fuck it. I need a way to feel good about tonight.
I look into the tiny mirror over the bathroom vanity and tell myself I’m going to have a good time despite him. I’m not going to check the time. I’m not going to think about Bas at all, and at the end of the night if I decide to go home with Steve, I will.
By eight thirty I have butterflies causing a riot in my stomach. I skip dinner—never a good idea when you plan on drinking, I know, but if I ate right now it would all come back up again.
I go to the bar a little early just for something to do.
I figure sitting in a room full of people and soaking in the relaxed vibe might be good for my nerves.
I check my phone every other minute, but there’s still nothing from Bas, and after a while, I switch it on Airplane mode and stuff it back into my purse to stop myself obsessing. He doesn’t get to ruin this for me.
Steve turns up early too, a fact that lifts him in my esteem until he opens his mouth. “Vera? Oh hey, you look different in person. Not bad, just different.”
I chart that one up to nerves and stand to kiss him on the cheek. He goes in for my lips, and we end up in this awkward halfway zone which I try to brush off, but it’s soured my mood already. Not a promising start.
“You’re early,” he says, once I’ve sat again. “You weren’t meeting someone else first, were you?”
I frown. “No. Why would you ask that?”
He laughs a little too loud. “Oh, I don’t know. You just don’t seem that excited to see me.”
Poor guy. I probably don’t look like I’m happy to be here because, honestly, I’m not. But I’m going to make a better effort to give it a chance.
I paste on a smile and lean over the table toward him. “I’m just nervous. So tell me a little more about you, Steve. I know you like the gym and you’re into rowing, but what do you like to do when you’re not working out?”
He relaxes a little, leaning back against the stool. “That’s pretty much me. I’m an open book. I just like to keep fit.” He reaches up to brush his hair back, which gives me a good view of his stacked arm muscles. It’s clear the guy spends a long time working out. Was that a flex?
I do my best to keep a straight face. “So I see.”
He grins. “Thanks.”
I wasn’t aware I’d complimented him, but oh well.
“Can I get you a drink?”
I accept and he goes to the bar, leaving me to watch as he elbows aside a lady who was clearly waiting before he was.
I sigh to myself. I can tell how this is going to go.
He’ll make lame conversation, mostly about himself and about sports.
He’ll expect me to be amazed at his good looks and grateful for the attention and the drinks and go home with him where we’ll have mediocre sex and if he’s lucky, he’ll make me cum after I tell him exactly how to do it.
The question is, can I be bothered with that today? An early night, my hand, and a fantasy about Bas is sounding way, way better right now.
Steve returns with two beers, handing one to me and watching me intently while I take a sip. He clearly chose the cheapest thing they have on tap because it’s bitter as hell.
I give him a smile over the glass, setting it down again quickly. “Thanks. So, um, where were we? I think you were telling me about your plan to become a personal trainer and start your own supplements company.”
His eyes widen. “Oh, did I already tell you about that?” He lifts his glass toward me. “Cheers. Drink up. It’s still happy hour.”
Great. I’ve gone on a date with the cheapest guy on campus. I take another sip of the fowl tasting beer and then pause. Even cheap, nasty beer shouldn’t taste this bitter, unless…
I say nothing, but I spit most of my mouthful discreetly back into the glass, setting it down again. If Steve has done something to my drink, he’s about to regret it.
“Do you know where the bathrooms are here?” I ask him, hoping my voice is casual. “Are they over there?” I point to a spot on the far wall behind Steve, making him turn to look.
While he’s distracted, I quickly switch the beers.
“Uh, yeah. I think so.” He turns back with a frown.
He probably thinks I’m acting weird since the sign is light-up neon pink and you literally can’t miss it, but if I’m right, I don’t care what he thinks of me.
He looks at me for another beat. “Did you…did you need to go?”
“Nope. I just like to know in case.”
We’re both quiet for a moment while we drink. Steve’s drink definitely tastes better than mine did, but if he notices the difference, he says nothing.
I’m struggling to think of what to ask him next, hand flexing on my thigh, wanting to reach into my purse and check my phone. I’m starting to regret switching it to Airplane mode now. Obsessing over Bas not messaging actually sounds more fun than a night out with Steve.
Half a glass of beer and a stilted conversation about the college football team later, Steve is starting to slur his words and blink down into his glass in confusion.
What an asshole. I can’t believe he thought he could get away with that shit. I’d like to know what he put in the drink, but I doubt he’ll tell me. It was clearly something strong to have affected him so quickly. It chills me a little to think about what might have happened if I hadn’t noticed.
I’m tossing up whether to call 911 now or wait until he actually passes out, when the door to the bar slams open, smacking against the wall with a bang.
Everyone goes quiet and all heads—except Steve’s—dart toward the entrance where a broad-shouldered figure strides in looking like he’s about to tear shit up.
God, this guy is built. Like stacked. He’s thick in all the right places and his chest looks broad enough to make a pillow for at least five of me.
My jaw hits the floor when I finally get a good look at his face and recognize Bas.
My Bas. Only it doesn’t look like my brother’s best friend, the guy I practically grew up with.
No, this Bas looks like a tornado contained by a lasso—like he’s about to absolutely tear this place apart.
He scans the room while everyone stares in silence, conversations momentarily forgotten.
Then his eyes meet mine just as Steve lurches from his seat and sways over to me. My date grabs my arm, eyes blinking more slowly than normal and taking a long time to open again. “Hey, let’s get out of here, m’kay? I’ll take you back to my place.”
I don’t answer Steve. I can’t.
I see it happen before Bas even moves, before the woman at the table beside us screams. It’s like I know what he’ll do before he does it.
He launches into motion, moving so fast across the room that he’s on Steve in half a second. He pushes the table aside, grabs Steve by his shirt, and lifts him off his feet. “Take your goddamn hands off my mate.”
Steve’s head lolls on his neck and he tries to look at Bas. “Hey, man. W-what gives? She’s going home with me. Made shhhura that.” He jabs a finger into Bas’s chest and then pulls the finger back, wincing.
“What the fuck is wrong with you?” Bas shakes him and at this point, I decide it’s time for me to intervene.
I stand, folding my arms across my chest. “Bas, what is wrong with you? Put him down.”
Steve looks between me and Bas, confused. “D’you know thissguy?”
I ignore him. Bas is frozen except for his face, where a look of horror creeps across his scowl, turning it upside down. “I-I don’t think I can. Ver, did he hurt you? Is your arm alright?”
“My arm is fine, and no, he didn’t hurt me. He tried to spike my drink, but—”
“He what!?” Bas’s grip on Steve visibly tightens, and he jerks my unfortunate date completely off his feet with a growl. “Why the fuck is he still breathing?”
“Bas!” I take a step forward and then notice how green Steve’s face looks. I soften my tone. “Bas, put him down. You can yell at him as much as you want in a minute, but I really don’t think—”
He isn’t listening. He’s shaking Steve more violently than ever. “Tell me why I shouldn’t just rip you in half, you piece of shit?” Bas’s shirt makes an alarming ripping sound and his arm grows noticeably furrier.
“Bas!”
At that moment, Steve makes an awful retching noise. His face jerks forward, and he vomits down Bastien’s front, all over his shirt, narrowly missing his face.
Bas makes a similar sound of revulsion and drops Steve to the floor so fast Steve crumples to his knees, retching and vomiting again in a puddle on the floor.
By this point the bar manager has come over, his face red and angry, looking between Steve and Bas, who is leaning with his hands braced on his knees like he might be sick himself. “What the hell is going on here?”
Someone has to stay calm. “He—” I point at Steve “—spiked my drink, but I switched with him so whatever he tried to give me, he drank it. You should probably call 911. I have no excuse for this one,” I point at Bas, “but I’ll take him with me if you like, and he won’t cause any more trouble.”
This cuts the wind out of his sails a little, and he pauses in the act of lifting his finger. After a moment he sighs. “Fuck. Look at this mess. Who’s going to pay for this?”
I point at Steve again. “Well I would say the criminal who tried to spike a girl in your bar, unless your bartender was in on it too?” I lift a brow.
“Ah, right. Of course. We’ll definitely press charges and he’ll be banned.”
I shrug. “Do what you like with him. I’m leaving.” I hook my arm through Bastien’s. “Come on.”
He groans but straightens and follows me as I tug him toward the door. His face is looking distinctly green. The other people in the bar watch with curiosity as I shepherd him into the dark parking lot.
“Sorry, Vera.”
I laugh. “I’d tell you off for acting like a Neanderthal, but I think you’ve already been served your punishment.”
Bas groans again. “I’m a sympathetic hurler. Always have been.”
I shake my head. “Come on, take off that shirt. Let’s get you cleaned up.”
“It’s fine. I’ll go. I shouldn’t have come, I just…” He pauses and then he turns to meet my eyes. “Vera, I couldn’t help it. I thought I could take it, knowing you were going out with other guys, but I can’t.”
I hadn’t allowed myself to think about the reason why Bas would drive all the way upstate to storm in here and spoil my date, but now my heart thunders in my throat and my body is alive with prickles of hot sensation. “You can’t?”
He scrubs a hand over his face. “I can’t.
I’ve been missing you like hell. This whole time.
But tonight something just broke in me. Ver, it’s not just the mate claim.
The bond. And yes, there’s a bond, for me anyway, even if you don’t feel it.
” He stops and shakes his head like he’s trying to clear it.
“But it’s not just that. It’s you, Ver. You’re perfect for me, and I couldn’t see it all these years.
Maybe I didn’t want to see it because of how much that scares me.
I mean, what if I messed it up? What if I hurt you? What if you were too small and I—”
“Well we already found out that’s a load of garbage.”
He actually blushes, and I have to fight back my grin because I still really want to be mad with him a little bit longer. I kind of like where this is going.
“Yeah. That’s just it. You’re perfect for me there too, but that’s just the start of it. You read me like a book. Always have. You get me like no one else—not even Riley. And then I messaged Dad, and he made me realize—”
I bite my lip to contain the sudden rush of emotion that comes from hearing him say out loud what I’ve always felt.
I’d love to throw myself into his arms, but that’s not an option right now with the state of him.
The fact that he messaged his father speaks volumes, but I can’t have this conversation in a parking lot while we’re covered in another guy’s vomit.
“Come on.” I tug his arm again. “Take off that shirt and we’ll get you cleaned up, and then we can talk properly.”