Chapter 46. Lorena
lorena
After dinner, I return with William to his room. As soon as we cross the threshold, I notice the newest addition to the place.
“A bed?” I ask, arching my brow at him. “A bit presumptuous, isn’t it?”
“I did not mean it in the dirty way you are implying. I only meant that if you are going to make a habit of staying with me until morning, you will need your sleep.”
“What if I meant it in a dirty way?” I ask, my heart pounding because I’m not usually this forward.
When I lean toward him, William’s mouth responds with the speed of a magnet. Our tongues meet, and his winter bites into my summer, turning my exhales shivery.
We pull off each other’s blazers and unbutton our shirts. Goose bumps spread across my skin as he circles his arms around my naked lower back, reeling me in close. Then he presses into me as we kiss, pushing me back until my head rests on the mattress, and we’re both on the bed.
While we make out, William strokes up and down my leggings. His caresses are torturously slow, inching the slightest bit higher with each stroke, making my heart rev so hard that I’m afraid it will shoot out of my chest.
My lips are practically numb by the time his hand reaches the edge of my skirt. When his fingers skim even higher, my pulse must be an earsplitting gong to him.
“Is this okay?” he murmurs into my mouth.
“Mm-hmm,” I say.
His hand travels back down my thigh, giving my pulse a rest. And this time when it restarts its climb, he grazes the bottom of my underwear. I hold my breath, and when William’s fingers pause for a beat, I know he senses what’s happening to me.
He shifts his hips as his fingers sweep back down, and when they restart their climb, I feel every pulsation of my heart.
This time, William goes all the way up to the waistline of my leggings. He snaps gently at the elastic band, as if he were knocking and asking for entry.
“Yes,” I say at once.
“You sure?”
“Absolutely.”
His fingers burrow under my leggings, and my breaths shorten as I drown in a sea of pleasure. Every muscle in my body quivers, the tremors building until I collapse, and I’m unable to move a limb. The world around me is hazy and dreamlike.
“I love you, Lore,” he whispers in my ear, and what follows feels like the biggest smile I’ve ever produced.
“I love you, too, Will.”
WEDNESDAY MORNING, I wake up floating.
After another night spent in William’s room, my body is still sensitive and tingly, and I feel the imprint of his lips on mine. I come back to my room while my roommates are asleep and grab my toiletries. After showering, I go upstairs to change.
“Morning,” says Salma sleepily as I’m pulling on my jeans. “Good night?”
“Great night,” I say, and I notice Tiffany’s pink bonnet moving a little. “Tell you later.”
When we get to breakfast, William is the first one at our table. He stands up when he sees me and slides out my chair.
I sense the wave of reactions from across the dining hall. The whole school is gossiping about me, and for the first time, I feel too good to care.
I’m happy.
I look at my plate, and it’s already filled with a scoop of scrambled eggs, two slices of bacon, and toast. William even knew to pick the crunchiest bacon pieces, the ones just shy of burnt.
His purple gaze is locked on mine, as if I’m all he sees, and my heartbeat stumbles. I know Tiffany is glaring at us, but fuck her pessimism. This is my fantasy, not hers.
“Good morning, Lore,” he says, leaning in to plant a kiss on my lips.
Blood rushes to my face, and he murmurs in my ear, “Do not tempt me so early in the day.”
“Then don’t be so damn charming,” I whisper back, and he smiles, revealing sharp, sparkly teeth.
“Wait! Don’t get food yet.” Trevor rushes to our table, slamming his bag on the floor and settling into his chair. My roommates set down their plates and sit.
“Last night,” says Trevor as Zach sits beside him, “we tried going to the LUB but couldn’t get in. The wardrobe moved, and the wall caved in.”
He pans across our faces, like he’s waiting for us to express our shock. “That’s crazy,” says Salma, and Tiffany just looks down at her plate.
“Maybe that’s why that wing of the manor had been blocked off,” I say. “It wasn’t stable.”
“The whole wardrobe moved and the wall crumbled. That’s not strange to you?” Zach stares at me, and maybe it’s just guilt, but I feel like he knows I’m lying.
“We never should’ve gone into that room,” says Tiffany, grabbing her plate and standing up. “That coffin was cursed.”
“The fuck? I thought you wanted to write a story on it!” Trevor sounds bewildered by her dismissiveness. “Why aren’t any of you upset?”
“Tiffany’s right,” says Salma, also standing up. “I was getting bad vibes in there.” Then the two of them head to the buffet line, leaving me alone with the guys.
“What’s up with Carter?” Trevor asks me. “Her period not over yet?”
“I fucking told you that’s not funny.” Zach’s pale face is bright red, and I’m not sure I’ve heard him curse before, so he must be especially pissed.
“She friend-zoned you, man, get over it,” says Trevor.
This only seems to make Zach angrier, and he says, “I told you it’s not like that between us. Don’t take out your frustration with Salma on us.”
“I don’t have any frustration!” snaps Trevor.
Just then, Cat strides up to him. “Hey, we still on to meet after dinner tonight?” she asks in her low drawl.
“Fuck yes,” says Trevor, standing up with his empty plate and escorting her to the buffet line.
When Zach gets up to follow, William says to me, “Eat.”
I scoop some eggs with my fork and ask, “What are you going to do over break?”
“I could go to Nate and Cisco’s. Not like they will be using their apartment. And I would be close to you.”
I set the fork down. “What if someone finds you there? The other vampires could be scouting their condo, trying to find out what happened to them—”
“I know, I know,” he says. “I was not being serious. We both know I must remain here. It is the only place that is safe.”
“What about blood?”
“Let me figure that out,” he says, stroking my cheek. “You do not have to worry so much.”
Salma sets down her plate, followed by Tiffany, then the guys. Everyone seems tense, so we eat mostly in silence. I feel William’s fingers stroking my knee under the table, and even though I hate that there’s a strain among my friends, I’m not sure I’ve ever felt this good before.
His lips hover near my ear, and he whispers, “Maybe tonight, after dinner, we could…”
He trails off, but I’m barely stifling my smile.
“We could … what?” I whisper back.
When he doesn’t say anything, I look up at him, and everything within me frosts over at the expression on his face. He has gone completely rigid, unblinking and unbreathing, like a statue.
“What is it?” I ask, all semblance of warmth gone from my body.
Conversations at other tables are fading, and I look in the direction of William’s gaze. An attractive woman with wavy brown hair and an intense stare has entered the dining hall and is conferring with Director Minaro.
“Who’s that?” asks Trevor.
William finally meets my stare. “Fabiana.”