Chapter Twenty-One
Twenty-One
Cally awoke to find Eve asleep in a chair beside her bed, hugging a pillow like a soft toy.
It wasn’t Antoine’s room, where she’d been sleeping; it was the one she’d had originally—her own, in Antoine’s words.
He’d fed on her, and it had hurt. So much more than before, and there’d been none of the pleasure that she’d grown used to. Not even the sense of reassurance that Gabe’s bite gave.
But why would it? Different bloodlines.
Then he’d taken so much that she’d passed out. It didn’t make any sense.
She sat up, and her chest complained. She rubbed it. It ached, like it was bruised.
That shouldn’t be a thing, not with my healing.
Another mystery.
And Eve, curled up in her chair, her presence confirming something had happened.
The clock read 9:12 a.m. She couldn’t remember going to bed, let alone putting on the T-shirt she now wore. Where was Antoine? Was he asleep already?
Why was she in this room? It felt like a rejection, like he didn’t want her in his.
“Eve? Are you awake?” Or can you be?
She stirred, opened her eyes, and gave Cally a sleepy smile. “You’re up. How are you feeling?”
“Like an elephant jumped on my chest. What the hell happened?”
“It wasn’t an elephant, it was Zoey.” Eve stretched, yawning wide in a gratuitous display, then caught her pillow as it slipped.
“Do you want to fill in some blanks?”
“Antoine drank your blood until you basically died, then Zoey and I did CPR until you came back.”
Cally stared at her, jaw hanging open.
“Marcel shot you up with some painkillers, and we put you to bed. I put that T-shirt on you and only groped you a bit.”
That explained why she was naked beneath it. Better her than Zoey. “Where’s Antoine now? How’s he doing? Have you seen him?”
“No. I’ve been in here, keeping an eye on you.”
“I need to go find him.” Cally pulled back the duvet, swinging her legs out. “Damn it, he must be feeling like shit.”
Eve swung her gaze unashamedly to the bare skin Cally was showing, eyebrows coming up in appreciation. “He didn’t seem that bothered when he walked off while you were still unconscious, and went to have a powwow with Noah.”
Cally hesitated, sitting on the edge of the bed. “Maybe what he’d done upset him.”
“Yeah, maybe,” Eve said, with a tone that made it clear she didn’t think so. “You may have to face up to the fact that he’s changed. And to be fair, it’s not really surpri—” She broke off as two firm knocks sounded on Cally’s door. “Marcel doesn’t knock like that.”
“It’s probably Noah,” Cally replied, shuffling up against the headboard and pulling the duvet back into place. “Come in.”
The door opened, and it wasn’t Noah. Antoine entered, dressed in his usual black jeans and T-shirt, looking far less gaunt than he had a few hours previously.
He pushed his hands into his pockets, the muscles in his arms tightening as a testament to his regained health, and looked briefly at Eve before addressing Cally.
“Please forgive the intrusion, but I heard your voice. I’ve been waiting for you to awake.”
Eve leaned back in her chair, clutching her pillow to her chest with ‘I’m not going anywhere’ body language.
“It must be time for coffee,” Cally suggested. “Eve, sweetheart, would you mind?”
Eve rose with poor grace, worry shadowing her eyes. “I’ll be right outside the door. Fetching coffees.” She didn’t spare Antoine a word, but the set of her stride and the snap of her head told Cally the glare she shot him would’ve cut glass.
Antoine waited until the door closed behind her, then took a few steps farther into the room, shoulders hunched. “I came to apologize.”
“No, it’s fine. I knew you needed to feed.”
“No, it’s not fine. I went too far, and I shouldn’t have let it happen.” He held her gaze, his posture stiff. “I endangered you, and I’m sorry.”
“You’d only just woken, after three weeks without feeding.” And going feral. “There’s nothing to apologize for.”
He inclined his head. “You are very kind, but I must beg to differ. I was in sufficient control to refrain from what I did. I am sorry, and it will not happen again.”
It wasn’t the admission that bothered Cally, but the stiff and formal delivery. She pulled the duvet up higher. “Are you better now?”
“Yes, thank you. Your blood has restored me.”
“Good. And the rest of you?”
Antoine didn’t reply immediately. Instead, he moved to the chair Eve had vacated, picked up her pillow, and sat in its place. The pillow looked incongruous resting on his lap.
“Truth be told, I don’t know,” he said quietly. “The Antoine who left you that night may not be the same one that sits before you now.”
“The Antoine who sits before me is the one I love,” Cally replied. “I never told you, not face to face. Not until you were already in that damn box. For that, I should be the one to apologize.”
“There is no need, ma chérie. You carry no fault; the time was taken from us.”
“We have all the time we need, now.”
“Alas, it is not all we lost.” He took a steadying breath. “I am trying to tell you, I am not… as I was.”
Cally pulled the duvet away and slipped out of bed, her T-shirt barely falling to the top of her thighs.
Unlike Eve, Antoine’s eyes didn’t stray to the skin she exposed, but watched her almost impassively.
But that meant nothing: Eve was a shameless flirt, and Antoine was not. At least, Cally hoped it meant nothing.
She crossed the few paces between them, and when he still didn’t move, she tugged the pillow from his lap. “I’m going to sit down. On you.”
He rested his arms on the sides of the chair, making room, and she took that as assent.
The high sides didn’t make it easy, but she perched on his knees, her T-shirt riding up. He didn’t react, save for a tightening of his jaw. She rested a hand on his chest, as much for the comfort of touch as for balance.
“I’m not going anywhere, you know,” she said softly. “We’re bonded, you and I.”
A muscle twitched in his jaw.
“I’ve got you,” she added. “I’ll keep you safe.” A small smile. “Well, you can keep us safe, but I’ll cheer and kick anyone that comes in range.”
“I will keep us safe,” he replied, with a coldness that alluded to something darker.
It made her hesitate. “Good,” she said cautiously. “Whatever you decide, I have your back.” She hoped she wouldn’t regret that promise. “I’m here when you’re ready.”
He shifted beneath her, body tensing. “Thank you.” The words sounded like they’d been pulled from him.
“Sure,” she said, reminding herself to be patient. “Anything I can do, you just have to ask.”
He didn’t respond, and that seemed enough. She’d delivered her message, and didn’t want to push him. She rose from his lap, turning away while she composed her expression and hid her hurt.
“I’m sorry,” he said. “I’m making it difficult, and I know that.”
“Not at all.”
He laughed, short and dry. “We both know that was a lie, but thank you for…” He paused, like it was difficult to say the words. “…your support.”
“It’s not just support, Antoine, it’s love. You don’t need support—you’re strong, and in time you’ll conquer this by yourself.” She offered him a small smile. “Meanwhile, if you need anyone with you when you take a bath or shower, well, I volunteer.”
He nodded curtly with no hint of the playfulness that had always existed. But it would return. She had to believe that.
He rose from the chair and walked to the door, then paused with one hand on the handle, turning back to her. “Would you like to go on a date?”
“What?” That wasn’t what she’d expected him to say. “I mean, yes. Please. That sounds lovely.” It sounded like hell if he was going to be like this, but that wasn’t the point.
“Tonight?”
The idea was growing on her. Maybe a date was what they needed. “I’ll look forward to it.”
“Good. Then I will get some sleep.”
Eve waited on the other side of the door, not a coffee cup in sight. She stepped back, giving him room, then walked in once he’d left, closing the door once more. “Well?”
“He asked me on a date.”
“Good. Take her somewhere nice, Antoine. And now stop listening and leave us to talk in peace.”
Cally’s lips twitched in a smile. Eve always had that effect on her.
“At least he’s back,” she said quietly, once he’d had a chance to move out of earshot. “We achieved what we set out to do. Now it’s just a matter of time.”
“To be fair, it could’ve been a lot worse. He seems pretty sane for someone who wasn’t.”
“Well, quite.” Cally hugged herself, like the chill of Antoine’s presence still lingered in the air.
“He’s strong, though. ‘This too shall pass,’ as my mom used to say.”
“Yeah. You’re right. He’ll pull through.” Cally sighed. “I should take a shower and think about what I’m going to do today.”
“What you’re going to do is come shopping with me. We’re going to spend so much of your boyfriend’s money, he might even notice. Find you a nice dress, do your hair, get you ready for your date.”
Cally gave her a weak smile. “I don’t actually have access to his bank account, you know.”
“Well, shit. We should remedy that before he goes to sleep.”
“I don’t need to go shopping, I already—” She broke off as her phone rang, vibrating on the bedside table. She frowned at it, then glanced at Eve. “That’s not you, is it?”
“No.” Eve spread her hands open.
“Only my dad has this number, and he rarely calls,” she said, crossing to pick it up and checked the caller ID. “Dad? You all right?”
“Hi, sweetheart,” her dad said, his voice sounding strange. Tense. “Were you coming over today?”
“No, why? Has something happened?”
“There’s a young man here. Says he’s expecting you.”
The room seemed to tilt. “What do you mean ‘here’? Who is it?”
“I mean here. With me now. He says his name’s Darian.”
“Oh, Darian,” Cally said, turning to Eve as her knuckles whitened around the phone. “Silly me, I quite forgot. Yes, I’ll be over in an hour or so.”
“Great, then I’ll see you soon. Take your time.”
The line went dead, but Cally couldn’t move, staring at Eve’s horrified face.