they left as soon as I replied to Aleksandrov’s email, they should be here within an hour or two.
“Or now...” I mumbled, disregarding my estimate and stuffing the whistle back into the side pocket. The sound of rocks and sticks cracking under tires filled my ears and I jumped to my feet.
Please don’t let Eli be the one Mr Aleksandrov sent to pick me up , I prayed silently. It wasn’t a shock to me when a guardian-issued black SUV rolled to a stop in front of me. As usual, everything about the car was black save for the rims and extra trimmings. I could feel a line of sweat bead on my forehead. My heart began to race as I felt the prickle of more sweat on the back of my neck. Nervously, I clenched my fists, only to discover they were damp. I wiped them quickly on my jeans. When the door opened and a big guardian boot hit the rocks, I almost brought up the sausage roll I had for breakfast. When I saw the short blond hair and unfamiliar face, I relaxed.
“Ruby Moore?” he asked.
I nodded.
“I’m Xavier. Are you ready?”
I had never seen Xavier before. He seemed young, around twenty-three, maybe. He drew a hand over his face in an attempt to wake himself up. The tired lines he attempted to hide settled into deep crevices between his brows and on either side of his mouth. They aged him instantly, piling on at least ten years in a matter of seconds. I picked up my bag and walked toward the car as he ran his fingers through his fluffy hair.
“Would you like me to drive? I bet you’re tired?” I offered.
He laughed and the lines deepened and bags grew bigger. “No, I’m fine, thank you.”
I climbed into the passenger seat and placed my bag on the floor. I reached for my seatbelt and clicked it into place. He ran another hand over his face and took a few deep breaths. Suddenly, I was afraid Xavier was going to pass out behind the wheel and kill us both. He turned the key and the engine jumped to life with a vibrating hum.
“We’ll get back to Sage at midnight if we leave now.”
Slowly, he reversed his way out of the harbor and past the abandoned warehouse. I exhaled subtly. I hadn’t realized how badly I wanted to get out of this god-damn town.
“There is a lot of heated discussion about your return,” Xavier said as the tires hit the smooth highway.
“I can imagine. How have things been?”
He shrugged. “Same old.”
I paused, pondering whether or not it was too soon to ask how Eli was. I didn’t have to ponder for long. The words were out my mouth in seconds. Once I asked, I dropped my gaze to my hands. I was afraid that if I looked at him, my eyes would give away how much I actually cared.
“Eli is… Eli, I guess. He doesn’t seem to socialize with me, or anyone for that matter, and since Gerald Harbor he seems more… anti-social than usual.”
My brow furrowed. I’d never seen Eli as a loner who preferred to be on his own. In the beginning, when I was a vampire, he did come across a little reserved and hard, but that quickly melted away and we grew close. By leaving, did I deter him from socializing with his co-workers? Had I broken him down to the point where he felt the need to alienate himself? I swallowed hard. I couldn’t bear the thought. What if I saw him and he never wanted talks to me again? In a way, I guess I wouldn’t blame him.
“Well.” I cleared my throat. “Gerald Harbor was hard for everyone.”
Silence fell in the car. I bit my lip, fighting against my flood of questions.
“You have a guardian whistle?” Xavier asked, glancing sideways at the tip of the whistle sticking out of the side pocket of my bag. I pulled it out again and hung it in front of me, admiring it.
“Yeah, I, uh, I forgot to give it back when I left.”
Xavier’s face was stern, but the tiniest spark of sympathy flashed in his dark brown eyes. I stuffed the whistle back into my bag and folded my arms across my chest.
Xavier twisted his hands over the steering wheel nervously.
“Or now...” I mumbled, disregarding my estimate and stuffing the whistle back into the side pocket. The sound of rocks and sticks cracking under tires filled my ears and I jumped to my feet.
Please don’t let Eli be the one Mr Aleksandrov sent to pick me up , I prayed silently. It wasn’t a shock to me when a guardian-issued black SUV rolled to a stop in front of me. As usual, everything about the car was black save for the rims and extra trimmings. I could feel a line of sweat bead on my forehead. My heart began to race as I felt the prickle of more sweat on the back of my neck. Nervously, I clenched my fists, only to discover they were damp. I wiped them quickly on my jeans. When the door opened and a big guardian boot hit the rocks, I almost brought up the sausage roll I had for breakfast. When I saw the short blond hair and unfamiliar face, I relaxed.
“Ruby Moore?” he asked.
I nodded.
“I’m Xavier. Are you ready?”
I had never seen Xavier before. He seemed young, around twenty-three, maybe. He drew a hand over his face in an attempt to wake himself up. The tired lines he attempted to hide settled into deep crevices between his brows and on either side of his mouth. They aged him instantly, piling on at least ten years in a matter of seconds. I picked up my bag and walked toward the car as he ran his fingers through his fluffy hair.
“Would you like me to drive? I bet you’re tired?” I offered.
He laughed and the lines deepened and bags grew bigger. “No, I’m fine, thank you.”
I climbed into the passenger seat and placed my bag on the floor. I reached for my seatbelt and clicked it into place. He ran another hand over his face and took a few deep breaths. Suddenly, I was afraid Xavier was going to pass out behind the wheel and kill us both. He turned the key and the engine jumped to life with a vibrating hum.
“We’ll get back to Sage at midnight if we leave now.”
Slowly, he reversed his way out of the harbor and past the abandoned warehouse. I exhaled subtly. I hadn’t realized how badly I wanted to get out of this god-damn town.
“There is a lot of heated discussion about your return,” Xavier said as the tires hit the smooth highway.
“I can imagine. How have things been?”
He shrugged. “Same old.”
I paused, pondering whether or not it was too soon to ask how Eli was. I didn’t have to ponder for long. The words were out my mouth in seconds. Once I asked, I dropped my gaze to my hands. I was afraid that if I looked at him, my eyes would give away how much I actually cared.
“Eli is… Eli, I guess. He doesn’t seem to socialize with me, or anyone for that matter, and since Gerald Harbor he seems more… anti-social than usual.”
My brow furrowed. I’d never seen Eli as a loner who preferred to be on his own. In the beginning, when I was a vampire, he did come across a little reserved and hard, but that quickly melted away and we grew close. By leaving, did I deter him from socializing with his co-workers? Had I broken him down to the point where he felt the need to alienate himself? I swallowed hard. I couldn’t bear the thought. What if I saw him and he never wanted talks to me again? In a way, I guess I wouldn’t blame him.
“Well.” I cleared my throat. “Gerald Harbor was hard for everyone.”
Silence fell in the car. I bit my lip, fighting against my flood of questions.
“You have a guardian whistle?” Xavier asked, glancing sideways at the tip of the whistle sticking out of the side pocket of my bag. I pulled it out again and hung it in front of me, admiring it.
“Yeah, I, uh, I forgot to give it back when I left.”
Xavier’s face was stern, but the tiniest spark of sympathy flashed in his dark brown eyes. I stuffed the whistle back into my bag and folded my arms across my chest.
Xavier twisted his hands over the steering wheel nervously.
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