Chapter Twenty-Eight

Adrian gives me an eye roll as I descend the stairs and step into the kitchen upon seeing the outfit I chose to wear, but presses my to-go cup of coffee into my hand and follows me into the garage. He wisely decides to not mention it, though I do notice his eyes wandering freely.

We decide to have me drive in the morning so that Adrian can drive once we get out of our last class in the dark. I sip my coffee desperately as I drive through town, trying to drink as much as I can before we make it to the campus. I have to look more awake than I’m feeling right now, considering that I kept waking up from nightmares in the middle of the night. I’m just glad that I didn’t wake up screaming this time.

The silence this morning seems comfortable to me, though I can’t tell if it’s because I’m too tired to really notice, or if our connection is strong enough now that neither of us feels the need to fill it with constant conversation. I notice the gas tank is getting pretty low and decide to point it out as we near the gas station on the corner with the stoplight in town.

Adrian turns to peer out the window of the G-wagon, scoping out the parking lot. There are only two cars, one at the pump and one parked on the side of the building, likely belonging to the attendant. “We’ll stop later,” He says stiffly, locking eyes with someone through the glass of the gas station window. “We’ll be late for class if we stop.”

It’s still strange to me how anyone can make eye contact with him through the tinted windows of the SUV, but what’s even more strange is how the blonde-haired guy inside of the store turned at just the right time to lock eyes with Adrian as if he knew that we were passing by in that very second.

I make a confused expression at this weird behavior, but shrug it off with another sip of coffee. I’m starting to get used to his mood swings and people being weirdly perceptive in this town. We continue to drive with my music playing softly in the background to keep my mind busy, which works until we begging to get closer to the spot where the car was pulled over yesterday on the side of the road.

Adrian doesn’t say anything about it but keeps an eye on me as my gaze searches either side of the road for any trance of the hitchhiker having ever been there. There aren’t even any tire marks in the dirt and gravel on the side of the road. Since it was raining recently, a car would have left something in the mud if it was pulled off onto the shoulder like that.

I press my lips into a thin line and continue driving, holding my cup tightly in one hand. If Adrian hadn’t been with me yesterday, I would be second-guessing myself on if she was really there at all. His reaction even today though suggests otherwise, making me feel both better, and more unnerved by the confirmation.

We pull up to the campus gates and wait for them to open before I pull up the long driveway, working on finishing my coffee. Adrian somehow perfected the recipe, making it go down much easier than usual. We’re lucky enough to snag a parking spot closer to the doors this time, so we waste no time hopping out and scurrying to the door.


Similar to yesterday, a large number of people on campus give us pensive looks and curious stares, though no one else bothers to approach us as we make a b-line for our first class. Adrian practically plows through the hallways with me in tow, and people politely make way for us to come through. Even in our hurry though, I notice that not everyone gazes at us with scared respectfulness. Some eyes that I catch hold mine without a problem, almost as if they’re considering it a challenge for me to look away first.

Adrian’s remark about witches and werewolves comes flitting back to me, causing me to roll my eyes and turn my attention to the back in front of me, dragging me along with him. I nearly forgot about the bazaar lie that Adrian tried to sell me. He did tell me to take a look and decide for myself who would fall into what category though, so if nothing else, it could prove to make my day go by a little bit faster.

We push through the doors of our first lecture hall just in time and Adrian is ushering me up the stairs to empty seats, too quickly for me to notice if our arrival has brought any stares this time. As we take out seats near the end of the hall, I take a moment to observe our classmates as the professor finishes up something at her desk. She looks fairly young in the face, though her long, silver hair makes me think otherwise. I never understood why women crop their hair so short once it starts changing colors, so I’m happy to see that she has decided to keep it long.

Adrian sets the Macbook up between us and logs on to the website for our textbooks when I lean closer to him, lowering my voice to a whisper in the quiet lecture hall.

“I think she would definitely be a witch,” I say, nodding towards our professor.

Adrian frowns in confusion for a moment before his mind catches up, remembering what he said last night. “Are you making this into some sort of game?” He asks, following my lead and huddling his head closer to mine.

“Of course. Do you think I’d be wrong?” I ask, leaning to catch a glimpse of the professor again. As she emerges from behind her desk, I notice her long, flowing skirt and her round spectacles that hand on her neck by a golden chain. Her attire makes me feel confident in my decision, especially when considering the fact that she teaches a science class.

Adrian follows my gaze to give Professor Fissata a once-over before nodding in agreement. “You’d be right,” he admits, scootching closer as some late-comers pile in around us. He snakes an arm around my shoulder casually as the Professor begins to speak, signaling the beginning of the class.

Throughout the lecture, Adrian leans over occasionally and points someone out in the crowd, asking me what category I would place them into. He also added that vampire was one of the options to choose from, though he doesn’t seem to enjoy giving me his input on whether he agrees with my decision or not, leaving me to wonder if I would be right. Judging by the expressions he made as I voiced my opinion quietly enough not to be a disturbance, makes me think that he agrees with most of them.

By the time the first class ends, my stomach is making noises similar to a whale. We wait for most of the other students to funnel out of the lecture hall before we make out exit too. Adrian turns us towards the dining hall, but I tug on his arm to stop him.

“I need to use the restroom,” I say quietly. “The coffee ran right through me.”

Adrian smiles apologetically and turns to hed the opposite direction, presumable towards the requested rooms. “Okay, sorry,” He says, leading me through the crowd. “My stomach makes decisions for me sometimes.”

I chuckle as he deposits me in front of the bathroom doors. “It’s fine. I’ll just be a minute,” I promise.

He forces a smile as he watches me leave, seeming to feel uneasy about me being out of sight for even a moment. I resist the urge to roll my eyes at his behavior but decide to conserve my energy. “Take your time,” He says, who\ile glaring at people who walk by. I can already envision him snapping at anyone who might try to enter the restroom while I’m in one of the stalls like a rottweiler.

I relieve myself quickly and check my appearance in the mirror as I wash my hands, giving myself a once-over. No matter what Adrian said this morning, I know how good I look in this outfit. It hugs the curves of my waist nicely with steel boning that runs up the sides, sinching my waist while giving my girls a generous amount of support. Since no one else is in the stalls around me, I decide to take the opportunity to check out my ass while I’m at it.


I’m fortunate to have a nice one without needing any silicone additions, and I like to admire it whenever I get the chance. I smile at my reflection happily, proud of what I see in these pants. I chuckle to myself and decide to put Adrian out of his misery by exiting the restrooms. When I look up, I don’t see him standing where I left him, so I step further into the hallway to search for him.

I discover his tall frame facing his back to me as he talks with someone, his body language telling me that he’s either annoyed or angry with whoever is speaking to him. I frown and walk closer, unable to hear his hushed voice as he speaks, his body hiding whoever is facing him.