Heartbeats

Chapter Twenty-Four

“What did you want to talk about?” We were sitting in my car. By the time we had made our way to the parking lot Mason was gone, so I felt a little bit better about being in this position.

“Right. So you know that girl I was staring at?”

I nodded. “Right. The one who made you fall out of your seat.”

Charles scowled. “Hey now. I…I didn’t…”

“Yeah, yeah. I get it Bat Boy. Teasing. But what about her?”

“You couldn’t smell her?” he asked incredulously.

Uhm….

“No….sorry, I don’t get high off strawberry shampoo.”

His lips pursed, but I could tell he was happier with me joking around. I actually was, too, because it took my mind off things.

“Not like that. But you seriously didn’t?”

I shook my head, but then something stopped me. “Wait, I think she sits in front of me in Creative Writing. Her perfume gave me a head ache. Is that what you’re talking about?”

Charles went palm-to-face. “It isn’t perfume Jacie. I can’t believe you…oh….right.”

I cocked my left eyebrow.

“Okay. So these are insider secrets, and I’m not sure what will happen if I tell you…” he started.

“So if your little head coven kills me I’ll be haunting you with chains.”

“Yeah, I guess.” He rolled his eyes. “Anyway, the only way your kind could really tell us from any human from a first impression was by our scent. Someone in our history found a way we could mask it, which hasn’t really been necessary since we’ve become more peaceful. But they’ve also added ingredients that added scents, hypnotized, stunned, etc.”

I blinked. “So she’s one of you. Why is she important?”

He dropped his eyes from mine. “She was eying Mason as she passed him.”

My heart stopped. “Seriously Chuck, every girl does that.” I chuckled, but my heart hurt. The organ was mad at me and making sure I knew it. I fought back with reality, reminding myself that Mason had over-stepped everything. He was afraid to take steps off the path he had predicted to have with me when he met me. Not only that, we were juniors; we weren’t married.

We weren’t even in love.

Right?

Charles shook his head, and for a second I thought I had spoken aloud. “She wasn’t looking at him like that.”

Oh.

“Her eyes ran over him like a predator, like she was hunting, but she knew he was surrounded by those able to protect him. And now he isn’t.”

He was right. Mason wasn’t likely to let any of us near him, at least not anytime soon.

“So what do we do? We can’t just leave him.”

Or at least I can’t.

Charles motioned for me to start the car, and he opened the door to step out. “Meet me at the airport, okay?”

“Why?” I raised my eyebrows, but in the background the car growled and came to life.

“I’m picking someone up. He’s good at clearing up crap like this.”

Yeah, I thought. Because I really need another guy in my life.

.:*:.

“So who are we waiting for?” My eyes scanned the mass of people who were attacking the baggage claim. When Charles didn’t answer I sighed and sat down, rolling my eyes.

Mason was right about one thing; I was along for the ride when it came to Charles.

I scanned the crowd, trying to match the profiles to people Charles had described to me, but there were no matches. I eventually told Charles I was going to the food court, and I asked if he wanted anything. He declined, his attention set on the incoming gate. Scoffing, I set off for the escalator. My phone went off while I was filling up my drink.

Malcolm.

“What’s up?” I asked, holding the phone in the crook of my shoulder.

“I’m watching a Stephen King marathon. In other words, I’m bored.”

“Cool.” Someone came out with my order, taking my ticket and leaving behind a Mediterranean sandwich. “So why’d you call?”

“I was actually wondering if we could get out tonight. Do something other than shoo away the maids.”

That actually sounded nice. “Yeah, sounds good. Unless Charles needs me.”

“Why….never mind. Okay, cool.”

The phone beeped, and I pulled it away to check the screen. Charles. “Hey, Malcolm, I need to take this call. I’ll talk to you later.”

He told me it was fine and hung up. I switched to the other line.

“Where are you?”  he urgently asked, not giving me the chance to talk.

“Sandwich shop? I don’t know what it’s called. Green awning. Cute little gated eating area in front.”

“Okay. See you in a minute.” He left before I could say anything.

I stared at the screen for a moment as it flashed orange before I shrugged it off and bit into the sandwich. When I reached for the other half, however, my hand grabbed air. I jumped when I looked up.

“Charles Rice I hate your undead stealth,” I joked.

He smirked and winked at me as he took a bite of the sandwich before setting it back on my plate. He turned the chair opposite me so its back was too the table, and he straddled it before grabbing my drink and gulping down the rest of it.

I rolled my eyes but stopped abruptly when chills ran up my spine.

From behind me someone whispered