I wake the next day in my own bed down in the West Wing, Fallon sitting up on her bed staring at me. "What are you doing?" I grumble, rolling over to face away from her, my head still aching dully.
"I am..." She yawns. "Under strict orders to watch you carefully."
I flip back and look at her, the droopiness of her eyes giving her away. "You didn't sleep at all?" I ask and she shakes her head and yawns again. "Oh my god, Fallon, what did you think was going to happen to me?"
"Not me." She smiled sleepily and stretched her long arms over her head. "The three men who insisted I not leave your side for even a second."
I shake my head and pull back my blankets. "Ok, well I didn't die in my sleep and we need to get ready. Although," I look her over. "You already look ready so here is what we're going to do." I take her by the shoulders and push her back onto her bed gently. "You're going to at least squeeze in a power nap while I go get in the shower and get dressed. I promise to behave."
She doesn't argue while I pull her covers up over her because her eyes are already closing.
I leave her there and head over to pick out something to wear, digging through my stuff until I find my Giants tank-top, hoping to get a rise out of Dalton by wearing it, and grab a pair of grey sweats. If today is going to be anything like yesterday, I need to be as comfortable as possible. And for that, I need my lucky grey sweats. They got me though advanced trigonometry and if they could do that, they can give me a little boost around here.
I glance back once at Fallon, making sure she really is going to get some sleep before I close the door behind me.
I can't believe she really stayed up and watched me the entire time.
She'd showed up last night to Pedro's room only minutes after they'd left. I told her everything, and instead of freaking out, or prying with more questions, she shook it off and started telling me about this guy Trent who had said hi to her. She never failed to make me laugh and I thought again how lucky I was to have her.
After a few hours she and Lance walked me back to my room and I finally got some sleep. I'd kind of thought that Dalton would come too, but he and Pedro must have been tied up in their meetings still, or he just didn't want to see me anymore now that the drama was over.
I couldn't pin why the thought bugged me so bad, or why Eyan's pretty face kept popping into my head, so I try my best to shut out all of my thoughts and just focus on my shower.
When I get out I get ready, dressing quickly, and then quietly inch out into the main room, not wanting to wake Fallon until we absolutely had to go. I picked up my phone and went back into the bathroom.
The phone barely rang through once before she answered.
"Rose." She smiles into the phone. "Calvin, get in here!" She shouts.
"That her?" He asks at her side, then two more voices fill in the background.
"Hey, everyone." I say quietly, just the sounds of their voices easing some of the tension I didn't even realize I was still carrying in my chest. "I miss you all so much."
"We miss you too, baby." Mom says, and I can already tell she's crying.
"So much." Dad adds. "How is it? I heard you had your first class."
"Who's your teacher?" Octavia chimes in.
I laugh at them, my perfectly amazing little family.
"Mom, stop crying." I say first and I hear her laugh. "I'm doing totally fine, everything is like I hopped it would be and no one has tried to kill me or marry me yet, so I'm already off to a better start then you." I joke. "Seriously though, don't worry. I'm doing great, and my roommate is amazing. Everyone has been really nice and my two bodyguards hardly let me cut my own food up so you have nothing to worry about."
I notice Fallon shift in her bed and I lower my voice a little more.
"Class was interesting." I tell dad. "I really liked getting to learn about the origin of Castrum and the first king. Oh, and Pedro did mention the journals to me and I can't wait to get into them. I just haven't had the time. My teacher is Master Malard."
I hear both dad and Octavia make a noise. "Yeah, he's a bit of an old-school mind." Octavia sighs. "He is the best though as far as the information goes."
"How are you eating?" Logan asks and I can't help but laugh.
"Not as well as at home." I admit. "I've mostly just gotten cafeteria stuff so far, but I hear there will be some celebrations coming up soon and the summer solstice ball so hopefully I'll get some better stuff then."
"A ball?" Mom asks, and I don't even have to be there to know that mom and dad are probably looking at each other right now reminiscing over their first ball together. "That'll be fun."
"I hope so." I agree and then there's a knock on my bedroom door and Fallon gets woken up. I sigh and walk towards the door. "Sorry, guys, but my escorts are here so I'll call and check in again tomorrow. I love you all."
"We love you too." They all say in unison before the call ends and I throw it over on the bed.
I slide open the door and Dalton crosses his arms over his strong chest.
"Can I take you class today and you not manage to make a shitstorm out of it?" He asks gruffly, walking past me to enter the room and go over to my clothes. He moves a few things around and then grabs a black cotton jacket and throws it at me. "The rooms are chilly today, we had an issue with our systems, not that we needed anymore drama yesterday."
I roll my eyes as I slide the jacket on.
"Do you like my shirt?" I smile widely, holding the jacket open and striking a pose so he can see the team name across the front, just like the Giants poster in his room.
He raises one eyebrow and then looks away. "Is that supposed to impress me?"
I huff, pulling my jacket back around me. "I just thought you'd like it since you have the poste-."
"Don't think we're friends now just because I helped you out yesterday." He says suddenly.
I furrow my brows at him and make a face. "I thought maybe after yesterday you were coming around to-."
"To what?" He rounds on me, looking down in annoyance. "Like you? Give a shit? Not think you were an enormous pain in my side? Hate to be the bearer of bad news, but no."
I look away from him, staring down at the floor instead, my semi good mood after talking to my family completely gone. "What is your problem with me, Dalton?" I ask evenly. "And don't say you don't have one," I say looking back up at him. "Because it's pretty clear that you do."
He keeps his arms crossed as he looks at me, his angry eyes glaring back at mine.
"To have a problem with you, Rosie," He says my nickname like he's talking to an annoying little kid. "I'd have to care, which I keep telling you that I don't." He brushes past me and walks over to the door. "Sorry if my being nice to you while you were in trouble gave you the wrong idea, won't happen again. I forgot little girls like to make up fantasies in their heads."
I ball my fists at my sides and breathe out angrily, imagining I would have steam rolling out of my ears if I was a cartoon character. I stomp over to him and punch him as hard as I can in the middle of his back and he whips around to grab my wrist roughly, holding it out up between us to keep me from swinging again as he swiftly turns me, putting my back against the door and his fiery glare burns into the one I'm giving him right back.
"I did not make up some little fantasy about you." I snap. "The fact that you'd think so makes me wonder if maybe you're the one who is doing that, not me!"
"God you are such a little kid!"
"I am not a kid!" I yell into his face, standing on my toes to not feel so small in front of him. "And I didn't ask for you to hold my hand yesterday, that was all you."
He grimaces at me, leaning in closer so that I feel his breath on my face.
"Me?" He demands. "I was just trying to comfort the little girl who'd just had a bad dream." He dismissed our moment easily. "You were the one who was staring at me in the elevator all lovey and goo goo eyed and rubbing on my face and neck like I'm some sort of knight that's carrying you off into the sunset."
I shake my head angrily and twist my wrist out of the vice grip he was stilling holding it in between us. "You're so full of shit." I tell him. "I would never look at you like that, or think of you like that, or touch you. If you thought that's what you saw then the issue here is with you, not me. I was delirious if you'll recall. I don't even remember riding on the elevator with you." I lie.
"We both know who is full of shit here." He says lowly, hitting his hands hard on the door on either side of my head and not moving his eyes from mine. "You remembered just fine, and that's why you got yourself all dressed up in a shirt you thought I'd like because you were making a lot more out of yesterday than it was." The truth behind his words stung and I knew he knew it. "I am so not your knight, and I pity the man who is."
"Good to know, but I'd never want that from you! Ever!" I yell back at him. "I seriously pity the girl who gets stuck with your mood swings and unnecessary meanness."
I try my absolute hardest not to notice that our bodies are practically mashed together where he has me pinned to the door. He leans in impossibly closer, and my breathing slows down to keep from gasping. He leans close to my ear, not close enough to touch my hair, but enough that his closeness should be making me uncomfortable but it isn't.
"I already have a girlfriend, remember?" He says. "And trust me, I've heard no complaints out of her. But maybe that's because she isn't some little spoiled human brat."
I turn to face him, our foreheads nearly touching. "Maybe she just doesn't say it to your face because you're always so busy trying to make everyone afraid of you." I counter and I feel that crazy electric pull between us again as much as I want to pretend it doesn't exist. "I hate to break it to you, but it's not going to work on me. I'm not afraid of you, or your little act."
"You think it's an act, huh?" He tilts his head. "Try me."
"I already did." I point out, reminding him that I've already punched him which is about the extent of the damage I as a weak human can do to the pretty much strongest vampire in existence. "And the funny thing to me is, instead of being all hard and mean like you claim to be," I lower my voice to a whisper, testing his resolve. "All you've seemed to do is push me up against a door with your body and whisper in my ear trying to make me jealous of your girlfriend." I don't miss it when his eyes dip to my mouth. "And now you're looking at my lips because you want to kiss me."
His eyes flick back up to mine. "Oh, really?" He asks, his voice gravely. "Is that what I want, or maybe is that what you want and you're just trying to project it onto me? Because the way I'm seeing it is you're the one who is breathing heavily, your heartbeat is skyrocketing every time I get closer to you, and I can feel the heat rolling off of you."
"Or maybe those things are because I'm pissed off that you're in my face and being such an ass." I fire back, challenging him with the firm look on my face. "I guess you are the little kid in this equation who is making up fantasies in his mind."
"You're delusional." He mutters.
I raise one brow. "Yet you're the one who is still standing here like this." I point out.
I expect him to move to prove a point, but instead he drops one hand to my hip, his thumb brushing the bare slit of skin between my pants and shirt. I don't want to, but a slight gasp escapes my lips. "So you want me to move then?" He whispers into my hair at my neck and I turn my face away, loving the feeling of his lips so close to my ear.
"Yes." I choke out.
His other hand comes to my face, turning it towards him quickly, forcing me to look into his eyes. "You sure?" He whispers, his lips parted slightly as he dips my head back a little, positioning me perfectly for him as he leans in.
My body betrays me and I reach out for him, closing my eyes until I feel him grab my shoulders roughly and spin me around to where he is the one in front of the door and he opens it a crack while I stand there with my head spinning.
"You lose." He shrugs simply. "Don't accuse me of what you don't know."
"I-you."
He holds up a hand. "Get to class and try not to create a whole new story in your mind to go with what just happened. I was only proving my point. You need to realize that I'm not here to be for you what your dad was for your mom. It's never going to happen."
"Good!" I shout. "Because that'd be the last thing I want from you."
"Great, then we understand each other."
"Yes," I nod exaggeratedly. "You're a total prick, and I'm a complete idiot for thinking there was any kind of heart left inside of you."
"Glad we're on the same page now."
"Wonderful." I purse my lips and cross my arms.
"Fan-fucking-tastic." He rolls his eyes as he walks out of the room. "Don't be late this time." He calls over his shoulder, not waiting on me to follow.
I'm so busy standing there fuming mad that I jump out of my skin when Fallon finally speaks.
"Holy shit." She says and I turn to see her peek out from under her covers and sit up with her jaw hanging open. "I may pass out later of sleep deprivation, but it will have been worth it to witness that." She tells me. "I seriously thought the two of you were about to start carnally ripping each other's clothes off."
I make a sour face. "Me and that asshole?" I hold a hand to my chest in shock. "I'd never go for someone like him."
Fallon just raises up her brows and slides out of bed, flashing to my side. "Uh-huh."
"I'm serious." I protest. "Like literally never."
She rolls her eyes and puts a hand on my shoulder. "Please," She smirks. "I wouldn't be surprised if you didn't just get pregnant from that interaction." She points at the door with a smile.
"Ew, my god, Fallon." I nudge her. "That's not even remotely funny." I tell her. "Me and Dalton? Get serious."
Fallon shrugs her shoulders and tilts her head as she begins to walk ahead of me.
"Well I still hold firm to what I said before." She says. "His mouth is saying one thing, but his eyes have a whole other story to tell."
I nod and smile in accomplishment. "Exactly!" I agree. "He's such an ass trying to make it seem like it's me and not him when it is so clearly him."
Fallon turns around in the door way and gives me a look.
"The same thing goes for you." She shakes her head. "I'm telling you, mouth saying one thing, eyes, and in your case body, saying something else." She laughs.
I roll my eyes at her and follow her out into the corridor, both of us rushing through the little throngs of people trying to make it to class on time. When we turn the corner I see one of the doors up the way open up and a class full file out. I instantly notice the pretty brunette with the nice smile.
"What's she doing down here again?" I ask Fallon and she stops to turn and see who I'm talking about. "Is she like one of the teachers down here or something?"
Eyan waves goodbye to one of the girls beside her and then smiles even bigger when she sees Dalton walk up and he grabs her by the waist and instantly starts kissing her hard. She wraps her dainty hands around his thick neck and presses in closer to him.
I turn away and stomp off to class, Fallon right behind me.
"You don't know?" She asks and I turn to glance at her in question. "Eyan isn't a teacher down here, she's a student."
I stop in my tracks and Fallon bumps into me. "What?" I drop my jaw. "Human? As in...human?"
Fallon shrugs one shoulder and nods. "Yeah." She tells me. "She's been here for like a little over a year is what I've heard."
I fight the urge to look back at them for as long as I can but right before I dip into my class room I steal a quick glance back up that way and find Dalton's eyes not only open, but looking at me too.
I roll my eyes and drop down into my seat.
So Dalton's issue isn't with humans in general obviously. It's only with me.