Smoke and Wishes (Best Wishes #1)(31)

“My birth mother picked it out, but my mom picked out the nickname Lucie,” I confided. I took a steadying breath before continuing, about to divulge something I haven’t told anyone, not even Charlie. “I know I said I was adopted, and while that’s technically true, my mom actually found me one night after work. I was left with my necklace and a note,” I purposely left out the fact I had a trinket box. Despite trusting him, I didn’t want anyone else to know about the tokens until I was absolutely sure about them. “It told my mom what my name was, saying how I wasn’t safe, and neither was my birth mother. So she left me somewhere she knew I’d be found,” I shrugged again as we filed out of the office and out from behind the checkout counter, the library still empty except for us.

We fell into a companionable silence, Cam pushing open the library door once more into the chilly evening and held it open for me to pass. The sun was just getting ready to set; beautiful pinks, oranges, and purples danced behind the evergreen trees. I couldn't help but feel like this was the end to a fantastic date, even though all we had done was study and check on Muriel. Before walking out into the quad, he pulled me to a stop.

“I have to run to the next town over to pick up something for another class, but thank you for sharing that with me, Lucie. I know it’s hard talking about the past,” he pulled me into his arms, the warmth of his chest felt like a comforting blanket against the cold evening air. Leaning back, his hands remained on my arms as he looked down at me. The array of colors over the quad cast a warm glow over his features. I was struck once again by his amber eyes, their multifaceted hues were hypnotic, holding me in their depths. “We’re here for you, don’t be afraid to come to us.”

His thumbs continued to rub comforting circles on my forearms, warm and fuzzy feelings crept through me at the gesture. I nodded unsure of what to say. Another flush blooming on my cheeks as he flashed a bright smile, the sharp points of his incisors peeking out, drawing my eyes to his lips. Unfortunately, before I could do anything, like kiss the living daylights out of him, he took a shuddering breath and turned down the path towards the parking lot.

I started towards the dorms, still feeling the effects of whatever the hell just happened coursing through me, and mentally reviewed what we went over this afternoon. I felt good about our progress so far, although I could prepare some anecdotal stories from my life as a human, if necessary. The wind picked up around me bringing another wave of chilliness with it, and I pulled my black jacket tighter. Damn, I should have put on a hoodie underneath.

Halfway to my dorm, I heard girly giggling echo through the seemingly empty quad. I whipped my head around trying to find where the sound was coming from and instantly regretted it. Fuck me. I got an eyeful of Hudson with that blonde from the Bitch Crew. Brittney, I think her name was. Both were walking from the parking lot towards the library, meaning we would have to pass each other at the crisscrossed walkways in the center. Great. I glanced away quickly, my heart aching. Don’t go all soft now. I couldn’t help but think back to his date request, making the hurt in my chest worsen. Steeling my resolve, I continued down the path, making sure to keep my eyes on the pavement.

Hudson





“You’re so funny, Hud,” Brittney playfully swatted at my arm. I forced a smirk, feigning interest in her incessant flirting. What the hell is wrong with me? I wanted to enjoy the night, but I found myself getting increasingly irritated with the short blonde who was hanging on my left arm. Her giggle echoed throughout the quad, gritting my teeth slightly at the grating sound. Studying the empty grassy area, I saw a familiar blonde head curved down looking at the cement. Her arms were crossed in front of her chest holding her jacket closed. I was tempted to call out to have her look up at me, but stayed the impulse knowing it probably wouldn’t go over well with my date.

“Oh, hey! It’s so good to see you again,” Brittney’s soprano voice rang out. I glanced down at her, confused as to who she was talking to when Lucie looked up brushing the hair from her face. A tense silence followed as Lucie continued towards us down the path. Her expression held no emotion, which was out of character for her. The usual pleasant smile she wore was missing, leaving an almost bored and annoyed expression in its wake.

“Hey,” her voice was cold and flat, harsh compared to her usually soft-spoken timbre. I arched a brow as I looked at her. She didn’t make any move to look at me or acknowledge I was there. What’s up with her?

“I didn’t mean for you to stop, I just wanted to say hi,” Brittney’s face broke into a wide smile, almost like she was proud of herself. Her left hand came to rest on my chest. As if her tits weren’t pushed against me enough already, she leaned into me, overwhelming my senses with a too strong floral perfume. Lucie would never wear something like that.

“Great, nice to see you both. I need to get going,” her eyes flicked to mine for a brief second holding some emotion I couldn’t make out. Don’t do it. The desire to drop my barrier and read her was intense. It isn’t fair to her. With that last thought, I was able to squash the temptation as I gave a small wave.

“It was good to see you, Lucie,” I murmured, she turned to walk down the path to her dorm building without saying anything else. Brittney’s head rested against my shoulder while Lucie trailed out of sight.

Lucienne