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“That doesn’t make me a hero by any means. A decent human maybe, but that’s it.”
“Well, considering you’re not totally human, it’s still a win.”
Dom barked a short laugh, ran a hand through his hair, making him appear a little unruffled for the first time since I’d known him. “Point taken. Trust me, I know you think I’m a monster.”
I shifted uneasily before him. It was true that I was holding onto the fact I was conditioned to hate this vampire. We were at odds on a variety of levels. But even so, I found myself sometimes wondering why I was required to hate him in the first place.
“So thanks,” I said. “I know you witnessed something that could get me in a lot of trouble. If you feel the need to turn me in to The Circle, I’d understand.”
Dom took a step closer to me. “You’re going to get hurt, Trixie. You can’t continue to keep your magic locked inside. I don’t care about The Circle’s opinion, and I’d never turn you in. But for your sake—your safety—I urge you to reconsider your magical repression.”
“Noted, considered. Thanks for not saying anything,” I garbled out in a rush. “Is there anything else?”
Dom licked his lips. “How do you feel?”
“Fine. Tired,” I amended at his look of disbelief. “But really, fine.”
Dominic opened his mouth, but before he could speak, there was a knock on the door. I didn’t see who was there, but when Dom returned from answering it, he held two bucket-sized cups of coffee out to me.
“I didn’t know what you preferred, so this is some mocha concoction, and this...” Dom winced as he tried to remember the other drink. “I don’t know. I got you something iced, something hot, both sweet.”
“Thank you,” I said, accepting two cups with a wry smile. “You don’t want one?”
Dom gave a shake of his head. “Not my cup of tea.”
“You do realize you’ll be able to hear my heartbeat from a mile away if I drink all this caffeine in one go?”
“Good. It’ll make it easier to keep tabs on you.”
“Well, thanks for the drinks.” I shifted my weight from one foot to the other. “It’s probably time for me to leave your penthouse of glory to go back to my humble abode.”
“Penthouse of glory?” he echoed faintly.
I gestured around. “I’m just saying, you don’t know what it’s like to live like the rest of us. You live up here without a care in the world. Money solves all your problems.”
“I have cares,” he grumbled. “Plenty of them. Sometimes too many.”
“Not financial,” I said. “I bet you don’t worry if your appliances break. I bet you don’t hunt around in couch cushions for spare change in order to fix them.”
“Why wouldn’t you call maintenance to fix your appliances?”
“I do,” I said. “But things still cost money. Car repairs cost money. Food costs money. I’m just saying, you’re never going to get it, Dominic.”
With that, I yanked at my tattered pink bag and let myself out the door. I closed it behind me, well aware that there were things still unsaid between us. I made it down to my apartment, feeling a swirl of emotions in my chest. As much as I was trying to convince myself to keep on hating this vampire who was about to ruin my life, a part of me couldn’t help but like him.
I pushed open the door to my apartment and froze when I found Emmy standing there, stock still, as if she’d been petrified.
“Emmy?” I asked. “What is it?”
“Well, there are two things,” she said as if that would make it better.
“Good news and bad news?” I asked hopefully.
She cringed. “Bad news and worse news?”
I swore under my breath.
“There’s an article about you in the paper,” Emmy said. “It’s everywhere online too. I don’t know if it’s from the reporter who cornered you last night, but I wouldn’t be surprised, judging by how much the writer seems to hate you.”
