The night progressed with maddening deliberateness. While Isabelle and the boy slept, I waited for morning to come.
Think they’ve slept long enough? Grey sent me just after sunrise.
I knew what he was really asking. How much patience did I have left? Not much.
Yes, I sent back.
Grey got out of bed and opened the curtain a few inches. The light had an immediate effect on Ethan. Grey settled back into his spot by Isabelle, and I kept my eyes closed as Ethan’s breathing changed.
After a minute, I felt the boy turn to look at me and scented his confusion.
“I know you’re hot, but I’m not into guys,” he said.
Isabelle moved on the other side of the room. I opened my eyes and saw she was sitting up and watching me. Uneasiness pulled at her features. For him, the interrupter of possible first kisses. I wanted to beat him. But she didn’t want that. So, I gave her what she did want.
I looked at the boy and made a promise.
“You’re safe with me.”
The boy frowned then turned his head to look at Isabelle.
“Did he spoon me? I feel recently spooned.”
“Minor spooning,” Isabelle said, humor erasing the unease. “Pants off, but boxers on.”
Ethan sat up and swung his legs off the bed.
“You’re warped. How can such a twisted mind hide behind that pretty face?”
“You like warped.” She grinned.
I hated their comfortable banter.
“Lucky for you,” he said. “If no one is calling dibs on the bathroom, I’m grabbing it for the next ten minutes.”
“All yours,” she said, lying back down.
I’ll let you two have some time alone, Grey sent me. And, as soon as the bathroom door closed, he got out of bed and left.
Without him there, I had a clear view of Isabelle. She wasn’t lying on her side like me, but on her back. I thought she’d close her eyes and perhaps try to ignore me. Instead, she turned her head and met my gaze.
“Want to tell me what that was about last night?” she asked.
“No.” She wouldn’t want to hear how much I did not like her relationship with Ethan.
“You keep too much in. You’re going to give yourself an aneurism.”
She still didn’t turn away. Morning light bathed her face, highlighting the dusting of freckles on her cheeks and forehead. My middle warmed at the sight. Her sharp tongue and aggressive fighting might not be angelic, but everything else was and I liked that contrast in her.
For the next ten minutes, she continued to look at me. Was she studying me like I was her?
Slowly the scent of her agitation drifted to me. Understanding her would take some time, and by staying where she was, she was starting to give me that. At least, she gave me her time until the door opened and the boy walked out. Then she quickly shut herself in the bathroom.
“Don’t take it personally,” the boy said as he toweled off his hair and sat on the opposite bed. “She’s been cheating her whole life, knowing what everyone’s feeling. Now she knows how everyone else lives.”
I stood and went to my bag. Yesterday’s exercise clothes were on the top. Listening to the sink run, I began stripping out of my clothes. Although she’d drained herself last night, she would likely need to exercise again before we hit the road.
When the shirt cleared my head, I found him watching me.
“I’m happy, you know. I don’t like it, but for her, I’m happy,” he said.
“What do you mean?”
His brief smile conveyed regret and acceptance.
“She’ll never admit it, but she’s lonely. She keeps herself isolated to protect everyone else, not herself. With you, she’ll have a choice. She doesn’t need to be alone anymore.”
I sat on the bed and tied my shoes while I considered what he was telling me.
“She doesn’t like me,” I said.
He chuckled.
“Not feeling anything from you is freaking her out. But, it’s exactly what she needs.”
The water turned off, and I stood.
“Thank you.”
“Don’t thank me. I wish it was me, not you.”
I nodded and left the room. His honesty won him my respect. I still didn’t like him, though.
Jim was already perusing the continental breakfast offerings in the lobby when I reached the exercise room. He waved me over.
“There’s no meat,” he said when I joined him.
There wasn’t. A bowl stacked with apples and oranges sat next to a juice machine that offered apple and orange juice. A dispenser with two types of cereal was next to that, and a clear case with mini bagels and some tiny muffins ended the selection.
“We’re going to starve before we get wherever we’re going,” he said.
“I doubt that should be an Elder’s first concern.”
“That’s where you’re wrong. It should be. Dad told me about how lean times had almost ended our kind. Mom’s the one who started stocking up on food. Food brought us all together. Without food, we’ll fall apart; and there will be no one left to keep the Urbat at bay.”
I shook my head at him and took an apple. He consumed most of the muffins while I watched the hall.
Can you send Isabelle and the boy down before Jim eats everyone’s breakfast? I sent Grey.
As soon as I’m dry and dressed, I’ll grab them. Tell that starving pup to drink some water.
“You tattled,” Jim said suddenly. He withdrew his hand from the muffin he’d been grabbing and went for a cup instead.
“I saved you from a lecture,” I said.
“Nah. Before you came, I asked the lady at the desk if there were more muffins hidden somewhere. She said she’d keep the display full for me.” He grinned.
They’re not here.
Grey’s words killed any amusement I might have felt.
What do you mean not there?
The room’s empty.
No bags? I sent back, already walking down the hall.
No, the bags are here. They left the room and went to the back exit.
I growled and jogged to meet up with Grey. Ethan and Isabelle’s scents were still fresh near the door.
“Winifred knows they are gone. She’s giving us a few minutes to try to find them. If we can’t, she’ll wake Gabby.”
We left out the back exit and started tracking at human running speed. It didn’t take us long to catch up to them. They ran in unison, shoulder to shoulder, on the sidewalk in front of us.
I let Winifred know we don’t need Gabby, Grey sent me.
We followed them for a few minutes before Isabelle veered toward a fast food restaurant.
“I wonder why she didn’t use the treadmill,” Grey said as we watched them through the windows. Isabelle stepped up to the counter.
“There aren’t many people around yet,” I answered, studying her. She seemed relaxed as she ordered. The boy wasn’t.
They stayed inside, neither looking around as they waited for their food. When everything was ready, the boy took a large bag of food, she accepted a drink carrier, and they walked toward the doors where we waited. Neither seemed surprised to see us. However, Isabelle avoided meeting my gaze. She focused on Grey.
“Grey, you’re going to need something other than jeans if you plan on taking up running.” She handed him one of the lidded cups. The boy opened his bag and handed us each a sandwich.
Both were trying to seem relaxed, but I could scent their tension. Why had they left?
“If the point of the exercise is to burn off the emotion you absorb, doesn’t stopping for breakfast defeat the purpose?” Grey asked Isabelle.
“Sleeping in a hotel defeated the purpose before the breakfast run did. If you would have felt what was coming from the room above us…”
Grey winked at her and took a bite of his breakfast sandwich. The neighbors hadn’t been loud, but I had heard enough to know what they’d been about. It hadn’t helped time pass.
“I’m going to have to tell Gabby to stop ratting me out,” she said, handing me a juice. She kept her attention on Grey, making it very clear she was trying to ignore me without being obvious about it.
“She didn’t,” he said.
“How did you find us?”
Grey answered by tapping the side of his nose before taking another bite.
“You should have showered,” Ethan said to her.
“Shut up. I don’t stink.”
I could hear the uncertainty in her words and wanted to kick the boy. She did not stink. She smelled tempting as hell.
“Might as well walk back,” Isabelle said as she unwrapped her food.
Grey turned and started walking. I hung back, waiting for her to follow him. She rolled her eyes and sped up to walk beside Grey.
“Hey, Grey… do you fight?”
“Nah. I’m a lover, not a fighter.”
What did you do after I left? Grey sent me.
Nothing.
Well, you sure did something to annoy her enough that she’s ignoring you. Not that I mind the attention.
I recalled Ethan’s words and knew that wasn’t the case. She was used to feeling everyone else’s emotions and now she was starting to feel something that was just her. The pull. It was making her nervous.