Aven's Dream (30 page)

I glanced at his father, realizing I wanted to stay out of the middle of whatever their father-son issues were. Tyler’s phone buzzed again, capturing his attention. A second later, he looked up again and grinned at me.

“Some buddies are having a party this weekend in Portland. You interested?”

Dr. Pitt cleared his throat.

“What I meant to say was, do you want to go to the movies this weekend?” Tyler asked.

I struggled to keep my face blank when I was really thinking:
Hell no, crazy person
!

“I already have plans Friday and Saturday,” I said, shaking my head like it was too bad.

I looked over at my dad again, trying to figure out why he was acting so freaking weird. It felt like he was trying to pawn me off on this sketchy weirdo.

“Dr. Pitt?” I asked. “What kind of research do you do? Are you in the same field as my dad?”

He laughed like I had said something cute, and I bit my lip to keep from glaring.

“As chair, I don’t get to do as much research these days as the younger professors like your father who still have something to prove.”

A light bulb went off in my head. Got it. This guy was
head
of the department my dad taught in. That was why my dad was acting so bizarre. They started talking about university stuff, and then the sushi arrived, giving me the perfect opportunity to sit and be quiet. Picking up my chopsticks, I silently begged them to cooperate. I glanced out the window, and Will was still there. For some reason it was oddly comforting not to be going through this completely alone. But as I watched him, Will’s expression changed. I felt a chill as I turned and saw a man being seated at the end of the bar across the restaurant. He had long, dark hair, but I couldn’t see his face. I told myself it could be anyone, not necessarily Vladimir Fidatov. Nervously, I reached out for the soy sauce at the same time as Tyler Pitt. When his finger brushed mine, he grinned at me.

“Dad? Excuse me,” I said stiffly. “I have to use the restroom.”

Jumping up, I headed in the opposite direction of the bar, past the host station to the other end of the restaurant, trying to get my breathing under control. There were two single-person bathrooms, and one of them said
vacant
. But just as I reached for the door, I felt a hand come down on my shoulder. Turning, I nearly screamed until I saw Tyler.

“What are you doing?” I asked, not trying this time to hide my annoyance.

He grinned.

“You gave me the signal.”

“What?”

“You know, the
signal
,” he repeated suggestively.

Before I could throw up in my mouth, Tyler was suddenly twirling around like a ballerina before his head smacked up against the door with a thump. I watched in shock as he crumpled to the floor. Then I looked up—and up—into the shining black eyes of a young man at least as tall as Will, yet even broader. With a shaved head, he was unquestionably beautiful, like Will, but his skin glowed with a color darker than dark chocolate. He smiled at me and held out his hand.

“I’m Edmond,” the man said in a faintly British accent. “William sent me in his stead. He said it was likely he might dispatch your dinner companion if he were here.”

Swallowing, I held out my hand.

“I’m Aven. It’s nice to meet you …”
and very surreal to be talking over the unconscious body of the son of the chair of my dad’s department
,
I thought to myself. “Is he going to be okay?”

I motioned to the limp body between us.

“Most certainly. Perhaps a terrible headache,” Edmond smiled.

“I’m okay with that. Edmond, do you mind if I …”

I pointed to the bathroom, and Edmond nodded. Stepping over Tyler Pitt’s slumped form, I opened the door and walked inside. After using the bathroom, I washed my hands and splashed water on my face. By the time I had patted my face dry, my phone buzzed.

Now you’ve met Edmond
.

I sent a note back that, yes, I had met Will’s companion—right after he had knocked out the son of my dad’s department chair. When I walked out of the bathroom, Edmond smiled and gestured back to the restaurant. I heard Tyler moan from the ground.

“He’ll be with you shortly,” Edmond said with a smile.

“Keep him if you want.”

I walked back toward the table, turning slightly to scan the bar. My heart leapt when I saw Will with his back to me. He was sitting at the bar in the same place Vladimir Fidatov had been. Or maybe seeing Fidatov really had been my imagination. I walked toward the table, slowing when I heard David Pitt talking about his son. I caught the words
youngest
,
rehab
,
out of control
,
mother
,
scandal
,
graduate assistant
.

By the time I reached the table, my dad looked a little paler. He stood up, and I slid into the booth, looking to where Will was sitting. Then I carefully picked up a piece of nigiri with my chopsticks. David Pitt craned his neck, looking around for his son.

“Did you see Tyler?” he asked me distractedly.

I shook my head, and he mumbled something under his breath, snapping his fingers when he saw our server. He handed over his credit card and grumbled something about being in a hurry. Jerk.
Like father, like son
, I thought. Looking up, I saw Edmond cross the restaurant and walk outside, and a few seconds later, Tyler appeared from the back of the restaurant and began stumbling toward us. The server came up with the bill just as Tyler lurched to the table. His father stood up as he signed the credit card receipt.

“Aven, it was very nice meeting you. I’m sure you’ll be hearing from Tyler.”

I smiled and looked over at his son, who was swaying on his feet, and thought,
I hope not
. When Dr. Pitt turned, my dad stood up.

“See you on campus, Aaron.”

“Thanks for dinner,” my dad said. “Tyler, it was nice to meet you.”

Tyler grunted as his father put his arm around his shoulder in a less than warm gesture. When my dad sat back down after they left, I gave him a look.

“Were you planning to trade me for a goat? A few chickens maybe?”

My dad scrubbed a hand over his face and laughed.

“Sorry, Aven. I didn’t realize that Pitt was going to try to pawn off his ne’er-do-well son.”

“Uh, yeah. Not to mention,
I’m seventeen
,” I laughed.

“Remind me to tell your boyfriend that the next time I see him,” my dad said dryly. “He seems older, or more mature at least, than Tyler Pitt.”

I bumped him with my elbow and glanced at the bar where Will was. If only my dad knew the truth about Will.

“You ready?” he asked.

I nodded, and he slid out.

“Can I make it up to you by swinging by the store for ice cream?” he asked as he took out his keys.

“I’m always willing to accept bribes.”

I linked my arm with his as we walked out. Looking up, I got hit by a giant raindrop.

“Have you thought about going back to California next year for college?” my dad asked as we reached the car.

I looked across the car roof at him.

“You get a discount on tuition in Oregon, don’t you?”

My dad nodded as we got in the car.

“Then I’ll stay in Oregon.”

“You’re such an easy kid, Aven.”

I frowned at him.

“If you want more of a challenge, I could start hanging out with Dr. Pitt’s son.”

He laughed again.

“No thanks.”

My phone buzzed, and I looked down.

Please tell your father I’m coming over
.

“Uh, Dad. Will’s coming over to work on the paper, okay?”

“Anything’s a relief after Dr. Pitt’s kid,” he said humorously.

My dad pulled into the parking lot of the shopping center. As I got out of the car, I looked around and saw the black SUV and Will’s motorcycle.

“You said you were busy this weekend?” my dad asked as we started walking toward the store.

I nodded. I hadn’t realized he had been listening to my conversation with Tyler.

“Or was that just for Tyler’s benefit?” he added.

“Actually, Sean’s new girlfriend Lizzie was going to drive us up to Portland to look for dresses.”

My dad raised an eyebrow.

“Is there a dance?”

“Fall formal,” I nodded.

I grabbed a basket.

“Are you and Will going?”

“That would be a no.”

“Why not, kiddo?”

“Too much humanity,” I said, heading for the freezer section.

When I found the ice cream, I studied the selection critically.

“Aven, what are you going to do in a five-hundred person freshmen lecture next year?”

I pulled out a pint of cookie dough ice cream.

“I don’t know. Portable sensory deprivation chamber?”

“Ah, my little misanthrope,” he smiled.

I shook my head.

“I don’t hate people; I just don’t want to be around too many of them.”

My dad sighed.

“What are we having?” he asked.

“
I’m
having cookie dough. You get your own ice cream, old man.”

“Are you saying I need to dye my hair?”

“What do you have?” I smirked, studying his hair. “Three gray hairs?”

“Let me just tell you, Aven. Having a teenager ages you.”

I punched him on the arm and left him in front of the ice cream while I went to pick up a few other things. When I got to the produce section, I caught sight of Edmond. If he was trying to be incognito, it wasn’t working. Like Will, he was noticeable. Nodding to him, I grabbed some apples and walked quickly to one of the self-checkout counters where my dad was waiting. On the way back out to the car, I saw Will, still leaning against the SUV. As we reached the Volvo, I watched Will get into the SUV.

“You wanna drive home?” my dad asked.

I swallowed and shrugged.

“Maybe next time?”

“You’re going to have to get some practice in before you take your test.”

“I know,” I mumbled as I opened the car door.

Will was already waiting by the time we got back to the house. I got out and met him at the curb. He pulled me into his arms the second I reached him.

“That was awful,” I muttered.

“I agree.”

He wrapped his arm around me as we walked toward the house. As soon as I opened the front door, Darcy came bounding out. I scratched his head before walking into the kitchen where my dad was scooping out ice cream.

“Aven? Are you going to share any of your ice cream with Will?”

“No,” I grinned.

“Sorry, Will. I guess you’re out of luck.”

Will smiled as I snatched my bowl off the counter and kissed my dad on the cheek before turning to go upstairs. When we reached my room, I walked over to my computer to turn on my music.

“Okay, so was Tyler Pitt as creepy as I thought, or … was that Fidatov sitting at the bar sending off massively scary vibes?”

“That boy was a delinquent, but yes. Fidatov was there.”

“Great,” I mumbled.

I took out some three-by-five cards from my desk drawer for notes on the paper. When I walked back over to my bed, Will rose up.

“We’ll work now, but tomorrow I would like to hear more about you. I’m done telling scary stories for now.”

“Well, I’ve only been alive for seventeen years,” I kidded, looking down. “There’s not much to tell.”

“You’re wrong,” he said, touching the edge of my jaw. “And tomorrow, all I wish to hear of is
you
.”

I
n the morning, I opened my eyes and found Will studying me. Lying mere inches from him on my twin bed, I stared back, overwhelmed by his beauty. His skin was as smooth as stone with a golden glow. He was so immaculate and perfectly still as I watched him. Even though his eyes seemed less vividly blue today, seeing him so close made me wonder how anyone could mistake him for human.

And suddenly a question—no,
the
question—popped into my head, sending a current of electricity through me. I had asked before, and somehow Will hadn’t answered me. But part of me knew that I was opening Pandora’s box. Debating, I reframed my question as a statement, thinking that this somehow made it better.

“You never told me how you became what you are … or have you
always
been like this?”

Will’s features changed instantly, his silvery blue eyes hardening.

“This isn’t a discussion we’re having.”

“Why? It has nothing to do with me,” I countered, not understanding why he was suddenly so obstinate.

Will returned my stare, his features unyielding, and before I could argue, he was up and pulling me from the bed. He stood me upright like a doll and took my face in his hands. Then he brought his lips to mine and kissed me until I lost track of time. I wrapped my arms around him and drew in a ragged breath as Will abruptly released me and gestured toward the bathroom.

“Go,” he said roughly. “Get ready for school.”

The look in his eyes told me our conversation was over. I glared at him briefly before retreating, not understanding why he had gotten so cagey. It wasn’t like he was a
real
vampire. At least I was pretty sure that he didn’t change people into what he was by biting them on the neck. Regardless, the thought made me shiver as I locked myself in the bathroom and stripped out of my pajamas.

I got ready quickly, and when I met Will outside, his expression was pensive, but not angry. It looked like he was concentrating very hard on the road ahead when he had made it perfectly clear that he could practically drive with his eyes closed. Part of me wanted to pry—then I remembered a story from childhood. I couldn’t remember where I had heard it, because I couldn’t imagine my mom reading it to me when I was little. But it was there, floating around my subconscious.

The tale of Bluebeard, the reclusive aristocrat who kept the bodies of his murdered wives locked in a castle room, warning his most recent bride not to go snooping. I had never gotten the moral of the tale.
Don’t marry a psycho
?
Don’t trust a man who keeps secrets
? If it was the second, then I was in trouble, because even after everything Will had told me about himself and Vladimir Fidatov, I knew there were still plenty of secrets locked away. Whether I wanted to know the truth—
the whole truth, even if it is uglier than you can imagine
, as Will had put it—was something I would only know after it was already too late.

Either I would be okay with it, or I wouldn’t.

When we got to school, Will walked me to Ms. Kluman’s room and kissed me softly before leaving. I could accept that there were things he didn’t want me to know, but after thinking I had already found out his biggest secret—what he was—the thought that there might be more frightened me. Sitting down, I promised myself I would focus on Trig, but it felt like I was pretending. Pretending my world was still normal. By the time Will met me outside after second period for nutrition, I was edgy and uncertain. As we starting walking to the same dark classroom, I looked up at him.

“Are you hiding me away?” I asked.

Part of me was still scared that he was ashamed to be with a mere mortal, even if the only witnesses were other mere mortals.

“No, I am keeping you from the world you belong in, and I will be forever regretful of that.”

I frowned.

“I’m begging you, Aven,” he continued. “Give me a day’s reprieve. All I want to hear of today is
you
.”

I blushed as I remembered his plea from last night, which I hadn’t taken seriously. He opened the door to the classroom and followed me inside. Hopping up on one of the desks, I watched him sit down across from me.

“All right. But I warned you. There’s not much epic history in seventeen years.”

“Your favorite sunset?”

I frowned as the image of Will’s burning golden silhouette in the park flashed to mind, but I couldn’t bring myself to say it.

“Laguna in the summertime,” I said. “I think I must have spent every day there during the summer when I was a little kid. I never wanted to go home. There’s a cove where we used to stay until the sun went down.”

“Place you would most like to visit?”

“Um, Italy, I think.”

Will raised an eyebrow at my indecision.

“I have a whole list,” I explained. “It’s hard to say where I would go first.”

“Why Italy?” he asked, his expression giving the impression that my fantasy travels were of grave importance to him.

“I saw a picture of Tuscany in a magazine. I loved the vineyards, the wildflowers, the old country estates …”

Will smiled.

“College?”

“I’m going to apply to the school where my dad teaches.”

“That’s all?” Will asked, perplexed.

I shrugged.

“I’ll get a break if I attend my dad’s university. Besides, I’m a year behind the honors math curriculum. I should be in AP Calculus, and math and science are all schools seem to care about. I’m not exactly Ivy League material. I’m good with a public school.”

“What if money were no object?” Will asked.

I frowned. I hadn’t given it any thought. I would go where my dad taught, end of story.

“I don’t know.”

My heart began beating faster in my chest.

“Where will you be next year?” I asked.

“For college?”

I nodded.

“I imagine wherever you plan to attend.”

“Really?” I asked, unable to hide the shock in my voice.

“Does that bother you?”

“No! I just thought since you can go anywhere, do anything …”

“And I would be doing it without the one I love—unless you came with me. I would happily go wherever you go.”

“Are you serious?”

“Of course. I want to be with you for as long as you permit.”

The thought jarred me.
My boyfriend is more than two hundred years old
, I reminded myself dizzily.

“Wait. How many times have you done this? I mean, how many times have you gone to high school? College?”

He laughed quietly.

“Have I lost the battle so quickly?” he sighed.

His eyes shone in amusement, and when I held up my hands in surrender, Will leaned forward and grasped them, intertwining our fingers before continuing his questioning until the bell rang for third.

At lunch, when our group converged on the same table, Will chatted easily with Matt, and for once Megan sat next to Jeff and managed not to ogle Will more than once. Watching the people around me, I had an unfamiliar feeling bordering on a tentative sense of belonging. But everything in my life right now was so new, so fragile. I knew everything could change in a second.

When Will drove me home after school, I sat down at the computer and searched for the local DMV office before calling to make the soonest possible appointment. Will raised an eyebrow, but didn’t say anything.

“After I take the test, you won’t have to drive me everywhere,” I said brightly when I got off the phone.

I didn’t mention that I was still secretly terrified of driving.

“What if I enjoy the time with you to myself?”

“Then I can drive you around for once.”

Will frowned as I sat down on the bed.

“You don’t think I’ll be a good driver, do you?” I demanded huffily.

“I think you will be capable … for a human.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

“Human reaction times are much slower than ours.”

“And you think my driving skills will be a bigger threat than someone trying to kill me?” I countered.

Will’s jaw clenched, and he fell silent for several moments.

“You wouldn’t miss my company, then?” he asked finally, a faint smile on his lips.

I exhaled, relieved he had ignored my last comment.

“I didn’t say I was going to drive
everywhere
myself,” I smiled back.

“Then, until you get your license, is there any way I can convince you to let me drive you into Portland?”

I looked over at him, appalled.

“No way! It’s supposed to be a
girls
’ night. Go ahead—stalk me. I’m not going separately, though.”

Will let it drop, which was good, because he wouldn’t win this argument. We worked separately until I got a text from my dad saying he was coming home. Will followed me downstairs, where I put together a masterful dinner of grilled cheese on sourdough with tomato and Gruyere cheese and sautéed kale on the side. Fifteen minutes later, when my dad walked into the kitchen, he gave me a hug and said hello to Will. As we sat down, my dad even pretended it was perfectly normal to have a dinner guest who never ate. Will “left” right after dinner. Then, after I had gotten ready for bed, my dad knocked at my door.

“Yeah!”

Walking in, he sat down on the edge of my desk. Reaching over, he touched the framed picture I had of the three of us with my mom’s old cat Popcorn sitting in my lap.

“What’s up?” I asked, glancing toward the window.

I knew Will was waiting to appear as soon as my dad went to sleep. Darcy whined as my dad looked around the room, and silently I wondered if my dad could somehow tell I had spent the week sleeping next to Will.

“Dad, you’re making both of us nervous,” I said, pointing back and forth between Darcy and me.

He looked down at my desk and cleared his throat.

“There’s something I think we need to talk about.”

I waited, my pulse rate skyrocketing as he studied the wood with an unnatural fascination.

“Dad! Oh my god! You’re killing me.”

He looked up, his face reddening.

“I know it would probably be better if your mom were here to talk to …” He sighed. “The thing is … I like Will. I think he’s a nice kid—head and shoulders above David Pitt’s son. But you’ve been spending a lot of time with him, and—”

“
Whoa
! Stop right there! Mom gave me the birds and bees talk in middle school,” I squeaked. “And I’ve known him for less than—anyway, we’re
so
not there.”

I wasn’t about to mention how wildly out of control I felt in Will’s presence, or the fact that Will could scramble my thoughts with just a kiss. Or worse, that he could possibly drain me of all my energy if he wasn’t careful. But these were pieces of information I would never share with my dad. Ever. And judging from the look on his face, the only thing he could take right now was a calm assurance that I wasn’t doing anything stupid or reckless.

“Aven, it’s just that I remember being your age, and he is your first boyfriend. I just want you to be safe, honey.” He paused. “I think he cares about you a great deal.”

I couldn’t tell whether my dad thought this was a good thing or not.

“Well, I’m here if you need me,” he said finally. “Goodnight, sweetheart.”

“’Night, Dad.”

I smiled and watched as he moved toward the door. As soon as he shut it behind him, I got up and tiptoed to the door. When I heard my dad’s door close, I exhaled and leaned back against the wood. The sight of Will reclined casually on my bed made me gasp and jump. His expression was clearly entertained.

“Tell me right now that you weren’t listening to that,” I hissed.

Will shrugged.

“I can’t help that I have exceptional hearing,” he chuckled. “But he is right, you know.”

“About what?” I grumbled, moving toward the bed.

“I do care about you. More than he knows.”

I swallowed.

“You realize he would have an aneurysm if he knew you were here, right?”

“But he doesn’t know, does he?” he whispered.

I sat down on the edge of my bed, and the overhead light went out a second later. Leaning over, I turned on the lamp, my face still burning with embarrassment when Will appeared in front of me. It was bad enough that my dad had found it necessary to launch into a sex ed talk, but having Will listen in was more than I could take. On the other hand, it did open the door to a new, very interesting topic of conversation we hadn’t had yet.

“Would you like me to stay?” he asked.

I nodded, bracing myself for the question I was about to ask.

“Have you—I mean, is it possible—”