Counterpart (Succubi & Incubi Assn.) (19 page)

Oh how he would love to hear me admit that out-loud.

“So you don't miss this Tristan guy?” he asked.

The mention of Tristan killed the way I was seeing Daniel, and my
arms crossed over my chest. “No.”

He didn't look a bit convinced. I hate how Melinda and he can see
through me. “Not even a little bit?”

“Not even a little bit,” I murmured, moving my eyes from his and
grabbing the remote, I gave it my full attention.

Who the fuck was I kidding? I did miss Tristan. I hated that he was
over the ocean in
Hawaii
,
spending time on the beach with the blonde. Why couldn't I just go back a few
weeks to when our relationship was normal, for us?

“Hey Sophia, is Tristan in?” I asked. I held two smoothies in my
hand, one for me and one for Tristan. He never had time to go out for lunch or
even have lunch so I thought I would help out.

Because you know, that’s what friends do.

“Of course, he's in the normal room, finishing up with the older kids.”
She gave me a knowing smile. She was one person who didn't question why I kept
coming in to see Tristan. She kept to herself, which was always great to know.

“Thanks, Soph.”

I walked out of the reception and through the gym. A set of stairs
sat at the back and into a small hall. Tristan and a group of high school boys
spread around the room.

“Alright boys, you have the basics down, remember what advice I've
given you individually. Take it home, work on it, don't break anything that's
going to bring you to my doorstep and you should be fine. Now get out of here.”
Tristan held an authority to him when he taught his classes. Each age was a
different type. With kids, he was easy with them, gave it to them gently. With
the older kids—that ranged from 15 – 19—he was a bit harder.

The group all separated into different parts of the room, a few
familiar faces spotting me as they walked out.

“Hey, Maya,” one with a mop of brown hair said as he walked past. He
looked to be one of the younger ones, and he lifted his hand up to which I gave
him a high five.

I had come to many of these classes with Tristan before, I was
pretty noticeable. And apparently, a lot of them knew my name. Sometimes I
wondered what really went on in this room.

“Boys,” I said, walking through the midst of them. They all grinned
towards me, and it was so contagious that I had to mirror it. “Have a good
day.”

Tristan was waiting on the other side of the group, and smiled
widely when I was within a few feet. “Hey gorgeous,” he said, his eyes flicking
to my hands, and that smile grew wider. “You brought me lunch. Thank God.”

I rolled my eyes, keeping my grin on my face. “How do you know it’s
for you?” I said.

His brow arched in a challenge and he said, “Last time I checked, I
had this room booked all day, and unless you’re here to tease me then I can’t
think of anything else. And if that smoothie is for someone else, then I’m
going to start feeling replaced.”

He had me there. I never brought smoothies for anyone else and I
didn’t want him to feel that he was replaced.

“Touché,” I said.

Taking my answer as the opening, he spread his arms—like he always
did when I saw him—and I walked into them with no hesitation. They wrapped
lowly around my waist and he pulled me against him. The smoothies were the only
thing that stopped our chests from brushing, and I wasn’t sure if that was a
good thing or not.

“Thank you,” he murmured, looking down at me.

The way he stared at me always sent adrenaline straight towards my
heart. It was one that he’d only give me. I couldn’t explain exactly what was
within this stare, but I always had to control my breathing pattern when it was
present.

 Our friendship had grown more. Actually, we had even gotten to the
point that we just liked the feel of each others arms—or I liked the feel of
his arms. I loved when he hugged me. It was like a barricade had been put up
around me, blocking out the outside world when they were there.

But something worried me in this hold.

I found myself not wanting to leave it.

I heard my name being said, and Tristan’s blue eyes faded away and
faded into Daniel’s much lighter ones. There was a crinkle on the side, and a
smirk played on his lips. “She so misses him.”

He's only been here for less than an hour and he's already pissing
me off. “Go away, Daniel.”

I didn’t ignore that my defense mechanism faltered when Daniel said
those words, and I knew that Daniel hadn’t missed it.

I wasn’t looking forward to what the future held.

****

The night was silent, the only sound coming from the radio that was
playing softly. Everyone had gone to bed, Daniel taking the couch much to his
dismay.

My side lamp was the only source of light, but it sent enough of a
glow through my room for me to examine the pictures that covered my walls.
Three semesters at college, enough photos to take up the whole wall behind my
queen sized bed.

Photos of Melinda and I, several of Jamie and I, Tristan, Noah,
Stuart, Sophia, everyone stared back at me. My eyes skimmed over them, the
memories flashing with each.

Melinda's nineteenth, Jamie's twentieth, and my last two birthdays.
Some from Tristan's twentieth were there too, and I was still yet to put some
up from his twenty-first.

I wonder when Melinda will get those developed.

My eyes followed every photo, every corner, and every memory until
it stopped on one. I leaned up and crawled forward to the wall, my bare knees
sliding against the silk of my sheets.

There was a photo of Tristan and I from a few months before he and
Tori started dating. We had kind of been in the stage where our display of
affection became public.

“It’s such a hot day!” Melinda exclaimed to the sky. Her expensive
camera hung around her neck. It was rare for her to go out with a camera, but
when she did, she loved taking photos.

Except today.

“I think I’m going to die from the heat or something.”

She was in a dramatic mood.

“It’s not that bad,” I said.

We found a shaded area in the middle of campus and I sat down on the
grass. My body worked on its own accord, placing my bag on the ground,
retrieving my books, checking my phone.

Melinda just carried on being... Melinda.

“I really want to get something like... good,” she tried to explain,
while flicking through her photos. “Like of people, but I don’t want to look
like a stalker so I’m trying to work around that right now.”

I sat crossed legged on the ground. I placed my books on my lap. I
ran my fingers through my hair and pushed it over my shoulder, my eyes reading
the first book.

Math. I cringed and flicked it off the pile. Ew.

“Oh, look who it is...” I heard Melinda murmur. I heard the
amusement in her tone instantly.

Curious, I moved my head up, wanting to know who got Melinda’s
interest.

Then I saw him.

Tristan.

I felt my own mind start to lose interest in my books, or even what
Melinda was saying. It was like I was being pulled into this trance and it
seemed to always happen every time he was around.

He stood there with his back to me. He was wearing his normal attire
of dark jeans and a shirt that had some sort of out-there design, his bag was
slung over one shoulder... and all I have to say is why?

Why does he have to make this so hard? He doesn’t even know what he
does half the time.

Four other guys stood around him, and they seemed to be in a really
animated conversation. I only recognized Noah with his dark hair and boyish
smile. The other guys looked familiar, but their names weren’t coming to me.

Tristan had his hands deep in his pockets and judging by his
shoulders that were moving up in down, I took it that he was laughing at
something.

He wasn’t even near me and my eyes were already distracted.

Stupid Melinda. I almost wish she didn’t even mention that he was
there.

“Hello...” Melinda’s voice pulled my mind away from Tristan and
suddenly I realized that I’d literally zoned out.

God, I hope she didn’t notice.

“Huh?”

“You’re such a pervert. He’s got a nice ass, huh?”

He did. “Maybe,” I said, shrugging like it wasn’t a big deal.

She noticed that I was trying to avoid the subject and she looked
down to her camera. “Maybe you should ask him if it’s real, he’s heading this
way.”

What? My head moved back in the direction of where Tristan was and I
froze.

She was right. He’s heading this way.

And once again, all I could do was watch while all these questions
popped into my head. Do I look alright? Have I eaten anything today that has
given me bad breath? Oh God, what am I doing to myself? It’s only Tristan.

 “You’re a freak,” I heard Melinda say, and I couldn’t even argue
with her. “You might want to cover your lap.”

Before I could question her comment, Tristan arrived. A wide grin
came on his face and when he was within range, he kneeled down and quickly
pecked my cheek, taking a seat beside me. “What’s up?”

“Not much,” I said quickly, and even I noticed that my voice was
slightly high. I heard Melinda snort out a quiet laugh but if Tristan saw it,
he didn’t mention anything.

He just watched me, nodding his head slowly. “Sounds interesting.”

“It is. You should try it sometime.”

“I will and hey, maybe we could read your books together.” I watched
as one side of his lips quirked up and I arched my brow in confusion.

What is he talking about?

I moved my gaze down to the books in my lap and I was instantly
horrified. Now I knew why Melinda said what she said. The book that was under
my Math book just happened to be the stupid book that Melinda brought me as a
joke.

101 Sex Positions.

Why did I have to leave it between my books last night? Of course I
wasn’t going to double check the pile this morning, I was running late.

I wonder how fast I can make up an excuse.

“It’s not mine.” Oh yeah, Maya. That’s believable. My arms slowly
came down to cover as much of the book as I could, and I heard Melinda start to
laugh.

“Oh?” Tristan moved up to my side and his chin hovered over my
shoulder. “So, can I see it then, if it’s not yours?”

“Why?” I asked.  It was my best way at trying to divert this, and I
really wanted to know why he wanted to see it.

His blue eyes wandered slowly over my face, and I could feel the
trail he drew with them. “Maybe because I’m interested.”

His eyes connected with mine, pulling me into the trance all over
again. How the hell can someone have such amazing eyes and know how to use them
against me?

He was so close to my face that it felt like we were the only ones
here, but deep down I knew we weren’t.

And somehow, that bothered me.

“Oh em gee, I just got the best, and I mean
the best
candid
picture right then. Look,” Melinda's voice had pulled both Tristan and I away
from… whatever it was that was going on, and she faced her camera towards us.

Oh, wow.

Tristan and I were looking into each others eyes, his lips quirked,
my lips parted, and my shoulder was practically brushing against his chest.

It was a really good picture, I had to admit. I actually wanted it.

I heard Tristan let out a short chuckle and I looked back to him. He
had a glint in his eye and his lips had pulled up into a grin. He moved his
eyes back to mine and nodded, like he approved of the photo. “Definitely deserves
to be put on the wall.”

And tada, the picture is on the wall.

That was way back at the beginning of the year. Tori hadn't come
into the picture until a couple of months later. They started dating at some
point. I had my chance to stop it but I didn’t.

Now I regret it.

At the sudden anger in myself, I picked the photo off the wall and
flicked it mid-air. I watched it slowly fall down to the ground in a slow
spiral, and then I found myself reaching down and grabbing it, not willing to
let it touch the ground. God, what is wrong with me?

“Hello.”