Chapter 1
It’s my last day riding the bus in LA. As of today, I’m finally old enough to access the trust fund my grandfather left me. I’m limited to five hundred thousand dollars a year.
Honestly? That’s more money than I know what to do with.
When I was working, I only made around twenty-five thousand a year. Right now, the only thing I can think about buying is a car. I’ve had my license since I was sixteen, but no car.
Well… unless you count borrowing my mom’s with her sitting in the passenger seat.
I scroll through my liked songs until I land on my current favorite.
“Destruction Age” by Akiaura.
I close my eyes.
Even with my noise canceling headphones,, I can still hear the city around me. I glance back down at my phone.
Shit.
I’m going to be late. I bite the inside of my lip and do some mental math.
Do I get off now and order an Uber instead?
I consider it.
My eyes drift toward the ceiling, something they always do when I’m thinking.
My eyes stop wandering when I feel someone staring at me.
Hm.
I turn to my left, and my eyes meet his.
There’s a depth to them that I almost mistake for black, but the sun catches them just right, revealing they’re actually brown. The moment he realizes I’ve caught him staring, he rolls his eyes and looks out the window. My mouth falls open a little.
Okay, asshole. I still caught you staring.
I chuckle to myself, reach up, and pull the stop cord.
I have to get off now if I want to make it to Mikey’s birthday dinner.
Julian’s POV
I was enjoying a rare moment of peace on the bus when a familiar scent caught my attention.
Sweet blood.
Most blood carries the same metallic scent. Sometimes it reeks of rot, especially in those who are deathly ill. This didn’t. My eyes snap open, searching the bus until they settle near the front.
Two girls.
One is blonde.
Blue eyes.
Long blonde hair.
Skin pale enough to resemble porcelain.
Most likely her. Typical.
I chuckle to myself.
In my experience, the ones who look the most innocent usually smell the sweetest.
Just as I’m about to look away, the brunette beside her glances toward the ceiling.
My eyes follow hers.
Nothing.
I look back at her.
Fair skin.
Pink cheeks.
For some reason, the scent of jasmine and berries slips into my mind.
Odd.
I tilt my head. She turns.
Our eyes meet.
I would’ve kept staring, but the afternoon sun catches my eyes.
I roll them and look away instead.
A second later, the stop cord echoes through the bus.
I glance up. She’s getting off.
Before I can think better of it, I’m already walking towards the front.
The closer I get, the more obvious it becomes.
The blonde isn’t the one carrying the sweet scent.
It’s the brunette.
Just as she steps off the bus, a small box catches my eye.
Forgotten on her seat. The doors begin to close.
For a brief moment, I hesitate.
Then I reach down, grab the box, and step off the bus just before the doors shut behind me.
Adaline’s POV
I step off the bus, the cool breeze brushing against my face. One of my favorite feelings in the world.
Freedom.
I smile.
I order my Uber and sit on the bench to wait.
My hand wanders to the bush beside me, where bright pink flowers sway in the breeze.
A little bumblebee disappears inside one of them.
I wish I could be that free.
A car pulls up. My Uber. I grab my bag and instinctively reach to my left.
Nothing.
“Fuck,” I whisper. Mikey’s gift.
I left it on the bus.
I sigh, rubbing my forehead.
Real nice, Adaline.
I shake my head and climb into the car.
It’s too late now.
The bus is long gone.
I stare out the window. It wasn’t really a birthday gift.
It was a confession.
Mikey’s been my best friend since pre-k.
Inside that box are the letters I’ve been writing to him since seventh grade.
I chew the inside of my lip until it’s sore.
I can’t believe I let it slip through my fingers.
What the hell was I thinking?
I press my lips together.
That asshole that rolled his eyes… I roll mine.
He threw me off.
I arrive at HiroNori, Mikey’s and I favorite ramen spot.
I take a deep breath and flip open my compact mirror for one last look.
Good enough.
I lick my lips and step out of the car. My face immediately lights up when I spot Mikey checking his watch.
He’s waiting for me.
A familiar flutter fills my stomach.
“Mikey!” I call, jogging over to him.
“Happy birthday!”
I wrap my arms around him.
“Ada,” he says, almost under his breath.
His embrace is warm, and I melt into it before he pulls away.
“Thank you.”
He smiles. “I forgot to mention… I invited a couple of friends I met overseas, Lila and Julian.”
As soon as he says their names, a gorgeous blonde stands from the bench outside the restaurant.
She’s easily five-ten, with honey-blonde hair and the prettiest icy blue eyes I’ve ever seen.
“Hey.”
She smiles before pulling me into a hug.
“Mikey’s told me so much about you. I’m so glad I finally get to meet his best friend.”
Best friend.
The way she says it lingers in my mind.
I smile politely, although it doesn’t reach my eyes.
“Good things, I hope,” I laugh awkwardly.
“Mikey, I…”
He turns to me.
I take a breath and bite the inside of my lower lip.
“Your gift… I left it on the bus.”
He laughs, reaching over to pat my head.
“You’re as forgetful as ever. Good to know that hasn’t changed.”
I smile.
It doesn’t quite reach my eyes.
Out of the corner of my eye, I catch Lila watching his hand.
I clear my throat.
“So…” I glance toward the hostess. “Is our table ready?”
Anything to get away from whatever this weird tension is.
I really thought today was supposed to be just Mikey and me.
Mikey looks over at Lila.
They don’t say a word, but somehow they do.
She glances at her phone, about to speak.
“Lila! Mikey!”
We all turn.
My heart drops.
What the hell?
I blink.
Once.
Twice.
Nope.
He’s still there.
The fucking asshole from the bus.
I roll my eyes.
What are the odds?
“Julian!” Mikey laughs.
Lila walks over to him, leaving me standing awkwardly near the entrance.
I pull out my phone and stare at it like I’m having the most important conversation of my life.
Pathetic.
“Ada.”
Mikey gently grabs my arm, pulling me toward them.
“Huh?”
I force excitement into my voice, smiling just enough to make it believable.
For Mikey’s sake.
Please, Adaline.
“Nice to meet you, Julian.”
Julian stops.
His eyes travel over me.For a second, he looks just as surprised as I am. His jaw tightens ever so slightly before he bites the inside of his lower lip, almost like he’s grounding himself.
“Hey.”
His voice is flat.
He glances at Lila.
Mikey misses it.
I don’t.
Before the silence has a chance to get any worse, the hostess calls out Mikey’s name.
Relief washes over me.
Julian reaches the door first and holds it open.
Mikey walks in.
Lila follows.
I’m right behind her.
Julian comes in last, letting the door close behind him.
The hostess leads us to a four person table. I pick up my pace. I already know where I want to sit.
Next to Mikey.
We reach the table.
I’m halfway to the chair when Lila slips in front of me and drops into it.
“Seriously?”
The word barely leaves my mouth before Julian gestures to the empty seat beside him.
I swallow. Defeated, I take it.
They all order ramen.
I order the pork belly bowl.
Three pairs of eyes land on me.
“What?” I shrug. “I like rice.”
The drinks arrive first.
A bottle of soju sits in the middle of the table while we wait for our food.
Thankfully, Mikey does most of the talking.
I smile.
Laugh when I’m supposed to.
Mostly, I watch.
Lila isn’t shy about leaning into him.
Mikey leans back too, but it’s more subtle.
“How was Korea?” I ask, accidentally cutting off the joke he was telling.
Oops.
Sorry… not sorry.
Mikey smiles.
“Oh, Ada. I’m sorry. I didn’t realize how little we talked while I was abroad. I should’ve known you’d be curious.”
My face scrunches.
Kind of an asshole response, if you ask me… but okay.
I did interrupt him.
“It was great, actually. I met Lila—”
Fuck.
I internally roll my eyes.
I don’t give a fuck about Lila.
“She showed me around. Well, she and her brother, Julian.”
I finally tune back in.
After taking a bite of my food, I glance from Lila to Julian.
Dark hair.
Pale skin.
Tiny moles scattered across his face.
He’s tall.
Annoyingly gorgeous.
Shit.
How long have I been staring?
“Um…”
The question never leaves my mouth.
Julian answers it anyway.
“We grew up in a foster home. We were adopted by the same couple.”
I nod.
Julian’s POV
I arrive at HiroNori and immediately spot Mike and Lila. Standing beside Mikey… the girl from the bus.
Interesting.
The small box she left behind rests comfortably in my pocket.
I start toward them.
She’s already recognized me.
Our eyes meet for only a moment before she looks away.
As I get closer, the scent hits me again.
Sweet blood.
It fills every thought, threatening to push its way to the surface.
A fledgling would’ve torn her throat open by now.
Four hundred and eighty-seven years later… I’ve learned restraint.
She lingers behind the others, completely absorbed in her phone.
God, I hate those things.
Humans have become experts at ignoring each other.
Mikey notices she’s fallen behind and reaches for her.
Lila mutters quietly, “That’s Adaline.”
A human would’ve never heard it.
I do. I nod once.
The moment Mikey touches her, her heartbeat stumbles before picking up speed.
I glance at Lila. She heard it too.
Poor girl.
When Lila decides she wants someone… She rarely lets go.
I should know.
“Nice to meet you,” Adaline says.
Her voice is… Warm.
“Hey.”
I keep my answer short.
I’m not here to make friends.
Truthfully, I didn’t want to come at all.
Lila insisted.
Mikey insisted.
I’d rather be hunting.
As we walk inside, the tension between Lila and Adaline is almost tangible.
Lila slips into the seat beside Mike before Adaline can.
The disappointment flashes across her face for only a second.
Then it’s gone.
Interesting.
I gesture toward the empty chair beside me.
She hesitates.
Then sits.
As she passes, the scent of fresh blood reaches me.
I glance at her, curious.
Adaline’s POV
As dinner comes to an end, I get up to pay. Julian follows.
The cashier tells me the total.
Just as I reach for my wallet, Julian hands her the cash.
“Hey.”
The word comes out sharper than I intended.
My eyes meet his.
He simply looks back.
“What?”
“He’s my best friend. I wanted to pay.” I sigh. “It was supposed to be my gift since I left it on the bus.”
Without a word, Julian reaches into his coat pocket and holds out the small box.
I stare at it before snatching it.
“What the…”
Before I can ask, he answers.
“No.”
“I didn’t open it.”
“I tried catching up to you after we got off the bus, but I lost you.”
“My apologies.”
I blink a couple of times.
Somehow… I believe him.
“Thank you.”
I hold the box a little tighter than I mean to.
My eyes drift back toward the table.
The knot in my throat tightens.
Lila is kissing Mikey.
He’s kissing her back.
“Oh…”
The word barely escapes me.
I slip the box into my bag.
“I should go.”
I can’t bring myself to look at Julian.
“Could you tell them I had an emergency?”
I don’t wait for an answer.
By the time I reach the door, my breathing is uneven.
My hands are freezing.
My skin feels unbearably hot.
I don’t understand.
Right before he left for Korea…
We kissed.
We talked about us.
We agreed we’d pick up where we left off once he came back.
I figured we hadn’t talked much because of the time difference.
And because he was in a whole new, beautiful country.
I keep walking without really paying attention to where I’m going.
I unlock my phone and call Andrea.
“Can you pick me up?” I manage between uneven breaths.
“Are you okay?” she asks.
“Can you or not, babe?”
She sighs.
“Yeah. Just stay where you are.”
The call ends.
I stare at my phone for a second.
I shouldn’t have snapped at her.
None of this is her fault.
I sink onto the curb and bury my face in my hands.
What a shitty way to be reunited.
Andrea pulls up less than ten minutes later.
The moment I climb in, she silently holds out a bag of sour candy.
I smile.
“Thank you.”
I grab a piece and toss it into my mouth.
“Let me guess…” she says, keeping her eyes on the road. “He didn’t reciprocate your feelings.”
I press my lips together.
“I didn’t even get the chance to tell him.”
I pull the little box from my bag and toss it into the back seat.
Andrea glances at it in the rearview mirror.
“Hey.”
She points toward the back.
“No littering in my car.”
I huff a laugh.
“I’m not.”
I pop another piece of candy into my mouth and sink into the passenger seat.
We stop at a red light.
She finally looks over at me.
“What the fuck happened?”
I avoid her eyes.
“What do you think, Andre?”
I sigh.
“I thought it was just going to be him and me. Like it’s always been since we graduated.”
I stare out the window.
“He invited his friends from overseas.”
I shrug.
“I don’t care that he invited them.”
I pause.
“I care that one of them kissed him.”
Andrea’s grip tightens around the steering wheel.
“That fucking bitch,” she spits.
She’s somehow more pissed than I am.
A laugh slips out before I can stop it.
“She was kind of nice.”
Andrea shoots me a look.
“You seriously have to stop being so nice.”
I grab a piece of candy and shove it into her mouth.
“You know I’m not that nice.”
She laughs around it.
By the time we pull into my driveway, neither of us says much.
I thank her and climb out of the car.
“Your box!” she calls after me.
I don’t even look back.
I couldn’t care less about the fucking box right now.
I run myself a bath, pouring in a little lavender oil.
Tonight deserves to be washed off.
I’ve avoided my phone ever since I left the restaurant.
I already know Mikey has probably reached out.
Eventually, I give in.
Three missed calls.
All from Mikey.
One message.
Mikey: Are you okay?
One hour ago.
I roll my eyes and let my phone slip from my hand onto the bathroom floor.
I sink beneath the water.
Silence.
For just a moment…
Everything disappears.
When I close my eyes, I expect to see Mikey.
I don’t.
Julian.
My eyes snap open.
I break the surface, water dripping down my face.
Julian. Why the hell am I thinking about him?
