“Yeah,” Chubby added. “We know you can do it.”
Maybe I could, but I didn’t want to. “Sorry.”
Chubby took a step forward, adding to the intimidation his friend was already showing.
“Saige,” a cool voice called from my right.
I looked over to see Theo striding toward me. “There you are.”
I stared at him, thoroughly confused as he threw his arm over my shoulders and kissed my temple. Chubby and Buzzcut started backing off.
Theo glared at them. “Simon. Frederick. Can I help you with something?”
The boys shared a look before shaking their heads and walking off.
I watched them until they turned a corner and disappeared behind the boys’ dorm, then pulled away from Theo. “Thanks for that.”
He shot me a perfect, dimpled smile. “No problem. Those two are always up to something sketchy. I heard you try to turn them down. They need to learn that no means no.”
I was so caught up in staring at his beautiful face that it took me a few seconds too long before I replied. “Uh, yeah.”
He eyed me like he was considering something. “What are you doing right now?”
“Nothing.”Anything he asked me to.
“Perfect. Come on.” He took my hand in his, and I felt a small spark. There wasn’t anything in the universe that could have talked me out of following him.
Chapter 20
He led me past the dining hall and tower toward a path I hadn’t taken yet before he stopped suddenly and stood in front of me.
“Can I ask you a favor?”
The unexpected stop and question threw me, and I had to take a second for my brain to comprehend what he said. “Um, maybe? What do you need?”
The corners of his lips tilted up in the barest hint of a smile. “You’re so suspicious.”
“Not normally, but things have been a little strange for me this week.”
He laughed. “Fair enough. You’ve probably seen and heard things you never imagined. I’m not asking anything from you, other than trust.”
Well, now I was nervous. He was a stranger. And a vampire. Besides studying with Carter, I hadn’t spent any time around them. That I knew of. I still wasn’t able to figure out what the other students in my classes were, outside of Water and Earth.
“I don’t––”
“I know Hannah probably warned you to stay away from me, but I’m asking for a chance. I want you to form your own opinion about me rather than believing what you may hear.”
That was more than fair. I wouldn’t want anyone to assume they knew me just because I was the late-bloomer that came from the non-supe world. I wanted a chance to prove who I really was, what made me the person I was.
“Okay,” I agreed.
His brows rose an inch. “Really?”
I nodded. “As long as you’ll keep an open mind too. I’m not sure if anyone is talking about me, but I’d like it if we can both offer each other the chance to get to know each other for ourselves.”
He studied me for a moment before grinning, making those heart-stopping dimples appear. I was becoming obsessed with them, but I couldn’t let him know that. Not yet.
“That sounds fair.” He squeezed my hand and continued down the path. It led through the trees to a bend that opened up to reveal a massive barn with a white fence stretching out on either side for as far as I could see.