Page 96 of Cruel Destinies

“Gorgeous, as always,” I said honestly.

She giggled, then looked back down at the rose and frowned curiously. She picked it up, still examining it with confusion.

“I’ll have to ask her what the symbolism behind this is,” she mused.

She placed the rose back in the box and set it aside, turning to look at me.

“So, today’s the big day, huh?”

I nodded. “Yep.” Glancing at my clock, I added, “In just about an hour.”

She inclined her head at my casual tone. “Aren’t you excited?”

I slumped against my headboard. “No. Honestly, I’d much rather stay here and watch movies with you for the rest of the day.”

One of her eyebrows arched as she gave me a catty smirk. “I thought you were all of a sudden ready for a rebound guy.”

I rolled my eyes. “Obviously, I only asked Jackson out to get to Niko. I don’t even know if I like Jackson. I mean, I guess he’s kinda cute, but I don’t know anything about him—except that he causes more accidents than I do.”

She snickered, then put her hand on my knee. “Well, a date is the perfect way to find out. Besides, would you rather have Niko hear that you bailed on your date or that you had a great time?”

I pursed my lips and nodded. “Yeah, that’s a really good point. I might as well make some kind of effort.”

She beamed at me. “Want me to help you get ready?”

“Duh,” I replied playfully, and like nothing had ever come between us, we fell right back into our friendship as she helped me pick out the perfect outfit.

***

Jackson looked effortlessly handsome when I met him at the Dome’s exit. I wondered how much time he spent getting ready. Probably not much.

Jackson’s hair was ruffled and pointed in all different directions like he’d tried to make bed-head look good. He’d succeeded. The fitted plaid button-down beneath his leather jacket completed the bad boy look, as did his dark jeans.

When he saw me, he whistled. “Damn, you look hot! Just as a phoenix should.”

I wasn't sure how to take his compliment, so I just smiled and played with my hair.

“So, where are we headed?” I asked, assuming that as the guy, he had something planned.

“Uh, well you asked me out. You tell me.” Okay, so apparently he wasn’t the alpha male type. This was already boring.

“Oh... Um, we could get some pizza?” I suggested, pulling an idea out of the ether. I hadn’t been prepared to plan this date that I didn’t actually want. “There’s a place right out of the station. Somewhere close would be best, I guess.”

He shrugged. “Cool.”

The short train ride was just as awkward as I thought it was going to be, but not because of silence. Jackson had no problem rattling on about Christmas and how lame it was that we were stuck at the Dome. Like many of the students, his parents had forbidden him from leaving for Winter Break afterthe recent vampire attacks. He went on and on about missing out on the traditional ski trip his family usually took.

Under normal circumstances, too much talking alone would be annoying. But it was the way he keptlookingat me, like I was something delicious to eat, that made me truly uncomfortable. He got all doe-eyed whenever our eyes met, and he kept linking our hands together and pulling me in close to his side.

He even brushed his lips against my cheek when he whispered secret observations about the couple sitting across from us. I shivered and had to swallow hard so I didn’t gag on his thick cologne.

He was definitely more of a hands-on kind of guy, and while that did go with the whole bad boy thing I was into, I didn’t like it. I was thankful when the train let us off, and the Chicago air made it too cold to stop and talk.

Jackson flashed a big, bright smile—his best feature, in my opinion—as we walked against the cold wind. Once we turned the corner, I saw the pizza shop and ran for the entrance. I hated the cold and cursed the sky whenever the chill started up.

Jackson followed me inside, rubbing his hands together before taking mine to warm them. The gesture surprised me. While it was uninvited physical contact, I appreciated his attempt to make me warm.

“How’s that?” he asked, and I got another whiff of his thick cologne. It smelled of spice, and though I wasn't a fan of the scent, I found myself growing used to it.

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