Page 2 of Taken Online

Where had he gone?

I wandered for a while. Almost everyone looked the same due to the dark lighting.

I knew I had been gone long enough to have probably pissed off my girlfriend by now, but I just had to find him.

I almost gave up when I made it to the bathroom. I checked my phone, and my girlfriend was blowing it up.

Where are you?

Call me.

Kaleb? Are you serious?

Asshole, where did you go?

I’m worried. Are you okay?

I responded that I got lost, which was the most obvious lie. I was far from incompetent.

That was when someone bumped into me.

He didn’t apologize, so I turned, ready to take my frustration out on them.

There he was. In all his glory. Wide dark eyes staring at me like I was an insect. He barely spared me a glance, typing away with a wry smile on his phone. He briefly looked up.

“Move, you're hogging the mirror.” He bumped me with his hips and took a bathroom selfie. Multiple, actually.

It was clear he thrived off attention and was going to post those to appear more artsy than he actually was.

“Full of yourself much?” I murmured.

He turned, looking like he’d love nothing more than to put up a fight.

“Obviously?” He rolled his eyes.

He turned to leave the bathroom, but I grabbed his arm. He turned with a vicious look up and down. The bathroom was dim. I could barely make out his facial features.

“What?” he demanded, pushing my arm slightly away.

His voice wasn’t fear or arousal.

It was detachment. And I didn’t like that.

I had never felt this before, but it felt like I had glue in my throat. I coughed and froze.

Fuck, I wasn’t like this. I was usually very good at communicating my feelings.

Damnit, say something, Blake.

The longer we stood there, the more the energy seemed to shift into his power.

Like I was the one off my game. Just being in his line of sight was making me feel nervous.

I didn’t feel nervous.

Ever.

Not in my adolescent years, not through university or the doctoral program—why now?

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