Page 7 of The Devil and the Dancer
“I think he really needs to see them. Not for them. For himself. For his own sanity. I know it’s been bothering him.” She cleared her throat. “We both have a lot of issues with our families. But for him…”
“He made very adult decisions when he was only a boy.”
Chloe nodded. “At least I was eighteen. I had a little more perspective. But I think he was ten the last time he saw his grandmother.”
Tenzin nodded.
“Just try. Do your best. I don’t want to interfere with your job down there, but I just think… it’d be really good for him.”
Tenzin looked at Chloe for a long time before she spoke. “I will do what I can. I promise.”
“Thank you.”
“And I want you to do something for me in return.”
Chloe nodded. “No problem. What—?”
“You and Gavin should have sex. The tension is really becoming bothersome, and I can tell both of you want to. Do it while Ben is gone, that way there won’t be a strange reaction from him because you’re his childhood girlfriend and Gavin is his friend.”
Chloe let out a slow breath. “That wassonot what I was expecting you to ask me.”
“Also, I want to start gathering my own mushrooms, because the farmers who sell them at the market are thieves. Can you find some kind of guide for that?”
Bizarre pronouncement and obscure task. That was much more like Tenzin.
Chloe nodded. “I’ll see what I can do.”
Chloe closedher eyes and leaned into Gavin’s shoulder, letting the hot bubbling water soothe the muscles she’d worked that evening during rehearsal. “I’m worried about him.”
“He’ll be fine.” Gavin rubbed her shoulders. “He’s traveled in far more dangerous places than Puerto Rico. From what I’ve heard, most of the power has been restored—even in more remote parts—and the infrastructure is clawing back. Ben has excellent survival skills. Puerto Rico will not be a challenge.”
“I’m not worried about him surviving. Tenzin will be with him once he gets to San Juan. Tenzin won’t let anything happen to Ben. That’s not what I’m worried about.”
“Then what?”
Chloe struggled with how much to share with Gavin. “I’m worried about him… personally.”
“Personally?” Gavin tilted her chin to the side so he could look at her face. “Does he have family there?”
Chloe sighed. “I can’t say.”
“I know he’s part Puerto Rican. He’s mentioned as much in passing. It didn’t even occur to me that he might have living family.” Gavin frowned. “I assumed Giovanni had adopted an orphan.”
“I don’t want to break confidence. Just know that most of Ben’s childhood was awful.”
“That much is evident.” He stroked curly wisps of hair back from her forehead and kissed her temple. “There’s a look a person comes to recognize after a hundred years or so. One can tell which humans have lived hard lives and which have not. Some vampires take advantage of that.” His hand stopped moving. “I’ve taken advantage of that, I’m sorry to say. Or at least I did in the past.”
“And now?”
He wrapped his arm around her waist. “It would make me a sad kind of thing to prey on the wounded, don’t you think? That’s what I realized. Humans only have a few years at the end of the day. It’s not for me to make their lives more difficult when their own kind do that enough.”
The sharp twist in her chest was familiar now, though no less painful.
“Only a few years.”
He was right. Compared to Gavin, Chloe only had a handful of years. She would be a few fleeting moments in his very long life. Despite what Tenzin had encouraged her to do, despite what she wanted for herself, nothing about being with Gavin was simple.
You and Gavin should have sex. The tension is really becoming bothersome, and I can tell both of you want to.
