Page 30 of Savage Sacrifice
I’m sure he’s hot to some, but this is definitely not something I have any interest in right now.
But we’re trying to live a little, Polaris. We almost died.
I shake off my internal thoughts. They’re not wrong, but this isn’t the direction I should be considering.
“Thank you, but I’m going to have to decline,” I breathe, hating the sound of my voice as I speak, but I don’t know what else to do or say.
His lips purse as I side-step him once more, but he blocks my path again. Only this time, it’s not with a touch, just his looming presence in my way.
“I’m a nice guy, I swear. I don’t always go around knocking people over. Besides, I’m known for my… party tricks,” he adds,winking as his tongue sweeps across his bottom lip again, and my creep factor somehow manages to rise even higher.
“It’s still a no, but thanks,” I insist, trying to keep my smile as nice as possible, but he still doesn’t look too happy with me.
His mouth opens, ready to plead his case again, when another figure appears at my side.
“She said no,” Ben states, wrapping his arm around my shoulder as he protectively places himself between me and Grant.
I silently thank him for it, but it doesn’t look as though Grant is done.
“Is she yours?” he grunts, eyeing Ben with a slight curl to his lips, and I desperately want the ground to open up and take me now.
“Let’s just go, Ben,” I murmur, nudging him to walk around the guy, and he thankfully moves, taking no further interest in Mr. Icky. We hurry down the walkway, the remnants of onlookers slowly dissipating as everyone else goes back to their own business.
Once we’re out of the quad and heading down the sidewalk that leads to our house, he drops his arm from my shoulders and I try to shake off the weird feeling still clinging to me.
“Sorry I didn’t jump in sooner,” he mutters, and I wave him off.
“Honestly, I appreciate you stepping in. I thought I had it handled, but he was a little more insistent than I expected,” I reply, eager to change the subject. “So, how were your classes today?”
He glances at me from the corner of his eye, a soft smile on his lips, but he nods, accepting the change. “Good. Nothing too overwhelming or exciting,” he states, and I nod. We walk two blocks in silence before I glance up at him, noting a slight frown on his face.
“Is everything okay?”
He sighs, offering me a tight smile as he shrugs. “I don’t know. Honestly, I’m just feeling a little lost, and I can’t help but find it a bit weird that none of us has any family. You, Foster, Bianca, and I all almost died, and there’s no one to know, no one to care.”
My heart aches at the rawness in his tone and I squeeze his arm in comfort.
“You’re right. It feels like no one would have missed us if we had…” My words trail off, growing too heavy, but he nods in understanding.
I don’t know what else to say. I don’t know how to reassure him because I’m struggling with the same thoughts. I keep telling myself that I need to expand my horizons, make friends, and build connections, but it’s all rather overwhelming.
We remain silent for the rest of the walk home, lost in our thoughts as Ben opens the front door and waves me inside. The second he closes the door behind him, Bianca appears in the hallway.
She pins me with one of her stern stares. “You have guests,” she states, and I frown.
“Me?” I clarify, pressing a finger against my chest, and she rolls her eyes.
“Yes, you.”
“Who?” My frown deepens as I remain rooted to the spot, and she sighs, exasperated with me.
“Go in the living room and you’ll find out,” she grumbles, pointing toward the door when a guy’s voice cuts through the air.
“Polaris?”
My heart flutters at the call of my name, my pulse quickening, making my ears hot as it thunders loudly inside my skull, and I hurry toward the living room. I jolt to a stop in the doorway, eyes wide as I gape at an unfamiliar face.
“Hello?” I rasp, confused as hell.
