Page 33 of Those That Don't Exist
Feeling too drained to study tonight I pick up my favourite novel instead, opening it to one of my most reread sections. I get lost in the pages for a while before my phone dings.
CHAPTER 14
TY
Can we meet tomorrow? I have an office on campus where we can talk openly.
I’d debated the message for an hour before finally hitting send. I was going to tell Red the truth. She needs to know, I can’t put it off any longer. I don’t think she’d felt the blood lust again but I couldn’t risk it happening when I wasn’t around.
I keep staring at our chat screen after sending the message. I’m lounging on my bed, holding the phone above my face. She didn’t have those little read receipts on so I had no idea if she was on her phone, and therefore had seen the message. My heart leaps when only seconds later those little bubbles tell me she’s typing back.
Red: Ok.
That was the entire message. What did it mean? I wasn’t expecting much but‘ok’ seemedlike we were arranging a casual drink, meeting for a study date. I was going to alter her life.
Red: Lunch-time ok?
A second message pops up. It was still so short and stilted, I wanted some indication on how she felt about this. I typed a response to rile her a little.
I know what time you’re free. Stalker remember?
I don't get any response for several minutes.Shit.Maybe I’ve freaked her out. Reminding her I’ve been stalking her for months probably wasn’t the best way to convince her to meet me in a private place, alone.
Sorry if that was over the line. I promise I only want to talk.
I send another message. Gods, I’m likely making it worse.
Red, I was just joking with the stalker comment. I didn’t do it to scare you.
I hit send and then drop the phone onto my chest before I can type more.Wow, talk about digging my own grave. I groan and press my palms to my eyes, wishing the ground would swallow me up. My phone pings.
Red: Hey, sorry I got distracted by the novel I’m reading. I’m not freaking out, although it sounds like you are! Stalking tendencies aside I do want to meet up tomorrow. Should I confess now that I’ve been watching you too? Would that calm you down?
I read her message a couple of times and it does calm my racing heart. I think my little Red is actually flirting with me.I can’t deny the warm fluttering in my stomach. I think for a minute before typing my reply.
It's cute you think you have anything on my stalking skills Red. I’m curious as to which book could be so distracting that I’m only get such short replies.
Red: Maybe you can give me lessons, if you think I’m not on your level… and it's a fantasy novel. I've read it multiple times as the author is taking forever to release the sequel.
Must be riveting if you’ve already read it and still get so lost in it.
Red: It's my favourite book, Watchers by L C Blackwood. Have you heard of it?
I bark a laugh at the coincidence. L C Blackwood, who is actually Henry Brucherman, also known as H J Fitzroy for his academia stuff, was the friend I had outside of this pack. We’d met in training during the war. He would love to know I’d met a fan.
Yeah, I know it. The cliffhanger is brutal.
He’d sent me a copy before he released it, as he did with a lot of his work. He begged me to be honest, clearly nervous over his first fiction publication. I’d found it gripping, an epic story of star crossed lovers torn apart by war. He’d been careful with his world building but I’d seen his experiences shining through. I was glad to see how successful it had become. I wondered how he was getting on with the second instalment.
My phone pings again, thoughts of Henry flying from my mind. My attention back to the very distracting female I was currently messaging.
Red: Isn’t it? I cry every time but end up reading it every few months.
I go to type back but the door to my room opens. I quickly lock my phone. Mitch enters, throwing his stuff next to his bed. From the look and smell of him he has been working at the docks today.
“Evening.” He offers me a tired smile.
“Hey, helping fishermen today?” Seriously, it's like the ocean threw up on him. He reeks so strongly of fish and salt I have to pull my shirt collar up over my nose.
