Page 34 of Origins
“Are you sure it has nothing to do withyou?” Miles muttered.
I had no idea what Miles meant, but Titus’ confidence was rather assuming. But who was I to argue? I was getting a pretty phone—and pink was my second favorite color.
I curiously picked up the device and activated it, gasping in surprise. Somehow, it seemed as though Titus had discovered one of my weaknesses.
I grinned at the black cartoon kitten wallpaper, ignoring the multitude of apps that I didn’t recognize. “Kutsushita Nyanko!” I sounded pathetically happy. He had also installed some games and other cute things. Finn had never allowed me to put personal stuff on my phone—stating that it was only necessary for research, calling, and texts. “Thank you so much, Titus. I love it.”
There was no response, and I glanced up to see the three of them watching me curiously. But I was too excited to care, as I flipped through my contacts. Titus had already pre-loaded all of their information—including Julian’s. And had assigned each of them a character photo.
“Why is Damen ‘Beer-chan’?” I asked. It seemed like an odd choice. But then again, considering that he was drinking wine before five o’clock, maybe it wasn’t…
“You jerk!” Damen glowered at Titus, clearly offended. Something that resembled another emotion outside of lazy flirtation and controlled anger crossed his face. His cheeks dusted as he pushed away his wine glass. “I don’t even drink that much.”
Titus, on the other hand, ignored Damen. Instead, he stared at me as if the world began and ended in my eyes. It was almost creepy—but for the first time I thought that I could really be attracted to him as well.
“You knowSan-x?” he asked, his voice filled with wonder.
I had made an idiot of myself. I set the phone back on the table and pulled up my turtleneck, hiding my face. I wondered if it was possible to disappear before dying of embarrassment.
“Don’t do that.” Miles pulled my hands down from my sweater and lowered the neckline back to where it had been. His fingers brushed gently against my skin, and the action caused me to blush even more. “It’s alright to like cute things,” he continued. “This situation works out like a charm—it gives Titus a reason to buy stuff without getting weird looks from the sales clerks. Spoiling you is the perfect excuse.”
Chapter Eleven
Betrayal
I finished up my rounds in Professor Hamway’s private conservatory before Julian was to arrive later on. The boys had dropped me off after lunch—stating that they had things to finish before tonight’s slumber party. They hadn’t wanted me to be alone in the haunted house, but I figured that nothing dire would happen in the middle of the afternoon.
Besides, I still had my house-sitting tasks to attend to. I did have responsibilities and couldn’t avoid the place forever.
There was also the fact that I needed to decompress. My social anxiety hadn’t acted up around the boys—I had been more embarrassed by their flirting than anything. But all of this socializing and attention was exhausting. Being surrounded by nature had a way of calming me. It always had.
When things became too much to handle when I was with my foster families, I usually hid outside. It was there—in my second foster home—where I met Sir. He had taught me the little that I knew about my abilities, and about the plants and wildlife in the surrounding woods.
The last foster home…the woods had become a refuge.
A chill shot up my spine—and not from a ghost this time. I refused to let my thoughts drift intothosememories. I had enough to worry about at the moment.
It was half-past-six now, and the boys were due soon. And while I was thankful for my solitude, I was also excited about the prospect of being able to hang out with my new friends.
They had everything planned. Apparently, Julian was to bring take-out. Then we’d set up surveillance equipment in every room of the house—including two areas I hadn’t explored: the attic and the basement.
I should have enough time before they arrived to take a bath and freshen up.
I was humming a song—a nursery rhyme that was often in my head, but couldn’t place—when the doorbell rang. I paused, in the middle of putting away the garden shears, surprised.
I should have had time…
The doorbell rang again, and I realized that I was just standing there, motionless. I shook myself out of my daze and trudged my way through the house until I reached the large, wooden door.
Relief flooded through me. “Julian!” I pulled the door open the whole way, confused. I hadn’t expected any of them so early—had something happened?
He grinned at me sheepishly. “Hello, Bianca.” He tugged at his navy blue scarf, and I realized that this must be as awkward for him as it was for me. “I think I might be early.”
He sounded exhausted. There were heavy bags under his eyes; and with every second, they appeared to become more pronounced. His statement had ended with a yawn—which he had tried to cover, but failed. He noticed me watching him, and blushed. “Sorry, I’ll leave if you aren’t ready.”
“No,” I gestured him into the house, “it’s completely alright.” I stepped out of the way so he could enter. I was nervous—I’d be spending the next hour and a half alone with Julian. I was also slightly disappointed, because he hadn’t brought the food and I had nothing prepared.
Julian sleepily muttered a thank you as he followed me into the living room and sat on one of the velvet couches. “Sorry again,” he repeated as he inspected the English-styled room. “I was already in the area, and my job ended sooner than I expected. So I thought I might as well come over.”
