Page 17 of Cursed Touch
He nodded. “She seemed…”
“Mean?” she asked, a brow lifted and a smirk threatening to burst free.
He shook his head. “Nah, protective. Although, I imagine her bite would leave quite the mark,” he joked.
“How about you? Any best friends who’ll try to protect you?” she asked before taking another bite.
He grinned. “Yeah, five brothers and a sister. We’ve all been protective over each other. Other than them—and now their significant others—I haven’t had a close friend since probably medical school. As a doctor, my time has been rather occupied.”
She nodded. “Will you have time to date?” she asked and held her breath. Connection or not, she needed to know if this thing between them would lead her to a heartbreak like no other.
Carter met her eyes. “For you, I’ll make time. I’ve just never had anyone come in my life who’s made me want more. I occasionally meet up with some buddies, but to be honest, it’s not like the friendship you have with Georgia.”
Vanessa wiped the corners of her mouth. “Georgia’s great. I don’t know what my life would have been like without her.”
A commotion at the front of the restaurant drew their attention before the smell of wet, moldy dirt reached them. A woman cracked her neck and stared down the hostess. “I want a steak. Why can’t I get a steak?”
“I’m sorry, but you’re upsetting our customers, so you need to go,” a man stated as he joined their small gathering.
“Come on, Nikki, we can get something down the street,” another woman, equally as disheveled, told the first.
Nikki’s eyes glowed for the barest second, causing Vanessa to blink her eyes rapidly as she gasped.
The woman whispered something to Nikki, and she nodded.
“I won’t forget this shit!” The glare Nikki shot the group before turning on their heels sent chills down Vanessa’s spine.
“You okay?” Carter asked, pulling her attention back to him.
“Did you see that?” she asked, her brows pinched tight.
He shook his head. “It’s awful being an addict. I hope they find the support they need.”
“Huh?”
“Isn’t that what you meant? That was quite the scene.”
It was Vanessa’s turn to shake her head. “No, I meant did you see her eyes glow yellow?”
A shadow crossed over his face as he moved his head ever so slightly from side to side. “Yellow?”
“Yes, yellow. Something is going on in this town, I swear.” She muttered the latter to herself. “Red eyes, glowing eyes, plants that come back from the dead, large-ass dogs…” She shuddered as the memories returned.
Vanessa chewed on her thumbnail as she considered the scene. “Alcohol? Can it cause hallucinations?” she asked before waving him away. “No, never mind. I wasn’t drinking when I saw the large dogs or when the mums returned.”
“Vanessa?” Carter asked firmly as he stood beside her. His gaze drifted to the tables around them as he smiled awkwardly. “Ready to head out?”
The billfold was closed on the edge of the table, and she realized she never noticed him pay the tab. The stares she was receiving from the tables nearby were a clear indication she had spoken the words out loud and most certainly not in a whisper.
Vanessa smiled apologetically at the customers and took Carter’s offered hand. He threaded their fingers and guided them through the tables until they stepped into the fresh night air. Carter released her hand, and she could not believe she had messed up their date so quickly.
Before her heart could deflate, his arm wrapped around her shoulders and drew her into his side. Neither spoke for minutes as he guided them down the sidewalk. They passed other couples, friends, and the occasional family out for a stroll.
They entered Alumbra park, trees lining the sidewalk until the canopy opened above them. Carter picked a bench toward the center and held her hand. His thumb drew lazy circles on her hand, and little sparks danced across her skin.
“I’m sorry, I don’t normally sound like a lunatic,” she murmured, unable to meet his gaze.
Carter squeezed her hand. “That scene was pretty unsettling, but no, I don’t think you’re a lunatic.”
