Page 6 of Blind Bite (Best Fangs Forever #1)

Chapter Six

Three days. Three whole days and not a single text. I stared at my phone for the thousandth time, checking my messages. Nothing. Exactly forty-seven times today I’ve looked and the only thing I’ve received was about a sale on acrylic paint, but who was counting?

“He’s ghosting me, isn’t he?” I flopped onto our beat-up couch, startling Mysti who gave me a betrayed look before jumping down. My cat’s tail twitched with the kind of judgement only felines could master, her yellow eyes practically screaming ‘how dare you disturb my slumber, peasant!’

Amelie paused her show, turning to face me. “Who’s ghosting you?”

“Beckett. The so-called perfect date who promised to text you two days ago.”

“Did you text him?”

“No,” I buried my face in a throw pillow. “I didn’t want to seem desperate.”

“Hello? It’s 2025. If you want to text him, text him.”

I peeked out from behind the pillow. “But he said he would text me. He seemed so genuine about it, too. That kiss...” His lips had been surprisingly soft despite that silver lip ring, and the way his fingers had traced my jaw made my skin tingle even now.

“Maybe he lost your number?” Amelie suggested, but her expression screamed ‘yeah right’. Taking advantage of her show being paused, she went rummaging in our tiny kitchen, probably hunting for comfort snacks.

“Sure, because phones just randomly delete numbers these days.” I grabbed my phone again, pulling up his contact info. “See? Still there. Still no text.”

“Men are trash,” Amelie declared, reaching for our emergency ice cream stash in the freezer. “Even the cute hockey players with lip rings.They’re all the same.”

“I really thought this one was different,” I accepted the spoon she handed me. “He actually listened when I talked about my apprenticeship and didn’t zone out during my Love Village rant.”

“His loss,” Amelie dug into the ice cream. “Though, Lacey’s matchmaking days are officially over.”

“Don’t blame her. Not Lacey’s fault he turned out to be another disappearing act.” I stabbed my spoon into the creamy goodness like I was performing an ice cream exorcism. “I just hate that I actually let myself believe this one might be different.”

“Want to watch that ridiculous horror movie you love? You know, the one where the dating app starts killing people?”

I cracked a smile despite myself. “Yes please. At least those ghosts had the decency to murder you instead of leaving you on read.”

“Remember that guy who thought taking me to the pet cemetery was peak romance?”

I snorted as the movie’s opening credits flashed across the screen. “What was his name... Trevor?”

“Travis,” Amelie corrected, she jabbed her spoon into the ice cream like it had personally offended her. “Because apparently liking horror movies means I want to commune with dead pets on a first date.”

“Right! He spent the entire time whining about his ex dumping him over his death metal obsession.”

The ice cream had turned into cookies and cream soup in my bowl.

“Well, at least Beckett kept his ex girlfriend trauma to himself during dinner.”

“He could have pulled a Mark and showed up to your coffee date in full Renaissance gear,” Amelie doubled over, laughing, “sword and all.”

“Hold up! How did I not know about the sword?”

“It was plastic, but that didn’t stop him from challenging random guys to duels for my honor.” She wiped tears from her eyes. “Pretty sure the barista had 911 on speed dial.”

“Still beats my dating app disaster with Movie Quote Guy. Remember that train wreck?”

“You have bewitched me, body and soul,” Amelie croaked in her worst British accent.

“Stop!” I launched a pillow at her face. “You’re ruining Pride and Prejudice for me, again. And you know Kiera is my girl.”

“At least our dating disasters make for epic stories.” Amelie hugged the pillow to her chest. “We could totally make a podcast out of this mess.”

“No one is going to want to listen to us talk about our bad dates,” I chuckled.

“Are you kidding me? Our misfortune is their entertainment!” She scraped the last bits of ice cream from her bowl. “And hey, maybe Beckett has a really good reason for not texting. Like he got abducted by aliens.”

“Or his phone was eaten by a bear,” I offered.

“Exactly! See? Perfectly reasonable explanations.”

Laughter bubbled between us, it washed away the ache of being ghosted like a wave of stupid scenarios and shared misery.

The forgotten horror movie droned on while we one-upped each other with dating disasters that belonged in their own horror franchise.

“Speaking of disasters...” I snatched the remote, ready to dive back into my trashy TV salvation. “Let’s see what fresh tea is in this week’s Love Village.”

“You’re hopeless,” Amelie shook her head but settled in beside me.

Overly dramatic music swelled through our tiny living room while the camera swooped across another perfect beach scene.

“Twenty bucks says he picks the wrong girl,” Amelie always acted annoyed by reality TV, but I knew she secretly loved trying to predict the outcome. There was something so satisfying for her to get it right.

“Twenty says the one picked ends up rejecting him and taking the money.”

“You’re on.”

Mysti hopped back onto the couch, curling into my lap as if she’d forgiven my earlier transgression. On screen, Brad, the bachelor—or whatever his name was—launched into a clearly rehearsed speech about following his heart.

“His heart?” I snorted, “more like following his—”

“Insta followers?” Amelie finished.

“I was going to say something else, but yeah, that works, too.”

The dramatic pause stretched on as Brad looked between the two remaining women. I absentmindedly scratched behind Mysti’s ears, trying not to think about how Beckett had mentioned wanting to get a cat someday.

“Just pick already!” I yelled at the TV.

Brad finally made his choice. The rejected contestant burst into tears, mascara running in perfect black rivers down her cheeks as she fled the beach.

“Ha!” Amelie held out her hand. “Pay up.”

“Wait for it...” I pointed at the screen where the ‘winner’ was processing Brad’s decision. Right on cue, her smile turned to one dripping with schemes as she rejected the leading man and bounced away with a briefcase full of cash.

“Ha, call it a draw?” Amelie choked out between catching her breath from laughing at Brad’s misfortune.

“Honestly, I’m glad she took the money. He would’ve been horrible in the long run,” I grinned, feeling lighter than I had all day. “Maybe I’ll just become a cat lady.” I tickled the spot behind Mysti’s ear that is her weakness.

She leaned in, strong purrs emitting from her. She purred louder than the TV’s drama. Her contentment vibrated against my legs.

Amelie jumped up and popped her hand on her hip, “You’re already halfway there. We’ll pick you out some floral muumuus tomorrow.”

I chucked a pillow at her head that she expertly dodged, her laughter never faltering from the assault.

Beside me, my phone remained dark. No texts, no calls, just silence—the consolation prize of my pathetic love life.

I watched my best friend rummage through our kitchen for more snacks.

Loudly, she decided she would order take out.

I couldn’t help but let the gloomy feeling creep in.

I always thought these were the moments I’d share with someone special.

If I were destined to be alone in this life, at least I had the best friends to be lonely with.