Page 20 of Little Wing (Shades of Fairhaven #1)

We got book three in the store today. Just thought I'd let you know. Do you want me to set it aside for your brother?

Midnight! That was my horse's name back then. I thought I would text you since I remembered.

Am I doing this too much? Sorry. Just had a nice time talking to you, now that I know you are not trying to murder me.

S ince Lotus and I last saw each other, she began texting me more regularly.

Sometimes it was just a greeting or her telling me about something funny at work.

Other times it was her apologizing for accidentally calling me.

When she did that, I always ended picking up, and we’d talk for a bit.

I was taking any chance to speak to her, whether it was texting or speaking on the phone.

I was very quickly getting hooked on anything that Lotus shared with me, anything that hinted at what she concealed from everyone else.

She was slowly letting me in on who she really was; I could feel it, and I was putting the puzzle together .

In between appointments for Little Wing, I fired back responses to make sure this connection wouldn’t fizzle out.

It got to the point where I was checking my phone every few minutes to see if she sent me anything new, which did eventually start to earn me plenty of eye rolls from Mateo.

But did he really have room to talk? When he and Quinn got cell phones after moving to the States, they couldn’t stop texting each other, even while they were in the same room.

Then again, they were probably sending nudes to each other. No surprise there.

“So, what’s going on with this chick?” Mateo asked, setting a clipboard down on to the desk I was leaning against. “You’ve been staring at your phone like a lovesick human. She the one you’re bringing to the grand opening?”

I glanced at my phone one more time and slipped it into the pocket of my jeans. When Mateo motioned for me to answer, I groaned wearily. I knew the event was coming up quickly but inviting her still had me feeling conflicted.

“If she’d want to. I mean, Mattie, she’s like us. She’s similar in age, familiar with how things were…” I trailed off. Mateo knew bits and pieces about Lotus. From the beginning, she plagued my mind with questions I couldn't answer, so I confided in him about her.

“But?” Mateo nudged me. “What’s the ‘but’, brother?”

“I don’t know. I’d have to ask her, because I don’t want to shove all this vampire pride and shit down her throat.

She’s not pretending to be human, but I don’t think she’s felt pride or acceptance because of everything that she went through.

” I exhaled softly and brought my hand to my cheek, itching my palm against my stubbled jaw. “Because she was—”

“Because she wasn’t saved,” Mateo finished for me without having to use the word that blared in my head .

Murdered. Lotus was murdered by her own brother.

I nodded. Yes, it was her brother’s weakness as a young vampire without anyone to guide him that resulted in this, but it didn’t mean that I couldn’t stop picturing the scene that Lotus painted when she shared this part of herself with me.

And to see her smile moments after sharing that…

I couldn’t ignore my desire to never let her feel that type of hurt again.

Whatever else lingered in between the lines of her story and timid smile, I was sure she would reveal to me when she was truly ready. I’d wait as long as she needed.

The reason that I wanted Lotus to come to Little Wing was not to flaunt vampiric culture and community, but to show her it could be better. That what she experienced was not all that there was to our existence.

Mateo moved around the room, tucking chairs under tables. These were the moments that kept reminding us that the dream of Little Wing would soon become what our nest once was to us.

Home. Community. Family.

We liked to imagine young vampires gathering, creating their own modern nests to grow and bond with. Yet, each time I thought of them having their chance at success in this new world for us, I couldn’t help but think about Lotus. I imagined what this space could become for her, too.

I pulled my phone out of my pocket, giving Mateo a dismissive wave when I heard him sigh loudly in response. He knew damn well who I was texting and I didn’t give a fuck what I looked like. My fingers quickly tapped against the screen; thoughts of Lotus were becoming my most welcome daydream.

Hey Lo! Long day at Little Wing. How are things on your end?

Only a few minutes went by before my phone vibrated. There it was. The tone that I could almost hear between her written words.

Not bad. Just finished with an event and now I’m getting ready to head home.

Silas?

Hmm?

What's on your mind right now?

I stared at the phone, picturing those words leaving her full lips.

I loved watching the way they curled into sweet smiles and spread wide to express emotions so animated I could hardly fight back my own grin.

She was an infection I never wanted to be cured of.

My eyes continued to study the words lit up on the small screen.

It wasn’t difficult to think back to the first night I saw her at the bar and then again at the bookstore.

She was closed off, elusive—a fucking mystery.

Now she was asking questions, sharing details of her day without it feeling like pulling teeth.

She wasn’t the woman I thought she was. She was something entirely different. Spectacular.

I tapped my response quickly before the three blinking dots appeared.

Just thinking about the first time I saw you, and how you're more incredible than I could have imagined.

Hoping I can see you soon. Been missing that smile. But… what about you? What's on your mind right now? Right this very second.

I watched the blinking dots appear then disappear at least a dozen times.

Maybe I overstepped, or maybe she was busy.

I tried to keep my eyes off the screen and busied myself with unwrapping more furniture, as if staring my phone down was keeping Lotus from responding faster.

I couldn’t believe how glued I was to that thing ever since she started messaging me.

I used to make fun of Mateo for doing the same thing.

And if someone had told me I’d be like this even just a few months ago, I’d never have believed them.

But she was… different. Different from anyone I’ve ever met, especially in Fairhaven.

It was the cute little facts and ice breakers she sent every few hours that evolved into daily conversations learning about what the other liked.

I learned Lotus loved sunrises when she was younger and that her favorite era that she lived through was the 80’s.

It was the little bits and pieces that were helping me fill in the collage that was Lotus Evans.

Oh yeah, Evans. That was her full name, and I didn’t even need to learn that from her friends or by reading her mail.

Man, if I didn’t stop making those jokes, she’d actually think I was stalking her.

Just as my mind was winding down from the anxious anticipation, I watched my phone light up.

“Alright… be cool. It’s not like you’ve never received a text from a cute girl…

” I muttered under my breath. Only this cute girl was a woman who was flooding my mind before bed, first thing in the morn ing, in the shower and—fuck.

I picked up my phone only to squeeze my eyes shut and run my hand through my hair at the discovery of what she sent.

Fucking hell, she was going to be my undoing.

I was thinking about the night you kissed me.