Page 17 of This Blood That Binds Us

She straightened herself, fluffed her hair, and gave me a begrudging nod. She slung her backpack over her good shoulder.

“Sure. Maybe.. .We’ll see.” She waved at me awkwardly before heading back toward the lecture halls.

I stood, watching her leave, before strolling up to the library. I couldn’t shake the notion that she may be the coolest person I’d ever met.

“Thank you somuch. Have a wonderful day!” I faked a smile at my barista as I reached for my favorite Pink Drink.

“Not a coffee person, I see. Maybe I should have suggested somewhere else.”

William’s voice startled me, and I jolted forward, nearly spilling my drink over the counter.

He laughed. “Still jumpy, I see. . . sorry.”

William appeared beside me, wearing a black-and-blue sweater, fitted with a white collar and khaki shorts that was snug around his knees.

“No, that’s okay. I’ve had a long day, and I’m already plenty jumpy, so no coffee for me.” I smiled sheepishly.

I had almost forgotten about agreeing to coffee.

He leaned against the counter, and we waited for his black coffee before choosing a table next to the window. The sun was setting, and ripples of peach and cream painted the sky.

Our cafe was small and filled with books, books on shelves, books stacked in every corner. It was my favorite spot on campus, and they stayed open late.

William let out a nervous laugh. “I’m afraid I’ve already made an ass of myself here.”

“Oh, no.” I placed the straw between my lips and sipped. “Thanks for meeting me today. I really needed company.”

That was an understatement. After my run-in with Aaron, my thoughts felt so heavy I thought I might explode. I couldn’t tell William anything, but just talking to another normal person helped.

He pursed his lips. “Do you come here often?”

“Oh, all the time. On Mondays, they have half-off croissants. They’re to die for.”

His expression melted, and the corners of his mouth twitched into another smile. “You don’t say? Oh, before I forget”—he reached into his pockets and pulled out my notes—“I brought these for you. But don’t worry, I don’t plan on asking you to tutor me.”

I smiled. “I’m happy to help you if you need help.”

He leaned forward, putting his elbows on the table and taking a sip of coffee before saying, “No, I wouldn’t dare waste our time with something so boring. Let’s talk about you.”

“Me?” I coughed. My throat was ice after a long sip.

He leaned away from the blinding sun on his right side. “Yeah, you don’t think I invited you out for coffee to talk about myself, do you? What kind of gentlemen would I be? So, besides holing up in coffee shops and not drinking coffee, what do you like to do for fun?”

“I like hiking. I usually go up to the nature reserve, but sometimes, when I have a long weekend, I love going to the Redwood National Forest.”

“Oh, you go with your family?” He took another long sip of his coffee.

“No, I, uh, usually go by myself. It’s fun...usually. This weekend—there was a bit of a hiccup.”

He raised a pointed brow. “A hiccup? What happened?”

I hesitated, picking my words wisely. “I got . . . bit . . . by an animal.”

He moved his coffee from his lips. “Like a squirrel or something?”

“No...more like a bear or a wolf. I don’t know what it was. It doesn’t matter.” I took another long sip of my drink.

“Oh, wow, are you okay!? You’re saying that so casually. How bad were you hurt?” William’s eyes grew wide, and I started to regret telling my half truth.