Page 84 of Havenfall Harbor
I do let out a growl though. Evan runs his palm from my shoulder to my lower back, giving the barest hint of pressure to get me to follow after Griffin. “It’s just because he’d be jealous,” he offers conspiratorially.
The hall is empty except for Griffin’s oppressive presence when I peer around the alcove of his door. I raise my chin and strut past him as if walking around like this is an everyday occurrence for me. It’s not really that far of a stretch, you lose a little modesty sharing a home with three other girls for a few years.
Our place was on the larger side. We rented a four bedroom duplex off of Main Street, so it was often the place all our friends would hang out at after leaving a bar or house parties. Early morning afters became the norm for most of us. I wasn’t about to wait until I was fully ready for the day before coming out of my room. T-shirts and panties were almost a uniform most weekends.
Evan slides a key into the door and slowly pushes it ajar. I see and hear him take a few deep inhales, as if he’s tasting the air. He pushes the door all the way open and motions for me to enter. “All good,” he says, while I take a hesitant step inside.
Chapter 25
Griffin
There’sa feeling in my stomach I’m not entirely unfamiliar with, but there’s a gnawing edge that doesn’t usually accompany it. If I didn’t know any better, I would think I was starving, but having had two bags of blood last night, I know that can’t be the case.
Quinn is in her room—or her old room, if I have my way, she’ll never sleep anywhere but my bed again—gathering her clothes and any other shit she needs.
I’m torn between telling her to just leave it or asking if she needs any help. I glance over at Evan where he’s leaning against the wall, his face a mask of calm. If I didn’t know him so well, I might not notice the way his eyes keep flicking to the hall where Quinn is, or the way his chest keeps expanding while he takes in all the scents around us.
He’s probably just as on edge as I am, only he’s much better at hiding it. I huff, and of course that would be when Quinn emerges from the hall, towing two suitcases behind her. She changed into a pair of pants but left my shirt on. A shot of possessiveness rolls over me. ‘Mine’ is echoed in my head, and everyone that gets near her will know it.
The unease in my gut lessens a bit. “I need to do some laundry.” She darts glances between Evan and me. I don’t do my own laundry, being the boss has its perks. I keep enough housekeeping and janitorial staff employed that I haven’t had to worry about that…ever really.
“I have some stuff I could take care of too,” Evan states. Apparently, he does his own laundry. Who knew? “I even have an extra basket or two. Let’s go grab my stuff and we can do it together.” He jerks his head to the side.
Quinn sends a grateful smile in his direction. “Thanks, I’ve been avoiding it so I didn’t have to lug my dirty stuff around likethis.” She tips her head back, meaning the luggage. “Which is why Ihaveto do it today.”
I push off the wall and head toward her. She releases the bags to me without a fight and I see it as a win. “Both of these?” I cock a brow. She really has been avoiding laundry. Her face flushes a pretty shade of pink. I can see the expanded blood vessels just under her skin. Fucking marvelous.
“I had a couple clean things, but I had to shove it all together, so yeah, all of it now.”
“Hopefully it won’t be too busy and we can do a bunch at once.” Evan tells her like he knows what he’s talking about. I, however, do not.
Evan leads the way to the elevator, Quinn between us as I tote her bags. You’d think the menial task wouldn’t make me feel useful, but somehow it does.
Evan’s room is on the first floor, far from the elevator, so I’m not all that surprised when we end up passing a few people in the hallway. Most of them skirt around us entirely, and that’s probably partly my fault. It’s not like I’m the most welcoming fella.
Evan turns the doorknob to his room, and he gives Quinn a sheepish glance. He never locks it. It’s not like either of us have a reason to, other than to keep students out that is, but the front desk does a decent job at keeping them out of the staff wing. Or they did.
Quinn follows him inside, and I’m right behind her. Evan is rushing around, picking up empty cups and stray pieces of clothing that he must have stripped off and dropped at some point. His room is set up much like Quinn’s, more like a studio with the kitchenette visible nearly the moment you walk in the door.
I glance around. We don’t come here much, I think we both prefer the space of my room. Plus, before Quinn came, the room next to mine had been empty for a long time, so I had a bit more privacy from the rest of the staff.
Evan’s TV is larger than mine, though, and it takes up most of one wall. I don’t often use mine. Although Quinn discovered one of the reasons I actually do use it. I bring my hand up to cover my mouth as a smile threatens to overtake me. I don’t think I’ve ever been more embarrassed, which is pretty fucking ridiculous considering my age, and it was just porn. Hell, my father used to pay humans with drops of vampire blood—never his own—so humans would fuck at his blood parties within these very walls. My smile drops, thinking about him disgusts me.
“Have a seat, make yourself comfortable, I’ll only be a minute.” Evan heads down the short hall. Because he has always lived on his own, his room is one of the smaller ones, but he does have his own private bath, which not all the others do.
Seconds later he comes out with a heavy bag over one shoulder and a large, empty black basket in his hands. “Here, you can use this.” He places the basket on the slightly worn couch. I reach to pick up one of Quinn’s bags, only to find her ready to take it from me.
“I got it,” she says softly, and I only half release the weight to her. She tugs a little more and peers at me.
“Are you just transferring it in?” I don’t understand why she’s not just letting me do this.
“Yeah, but you don’t need to dig around in my dirty stuff.” She sounds aghast that I would offer.
This woman has no clue I would coat myself in her scent if it meant I got to taste her with every inhale. It’s been a very long time since I’ve been around a human. We both have a little to learn about the other.
“Let me just put it in,” I request.
“No, I got it.” She plants a hand on one curvy hip, tightening my shirt over her body in doing so. Damn, even arguing with this female is fun.
