Page 58 of Same One
Breah pursed her lips and looked at her family and back. “Are you asking for my number?”
“I think so.” Bayen was sweating bullets. This was awesome.
Tabian had never been so entertained in all his life. This was like a television show. It was a comedy, for sure.
“Can I see your phone?” she asked.
Bayen’s gold eyes went round, and he scrambled to pull his phone from his back pocket. He handed it to her.
“Um, can you unlock it?” she asked.
He grabbed it back and unlocked it. “Now what?”
She was smiling so much. “I’m going to save my contact. You can text me if you want and then I’ll have your number too. I won’t give it to anyone, I promise. Not even if they ask.”
“No one would ask for my number,” he assured her.
“Right,” she said softly as she typed her contact information into his phone. “Here.” She handed it back to him. She started to walk away but then turned back and said in a nervous voice, “That was the first time a boy asked for my number.”
Bayen’s grin was genuine and surprised. “It’s my first time too. I mean my first time getting a number.”
The girl was backing away, wringing her hands in front of her. “Um, good. Okay, bye.” She gave an awkward little wave and then walked right back to her family.
Bayen turned for Tabian and looked utterly baffled.
Tabian was just grinning. “Pizza is ready. I’ll grab it.”
Bayen still looked just as excited when Tabian returned to the table with the boxes of food.
“This doesn’t mean we are cool,” Bayen said suddenly.
Tabian opened a pizza box and nodded. “Sounds good.”
“I mean it,” Bayen said.
“Fine with me.”
“You still owe me fifty bucks for hanging out with you.”
Tabian pulled out his wallet and threw a hundred-dollar bill on the table. “For today and for the camera work.”
Bayen pocketed the cash and went back to eating. “I’m for real. We aren’t cool.”
But Tabian could feel it—the boy wasn’t so tense and angry around him. He felt lighter.
And as he destroyed an entire pizza, he caught the boy smiling twice.
Tabian’s phone buzzed and he checked it. Tru had texted,How is it going?
Of course she would be curious. She had been worried about Tabian picking Bayen up from school.
Our wolves haven’t killed each other yet, so I’d say it’s going okay. We’re getting pizza. I’m bringing some home for you. See you in an hour.Send.
“Let me guess,” Bayen said around a bite. “You’re texting the woman you’re preparing to drain. Gotta keep Tru on the line. Gotta keep her hooked.”
“Nah, I like her too much to drain her. I’m planning on bringing back the Tru you knew instead. The one with all the smiles? Just give me time, boy.”
Bayen studied him through narrowed glowing gold eyes but didn’t say anything. He went back to eating, and all his senses seemed to turn to what Donnie and his family were talking about behind him.
