Page 27 of Same One
Tru took another bite of her salad on her lunch break, and studied the chiseled, shirtless Tabian chopping wood in a video online. He was standing in front of a sprawling tent with state-of-the-art tables and camp chairs he’d put together before he’d removed his T-shirt and began chopping wood for the masses. He’d just posted it three days ago, and already, it had half a million views.
Tru blinked hard. She understood the thirstiness. Tabian was the hottest man on the entire internet. The comments were wild though. They ranged from hate-filled anti-werewolf rhetoric to women describing the things they would do to him in the bedroom. And some men too.
There were hundreds of comments. Literally hundreds. She scrolled down and down, searching for the end and stopping to read the occasional one that had a bunch of likes on it.
The icons of these outwardly approving women showed they were gorgeous.
A wave of insecurity washed over Tru. What was she doing?
This man could have anyone he wanted. He probably had a hundred open messages to women and was clearly luring them in with thirst traps.
She backed out of the video and clicked on another, posted two weeks ago. He was at least wearing a shirt in this one. It was a video of him cooking a meal of steak and a vegetable medley over a miniature woodburning stove with a metal chimney that piped out through a hole at the top of the two-room tent. Stuffed mushrooms were cooking off to the side. He flashed his bright blue eyes at the camera and then leaned in and narrowed his eyes at the screen. For fart’s sake, this man was a demigod.
He said, “Tabianfan43 is asking why I don’t ever show my girlfriend in my videos.” He gave a cocky boy smile and went back to cooking, flipping the vegetables in the cast iron pan. “Well, Tabianfan, that’s because I don’t have one. A mate is something I’ve never thought about picking up and probably never will. Besides, how pissed off would all of you hookers be if I showed up here with a woman? Be honest ladies, would you be happy for us? Or would you decimate her? I know how you she-wolves are. Cutthroat, the lot of you.”
Out of curiosity, Tru read the first comment.Cutthroat is right, slice slice. A knife emoji was involved.You know you would have the detectives on here finding out everything about her. You’re smart to not pair up. You belong to us.
Tru’s eyes went wide and her heart pounded a little harder as she clicked out of that video’s comments in a rush. She sat there staring at her glowing phone screen, and the beginnings of the realization of how big his online life was.
This couldn’t work.
She was a scorned woman with insecurities up to her eyeballs, and Tabian was a player.
She’d been so stupid.
She exited off his channel completely and pushed the phone away from her, staring at it like it was a snake. It felt dangerous.
Being around werewolves was intoxicating and she’d gotten all wrapped up in it last night, but here, on her lunch break, outside at a picnic table with no one here to influence how she felt, she could think clearly.
All male werewolves were players.
Bay had been right to be wary on her behalf.
She made stupid decisions and tethered herself to dead-end men. Where could this relationship go, huh? She could never go camping with him. She would have to hide every time the camera light was blinking that it was on. She would have to behis big secret, or the internet culture he’d created would revolt and target her. He would lose followers, and she would be judged online, and he would resent her and leave her just like Zane had done.
Everyone left, and this was clearly the beginning of the end.
Her phone vibrated and the screen lit up with a text.
Speaking of the thirst-trapping devil himself, Tabian was messaging her.
Feeling shaky, she dragged her phone toward her and read it.
I got camp all set up and then realized my camera isn’t working. I fixed it but I have to break camp down and re-do it. It’s a sign. I should’ve cancelled and just roped you into hanging with me after you get off work tonight. Maybe sometime you can take a few days off and come camping with me. Do you like camping? You can bring Bay if you want.
A picture came through and it was a gas station coffee in his hand with a view behind it of the mountains outside the front window of his truck. He seemed to be in a parking lot.I drove twenty miles to get some B-minus coffee and some cell phone service so I could text you. You’re probably working right now, you badass vampire, but I just wanted to let you know I’m thinking of you, and I can’t wait to get back.
Oh, he texted before she could even finish reading the last one.I really like kissing you. Been thinking about it all damn day. Probably why I didn’t notice my camera wasn’t recording. I’ll come back out to this gas station after you get off work and try to call you.
Well…Tru was struggling to hold onto her anger at herself. He was actually being nice, but…
I bet you’re texting ten other girls at that gas station.Send.
Ummm, what?His message came back almost immediately.
This isn’t going to work. Send.
A call vibrated her phone. It was Tabian.
