Page 68 of 'Til All the Seas Run Dry
“Aye. I’m meeting Dr. Alton tomorrow at her lab and video-conferencing Nat in.”
“So fucking exciting. I’m proud of you, buddy.”
He remembered Jory whispering similar words against his chest the night before.I’ve always been proud of you.When he’d been a mortal, the memory would have made his heart pound hard and fast. Now, he just felt a swelling of pride, like carbonation in his brain. Joyous and unexpected.
He cleared his throat. “Thanks, Robbie.”
They were quiet for a minute before Callum broke the silence. “Robbie? What are the rules for calling a girlfriend?”
Robbie sighed and groaned, as if he were kicking his feet up onto the couch and stretching out, getting comfortable. “You haven’t called her?”
“No.”
“Why not?”
“Because I dinnae ken the rules!” he said, exasperated. “That’s why I’m asking!”
Robbie was quiet for a moment.
“Cal, I haven’t really had a steady girlfriend since high school, but the way I see it, if they’re your girlfriend, you can call them whenever you want.”
“Whenever I want? What if she’s busy?”
“If she can’t talk, she won’t answer.”
“What if she doesn’t want to talk?”
“Hey, Cal? Why does a vampire take cold medicine?”
Callum was silent. After a beat, Robbie answered his own joke. “To keep from coffin.”
Callum did snort a laugh then.
“She’ll answer, boss. But if you’re worried about it, send her a text first. That’s low stakes.”
Callum wanted to answer that nothing was low stakes. Not when he was trying to convince Jory to stay, or to at least entertain the idea. Or to let him come with her. The stakes were immense. Every text, every interaction, every single word spoken could either brick a path to a future together, or… not.
“I dinnae ken.”
Robbie groaned, as if stretching. “Cal, buddy, she’ll be glad to hear from her boyfriend. Trust me. K?”
“But what if she?—”
“Cal.Text her.Or I’ll text her for you and make it really weird for both of you.”
“You wouldnae.”
“Are you willing to risk it?”
Callum growled softly in his throat.
“What’s the most famous vampire family in Ireland?”
“Did ye buy a book of these?”
“I’ll never tell. Are you gonna guess?”
“I dinnae ken. What is the most famous vampire family in Ireland?”
