Page 100 of Bite Me

Emma shimmies what appears to be my phone across the bed, her brow indented with worry. She mouths a quick “Sorry.”

I already know who it is when I bring the phone to my ear.

“Yes, Florence?”

Her shrill shrieking jolts me. “Dacre! She’s perfect. I knew there was a girl, you liar.”

“Did you need something, or . . . ?”

“No! You go and talk to Emma. She’s so cool, by the way. Love her. She said she was going to get me an autograph from her sister, too. Can you believe it?!”

I can’t remember the last time I heard this much enthusiasm in my sister’s voice.

“Can I call you later, or are you going to blow up my phone again?” I chuckle.

“Yes! Call me later. I want to hear everything.”

After a little more back and forth and squealing, she finally hangs up.

“I’m so sorry. That was way past a boundary. But she kept calling and texting you, and I was scared she thought you were dead or something because there were so many texts in a row. I used to do that a lot when I was a kid and I thought something happened to my siblings—”

“I’m not angry. I’m more shocked than anything. I didn’t expect you’d meet this soon. You’re probably the one person in Vviveren I’d trust to talk to my sister.”

“Really?” Emma softens, leaning back into the bed with a bright smile.

“Really.” I take the plate of food I made for her and place it on her nightstand. “I got you this. Feels good on a sick stomach,” I say.

It’s a full breakfast, complete with a homemade bagel, eggs, and sausage. She’s already dressed in the clothes that I left on her nightstand. I thought she’d want to put something on when she woke up.

“You cooked for me? You don’t cook for anyone.”

“I cook for you.”

She takes the bagel first. It’s homemade cinnamon raisin with strawberry cream cheese, and it crunches when she bites down.

Something is different about her this morning, and I can’t put my finger on what it is. Her scent is different, but it’s so faint. She can’t be ovulating again. She must be getting sick.

“You feel okay?”

“I feel . . . kind of strange,” Emma says between bites.

“Is it your head? Your stomach?”

“It’s not my stomach. Your potion worked, and your food is delicious.”

It must be because she’s almost finished her whole plate already.

I place my palm on her forehead. “You’re a little warm. There’s just something off about your smell.”

“It’s not the ovulating thing again, right? Aftereffects, or something?”

“No, this is different. It’s probably nothing. Don’t worry about it.”

I’m not sure where we landed after last night. Not enemies. Not friends. All I really care about is seeing her smile and being something in her life. I’m not entirely sure how I’m going to make that work with my pending engagement, but luckily, I have some time to work it out. I’m going to hold up that contract in red tape as long as I can while I figure out what to do about Florence and the backlash from my grandfather that will ensue when I don’t sign it.

“I have to show my face in the house again before we leave. Do you want to talk about things when we get back?”

She nods, shoveling another bite of food into her mouth. It’ll be better to get her back to Doxlothia with her friends and family.