Secret Lesson

Chapter 4: Contractual Love

Alex's POV

The one way to find out how I felt about Lars just had to be Andrew... That fact alone is enough to make me despair. Andrew beams and says something unexpected.

"Don't worry. I will never reveal your secret... On one condition."

"One condition?" It seems suspicious...

"Be my girlfriend, Alex!" he blurts out.

"What?! You want to take advantage of me during all this?! I said I'd make you pay if you ever asked me out again!"

"No, no that's not what I meant! I'm saying we should pretend to be dating when in front of others!"

"And what good would that do me?"

"Hmm, you really don't know?" Andrew looks up enthusiastically and begins his explanation.

"Did you see how the look on your friend's face changed when he saw how close we were? From what I could tell, he's got feelings for you." That's... The night of the prom. The memory surfaces of Lars holding me in his trembling hands and kissing me, and an even more important question comes to mind.

"I thought so too, but I was wrong. Didn't you see he's with Eliza now?"

"We can't be sure of that. We never actually heard they're together."

"But..." Andrew cuts me off.

"Trust me, Alex. If you say you're dating me, he will definitely react. And the important thing is- Preventing your memory from being erased."

"Was that...for real?"

"Hey, you think I'm the kinda guy who'd lie about something like that?" I can't believe I can get both Andrew's protection and gauge Lars' reaction... This can't be a fair trade... But is it really okay to keep getting mixed up with vampires like this...

"So how about it, you like the sound of my offer?"

"You're right, that's not a terrible deal, but we need to establish some clear-cut rules, especially to help keep me safe. How long will we maintain our fake relationship, what roles we want each other to play..." he cuts me off again.

"Yeah, yeah. You're saying we need a contract we can mutually discuss, right? You're more careful than I thought." With that, Andrew pulls a quill pen from his pocket and begins to write on a napkin on the café table with impeccable handwriting.

"A love contract. This will verify our relationship in case of an emergency. This is what you wanted, yeah?"

"Good, we can fill it out together." And so, my first relationship began with a contract written on a tiny little napkin. After solemnly shaking hands on it, Andrew asks me a slightly more direct question.

"So, shall we start by discussing our noble duties as a couple?" he asks

"Our noble duties?"

"I'm talking about blood-drinking. When I have a girlfriend, I can't just hold another woman in my arms like last time."

"H-have you lost your mind?! You want to drink my blood right now? Like that girl?!"

"What, are you saying no?"

"Of course, I am! That's completely out of the question!" I quickly snatch the pen from Andrew's hand and write 'No Blood Drinking' in large letters at the bottom of the contract.

"Are you sure about this?" he asks.

"100 percent."

"Well, this is tough. Then what about licking your neck...or touching your wrist as if I'm checking your blood pressure?"