𝐋𝐎𝐕𝐄 𝐁𝐈𝐓𝐄 | 𝘺𝘢𝘯𝘥𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘷𝘢𝘮𝘱𝘪𝘳𝘦𝘴

16: Too Far Gone

Perhaps it's because you haven't heard from Caleb in a while, or maybe it's the fact that you were forced to hang out with Kai and have a run-in with Johnny the other day, but whatever the case, the next morning, you decide to make a call.

"...[Name]? Is that you?"

You blink in surprise. You haven't even said anything yet, but it seems like Xavier has already deduced who's calling.

"Um, yes," you reply, frowning a bit. "But you just left your business card with me last time. I didn't tell you my number or anything. How'd you know I was the one calling?"

Xavier chuckles softly. "I very rarely give out my personal number. I actually can't remember the last time I did it. I figured it had to be you. But I guess it could have also been a telemarketer or something."

Huh.

All of a sudden, you feel quite flattered. If he almost never gives his number to people, it must mean that he thinks rather highly of you, right? Despite the fact that you haven't spent much time together yet. It's admittedly a bit of a trivial detail, but for some reason, it makes you smile.

Knowing that there are people out there who actually value you-even if there aren't very many of them-is something you can take pride in.

"I see," you say, trying to ignore how hot your cheeks feel. "Well, um... you mentioned wanting to hang out sometime, and this might be a bit last-minute, but did you want to grab coffee later in the evening?"

You can't possibly know this, since you're not face to face with him in person, but right now, Xavier is clumsily pumping his fist in the air.

"Of course," he says. He manages to keep his voice steady, so that you can't tell how excited he is. "Generally speaking, anytime in the evening works for me. I work pretty standard hours during the day, and I find nighttime to be more pleasant anyways."

A smile creeps onto your lips. Sometimes, it's easy to forget that he and Elliot are actually vampires. Apart from what they need to consume in order to survive, they're just genuine, normal guys. It goes to show how heavily prejudiced most people are.

"Great," you smile. "I have to work until then too, so let's meet up someplace once we're both done. Do you have any suggestions?"

"There are a few coffee spots that I usually go to. They might not be to your taste, though, so maybe you'd like to pick instead."

"Nah, that's fine. I trust you. And besides," you sigh, "one of my jobs is working as a barista, so if it was up to me, I'd probably just default to the same old coffee shop I'm used to. Trying new things out is more fun."

Xavier takes a moment to respond, because he's letting your words slowly sink in.

One of her jobs? So... she works multiple jobs? And she's also selling her blood to me every now and then?

Honestly, he can't help but be concerned. From what he's heard, donating blood is a physically-demanding process that weakens the body, and he sees you quite regularly. On top of that, it sounds like you're working more hours than the average person. He's worried that you're pushing yourself too much, and that it'll ruin your health.

But he knows his place. As things stand, the two of you are barely acquaintances. He has no right to meddle in your life. If you're choosing to sell your blood to vampires, money must be tight. You're doing whatever you can to provide for yourself, and he has to respect that.

First, he needs to get to know you a bit better. Once he's proven that he's someone you can rely on, maybe then you'll consider letting him help you.