𝐬𝐡𝐚𝐦𝐞𝐥𝐞𝐬𝐬

Nine

"Are you alright?" A silky, accented voice wakes me up.

I slowly open my eyes to meet a pair of brown ones behind glasses. I almost jump out of my skin and quickly sit up, straightening my hair.

The owner of the brown eyes has curly, careless blond hair. He's wearing a white button-up collar shirt with black dress pants as if he's going to prom.

"Do I need to get help?" His brow crease matches his concerned tone. He holds his hands out to help me up.

I rake my fingers through my hair and shoot him a small smile while taking his offer to get me up. "I'm fine. Sorry, if it was startling to find me like this I just . . . needed a minute."

He nods like he understands. "Don't worry, it's not the craziest thing I've witnessed." He looks down at our hands that are still intertwined. I drop my hands to my sides.

"Um, I'm Amie," I almost put my hand out again but then I'd be more embarrassed than I already am.

"Bastien Blaise," he returns, his grin growing slowly. "My mother told me about you. Everybody knows your name."

I'm about to respond when I realize his name. Blaise. The Blaise triplets. He must be one of them. That means his mom is Odette Blaise. The woman I just screamed at for taking my life away.

Great.

"Yeah, I've met her," I wring my hands. "Lovely woman."

He laughs, a genuine and kind sound. "Trust me, I know better than anyone that she can be intimidating. I can take you to Hansen if you're lost?"

I open my mouth to answer but he quickly interrupts with, "My mom might go soft on you if I'm there, I'm kind of her favorite child." He winks.

"Actually, I was just there—before I, y'know, passed out."

He nods again. "So where exactly are you—" His phone buzzes.

He pulls it out and checks it, eventually looking at me again and smiling.

"Never mind, you're staying with us."