Morningstar Quickies

Too much attention

I'm on my stomach, music blaring in my ears to drown out the world. Seriously, I need to study. Finals approaching faster than I ever thought and it freaks me out. There's nothing worse than learning the guidelines for offices.

Suddenly the music is gone and I grab my iPod, shaking it.

"Hey Sam." Ugh, I know that warm, soft voice. "You look pretty busy." I sigh.

"Of course I am. Isn't that usually why you show up?" I can't help but throw a smile over my shoulder. My blue eyes meeting stormy ones. Jesus Christ, Mason is so damn handsome.

"We show up because we love you. Besides, it's the twins with that tactic. I like to show up when you ask me to." He shrugs, clearly uncomfortable with having interrupted me.

"Well, today I didn't ask." My eyes are downcast and I seriously hope he'll go away for now. Just two more days and I have all the time in the world for him.

"What's it you're studying?" he wants to know, moving closer. He clouds my senses and the words start swimming in front of my eyes. All I can see now is Taylor and him, and what'll happen next.

"Requirements for an office," I reply, trying hard to focus.

"You don't like me much, do you?" Another time I sigh, resting my forehead against the cool pages of my textbook. Right now I don't like any of them.

"Mase..."

"You always give in to the twins," he whispers and finally I sit up, knowing that I won't remember any other lines until I deal with the lonely cowboy on my sofa.

"I don't always give in to them." The lie tastes actually bitter on my tongue, but they are the twins. They are, and always will be, my first. There's nothing I can change about that. Mason reaches out, his thumb brushing my lower lip until I actually swallow hard.

"Just a few minutes, Sam. You can't leave Tay and me where we are right now. She's ... not in a good place and you know it."

Oh boy, I do know it and yet, I know I cannot deal with that. So much pain ... my heart breaks just thinking about it. "Mase," I repeat, but he just leans in so close, his five o'clock shadow brushes my cheek, making my body tickle with awareness.

"Besides, I need to use the time the twins finally leave you alone," he whispers, his voice husky. He smells so good of hay, his favorite cologne and faintly of cupcakes.

"You smell delicious." The words are out before I even think about them and he chuckles, a noise that makes my heart skip a beat and my fingers itch to make it last forever in the pages of my notebook.

"So do you, Sammy."

Uh-oh.

"Look, a twin."

Kaden has made an appearance and I nearly groan.

"Dearest Creator, there's something saying how far away from the computer you should sit? There are regulations for everything when it comes to computers." Kaden flips through the pages of my textbook and I can hear them rustling.

"Seriously? What for?" Great, the second twin.

"Dumb and dumber," Mason comments under his breath, clearly forgetting that the vampires hear better than we both do combined.

"It's for protection of body, mind and sight. You think we should tell Matt?" Kaden is joking, but I can hear that his voice has turned a few degrees colder. Oh, my sweet twin.

As if he can read my thoughts, he's looking up at me and I realize that I almost automatically turned to the twins. It's as if I'm gravitating towards them.

"Tell me what?" Fucking hell? Where are we? Grand Central Station? Matt sits down next to me, so casually brushing my arm that I look at him in disbelief. He's usually really shy.

"Please, Matt's never shy!"

"Et tu, Lex?" I ask, realizing how tiny the usually big sofa suddenly is.

"Honestly, now two vampires aren't enough? How am I ever..." Mason's voice gets drowned out as someone places headphones over my ears. They are amazing, seriously muffling most of the noise. I glance around and all vampires and the cowboy are gone. The only seeing I see are sparkling green eyes and my heart skips a beat with happiness.

"Jamison!" I push the headphones off again, seeing his beaming smile.

"I missed you, Sam, but I thought I come and play voice of reason." His blond hair shines and I reach out to gently tug at a few strands before running my hand down to his chin.

"I missed you, too, Jam. Soon you'll be all I think about," I promise. I know edits are coming up soon and even though right now I need to study, I can't take my eyes off of him. He leans in and kisses my forehead.

"Have fun studying!" He replaces the headphonesand turns on the music, and just like that, my mind was cleared by one of themost amazing and yet broken guys I've ever met.1ÊlJg