Ready Or Not

Lousy. Best. Friend.

**Theo**

Eventually we'd moved ourselves into the bedroom and napped off our exertions after a little snack. I was still reeling from the thought that I'd gotten to taste Daniel again. I don't know why it never occurred to me to get him to bite himself. It was different, but still him. It almost made me homesick.

My head was resting on his broad chest while I mulled these things over, and of course, I remembered the conversation with Anna that had prompted me whipping out my tax returns. I reached over to the phone on my nightstand and thought about whose number to dial. Anna'd made it clear that she was fine with being alone and she didn't want me worrying. That didn't mean that I wasn't worrying, just that I'd let her think I was cool with it. I wasn't so cool with it.

I decided instead to call Lydia directly. It had been hours since we'd spoken to Anna, and Lydia was bound to be done hunting. The phone only rang three times before she picked up.

I didn't even let her say hello.

"I gift-wrapped a pretty, available, smart, interested blonde and you're bored? How was the hunt? Why was I not invited?"

"As much as I always appreciate your gifts, love, I also sometimes like to admire them a bit before I play with them. I'm not desperate. Am I desperate?"

Her voice seemed a little hurried. Not out of breath- that was impossible. But as though she'd been excited. Must have been a fun hunt. I pouted slightly.

"No, you're not desperate. And you can admire as much as you like, but I've known you for a fucking century. You're way into her. Like... Remember that dude in the forties? Fifties? What was his name? Mark? Mitch? Whoever the fuck. Remember? It was like a day and you were gone on him. Don't put this off just because you're salty I found her first."

She sighed, remembering. "Matthew. Christ, he was magnificent." She paused and I heard her feet on the pavement. She wasn't home yet.

"Hannah is magnificent. What am I gonna do?"

I sighed right back at her. "You're going to get yourself home, check on Anna and then text me so she doesn't know I was worried, and then you're going to shower. After that, you'll make a cup of tea and sit down nice and calmly, and call Hannah. Take her out. Good god, woman. They're humans! They have an expiration date, you know?"

"You put things so delicately. Maybe I didn't want to think about the limited time offer you've served up. Maybe I wanted to make believe she'd be around a while. Like Daniel. Who's probably rolling his eyes at me if he's awake."

I have no idea how she knew I'd worn him out. I didn't ask.

"He's very much asleep," I said as I poked at his chest, hard. He didn't stir. "We went over my taxes. It was a lot to get through in one afternoon. Poor thing is wiped out." I sat up and slung my legs over the side of my bed.

"Are you okay, regină? You'd tell me if something was off, right? Not just this Hannah thing, but I can see it in your face lately. Just the tiniest crease in between your brows when you think no one is looking. You'd tell me if I was doing something wrong... You've never been stopped before."

The slightest bit of hesitation hung in the air before she answered me. Just a split second, but it was enough. "All good, doll. Everything's fine. I think maybe your taxes are clouding your perception of reality."

I closed my eyes tight. I share everything with Lydia; from the most boring detail to the juiciest parts of my sex life. But it sort of seemed like the last few remarks she made had to do with Daniel. Specifically putting off my worries because of Daniel. Daniel rolling his eyes. Knowing Daniel'd been sleeping. Comparing Hannah's humanity to Daniel's new life-span. Putting the weight of my concern for her on the fact that Daniel's tired me out.