Soul Keepers (Editing) #Wattys2020

04|

“Hey Millie.”

She jumped at the sound of her name, her head snapping around in uneasiness. It wasn’t Micah; he only ever called her by her full name. She had been walking on pins and needles since her vision waiting for him for jump out from behind anything and take her. If his words were meant to put her on edge, he had succeeded. The knowledge that he was close made her jump at shadows that weren’t even there.
The handsome, purely human face of her neighbor cleared in her vision clamping down on her paranoia. His hands were shoved carelessly in the pockets of his jeans and he had a lingering cinnamon scent clinging to his skin—he’d been downstairs raiding the kitchen most likely—his warm brown gaze never leaving her face. Half his fascination, she knew was because of what she was, but she liked to think that most of it wasn’t and that he was genuinely interested in her.

“Oh Jeff,” she breathed out pasting a soft smile on her face “You scared me.”

“Sorry,” he apologized moving closer to her.

Millie relaxed her posture. Jeff was harmless. He was human. He too had a room in the house here. She had seen him a couple of times, had spoken to him. He was a friendly person with a kind open face who always had a smile for her. He was taller than her but not by much, with muscular arms and a slim waist.

“What’s up?”

“Um,” he shifted on his feet nervously “I was just wondering what you were doing next week.”

She would probably be hiding from the vampire that wanted to kidnap her. “Nothing. Why?”

“Well the Valentine’s Dance is then.” her eyebrows pulled together in mild confusion. “Valentine’s Day. Its next week. I don’t usually go for commercial holidays and—anyway I was wondering if you don't have any plans that  is, if you’d like to go with me...to the dance.”

“I don’t know,” she answered thoughtfully “I might be busy then.”

His shoulders drooped at her rejection “Well if you change your mind let me know.” She nodded telling him that she would, watching as he turned and walked down the hall, two doors away. He looked at her over his shoulder and shot her a wide smile before he entered his room.

With a sigh, she turned the key as it noisily unlocked the tumbler and pushed open her door. Depositing her bag on the desk she unpacked it, neatly placing the books in a pile. Peeling off the layers that had kept her warm, she reached down and unzipped her boots, they dropped with a soft thud.

She had an hour to herself before she would be going to the library resuming her search. She tried not to be disheartened by her lack of progress, but her frustration was mounting. Her desperation running on extremely high levels, especially after what Micah had said.

She would rather die and belong to him; sadly she had no way of doing so, not for a lack of wondering. She had even in one of her darkest moments tried. Maybe it had something to do with her bond with Micah; she couldn’t die if he didn’t. It made her wonder if he was dead if she too would die. It didn't seem like such a bad thing. She was tired of living a life that didn't change.

The ringing of her phone pulled her out of her spiraling thoughts.
“Hey Kate,” she answered when she grabbed the device from off the table, falling unto the bed resting her heel at the edge of the mattress, wiggling her hovering toes.

“Hey Grasshopper,” greeted Kate “So what if I don’t call you, you don’t call me?”

“Yeah well I didn’t know if you would take my calls. Being busy and stuff over there. I hear running your own company keeps a person occupied.”