High Stakes

Part Twenty

Part 20

SANG:

I'm seated across the table from both Owen and Sean, and it feels as if I should be being interviewed by them or something.

Sean ended up reheating some beef with broccoli, and Owen and I are just sort of watching him eat and talk, occasionally sipping on our waters. He's doing a good job at keeping the conversation going. I'm grateful he's here. Otherwise I'd be stuck doing my best to avoid Owen's metallic gaze all night.

You know what? Screw that. I'm not going to let my stupid love confession interfere with whatever relationship we have going on. I've been a blushing fool for the past week, and I have no clue if he had even heard my tiny "love you." If I'd been acting silly all week for no reason...

"How old are you?" I ask Owen when the conversation has lulled again. I learned this past week that vamps age at a slower rate than humans, so he could be fifty or something and I would never know. And that would be super weird.

Owen's eyes narrow slightly, obviously taken aback by my random question, especially after me being awkwardly quiet all night. "I'm nineteen. Almost twenty."

I giggle slightly and say dramatically, "And how long have you been nineteen?"

Sean almost chokes on his hunk of beef as he laughs at my reference, but Owen must not have gotten it, instead replying confusedly, "About ten and a half months."

I giggle a little more, catching Sean's eyes, who winks at me. He got it, at least my joke wasn't wasted.

After another awkward moment, I bite my lip, trying to think of something else to talk about. I want to find a new normal for my life. Everything else has changed so much, I at least want to have some semblance of real when I'm with the guys.

"So, Dr Sean, do you have baking ingredients? I'd love to whip up something tasty for all of you guys to say thanks." I settle on something I know that the boys enjoy--food. And they always seem to love when I cook for them.

Sean's eyes twinkle as he looks back at me. "Yeah, I've got a lot of stuff from when Luke used this place as his personal test kitchen."

"What are you going to make?" Owen asks, and I'm glad he's getting into the conversation too.

"I don't know if I should tell you guys." I narrow my eyes suspiciously.

"What? Why not?" Sean says in mock offense, clutching his chest like I stabbed him in the heart.

"I want it to be a surprise."

"Can you believe this?" Sean stares at Owen and gestures to me, still acting up. Owen just grins his tiny smile.

I laugh, and Sean keeps on exaggerating. "Well, I NEVER! That's it--no more saving your life for at least a day."

I laugh louder. "I don't plan on dying anything soon. Nothing will happen to me in the next twenty-four hours--don't worry."

Sean looks at me, horror struck. "You can't say things like that!" He quickly raps his knuckles on the wooden table. "Jesus! Knock on wood, pookie. You just invoked a lot of bad ju-ju."

I humor him by knocking on the table too. Owen just rolls his eyes, then checks his phone, typing something in. "Is everything okay?" I ask him, wondering if one of the boys needed him.

Owen's eyes rise to meet mine, and I can literally feel my heart skip a beat. Why does he have to be so intense and perfect and... sexy... "No, everything's fine. Luke and Gabe got finished up early and wanted to know if they could come hang out with you."