Chasing Sunrise

Twenty

We pulled up to the burger joint a few minutes later, still in one piece with an undamaged car. I'd managed to keep between the lines the entire way, though the fact that there was no other traffic on the road lowered my odds of an accident considerably.

I still felt a gaping hole where guilt ought to have been. No matter how many times I reminded myself that it was my fault my father had died, my heart reacted as if it'd had years to think it over and make peace with the fact.

Yes, it was my fault, but dwelling on it did no good. If I wanted to do something about that, I needed to keep a clear head and find a way to end Evan and this Darissa chick.

Through the window, the place looked empty, save for a bored cashier leaning on the counter, staring wistfully into the distance.

"Are you going to eat actual food?" I asked Corban as I did my best to park. "Or do I have to eat food to pay rent on a table?" After reversing twice, I decided I was more or less in the parking space and shut the car off.

"I'll eat," he replied, getting stiffly out of the car and stumbling up to the door of the restaurant.

I clambered out of the driver's seat and went to help him, pausing to lock the car by hitting the button on the key fob. Then I put the keys back in his pocket before considering how that would look. It made us look like a couple, and him leaning on me as we pushed through the doors only compounded the image.

But would anyone who saw us notice or care? Could Corban drain off curiosity much like he had my fear? Was curiosity a negative emotion?

And did he know how awkward I felt about having him lean on me? He said I could block him by wanting to, and I definitely wanted to. Even through the thick layers of my jacket and his, I was painfully aware of his well-muscled torso pressed to my side and his arm around my shoulders.

At the counter he ordered a burger, fries, and soda while I just settled for a hot chocolate, not because I needed the calories, but because I felt bad about using their space without paying at least a token amount. A few minutes later we were seated at a booth with our orders spread out between us, and I stared at him much like a scientist might stare at a lab rat as he took a bite of his burger. He'd taken off his gloves and stuffed them back in his pocket.

He looked back at me with a lifted eyebrow.

"So do you need food?" I asked. "Or are you just capable of eating it?"

"If I'm this drained, food helps," he said. "It takes the edge off the starvation and makes it easier to feed on emotions. Otherwise, no, I don't need it."

"Weird. So your metabolism somehow converts psychic energy into physical energy?"

"I don't know," he said, shooting me a look between bites that blended irritation with amusement. "If you want to talk nerdy, then fine, but if you want me to be able to understand you, dumb it down a bit, okay?" He wiped his mouth on a napkin as he chewed a mouthful of food.

The lights in the burger joint were bright enough that the window next to us was a solid field of darkness. If I looked hard enough past our reflections, I could see a few glints on Corban's car.

It was a relief to see my reflection. Corban's also looked perfectly human.

"So," he said. "How'd you figure it out?"

"That you're an angel?"

"Mmm-hmm."

I pulled my wallet out of my jacket pocket and produced the page from my journal.

He raised an eyebrow again as I unfolded it.

"So, first off," I said, "I figured vampires had to have a predator, or else they would have taken over the world."