Ceaseless (16 page)

              
Pagan let out a small laugh, “Yes, I did. I probably shouldn’t but it was too funny to ignore.
 But it was so much easier taking note
s
 on the laptop you sent me. Thank you so much. I promise to take good care of it.
”

              
“Dank Walker! Oh wow, I saw you last 
week
 at Club Butter. You were amazing,” a girl stepped in front of Pagan and laid her hand on my chest as she began to prattle off some more. I reached for her wrist and removed her hand from my body then reached around her and grabbed Pagan’s hand and pulled her toward me.

              
“Thanks, I’m glad you enjoyed the show. If you’ll excuse us we were having a private conversation,” I informed her. She shifted her eyes from me to Pagan and an unimpress
ed smirk distorted her face. I 
slipped my hand around Pagan’s waist and pulled her closer to my side. She came willingly.

              
“Oh, well, when you want a little more excitement I can be found right back here,” she pointed at the dorm. Pagan had to live in the same building with her. I needed to make Gee aware that this one could be vindictive.

              
“I’m sure that will never be the case,” I replied.

              
The girl spun around and stalked off angrily. She wasn’t used to being turned down.

              “What is it with her? Every guy I date she goes after.”

              Pagan’s response caused me to tense up. What other guys had she been dating? I wasn’t aware she’d been out with anyone other than Jay. Had Gee been keeping something from me?

              “Really?” I managed to ask in a normal voice. The anger and jealousy rolling through me was ta
mped down. Pagan couldn’t see that.

              “Yeah, really. But at least you didn’t set up a date with her rig
ht in front of me. Jay made plans with her while on a date with me. I didn’t care exactly but it was a little embarrassing. Did nothing for my ego.”

              He was an ass. How could he be her soul’s mate? They didn’t match up. He was far from worthy. “The guy is an idiot. There is no comparison between the two of you. She can’t compete.”

              Pagan inhaled sharply then turned her face up to look at me, “Okay, yeah, you’re real good at this
, Dank Walker. Real good.”

              “
I’m glad you like your laptop. Feel free to use the bag it’s in to carry your other books. Does this mean you’ll ride with me to our next class?” I asked pulling out her helmet.

              The corner of her mouth 
turned 
up and she 
reached
 for the helmet. “
Thank you. I’ll do that and
,
 yeah, I think I will take that lift.”

CHAPTER 15 

Pagan

              
I had a date with Dank. 
A real 
date, n
ot an impromptu breakfast
—
a real date.
 
Just us. I was as excited as I was nervous.  However, I wasn’t sure what 
to
 wear. This must have been the way Miranda felt when she was 
getting ready
 to go out with Nathan.

              
“You can pull off the boy shorts and bra well
,
 but I’m thinking clothing may be required for where you’re going tonight,” Gee said as she walked into the room through our adjoining bathroom without knocking.

              
“Funny,” I replied frowning at her. “I can’t decide what to wear. He said I could dress however I wanted to dress but that isn’t very helpful.”

              
“I’m thinking he didn’t mean clothing optional,” Gee drawled as she plopped down on my bed.

              
“You think? Thanks for clu
e
ing me in. I was thinking I might just parade around in my undies all night.”

              
Gee laughed, “On second though
t,
 he’d probably like that. I still vote for the clothes though.”

              
“Should I wear casual or dressy? Which would he prefer?” I asked Gee as I scanned my limited wardrobe.

              
“You want my honest opinion?”

              
I glanced back at her over my shoulder,  “Yes. I do. You know him better than I do.”

              
Gee nodded in agreement. “Okay, wear that pink dress with those pink heels. He’ll be a puddle at your feet.”

              
The pink dress?
 Really? I wasn’t even sure why I owned that dress. I had never worn it before. I reached for the hanger and pulled it out. It was sexy in an innocent kind of way. Might be a little dressy but then he hadn’t said not to be dressy. I remembered how he’d picked up those heels and held them like they were precious. Maybe he had a thing for pink heels.

              
“You wear that and he won’t be able to concentrate. I can swear to you 
about
 
that.”

              
Gee knew him well. I’d go with her opinion. “Okay. If you say so.”

              
Two hours later I was shaved, plucked, dressed and ready when someone knocked on my door. Who was that? I needed to go meet Dank in the great hall in five minutes. Miranda was still out with Nathan. They’d had a lunch date that was still going strong according to her many text messages.  Gee had bailed on me after I started painting my toenails. She had lived through all the primping she could handle.

              
I opened the door and Dank stood there in a pair of khaki slacks, a 
dark blue
 
dress shirt
 that was left open at the collar and
,
 of course
,
 his boots
, holding a dozen 
red roses
. He looked mouthwatering
.
 His surprised expression as he took in what I was wearing 
didn’t go unnoticed. What was he surprised about? That I could clean up nicely?

              
“Pagan, you, uh, wow, I… I really like you in pink.”

              
I really liked this side of him. 
The not so cool and 
confident
 side.
 The one that was vulnerable. I pointed to the roses, “Are those for me?”

              
He glanced down at the forgotten flowers in his hand and chuckled, “Yeah, they are.” He held them out for me to take and I realized this was a first. No guy had ever brought me roses.

              
“Thank you,” I replied stepping back to let him in. If he’d been spotted in the hall then someone would have said something by now. I wanted to put my first ever roses in water before we left and leaving him in the hall was a bad idea. He might get caught. 
I didn’t have a vase in here… I scanned the room for something to put my roses in.

              
“What about this?” Dank said walking over to my desk and 
picking up
 my empty pencil holder that Miranda had insisted we buy to match our other cute desk items. It was perfect.

              
“Yes! It finally comes in useful,” I took the pencil holder and went to the bathroom to clean it out and fill it with water. When I walked back into the room Dank was standing in front of my bulletin board looking at the pictures I’d pinned up there from high school. Several had Wyatt in them. A few had my mother but most were just Miranda
 and 
me
. I didn’t have that many pictures of my years in high school. 
Especially my senior year.
 There was nothing. Sometimes I couldn’t even remember things like my prom or who was in my class.  Everything seemed blurry. My mom said it was the trauma of losing Wyatt that messed with my head. Miranda felt the same way so that made sense. She’d lost her boyfriend but we’d both lost one of our best friends.

              
“That’s Wyatt,” I explained as I walked up to stand beside him. “He was Miranda’s boyfriend and a close friend of mine. He died last year.”

              
Dank nodded his head. There was 
a sadness
 there almost like he understood that kind of pain. Had he lost someone too? “I’m sure that was tough.”

              
Yeah it was awful. “I hate death. It’s a tragic thing that comes for us all. Some sooner than others.”

              
Dank shoulders tensed and he shifted away from me. What had I said? 
This was not what I wanted to be talking about tonight. Death was so morbid and sad. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have even brought up such a sad topic.”

              
I watched as Dank stared out the window instead of looking at me. He was dealing with something. I just wish
ed
 I knew what. After what felt like sever
al
 minutes but was only seconds in reality
,
 he turned his attention toward me. “Death can’t help what fate decides.”

              
That was much deeper than anything I’d expected to come out of his 
mouth
. He was 
right but still
. I nodded, “That’s true. I guess we can’t blame death for the tragedy. Fate isn’t something anyone can control.”

              
Dank let out a heavy sigh.  The guy must have had to deal with death one too many times in his life. Way to go
,
 Pagan. 
Bring
 up something upsetting and screw up the mood.  “Are you ready?” He asked finally breaking the uncomfortable silence.

              
“Yes.”

              
Dank motioned for me to lead the way and he opened the door for me
.
  I made sure no one was around before he followed me out. The tension in the air around us was thick
.
 I 
knew
 it was my
fault
 although
 I didn’t know what I’d said. I could either force him to explain what I’d said wrong or let
 this go for fear of ruining our
 night. 
Perhaps 
he would open up to me willingly
 another time
. I didn’t get the vibe from him that this was something he wanted to talk about.

              
When we stepped out into the 
parking lot
, I was about to offer Miranda’s car for us when I noticed a limo waiting on the curb.  Dank flashed me a crooked smile, “I couldn’t make you ride on the back of a motorcycle in a dress and heels.”

              
How had he known I was wearing a dress and heels?

              
“Gee,” he replied without my asking him
.

              
“Ah, that makes sense
, 
but 
Miranda
 had told me we could use her car
. I knew your motorcycle and my dress 
wouldn’t 
make a good combination.”

              
“T
his 
will be
 more fun,” he winked
, 
opened the door
, and assisted me 
inside. The driver didn’t get out
.  
I thought 
that 
was odd but I didn’t question it.

Dank

              
Having Pagan sitting close beside me and 
wearing 
that little pink dress I loved
 and
 showing off her legs 
eased 
the pain in my chest 
caused by 
her earlier words about hating death. She hadn’t known what she was saying
; i
n her mind death wa
s an event not a being. Most humans 
see 
it that way. 
My job
 
brought neither
 fame 
n
or popularity. I took souls. The things humans cherished the most I took from them. Pagan had lost Wyatt. She hated death because of that loss
, despite that
 it wasn’t Death’s fault.

              
              
“So can you tell me where we are going now?” she asked. I could see the worried look in her eyes. I needed to snap out of this. She was feeling it and I didn’t want tonight to be screwed up because she’d said she hated me. She hadn’t meant it. Just going without hearing her tell me she loved me was getting to me. Not being able to see that love and devotion in her eyes made every day look bleak.

              
“We’ll be there soon. Are you alway
s this impatient?” I 
smile
d
 at her so she knew I was teasing
 and h
er shoulders relaxed. I
 had
 upset her with my 
earlier
 
reaction
.
 

              
“Yes
,
 as a matter-of-fact
, I am
,” she replied.

              
“I may have the driver ride around a little longer just for fun.”

              
Pagan shoved me with her shoulder, “Don’t underestimate me. I can 
take you down
.”

              
And I would gladly let her.

              
“You think so? I think watching you try would be the highlight of my year.”

              
Pagan raised both her eyebrows and 
with
 a challenging look
, she
 then bent over to 
take off
 her heels. What the heck? She placed them both on the 
seat
 across from us and then turned her attention to me. “You sure about this because my size can be deceiving.”

              
“If you mean to tel
l me that you’re about to jump o
n any part of my body then please, Pagan, by all means, 
bring
 it on
.”

              
Her face instantly turned bright red. Damn. She was going to back out.

              
“Uh,” she said staring at me like she wasn’t sure what her next move was going to be.

              
“You’re about to show me how easily you can take me down. Don’t go getting shy now after you got my hopes up.”

              
Pagan ducked her head and let out a small laugh. I took advantage of the situation and moved quickly and had her laid back on the seat while I held myself over her before she knew what was happening. 
              
“Gotcha. Now what you 
gonna
 do?” I 
asked
 as the startled look turned into a calculating gleam.  She leaned up and covered my lips with hers before I knew what she was doing. Her small even white teeth nibbled on my bottom lip and then her tongue took a small swipe before easing into my very eager mouth. 
Her hands were on my chest and moving downward making all normal thought flee. I could only focus on one thing
: 
Pagan and how she felt, tasted
,
 and the small little pleased sounds coming from her 
throat
.