Page 45 of Blood Sugar

Sadie looked so embarrassed meeting my friends. I had found that adorable. But if she wasn’t ready to be a couple in front of acquaintances around town, she certainly wasn’t ready to meet my sister.

And we hadn’t discussed our relationship. We’d hooked up twice. That wasn’t grounds to call her my girlfriend, even if that’s exactly what I thought of her as. Mine.

I’d have to make it up to her. Woo her. Convince her that I wanted her to be my girlfriend, my partner, my best friend. Already being away from her hurt.

My chest ached and my skin stung. Hissing, I rubbed the heel of my palm over my sternum. This felt like more than emotional pain. Closing my eyes, I took a deep breath and shook my head on the exhale.

Maybe I was coming down with something.

Gritting my teeth, I focused on my to-do list. Set up the booth. Sell pastries. See Sadie.

When she showed up, we would talk and everything would be okay. I’d be honest with her and somehow convince her to be with me.

I was a zombie setting up my stand. Other small businesses joined me until it started looking like a proper festival. Most of the activities were tomorrow or Sunday, but the streets would be filled with all of Pumpkin Hollow’s residents as the sun set.

An hour later, the first of my pumpkin loaves sold. My friend Neil took two, his eyes on the witch who started working at the post office recently. Her short blonde hair made me think of Sadie and my stomach churned. Something might actually be wrong with me, but the festival was just getting started and she would be here soon.

Another thirty minutes passed, and Sadie didn’t appear. Anxiety buzzed under my skin, my intuition screaming at me. Something was wrong.

Swiping my phone open, I texted Amelie and Bastion, checking where they were, just in case.

Time crawled by, and I sold more pumpkin loaves, barely noticing my customers.

“Rowen, you okay?”

I blinked, my vision slowly focusing on Liz. Her black-and-white hair was tucked up in a bun.

“Sorry, yeah, I’m fine.”

“Where’s Sadie?” She cocked her head, one brow arched.

“She’ll be here soon.”

Liz took a bite of her pumpkin loaf, but stayed in front of my table. I folded my hands behind my back, trying to be patient.

“How often is she feeding from you?”

“What?” My mouth curved into a scowl. Liz was a good friend, but this wasn’t any of her business. “I don’t see—”

“I had a feeling you two would bond,” she said promptly.

“What are you talking about?” My hands moved to my hips.

“Rowen, you don’t know much about vampires, do you? If you share your blood with the same vampire regularly, it can bond your souls together.”

My mouth dropped open. “I don’t think so. Sadie didn’t say anything about that to me.”

Liz frowned. “Rowen, she might not know. She’s newly turned.”

“No. She’s all fifties. She’s an older vampire.”

Shaking her head, Liz stepped closer. “You couldn’t tell? She’s clearly only been a vampire for a few months. Her eyes still change color when she’s fed.”

The times her eyes looked purple or pink flashed through my mind.

I’d assumed she was an older vampire with plenty of resources. Suddenly the times she seemed confused, and the fact she drove an older, beat-up car made more sense.

And I’d treated her like a spoiled brat when she started the job. Guilt rose up, making me feel sicker.