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“You’re out of your mind. I have to go. I have to get dinner out of the oven before my date arrives.”
“I’m not kidding with you, Zoe. You better end it.”
“Bye, Callan. Maybe you should consider getting into therapy,” I advise before hanging up.
My heart is racing, and every nerve ending in my body feels like a live wire. I’m so happy I almost giggle that he went out of his way to talk to me. He’s jealous at the idea of someone else dating me. I shake my head, hoping it will clear my thoughts. It feels crazy, but I like him—even if there’s no future in it. I look around the house, realizing he would be as out of place in my world as I am in his.
The thought makes me sad.
Chapter7
Zoe
Two WeeksLater
Girls’ nights are the best, and we try to do them as often as possible. They always relax me. Tonight, Emilia’s spent most of the time telling me what’s been going on with her and Niko. That’s nothing unusual. We always use these nights to talk about guys—really anything but school and my work. It’s our time to enjoy each other’s company.
“So, get this. Niko and Callan came to me with a contract,” Emilia says, giving me a pointed look.
“A contract?”
“Essentially, it says that I will go through with the marriage even if something happens to Niko and he’s dying,” she says, grimacing.
I blanch. “That sounds kind of morbid.”
“That’s because it is,” Emilia says, nodding her head in agreement.
“Did Niko or Callan explain why they wanted you to sign it?” I ask.
“Niko said it was to protect me and make sure I was safe from Dante and the other vampires in the family.”
“Well, that kind of makes sense,” I tell her. “It’s good that Niko is watching out for you.”
“I refused to sign it,” she says flatly.
“What? Why?” I ask.
“Because I’m not married to Niko yet, and if something happens, my father will always take care of me. He will keep the rest of the vultures, Dante included, at bay.”
“They’d probably be more afraid of Niko.”
“I don’t want to feel like I owe him anything. I’m going into this marriage with no purpose or voice, I feel like I’m just a paper doll he can dress up and have others admire,” Emilia says sadly. She seems to want to be done talking about it, so I change the subject.
“So, what do you know about Callan?” I ask hesitantly.
“Niko’s lawyer?” Emilia asks as she squints at me, startled by the question.
“Yeah…”
“Not a lot. He’s nice. I’ve heard he’s a bit of a player from everything Niko has said.”
“It figures,” I say, frowning.
“What’s going on?” Emilia asks, staring at me.
I flop backward onto my bed, staring up at my ceiling. The spackle is starting to fade to a yellowish color and not the cheery kind in the kitchen. It needs to be painted. I make a mental note to buy paint soon. If I leave it for my dad to do, it will never get done.
I let out a heavy breath. “Callan called like two weeks ago and asked me out. I all but hung up on him. He’s sent flowers just about every day since—all containing notes asking me out.” I finally glance over at Emilia who is slack jawed as she stares at me.
