Nightstruck - Jenna Black Page 0,47
running into you again, you should probably know that my father is the police commissioner.”
“For God’s sake, Becket!” Piper said. Her face was turning red. I think she was actually embarrassed for me.
Aleric inclined his head. “I will consider myself warned.”
His lips were still shaped into a half smile, and he showed no sign of taking offense at anything I’d said or done. Which I thought was a clear indicator that I wasn’t overreacting. If he were just some normal boy who was letting himself be fixed up on a blind date, surely he’d be hurt, insulted, or royally pissed off about the way I was acting. Instead, he looked amused and unsurprised. This was not only how he expected me to act, it was how he wanted me to act.
I wished suddenly that I could have handled the situation with more grace and subtlety. I didn’t like the idea that I was showing him my fear, that I was giving him what he wanted. But it was too late to change that now.
“Enjoy the movie,” I said, sweeping my gaze over both Piper and Aleric. I would have liked to get Piper away from him, too, but she was obviously never going to listen to me. Besides, Aleric didn’t seem even remotely interested in her. He was just using her to get to me, for reasons I didn’t want to know.
It took an effort of will to turn my back and start walking briskly back toward Walnut Street, where I could catch a bus home.
* * *
I had the really uncomfortable sensation that I was being watched the whole time I walked to the bus stop. I looked over my shoulder only once, when I reached the end of that first block, but neither Aleric nor Piper was in view. I supposed they went into the Bourse to get that cup of coffee and have a good laugh at my expense.
There was a small crowd clustered at the bus stop, which I thought was a good sign. An empty bus stop usually means you just missed the bus. However, I stood there for over ten minutes before a bus finally roared its way toward us—and then roared right on past because it was already standing room only inside. Everyone at the bus stop gave a little groan and settled in to wait some more. Except me. I looked at the sky, which was now almost completely dark, and thought about how little I wanted to stand here for who knew how much longer waiting for the damn bus. And hoping the next bus that came by would have room.
On a sunny spring day, I would have happily walked home. It would take a while, and my feet would end up hurting by the end, but it would have been doable. Tonight, in the cold and gathering dark, the walk seemed impossibly long, and fraught with danger. Then again, at least if I was walking I’d be able to keep a little warmer. The temperature was steadily dropping, and I wasn’t super bundled up because I’d thought we’d be inside, shopping, most of the time Piper and I were out.
I decided to compromise and walk part of the way, stopping at each bus stop and taking a look behind me to see if there was a bus on the horizon.
For fifteen blocks, I kept to that same pattern: walk a block, stop, look behind. And for fifteen blocks, I saw no sign of another bus coming. Each stop was crowded with irritated people, and maybe it was my imagination, but I could have sworn I sensed a strange feeling of tension in the air. Everyone I passed seemed furtive, and my threat radar was going off constantly. I also couldn’t help noticing that the sound of sirens split the night way more often than usual. I tried to be aware of my surroundings for safety purposes, but not so aware that I’d notice any uncomfortable details, like railings displaying phallic symbols.
I was in the home stretch, beginning to feel like I would actually make it back to the house safely and without any undue weirdness, when a familiar car passed by me and pulled into the driveway of a parking lot in front of me, blocking my way. The window hummed down.
“Get in,” Piper said, leaning across the seat so she could make eye contact.
I stopped in my tracks and shook my head at her. “You’re kidding, right?” It was