little extra Light. I could’ve just glowed and done it remotely, but while the Variant crowd was used to Vitals with multiple Variants, and therefore multiple partners, they were still wary of the glowing. No one really knew what to make of that yet. Least of all me.
When I pulled away, Tyler had a knowing look in his eyes and an amused smile playing at his lips. “What’s your question, Eve?”
His ability would’ve immediately filled in the gaps: I wanted to know why Dana was there. I wanted to know who invited her and why she’d come when she looked so miserable.
Tyler looked over my shoulder, but I made sure not to turn. The last thing I needed was for her to think we were talking about her. Even though we were.
“She’s on duty.” He pulled me closer. “She’s security detail for one of the Vitals here. He hasn’t spoken to her in months, other than at work.”
He watched my face for a reaction. I nodded and smiled, hoping my expression looked relaxed and didn’t give away the confusing mess of feelings writhing inside me.
I knew Alec wasn’t interested in her anymore. He’d told me so himself. He loved me. He’d told me that too. But he hadn’t said it since, and he was once again keeping his distance. My insecurities were getting to me. I hadn’t said it back to him—I wasn’t sure I felt it yet—but I still didn’t like the idea of him being with another woman. Especially her.
The very fact that I was overthinking this shit pissed me off, and I rolled my eyes at myself. I was just letting past hurts and worries get to me. She hadn’t said it in so many words, but even Dana had made it clear she was no longer after Alec.
“Thanks, Ty.” I pressed another kiss to his cheek and, before he could stop me, pushed through the crowd.
“Hey.” I smiled a little too brightly when I reached her.
She frowned, then went back to scanning the crowd. “Hi.”
“Um, do you want a drink?” I gestured to the bar outside.
She didn’t look at me. “I’m on duty. I can’t drink.”
“I mean, like, juice or soda or something . . .”
After a few moments of awkward silence, I sighed and turned to go, but at that moment, she spoke. “I could go for a lemonade.”
“Coming right up!” I sped away from her, on a mission. Once I’d grabbed her a lemonade at the bar, I wriggled back through the crowd, handed it to her wordlessly, and smiled.
She took a sip. “We don’t have to be friends. I don’t need your pity.”
I crossed my arms. “Trust me, there is no pity. And no, we don’t have to be friends. But we don’t not either.”
“What?” She finally looked at me, confused.
“Look, all I’m saying is, what’s in the past is over, and we have enough actual enemies—people trying to kidnap and maim and kill us—that there’s no point being hostile over petty shit.”
She sighed. “OK. Fair point.”
Even though trying to make peace felt all kinds of awkward, Dana hadn’t done anything wrong. She’d fallen for Alec—they’d found solace in each other when the rest of society had shunned them. She hadn’t known I was his Vital. I had a feeling Dana, just like Alec, didn’t really have any friends. If nothing else, I could understand her on that front. I’d gone my whole life feeling lonely until I came to Bradford Hills.
I’d extended an olive branch, but that was enough for one night. “Anyway, have a good night.” I smiled, more genuinely this time, and turned to leave.
“Thanks for the drink,” she called after me. I could’ve sworn it sounded sincere.
I made my way back toward the bar. In my awkwardness with Dana, I’d forgotten to get myself another drink, and after that, I needed one. Ahead of me, people started laughing nervously and jostling each other out of the way. Next thing I knew, I was face-to-face with the Master of Pain himself.
He looked just as calm and unyielding as he always did, at least to the casual observer, but I could see the panic in his slightly wide eyes, his clenched teeth. I flashed him a smile and kept going. Judging by how easy it suddenly was to walk through the crowd, he followed close behind.
He sidled up next to me when I reached the bar. Once I’d placed my order, he spoke. “I didn’t invite her. She’s here on duty.