Bluff
Luca is sitting in the desk beside mine again the next day of class. I do my best to ignore him, but its nearly impossible with all the people that are staring at him.
Hopefully nobody has realized he moved desks to be near to me. Maybe they just think he moved desks for the heck of it. Either way, it has me on edge. I've been avoiding spending time in public, I've been eating all my meals in my dorm room, and speed walking everywhere through campus in order to avoid coming into contact with more of Luca's groupies.
On that thought.... I haven't seen Abby once since my accident. I've seen the others that were in the group, the ones who helped Abby lock me in a closet and stood by as she threatened to tear out my jugular. But she's been mysteriously gone.
I side-eye Luca as I sit down. I'm tempted to ask him what he did to her. Did he kill her, maybe? Cause her to get expelled? Humiliate her to such a large degree that she never would show her face on campus again?
He must have done SOMETHING. I mean, he said he was going to do something. But it's apparent because not only is Abby missing, but all the other kids in that group have been avoiding me like the plague.
"Good morning." Luca says.
I flinch.
~please don't be talking to me.~
I turn my head slowly, and see him staring right at me.
"Do you have any good news for me?" He asks.
I look away from him and speak under my breath, "Please don't talk to me in class."
"Alright." He responds casually and leans back in his chair, "We can talk after class, then."
~As if. I'm not spending anymore time with him than I need to.~
Besides, I have to go talk with my dad about taking out a loan with him. He'll think it's weird that I'm asking for so much money out of the blue, but hopefully I can come up with a good enough lie that he won't suspect anything.
"I'm sure you'll have some good news for me after class." Luca goes on.
I almost scoff at his words.
~Good news, yeah right.~
But then I begin to wonder... Which 'good news' is he hoping for? Does he hope I'll stay on the team? I have to admit, I've been considering it. $10,000 dollars just to continue to play ping pong with everyone? It's really not that bad of an offer. Even so, I would rather be able to just get out of the club entirely. But my other option....
I steal a glance at Luca. He's taking a drink from a water bottle and the knot at the base of his throat is moving up and down as he drinks.
~Jeez he looks like a freaking God.~
What would it be like for him to feed off of me?
The question sends a chill down my arms and makes my lower belly jump.
I don't know much about feeding... But I do know it's an intimate thing. and it's usually done between lovers...
Does that mean... Luca finds me attractive?
I look at Luca again, he's staring at his notebook and his long eyelashes flutter to his cheekbone as he blinks.
~NOPE~
There is no possible way this extremely hot guy thinks I'm attractive.
I know I'm not ugly. But I'm not gorgeous either. I'm pretty sure I'm just cute. Cause I'm short and I have puffy cheeks, a circle face, and a button nose that gets red when it's cold out. I'm adorable, but I'm not cute enough to attract Luca Zhang of all people.
There is literally no way he could be attracted to me....
Wait.
Then does that mean....
I look at him again and this time his ice blue eyes flicker up to mine. When our gazes meet he raises his eyebrows at me in question.
~He must be bluffing.~
Oh my god! I figured it out!
He's bluffing!!!
He doesn't actually want to drink my blood! He's just trying to make me choose the other option!
OF COURSE!
How did I not see it all along?
He doesn't want to drink my blood. He just wants me to stay on the ping pong team!
He's just trying to scare me into it!
A small smile plays on me lips.
~I'm going to call his bluff.~
When class ends, I slowly pack up my things and wait for everyone to leave. I tell Anna to go on without me, and when Luca and I are the last two left in the room I turn to him.
"I made my decision." I say.
"And?" his eyes track over me.
"you can drink from me."