Ignis (Book 2, Pure Series) (10 page)

           
"Simon, you've got this all wrong," I said
 
"I don't want to hurt you, but I'm really happy with William—no one could make me happier."

           
Simon gave me a skeptical look.
 
Then he shook his head and smiled.

           
"Okay, Katie.
 
I'll humor you.
 
For now."

           
I looked around at Charisse and Branden.
 
Both of them were staring at me, clearly concerned.

           
"So what about you guys?" I asked, though I feared I knew the answer.
 
"What do you think about William and me?"

           
Branden looked away.

           
Charisse pursed her lips.
 
She started to say something, then stopped.
 
She was silent for a moment, and then her words started to tumble out.

           
"Katie, as much as I hate to say it, your situation is reminding me of my mom's.
 
I wanted to say something before, but I couldn't.
 
Some guy breezes into town out of nowhere and suddenly the two of you can't be separated.
 
You don't spend time with your friends like you used to, and you seem to be in a dreamy fog all the time.
 
And Katie, to be honest the few times I've been around William, I've gotten a really funny feeling around him.
 
It's a lot like the feeling I have around my mom's new boyfriend.
 
I think William is trouble too."

           
"What can I do to reassure you guys that everything is okay?" I asked.

           
"Listen to your friends," Charisse said quickly.
 
"Listen to the people who care the most about you."

           
I felt frustration welling up within me.
 
That was not the kind of answer I wanted.

           
I looked around at the three sets of worried eyes that were turned toward me.
 
"Can we change the topic, please?"

           
All three sets of eyes wavered—I saw disappointment and fear flash across the faces that were turned toward me.
 
Charisse, Branden, and Simon all became carefully polite, even conciliatory.

           
"Yeah, sure, of course," Branden said.

           
"If that's what you want, Katie," Simon said.

           
"Don't get angry, Katie.
 
We're just trying to look out for you," Charisse said.

           
But I
was
angry with all of them.
 
William was different, and he couldn't settle into the normal patterns of the community for very good reasons—reasons I could never explain to them.
 
I supposed that if the situation were reversed and one of them was seeing someone who seemed mysterious—and possibly dangerous—that I would be concerned, too.
 
They were only being so pushy because they cared about me.

           
I told myself to be calm.

           
"I appreciate your concern, I really do," I said.
 
"You'll all just have to trust me on this one."

           
In return I received three nods and three polite smiles.
 
But I had a feeling this argument was far from over.

           
The rest of lunch was rather strained as we all made small talk, and I was relieved when the bell rang.

           
We all got up, and Branden and Charisse headed off together, like they usually did.
 
I turned to say good-bye to Simon, but instead of turning toward his hallway, he moved to follow me.

           
"I'll walk you to class," he said.

           
I stopped and stood still, even though doing so meant that I was blocking other people who were trying to exit the cafeteria.

           
Simon stopped then, too, making the problem worse.

           
"Simon—" I began.
 
I was suddenly nervous.
 
I didn't want Simon following me.
 
I was still waiting for William to show up, and I didn't want him to step out of the shadows when I was with Simon.
 
Simon, though he pretended otherwise, still seemed pretty worked up.
 
I feared what would happen if he saw William.
 
I didn't want a confrontation—especially not at school.

           
"Out of the way!" someone shouted.

           
Simon and I drew apart from the stream of traffic and stood by the wall.

           
"Simon—" I began again.

           
He interrupted.
 
"Katie, we're not done talking yet."

           
"Simon, please," I said.
 
"I don't want to go over all that again—"

           
"Katie, you never answered my question."

           
I blinked.
 
"What question?"

           
"Will you go ice skating with me this weekend?"

           
I looked up into Simon's face.
 
Despite everything I had said, he looked really hopeful.
 
A terrible feeling of guilt settled over me once again.

           
"Simon, I like you.
 
I really do.
 
And we've been friends forever—"

           
"So, is that a 'yes'?"

           
I closed my eyes.
 
"Simon, please just listen."

           
He remained silent, and I looked up at him again.
 
"I want to stay friends with you, and I don't mind doing things with you as a friend, but somehow going ice skating feels more like a date.
 
And as much as I like you, I can't go out on a date with you."

           
"Because of
him
," Simon said.

           
"Because of William," I replied.

           
Simon nodded, then he looked up at me.
 
"I'm not going to give up, you know.
 
You think that he's right for you.
 
But I
know
that I am.
 
I'm in this for the long haul.
 
You take all the time you need to moon over the wrong guy.
 
But when he's gone—moved on to the next town or whatever it is guys like him do—I'll still be standing here.
 
I'm the one you can depend on."

           
Simon backed up a few paces.
 
"I'm not giving up, Katie.
 
I promise you that."

           
Then, he turned and was gone, disappearing into the crowd of students.

Chapter 4.

After Simon had disappeared, I stood for a moment, feeling more than a little overwhelmed.
 
Then I turned to go to class.
 
As I did so, I found that someone was standing in my way.

           
I looked up and saw with relief that it was William.

           
"Was that guy bothering you?"
 
William nodded his head in the direction of the now-vanished Simon.
 
His tone was light, even joking, but I thought I detected an undercurrent of anger.

           
"Your hearing is pretty good, isn't it?" I said ruefully.

           
"Yes," William said, giving me his little half smile.

           
"How much did you overhear?" I asked.

           
"All of it," William replied.

           
"So you know that Simon is unhappy about you and me."

           
Simon and William had met on a few occasions—neither one had seemed to take to the other.

           
"Yes," William said, "and I think your friend has a lot of nerve.
 
But because he's your friend, I decided not to make an issue of it."

           
"Thanks," I said.
 
"Simon—"

           
I realized I didn't know quite how to finish the sentence.
 
I wanted to say something soothing.

           
"Simon means well," I said at last.

           
William didn't seem to like the topic very much.

           
"You have to get to class, don't you?" he said.
 
"Lead the way."

           
We walked through the crowded hallway together, and I couldn't help wishing that William could actually go to school with me—then we could spend time together every day.

           
"Did you talk to your grandmother?" William asked.

           
"Yes, I did.
 
She said you can come over for dinner tonight."

           
"Tonight?" William said.
 
"Are you serious?"

           
"Yes, I'm serious.
 
I wouldn't joke about something like this.
 
Besides, it's not like she knows you're a—"

           
I stopped abruptly.
 
The hallway was not the place for unguarded talk.

           
William gave me a wry smile.

           
"So can you come over tonight?" I asked.

           
"Of course.
 
It's what I wanted—or don't you remember?"

           
"GM said that she's going to make pasta or something like that.
 
Do you—you actually eat anything?"

           
"I can," William said.
 
"It won't be a problem."

           
I realized that I'd never really asked William about his diet.
 
I did know that he didn't drink human blood—he'd reassured me on that score—but I didn't know what he actually did consume—if anything.

           
"So what do you eat—drink—whatever it is you do?"

           
William glanced around.
 
"I don't think this is quite the place for that discussion."

           
"Sorry," I said.
 
"GM is going to ask you questions, too.
 
She'll want to know a lot about you."

           
"I'll answer her questions," William said.

           
"You will?"

           
"Of course."

           
I was stunned.
 
"But you almost never answer questions when I ask them."

           
William shot me an amused glance.
 
"You're exaggerating."

           
"No I'm not.
 
You never tell me anything.
 
Why will you answer questions for GM and not for me?"

           
"Don't you want me to answer questions for your grandmother?"

           
"Of course I do."

           
"Then you'll find out some of the things you want to know tonight."

           
Somehow that wasn't exactly an answer to my question.

           
My irritation seemed to amuse William further.

           
"What time is dinner?" William asked.

           
"Six-thirty."

           
"I'll be there then."

           
He smiled and turned as if he were about to leave.

           
I reached out and grabbed him by the sleeve.
 
"William, wait.
 
There's something else I have to tell you."

           
He turned back, and we started walking again.

           
I glanced over my shoulder, and then lowered my voice.
 
"This may not be the best place to discuss this, but we won't be able to talk about it at dinner, either.
 
I heard this morning that a girl was attacked last night in the Old Grove.
 
From the description of the wounds, it sounds like a vampire attack."