Chapter 73

Tessa’s POV

I woke up early the next morning, and quickly took a shower, getting dressed for the day. Joseph was waiting for me downstairs.

Somehow, he looked even better this morning than he had all the other mornings. Not that he didn’t look good before, but my heart was beating harder than it ever had before and I felt my face warm as I neared him with my suitcases.

“Did you get any sleep?” I asked him, staring around his well-put-together outfit and neatly combed hair.

He nodded.

“A little,” he answered.

That was a relief to me because I needed him to be awake and alert for the next few days. Without another word, he picked up my bags and brought them to his car.

The ride to headquarters was mainly quiet. I wondered if he thought about last night at all. I feel like something had happened between us. Or it was about to happen. I could hardly comprehend the moment and while it was happening, it felt like slow motion.

There was a pull between us, pulling us together and I felt entranced by him. He looked down at my lips and I saw the lust and desire in his eyes.

At that moment, I was sure he wanted me just as badly as I wanted him.

But then I remembered it was my blood, he wanted, not me.

“Tessa…” I heard my name being said from beside me, bringing me out of my thoughts.

I realized Joseph had been talking to me and I blushed.

“Sorry,” I murmured.

“I said we are here,” Joseph said, raising his brow in the air. “What were you thinking about?”

“Nothing,” I said, my face becoming unbearably warm. “I’m just a little nervous.”

“You have nothing to be nervous about,” he said, softening his tone and warming my heart. “I’m not going to let anything happen to you.”

I nodded and gave him a smile.

We went with Mulligan across the city to the apartment he had set up for me. It was a small apartment with all the essential things. It had a comfortable-looking couch, a love seat, and a reclining chair next to a bookshelf. There was a flat-screen TV and a coffee table, which made up the living room. There was also a small fireplace that was already ignited with a large pile of wood on the ground next to it.

Across the apartment, I saw the kitchen with granite floors and counters. There is a silver, high-tech, fridge, and a stove right beside it. On the counter, I noticed a bowl of fruit, a coffee maker, and a toaster.

On the other side of the apartment, I noticed two doors. I assumed one was the bathroom and the other the bedroom.

There was also a large bay window overlooking the city that was already shaded and closed tight to keep out the sunlight.

“It’s perfect,” I said, smiling.

“It’s only temporary,” Joseph reminded me.

“Yes, sir,” I teased, giving him a solute.

“I came by last night to stock the fridge and cabinets with food,” Joseph said, meeting my eyes. “If you need anything more, let me know.”

I nodded. I was going to ask him if he could grab me pop-tarts, but I figured he’d say no so I didn’t bother asking.

Mulligan re-explained the plan and told me where they were going to be the entire time I was there. They explained the layout of the apartment and where all the cameras were. Basically, everywhere except the bathroom.

Joseph explained where he had guards set up and where his post would be. They told me how they would get in in case of any emergencies.

The goal is to get the new vampires before they get into the apartment, but just in case they do get in, they told me the best areas to escape from and how to get out safely.

They allowed me my cellphone with a burner number to contact them if needed.

The only other person I’m allowed to talk to on the phone is Ruby and I’m not allowed to have visitors. I’m also not allowed to open this door for anyone.

After my brain was overfilled with these rules, Mulligan finally left to get to his post, as did the others. Only Joseph and I remained.

He stared at me for a long while.

“I’ll be okay,” I told him, giving him a bright smile. “This will work.”

He nodded, but I could see the worry in his eyes.

After a breath of silence, he reached his hand over to my face and slid a piece of fallen hair out of my face and behind my ear. His fingers lingered on my upper cheekbone for a while, sending warmth throughout my body.

I hoped he didn’t feel me tremble under his touch.

He pulled his hand away and turned toward the door.

Soon, it was just me.

I wasn’t really sure what I was supposed to do, but I felt a little uneasy knowing I had so many people watching me. Mulligan told me that after today, my scent would be all over this apartment and it wouldn’t take long for the new vampires to figure out I was here.

Until then, I guess I just had to do what I would normally do.

I went into the bedroom and gasped at how gorgeous it was. There was a king-sized bed that looked incredibly soft and comfortable. My suitcase sat beside it, waiting for me to unpack it. There were large dressers and a nightstand. On the far side of the room, there were wooden double doors I’m assuming to be the closet, and another connecting door that leads into the bathroom.

There was also a pretty vanity with a large mirror attached to it.

I went to my suitcase and unpacked all my clothing and stuff. I made the most out of the dressers. I put my toiletries in the bathroom and set up my laptop on vanity, using it as a desk.

Afterwards, my stomach began to growl.

It was still fairly early in the morning, and I hadn’t eaten anything yet. Joseph mentioned stocking the fridge and cabinets with food, so I went to the kitchen to see what he got me.

I was expecting healthy food considering he was on a health kick. A smile tugged at my lips, and I shook my head at him.

As expected, the fridge was stocked with fruits and veggies. There were pre-made meals in Tupperware too and a variety of lunch meats and cheeses.

I saw a couple of different loaves of bread on the counter. In the cabinets was a variety of pasta and rice, along with a bunch of other boxed and canned foods. There were a bunch of healthy snacks as well.

I opened another cabinet, and I gasped when I saw what was inside.

It was an entire cabinet of different flavored pop-tarts!

My heart swelled and I couldn’t help but smile. He did that for me.

I took the strawberry ones and went into the living room where I curled up on the couch. School would be starting right now. I wondered what Ruby said when she found out I wasn’t going to be there.

Looking at my cellphone I saw that she hadn’t called me yet, but I knew she would soon enough. It was only a matter of time.

I watched a movie and ate my pop tart, unsure of what else to do. I felt awkward being here by myself. After a few hours, I was beginning to feel lonely. I wasn’t sure how I would survive a few days here let alone weeks. My stomach clenched at the very thought of it.

I spent most of the afternoon with my laptop and I wrote out different stories for my blog. A lot of these stories were based on the current events happening in my life. But because these stories contained vampires, they seemed like nothing but fantasy to my readers.

I posted to my blog and went to make dinner. Once I finished eating, I went to shower.

It wasn’t until after my shower that my phone rang. I smiled when I saw Ruby’s name on the screen.

“I missed you at school today,” Ruby said as I answered the phone. I was about to explain to her why I wasn’t there, but then she added, “I hope you feel better.”

I frowned, unsure of what she meant.

“Joseph told me that you fell sick and that you won’t be in school for a few days. He told me that he was taking time off to care for you,” she explained.

He thought of everything.

“Oh, yes,” I said, brushing my fingers through my hair. “I’m still sick, but feeling okay,” I told her.

We talked for a little while longer before I hung up.

I grabbed my laptop to check my blog before I went to bed for the night. I had a bunch of comments on my latest posts, which made me incredibly happy. I couldn’t help but smile broadly as I scanned through the many comments.

I wondered what Joseph was doing right now and if he read my posts. I wondered what he thought about them. I wondered if he was watching me right now.

I admittedly missed him.

Then, I saw a comment that made all thoughts in my mind disappear.

“I see potential in you. I’m going to contact you soon and we can talk.”

Rachel Bloom.

Literary agent.