SWNOVELS Chapter Chapter Thirty-One
“Tonight I’m taking you out on a date.”
I turned to look at Strider from behind my book. He and I were the only ones in the library at the moment, and while I quietly read That Tales of England and Magnus again, he read some difficult book about electricity. I thought the silence between us would prevail until one of us left the library, but Strider decided to drop this bomb instead. How nice of him.
“And how exactly do you think you are to choose for me if we go out on a date or not?” I asked without heat
He shrugged. “Each of us needs to try and win you over, right? The best way would be taking you out on a date.”
“And you’re the first to sacrifice,” I murmured more to myself than him, but he laughed anyway.
“Something like that,” he winked, closing his book. “Be ready at eight in the entrance. I’ll be there.” He left the library, leaving me on my own a little stunned.
That’s how I found myself back in my room after the announcement about this date, checking myself out over and over in the mirror. I wore my favorite jeans along with a tight shirt and black shoes. I believed I looked all right, but either way, it didn’t matter. This date with Strider would be just like hanging out with him on a regular basis, only in different environment. I had nothing to strees over about.
Strider waited for me at the college entrance as promised, and when he saw me, he smiled his superstar smile that made one girl too many to fall. “You like good,” he complimented with a smirk while wrapping an arm around my shoulders. “I feel very lucky all of a sudden.”
I wanted to remind him he didn’t think this way until about a couple of months ago. “Don’t laugh at me,” I murmured instead.
He put a kiss to my temple in response. I took a deep breath and knew that tonight was going to complicate things even farther.
He drove us into the city, and there into a small coffee shop. He was being the perfect gentleman when he put his hand on the low of my back, leading me inside, and Tempest snorted in my head mockingly. When I told her to shut up, she replied that he would do anything to get into my panties, and I reminded her we were in this stupid race, and that he didn’t really want me. She murmured that maybe the race came into existence also when someone wanted the girl just for sex. I couldn’t argue with her about that, but deep inside I knew it wasn’t it.
We sat at a table Strider had booked us ahead of time, while the waitress asked to give him all kinds of favors. He rejected her gently, sending her a stunning smile that made her almost pass out, and turned back to me. “I really don’t get why you want me,” I stated matter-of-factly after we ordered drinks. “This waitress is much prettier than I am - and she’s a wolf, which is an obvious plus.”
Strider shrugged. “I have no idea, if I have to be honest,” he said, ocean-blue eyes searching my face. “Something about you… You just… I don’t know.”
He didn’t sound like he was joking, but he had an odd spark in his eyes. “I don’t get it,” I told him. “I really don’t.”
“My advice is to not overthink love,” he offered.
I snorted. “As if you know anything about love,” I told him bitterly. “I doubt you were in love with Megan or Rachel when you banged them.”
He shrugged again, and his face turned a little cold. “I tried my luck with many girls. The problem was they threw themselves on me, and it turned me off in this aspect. Besides, Megan is now Brom’s Mate, so there’s nothing going on there anyway.”
“But Rachel is still available,” I said. And willing.
“She’s currently with Jason,” he said dismissively and turned very serious all of a sudden. “We didn’t come here to talk about my love-life or yours. We’re here for a date. Just you and me. Angela and Strider. Stringela. Or Angeder. Your choice.”
That made me blurt out a chuckle. “Stringela? It sounds like some sort of medicine.”
His lips curled into a boyish grin. “Angeder then? Because that sounds like the name of an energy drink brand.”
I laughed, unable to stop myself. I forgot how it was like being just us, like good friends, and not like, well, romantic interests or whatever. It was nice and freeing, and I felt more myself than I’d been feeling in the past few days. “You’re incorrigible,” I shook my head.
“An incorrigible man who wants you,” he said, grin disappearing. “And who needs to make you want him back.”
I tensed, lowering my gaze to my plate. Luckily, the waitress returned, sending me a hateful glare and almost throwing the drinks we ordered on the table. I took a sip from my hot cocoa, looking everywhere but at Strider, because I didn’t know if I could make eye contact.
“Hey,” Strider’s voice was soft and much closer than before, and when I turned my head to him I saw he moved his chair so he was sitting next to me. I tensed more, especially when a blush crawled into my face. He was so beautiful, with these blue eyes of his, sunny-gold hair, and toned, tanned skin. He put a han on the back of my seat, smelling like coffee. “I know all of this is hard for you,” he murmured quietly against my ear and I felt how my body flinching. “I know it’s not easy to be where you are. But give each of us a fair chance, and when you’re ready, choose whoever you feel is right for you.”
“Strider…” I murmured and then he cupped my face, forcing me to stare him in the eye.
“I want you,” he said lowly, “I want you very much so, even,” he seemed a little embarrassed by this open confession. “And I’m sure - know, in fact - that Apollo and Fred feel the same way. But none of us would blame you for whoever you would choose. If you want to choose, of course.”
I averted my gaze, unable to look at him any longer. “I don’t want to… hurt any of you,” I whispered. “I don’t… Up until a few days ago, I didn’t even believe I had a chance with guys, and suddenly there are three of you.” It made me feel like such a bitch, moaning over the fact three men were allegedly fighting over me. But it was so overwhelming, intimidating even, and I… “I don’t know what to do.”
“Just give us a chance, Angie,” he murmured, his lips closer to mine than before. “Give me a chance to prove I’m good for you.”
“Strider - “ I started to say but he shut me up with his lips. Again sparks flew, and I closed my eyes, automatically leaning in and wrapping my arms around his neck. He pulled my waist, tightening me to him.
He then pulled back, looking at me with a gaze full of heat. “We should stop,” he growled, “or I won’t be responsible for my actions.”
At once he was about a foot away, not touching me anymore, and we kept on drinking our hot drinks in silence.
After a while, we started to talk about mundane things, like the situation in the north, and Strider told me a little bit of what they knew about Evander so far - he wasn’t a werewolf, apparently, and he had charismatic abilities way above average. From what I understood, no one but his cult, - or the anti-Alpha organization, whatever you want to call it - didn’t see him, so they had no exact picture of how he looked. Rumor said he was tall and broad-shouldered but no one knew for sure.
Afterward, we gossiped a little bit about Brom and Megan and Greg and Sally, who seemed closer than ever, and even about Louis and Adria, the Seers. Then we talked about Samantha and how she wanted Apollo still, and about Cora who wanted Albert - and Strider confirmed it was mutual - and so forth.
We even talked about my human ex-friends. I told him about Jane and Ethan and them being a done deal. I even opened up about Hazel and Charlotte - especially Charlotte - and while I didn’t get into the reason our relationship was complex, I did tell him some other stuff about it.
When I asked Strider about his Beta status, he explained things from his side. Being dependant on another person to be alive sucked, he said, but he’d rather it be someone as strong as Fred, who wouldn’t die anytime soon. He also opened up about how he didn’t want to be immortal, and the thousand of years he was destined to live was more than enough.
Eventually, Strider brought us back to the college, and before we entered our room, he grabbed me into a hug and kissed me. “I had fun today,” he said quietly.
I looked at him, seeing the sincerity in his eyes, and smiled hesitantly. “Me too,” I said with stark honesty, and then we entered the room. Apollo was already in bed and Fred, if the noise was any indication, was showering. We parted ways, each of us going to their own bed.
At night, when I listened to the soft snores of my roommates, I couldn’t help but feel my chest tighten. I really had fun on my date with Strider, and I was surprised to realize I wouldn’t mind going on another date with him - we had common interests, and he was easy to talk to. But I knew that if I picked him, I would hurt Apollo and Fred, and I didn’t want any of them to get hurt.
I suggest you enjoy it as long as you can, Angie, Tempest murmured sleepily in my head. It’s not everyday that three men court you.
But it hurts, Tempest, I told her back. It hurts so much.
Don’t be such a weakling, she snapped. So what if they get a little hurt? It’s their fault they wanted you in the first place. They should take it like men.
“It’s important to me,” I whispered, “I don’t want them to get hurt, because I like them, and I care about them.”
You can’t like three people! The Spirit snarled.
“But I do,” I put my blanket over me, trying to find comfort but failing. “I like them. All three of them - even Apollo. And it hurts so much that at the same time I have a choice, and I also don’t.”