Being on the ferry with him is so different than the last time. This time we're not trying to hide. He has his arm around my waist as I lean against the rail, looking out over the water as Port Townsend draws ever closer. It's been a year since I've visited the fun touristy town, and I'm looking forward to spending my day at the shops with Vale on an official, impromptu date. Although I am hoping we have enough time to do a little bit more than shop. I might not be ready for a full ravaging, but maybe a half ravaging would do.

The ferry pulls into port, and within a few minutes we're off the boat and walking down the street checking out all the shops. It's still so weird, being here with him like this. My fingers are laced with his, and I can't help but think they're a perfect fit. He squeezes every so often, and I squeeze back, getting a thrill every time. There's something really exciting about all of this. Having a secret relationship no one else knows about. Sneaking away to be together. Finding moments to makeout in the dark, something I wish we could do right now.

We consider stopping in at an Italian restaurant in town, but considering we both work at the same Italian restaurant and can have that food any time we want, we opt for Mexican food instead. I'm still full from lunch, so I order a slice of strawberry cheesecake. Vale, of course, orders a plate of chicken enchiladas, and I wonder, not for the first time, how such a skinny guy can hold so much food.

"God, aren't you stuffed?" I ask, watching as he takes bite after bite of the delicious looking enchiladas. He shakes his head, and I just smile, amazed. "I'm so full from earlier I can barely eat this cheesecake. I don't know how you do it."

He swallows his bite and grins. "I don't know. My mom used to say when I was little that I had four stomachs, but my dad says now that I'm grown I have six. Guess I just love food."

I nod my head, still watching him eat. "Have you heard from her lately? Your mom?" I ask, clarifying. He shakes his head, and I know he's trying to act like he doesn't care. But I also know him. I can see the tiny wince as he thinks about the woman who left him when he was just a child. Can see the pain flit across his face as he fights to hide his true emotions. "Do you think about her often? I mean, you don't talk about her much."

He shrugs and averts his eyes. "Not really. She's been gone for so long that she's almost nonexistent to me. And to be honest, I don't think I've really missed her all that much. I mean, I have dad, you know? And you. You guys have been my two constants. Mom hasn't really mattered. When I was little I missed her, but now... I guess I don't think about it much."

"I'm a constant?" I ask, fighting a smile. He grins and nods, and this pleases me more than I should admit. But then something else enters my mind. Something I haven't really thought about until just now. "Vale?" I ask, not sure I'm really ready for the answer. He raises his eyebrows. I sigh and ask, "What are we now?"

He takes a sip of water, furrowing his brow. "What do you mean?"

Dangerous territory, I know. And maybe I'm a glutton for punishment. But I continue. "I mean, what are we? Are we just like... still friends? Friends with some benefits? More than that? We haven't really put a label on whatever it is we're doing here."

He considers my words for a few seconds. "Well, I hope we'll always be friends. Best friends. Like I said, you're one of my two constants, and I never want that to change. Ever. As for the other stuff... I don't know. It's hard to be more when we have to hide. And yeah, I know it's fun to sneak around. But I have to admit, I kind of wish we didn't have to. If I want to kiss you, then I want to be able to do it without worrying about anyone else watching and what they're going to say or think."

This makes sense. But I feel a small bubble deflate in my chest in disappointment at his answer. "Yeah. I know." And I really do get it. I don't know why I want to hide this thing from everyone. Just something in my heart is telling me to keep it to myself. To let this be a fun secret for a while. I can't pinpoint why I feel this way. I just do. "Do you want to tell everyone else about us?" I ask.

"Yes," he says firmly, and I blush. He smiles softly at me and takes my hand in his from across the table. "I really want to tell everyone. Honestly, I'd scream it from the roof of this restaurant if you'd let me." Now I'm smiling. "But I'm taking things at your pace for you."

"Thank you," I say, and he nods. But now I can see he's a little disappointed. "I'll tell you what? Let's keep playing the game until we get back home. Then we can tell everyone, okay?" I can tell this pleases him, because he gets up and slides in the booth beside me, snaking an arm over my shoulders and pulling me into him. I rest my head on his arm, and he gently plays with my hair until the server comes back with our check. He pulls out his wallet and pays, and much as I would love to stay right here in this spot with him, I know we can't stay here all day.

We leave the restaurant and do a little bit of shopping. I find a really cute dress to go with my bathing suit, and I ogle a beautiful gold locket that's way out of my price range. After checking out some of the shops, we check the time and see that it's almost time for everyone to head back to the house. But we're not ready to go back yet, so we find a quiet corner near an alley to be alone for just a little bit longer. He presses me against the wall with his body, brushes my hair away from my face, and presses his lips hard against mine. I've been needing this. Needing him. His mouth finds its way to my throat, and his fingers are twisting in my hair so hard that I have no idea how I'm going to explain how messy it is to the others when we get back. But I could care less right now. All I care about is getting him closer and closer.

My phone buzzes in my pocket, and I pull up the message as Vale nibbles on my ear. It's Keke. Where are you guys? "Vale?" I croak, hating myself for what I'm about to say. He doesn't stop, and for a second, I consider just letting it go. But then my phone buzzes again, and I know they're not going to stop until I write back. I press my hands against Vale's chest, forcing him to stop. His eyes are half open, and I can tell he's dazed and confused as to why I just pushed him away. I show him my phone screen, where a second message has popped up saying You okay?

"Shit," he whispers, and his chest is heaving, reflecting my own. He steps back and runs his fingers through his thick curly hair, blinking fast, as if he's trying to get his footing. "It's eight o'clock?" He asks, surprised, and I nod my head. "Shit," he says again. "Okay, we need to go. You wanna text her back and let her know what's up?"

I'm already on it, my fingers sliding clumsily over my phone keyboard. God, my heart is racing so fast that I keep having to backspace and rewrite what I'm trying to say to get it right. Yeah. We're in Port Townsend. About to head to the ferry. See you soon. I hit send and look back up at Vale, who's now facing away from me, his fingers still in his hair like a madman. "Okay, I just wrote her back. But we need to get to the ferry."

He turns back to face me, nodding his head. But then I see every ounce of color drain from his face as he stares at me. Wait. No. Not at me. At my neck. "Oh my God," he says, and his voice holds a note of terror. "Oh my God."

"What?" I ask, touching my neck anxiously. His eyes go wide, but now his lips are starting to curve up in a mischievous smirk. "Vale, what?"

He's fighting back a laugh when he points at a spot on my neck and says, "Um. We may have a tiny problem." My eyebrows furrow in confusion. "You... umm... I gave you a hickey." At first I don't comprehend what he's said. He gave me... a what? But then he brushes his thumb against my neck, and when I pull out my phone to check my reflection, I see it. A big purple circle on my neck. Right where his lips were just a few minutes ago.

My cheeks burn with embarrassment as my mind races. What am I going to do? I can't hide a hickey. They're going to find out. The game's over. "Vale," I growl as he starts laughing, and I punch him on the arm.

"Ow," he laughs, rubbing his shoulder with his other hand. I glare at him, and he stops laughing, but the smile is still there. "Aww, come on, Gen. Don't look at me like that. I didn't do it on purpose." If looks could kill, I'm sure he'd be dead on the ground with how intense my rageful stare is. He sighs and reaches out to me, wrapping his arm around my waist and pulling me to him. "I'm sorry. I guess I got a little carried away this time."

"A little?" I ask, still angry. "Vale, I don't think there's enough concealer in the world to cover this up. And it's not like it's turtleneck season."

"You're right," he says, and his fingers brush against it again, sending chills shooting down my arms. Damn him and his magic touch. "Okay, tell you what. Let's not try to hide it." I open my mouth to reply, but he holds up his hand, silencing me. "I mean, why don't we slap a Band-Aid over it. We can say you have a weird rash or an ugly neck zit or something. Yeah, it might be a little embarrassing. But the more embarrassing the story, the less they'll suspect the truth."

"The truth being you're a blood thirsty vampire trying to suck the life out of me," I say, rubbing my hand against it.

He smiles. "The truth being you're so hot that I can't keep my lips off of you," he says, and I feel my stomach flip. He moves back in to kiss me again, but I pull away.

"I think that's enough of that," I whisper, and he frowns. "Besides, we really need to get back on the ferry. And stop at a pharmacy or something on the way. Figure out a story and a way to cover this thing up." He's still laughing when we buy our ferry ticket, and even though I'm annoyed at the ugly purple mark on my neck, it does make me wonder. What's the worst thing that could happen if everyone did find out? What am I really afraid of?

Author's Note:

Gen's asking herself the hard questions now. Seriously, why is she so set on hiding this new relationship? What gives? Any thoughts?

Quick note on upcoming chapters as well. For the month of November, I'll probably drop down to one update a week. I'm trying to get five chapters ahead so I can focus solely on NaNoWriMo in November. This will be my fifth year in a row participating in the event, and hopefully my fifth year in a row completing the challenge. Wish me luck!

One more note: CONGRAULATIONS to everyone who made the shortlist! That is such a huge accomplishment, and you should be proud! But to everyone who didn't make the shortlist, do not be discouraged! Your writing is fantastic too, and you should be proud of your work as well. I didn't make the shortlist, and that doesn't make me love my books any less. Be proud of what you have written, shortlist or not. I'll be back very soon with another update, dearies! Until then, stay healthy and safe!

XOXO,
~Aly