When I got up the next morning to go to the gym, I passed Jade in the foyer on the way out. Feeling the guilt still overwhelming me about what I did but not feeling confident enough to confess everything, I grabbed her by the arm before she got too far.

"What's up?" she asked.

Releasing my grip, I said, "Have you got a moment? I'd like to talk."

"Yeah, sure," she said, smiling at me.

I walked out the door, hoping she'd follow me. Too many people were home; inside wasn't safe.

A few steps down the street, I finally stopped, turning to face her.

And as she blinked at me innocently, I took a deep breath and pulled the magic to my eyes. "I once told you that you can't tell anyone about that deadening spell... I take it back. If it's eating your conscience, you're welcome to tell people. But just say... just say you were worried Ben will get hurt. That way, no one can be too mad at you for just trying to look out for him, okay?'

"Okay," she breathed.

"Forget we had this conversation though."

She nodded, eyes still vacant, face still.

And then I released her.

Jade blinked a couple of times, her mind coming back to her eyes, and then she said, "Sorry. I just blanked for a moment. What did you say?"

"I said..." Shit... think fast Lukas... think— "I know you always throw big birthday things and I know mine is tomorrow but... I really don't want to do anything."

Jade's eyes softened as a small smile spread across her cheeks, and she gave me a slight nod. "Sure, Lukas. Don't worry about it. But I'm going big next year."

"It's not even a round number! I'll make you a deal. You can go big on my one hundred and fiftieth."

Jade heaved a groan and said, "But that's three years away."

I shrugged. "Take it or leave it."

"Fine," she whined.

· · ───── ∘☽༓☾∘ ───── · ·

"You're in a good mood," Jayce commented as I sat down across from him at the school library, passing him his coffee while I sipped at my iced tea.

"I suppose so."

Closing up his book, a small smirk whipped out on his face as he leaned forward, resting his chin on his hands. "Any reason?"

Shrugging, I said, "I'll tell you one day." But it was hard keeping the corners of my lips turned down. Because regardless of what happened, even this Ollie—whose memories I had wiped, who had been hurt by Ben—wanted at the very least to be my friend. How could I not be happy?

"Is it a girl?" he whispered.

My stomach clenched and eyebrows shot up. "What makes you think it's a girl?"

Jayce shrugged. "It seems there's a very familiar look that keeps passing your face at specific times. Mostly these days you've seemed pretty miserable, which is confusing considering we have Ollie's blood. But you've got that glow back. I was just wondering if it's the woes of love... and perhaps, whoever she is... you made up?"

"The fact that you guys keep talking about my happiness as a 'glow' makes me feel like you're trying to call me pregnant," I said, trying to drop the topic.

Jayce rolled his eyes. "We just like seeing you happy... Though I wish you and Ben wouldn't ping pong about it. It's like you steal the happiness from each other."

Oh how right you are, Jayce...

When I said nothing else though, he seemed to realise I wasn't going to comment on the 'girl' thing. So then he said, "Erica said she's going to track Ollie down herself if Ben doesn't do something."

My head whipped up. "What? Why?"

"Because she foresaw us all being friends. And she doesn't want to lose a new friend before she even got to befriend them."

"Ollie needs her space. She doesn't want to see Ben. He—"

"Yeah, yeah," Jayce said. "I get that Ben hurt her... I don't think Erica intends to force them to see each other. But that doesn't mean we have to miss out on being her friend."

At his words, I felt my heart begin to melt. Because this was all I wanted for her. I knew Ollie, with her heart of gold, would find a way to win over anyone she met. And she had already made a lasting impression on all of us.

"I don't get why Ben is so sad though when he intentionally..." Jayce started, but I shook my head at him. "Don't go there?"

"It's... not about her."

"Is it not?"

No... he's moping because I rejected him. Heaving a sigh, I shrugged and said, "How's study?"

Jayce nodded slowly before saying, "Getting there. To think I'll be finished this time next year and can finally start teaching..."

"Have you decided to work with humans or mutants?"

"Oh definitely mutants. You know our teachers have already snatched me," Jayce let out a laugh, causing some kids to glare at him for interrupting their studies. "If they keep looking at me like that, they will all get detention when I'm their teacher," he then grumbled quietly.

"I don't think that's... morally right, Jayce," I said, but, as the words left my mouth, I knew that I was one to talk. "Why do you even come here? Doesn't your university have a library?"

"It does but Erica is there. And you know her... she never shuts up and I'm trying to study."

"Oh," I whispered. "Suppose I should leave you to it then."

"I didn't mean it like that," he quickly said, eyebrows going up.

But I shook my head. "I need a shower anyway. And I've got some work to do at home..."

"What work?" Jayce asked, brows furrowing.

"I'm going to test Ollie's blood."

"But I thought it would—"

"I should test it before it expires—that way it doesn't go to waste. See what it can do. And if we need more...well, next time we will wait until Ollie actually wants to give it to us. After Erica befriends her," I then added. Because even if Ollie wasn't a solution, maybe I could at least be her friend from a distance. I knew Erica would protect her for me in the meantime... They all would but Ben apparently.

"Sounds good," Jayce said, shooting me a grin.

"Study hard," I said to him as I got to my feet.

"Thanks for the drink, Lukas!" he called out after me as I began to walk away. A couple more students turned their heads to him, shushing him, but he just said, "Just you all wait..."

· · ───── ∘☽༓☾∘ ───── · ·

But after I got home and had a shower, taking my time before I headed down to the lab, something in the house felt off. Like a bad omen was looming around me—which was strange. Because Erica was the one who believed in fortunes and spirits, not me.

Nonetheless, when a shiver ran down my spine as I opened the door to the medical room, I shrugged it off and headed to the PPE, covering my hands with gloves to ensure I was safe from the poisonous liquid.

But then I opened the door to the fridge.

My eyes grew wide.

I dug through the equipment stored in the cold box, moving the medicines and potions out of the way in search for her blood.

But it was gone.

Yanking the gloves off my hands and throwing them on the table, I ran out of the room and up the three flights of stairs.

Thudding two sharp knocks on Ben's door to warn him, I pushed it open, already saying, "Do you know what happened to—" But my voice caught in my throat.

Ben's room was empty.

His bed was made.

His phone was gone.

Forwarding down the steps, I ducked into the kitchen, only to find Drake in there.

Trying my luck and crossing my fingers he was feeling talkative today, I asked, "Do you know where Ben went?"

"Hmm?" Drake asked, eyes slowly lifting from his phone as his vacant stare met mine.

What does Ivan see in you? You're like a vampire sloth, I couldn't help but wonder. But I shook the thought immediately, focussing on my mission at hand. "Have you seen Ben?"

"Oh Ben..."

"Yeah, him. Long curly brown hair that goes to here," I brushed my chin. "Pretty tall, lanky... hard to miss. Eyes as blue as the—"

"I know Ben, Lukas," Drake said—then he actually rolled his eyes, which was new. "He was acting really strange."

"Strange how?"

"I don't know. Jade came in not long after you left this morning and went straight up to see him. We heard Ben shout at her and Jade left crying."

"Crying?" I asked.

"Mhmm."

"Why?"

Drake shrugged.

"Well... what did they say? Did you hear?"

"I did."

"And?" I pressed. Gosh this man is difficult... how has Ivan put up with him so long? No wonder they fight.

"I don't remember what they said."

Insufferable! "Okay. So where did Ben go then? Do you know that?"

"Um... after Jade and Loren left, the house was quiet for a long time."

"Yes... and when did Ben go? Where did he go?"

"Ben... he stormed down the stairs I think maybe an hour ago? Went down to the basement. Then he left in a hurry."

"So he didn't say where?"

"Oh... Ivan asked on the way."

"And?" Get on with it, Drake!

"He said he's going to see Olivia."

My stomach sank.

Drake started to say something else, but I took off back down the stairs into the medical room.

Heading straight for the bin, I yanked off the lid. Sure enough, there was the empty blood bag.

He tipped it out...

Why would he do that?

And why would he go see her?

This was all he wanted...

I was what he wanted.

But I didn't have time to question it.

I had to stop him.

Ollie said she wanted to get over him...

We had a plan.

As I legged it out the door, I forgot to grab my coat, running as fast as humanly acceptable towards the underground before jumping on a tube to her campus.

She gets out at five, I thought, checking my phone. She'd be out in a few minutes... I might make it in time to stop them meeting.

He better not fucking play with her heart again so that bond invitation doesn't disappear.

Is that why he's after her again? Trying to keep her around for more blood later?

Did he realise getting it so soon with no actual plan was ridiculous?

But then the tube stopped moving between stations.

A couple of people let out a groan, and I pulled out my phone again. Two minutes to five.

The train let out a little ding.

"We are currently experiencing technical difficulties. Please be patient while we fix this. The train will be moving again shortly," the intercom announced before dinging off again.

Not now, I thought.

Scooting through the crowds of humans, I pressed myself up against the door. Then, ever so discreetly, channelled my magic through the metal, down below the carriage, searching the system for the problem.

A fuse had blown near the engine.

Welding the broken pieces back together, the train finally lurched to a move again.

Checking the time once more, I saw that it was 5pm.

Please... Tell me he lost his nerve.

Tell me he didn't actually go.

Or... if he did... that she just told him to fuck right off.

The train finally pulled in and I shoved through the crowds, not caring for the complaints of passengers as I knocked them into each other.

Shoving through the oncoming people, I ran up the escalator and out onto the street.

Glancing around to get my bearings from which exit I came out of, I started marching to the campus, frantically looking around for her on the way in case she might have already left.

But as I passed the park nearby, a familiar head of red hair caught my eye.

I came to a halt.

Her arms wrapped around his neck.

His hand cupped her face.

Her fingers knotted in his hair.

His hand roamed her back.

And their mouths... moved against each other.

In that moment, as I watched them kissing, cementing their bond, my heart shattered into a million pieces that I would never put back together again.

I didn't care that people were staring at me strangely for not wearing a coat.

I didn't care that the tears were evidently leaking from my eyes, shamelessly running down my cheeks.

And I didn't care that passers-by were seeing me crumbling before them.

Because there was my girl, accepting the bond of Ben.

Meaning we could never be together again.