The Next Generation Page 10

  And really, there was no better place, besides the ranch, to spend an afternoon. The Salt Lake City library was a work of art, as glorious on the outside as it was on the inside. It was six stories of angled glass, holding over a half-million books, more if you considered the stores of electronic books that you could download. There was a curving wall that embraced the huge plaza outside. You could walk up that huge ramp to a garden on the rooftop—such an incredible sight, such an amazing view. And with shops and cafes on the ground level, and reading galleries above, the library was more a small city than just a place to go and read books. It was one of my favorite places.

  Inhaling the scent of thousands of pages of aged paper, I slowly meandered through the tall shelves, wondering what I was in the mood for today. Knowledge? Romance? Fantasy? Murder? I could have it all if I wanted, and how many times in life could a person have it all? That limitless feeling gave me an odd sense of empowerment as I walked through the shelves.

  Thinking of Julian and his latest episode, I made my way over to the self-help section and browsed through the hundreds of titles available. It was a little alarming how many books had been written on how to live a better life. Being human wasn’t easy. And being a human who was part vampire was even less easy. Unfortunately, there weren’t any books on that subject. There were, however, a few that I thought might help Julian deal with his fears better. That was, if I could ever get him to read a book that didn’t include pictures.

  Wondering if the topic was appropriate for him, I picked up a book on how to deal with abandonment. I was examining the beautiful swan on the cover when I felt and heard a person behind me. I tensed, feeling my personal space being compromised, right as the person spoke. “Interesting choice. Were you abandoned?”

  Turning, I prepared to tell the stranger intruding on my solitude to mind their own business. Then I faced said stranger and all words left me. It was the super-hot neighbor boy who’d moved in last week…the one who had been filling my mind during my quiet moments.

  “What?” I mumbled, speech an overwhelming prospect now that the real-life version of him was superseding my fantasy version…in a good way. My memory hadn’t quite captured the depth of his brown eyes, the exact shade of his dark hair, the rough stubble that made him seem way too old for me.

  Smiling, he pointed at the book in my hands. “The book…is it for you?”

  Feeling heat flush my cheeks, I shoved the book back on the shelf. “No, my brother…” I immediately shut my mouth. I couldn’t tell a complete stranger that my brother was abducted as a child and still had panic attacks about it. “No, I was just looking.”

  Seeing my obvious embarrassment, the boy backed up, hands raised. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to intrude…that was really rude. It’s just…it’s one of my favorites, and I highly recommend it…” he raised one corner of his lip and my heart sped up a little, “if you were doing more than looking.”

  His eyes never leaving mine, he reached up on the shelf and grabbed the book that I’d haphazardly replaced. Still silent, he handed it back to me. “Thank you,” I whispered, cognizant of the stillness in the air between us.

  “Do you remember me?” he asked, stepping toward me again.

  Hell yes, I remember you. Furrowing my brows, I shook my head and hoped my cheeks weren’t bright red. “I’m not sure. You look kind of familiar, but…?” I bit my lip as my heart thudded in my chest.

  The boy looked down, then back up at me. The darkness of his eyes instantly captured me. I wanted to swoon…and I wasn’t even entirely positive what “swooning” meant. “I met you last week, sort of, when your family offered to help move my family in.” He smiled, and a small sigh escaped me. God, he was gorgeous. I immediately coughed a little to cover it.

  Smiling wider, he extended his hand. “Hunter.”

  I blinked and backed up a step. “Excuse me?”

  He frowned at my reaction and lowered his hand. “My name…is Hunter.”

  My cheeks felt on fire as embarrassment coursed through me. In my family, “hunter” had an entirely different meaning than someone’s name. Stepping back up to him, I reached for his lowered hand. “Oh, sorry…mine’s Nika.”

  I WAS TRYING not to stare at Hunter. He was so intriguing, though, I couldn’t stop myself from watching his every action, big or small. As we walked toward checkout, his low voice tingled my alert ears and my curious eyes strayed to his body. There was a sleekness to the way he moved, a power and grace that awkward teenage boys didn’t have. There was a similar confidence in his smile as he made small talk with me. Also, unlike boys my age, he appeared to know exactly who he was, and had accepted himself ages ago. Not that he seemed to be conceited, thinking he was the be-all and end-all or anything. No, he was just comfortable with himself.

  Maybe I was coming to a snap judgment about his ego, but I didn’t think so. Just the fact that he’d recommended a very personal book about recovery without any trace of embarrassment made me believe in his maturity. Regardless of his actual age, Hunter had left boyhood behind a while ago.

  Realizing I couldn’t fantasize about the neighbor any more than Julian could fantasize about Raquel, and for a lot of the same reasons—I’d probably shake Hunter’s confident swagger right to the floor if I dropped fang in front of him—made a wistful sigh escape me. This couldn’t happen.

  Tilting his head, Hunter paused in the middle of his story. “I’m sorry. I’m boring you, aren’t I?” Again, he didn’t seem embarrassed—just curious and courteous.

  Smiling, I shook my head. “No, I actually think you’re right. Dogs are far superior pets than cats.” I didn’t mention that I felt that way because cats had proven to be too skittish to handle being around vampires. I still hadn’t successfully held one.

  Placing his stack of books on the counter, Hunter gestured with his dark head to the title that had started our little conversation: Where the Red Fern Grows. When I’d noticed him carrying it, I’d confessed that it was my mother’s favorite book. He’d gone on to tell me that he’d wanted a dog ever since reading it, but he moved around so much with his dad that he’d never been able to have one. I’d had to tell him about Spike after that, and he’d spent the last several minutes talking about the virtues of man’s best friend.

  “Yeah, there’s nothing on this Earth more loyal than a dog.” He paused, his eyes losing focus as he thought about something. “Except family,” he whispered.

  My smile was huge as I silently agreed with him. His eyes flicked over my face, drinking me in, and my heart thudded painfully. I was light as air as he stared at me. So light, I was sure I was going to float away at any moment. It was the most wonderful feeling I’d ever had, and more than anything right now, I wanted to touch him, and I wanted him to touch me.

  He took a step closer to me as I placed my stack of books beside his. Not thinking about what I was doing, I brushed my thigh against his hand swinging freely at his side. Most humans wouldn’t have caught it, but I felt his thumb intentionally stroke my leg. I thought I might pass out.

  “Card?”

  A gruff voice swung Hunter’s and my attention around. A woman with a tighter-than-tight bun was giving us a blank stare, hand extended. “Library card?” she repeated.

  Hunter gave her a warm smile, then reached into his back pocket for his wallet. Not quite as warm, I frowned at the woman disrupting my moment, then dug into my school bag for my card.

  Stepping out of the doors of the library into the main walkway of the massive building, I glanced over at the quiet reading areas above the shops and cafes. Normally, I’d grab my new books, buy some hot chocolate, and head up to one of the plush chairs along the solid glass wall. From there, I had a spectacular view of the city on one side of me, and floors and floors of books on the other side. Pretty much heaven. I wasn’t sure if Hunter wanted to sit and read right now, though, and since I wasn’t ready to say goodbye to him yet, I was willing to forgo my usual routine for this one, special Monda
y afternoon.

  Hunter’s dark eyes were sweeping over the architecture of the place, and he let out a low whistle. “This is sure impressive.”

  I looked back at the wall in front of us, trying to see it from the perspective of a new visitor. Hunter was right; it was a sight to see. Mainly made from glass, all the different shop entrances were identical. Thick columns separated the entrances, rising to the roof. With the way the columns intersected with the floors of each level, the entire wall sort of reminded me of a giant checkerboard. And that was just the one wall. The levels behind us had curving stairways that led to the floors above, each level holding more specific and rare books. As a result, the upper levels were a lot quieter than the lower levels. I hung out up there sometimes, just to get some silence. Well, as much silence as a super-hearing vampire could get in a place like this. I was used to the buzz, though, and tuned it out when Hunter spoke to me again.

  “Want to take a walk outside with me? I want to check out the water wall.”

  I nodded, both eager to show him my city’s beauties and spend a little more time with him. Hunter looked up as we passed underneath the main piece of art in the library’s indoor plaza. It was a mobile consisting of thousands of metal books suspended at different levels. The books were all in various stages of being open, and they resembled a swarm of butterflies. Amazing. Hunter whistled again, and it made me smile that he seemed to appreciate how beautiful the world could be. Boys my age tended to overlook it.

  As we approached the glass doors leading outside, I began to wonder again about his age. If he was too old…well, I should probably just say goodbye right now. Dad would never let me hang out with someone Dad’s age. Or the age he appeared to be anyway.

  Walking into the sun-lit plaza, I smiled up at Hunter. “So…you’re new here. Are you going to be enrolling in school soon?” I held my breath, hoping that was a subtle enough way to ask him his age. I hated that it sort of pointed out my age, but…I had to know.

  Hunter tilted his head back, smiling as the sun warmed him. It was sweet, watching him enjoy the little things; it made my stomach flutter. Glancing over at me, he asked, “Do you mean high school?” I nodded, biting my lip. Straightening his head, Hunter frowned. “No, Dad home-schooled me. I graduated…a while ago.”

  As we approached a reflecting pool in front of the glass wall of the library, we stopped. A slight downward turn still on his lips, Hunter quietly asked, “Are you still in high school?”

  I wanted to deny it, since I didn’t feel like a high schooler, but it was a fact I couldn’t ignore. And I hated lying anyway. It was no way to start a relationship…not that Hunter and I were starting one. But while there were some things I had to lie about, to protect myself and my family, my age wasn’t one of them. “Yeah…” I inhaled a big breath, then told him, “I’m sixteen…I’ll be seventeen in June.”

  Hunter’s eyes flicked up as he did some math in his head. After a second, his smile returned, along with his captivating eyes. “Well, I’m twenty…so we’re only four years apart. If I were still a senior, you’d be a freshman. That’s not so bad.”

  I couldn’t keep back the smile at the way he’d phrased our age difference. It didn’t seem so unreasonable that way. Besides, I’d be done with high school in another year. Then it wouldn’t matter at all. Of course, then I would be moving away…

  Shaking my head to clear those thoughts, I pointed over to the waterfall he’d wanted to see. “Come on…the wall’s over here.” I extended my hand for him to take, my heart beating so hard I thought for sure even his human ears could hear it. Hunter glanced at my hand, smiled wider, then took it.

  The warmth of his skin on mine was unlike anything I’d ever experienced before. I’d held hands with boys a time or two before, but none of those instances compared to this. The last boy I’d held hands with had been suffering from a severe case of nerves—I’d smelled it—and his hands had been really clammy. I’d wanted to instantly pull away and scrub my palm dry on my clothes, but out of politeness, I’d resisted. Hunter, though…his confidence extended to his skin; he was warm, dry and soft. I wanted to stroke his hand with my thumb, but I didn’t want to be too forward, so I forcefully halted a completely different instinct.

  We stepped in front of the wall he’d wanted to see, hands still clasped together. I felt like I should release him since we were here, but he didn’t let go, so I didn’t either. Feeling a joy racing through me that I’d never felt before, I slyly observed Hunter while he watched the never-ending supply of water cascade down the granite wall of steps.

  “It’s incredible. And so relaxing. I could listen to this sound all day long.”

  I smiled up at him, loving the fact that he could be so open with a person he didn’t even know. It made him seem vulnerable and fearless, all at the same time. “Me too,” I whispered, stepping into his side. “This is one of my favorite places in the city.”

  His fingers tightened in my hand as he looked down at me. There was something in his eyes as we locked gazes. Interest? Peace? Appreciation? I wasn’t sure, but it made me feel…giddy. In the back of my mind, I felt Julian’s curiosity, and I was sure he would ask me about my mood later, but I didn’t care. Julian could endure it for now. There was no way was I squelching this feeling for him.

  Hunter shook his head a little, like he was shaking himself out of a trance, then he returned his gaze to the water. Thinking of something he’d said earlier, I told him, “I was home-schooled for a long time too. Up until my freshman year.”

  Hunter looked back at me and smiled. “Sucks a little, doesn’t it?”

  Laughing, I nodded. “It had its moments.” Thinking back to my years of solitude on the ranch with my family, I sighed. “It had its great moments too, though.”

  Hunter eyed me for a moment, then nodded. His gaze floated up to my hair, and his expression reminded me of the way Halina had watched the sunlight bounce across her skin this weekend; he just seemed to be savoring the vision of me surrounded in prisms of light. “This is my favorite time of day,” he whispered, his eyes returning to mine.

  Nerves tingled my stomach. The way he was unflinchingly looking at me, like he was seeing everything about me…it was more than I was used to outside of my family. Giggling to offset the intensity, I looked up at the sky and estimated the time. “4:15?”

  Hunter laughed at my comment. “Well, maybe not this exact time, but afternoons in general. When the world is at its brightest.” He shrugged. “Everything seems so full of promise during the day.”

  Tilting my head, I raised an eyebrow. “Sweaty tourists complaining about the heat makes you think of…promise?” He gave me a grin that nearly melted me. I was about to add onto my comment when I felt something. Or rather, I felt someone.

  Frowning, I looked over my shoulder. “Speaking of 4:15…” Feeling my mom and dad nearly to the library, I sighed as I looked back at Hunter. “I have to go. My...Teren…is going to be here soon.”

  Hunter’s eyes shifted over my shoulder, to where I’d just been looking. He twisted his lips. “Teren?” His eyes returned to mine. “Your boyfriend?”

  My eyes went wide, and I laughed out loud. I immediately stifled it. I might not feel like a teenager, but I could sometimes act like one…and I didn’t want to act young in front of Hunter. “No, no, definitely not.” Running a hand through my hair, I thought about what to call him. Dad had never really narrowed down the right verbiage for me. “Teren’s the guy who asked to help you and your dad move. He takes care of me and my brother when my mom’s away. He’s…sort of family.”

  Having to halfway lie to Hunter made some of my high fade, but his corresponding grin perked it right back up. “Ah, I remember him. So, how are you ‘sort of’ family?”

  I cringed. “It’s one of those complicated, through-marriage things.”

  Hunter nodded. “Gotcha. Well, I guess all that really matters is the ‘not boyfriend’ part.” He squeezed, then released my hand; I had
to stop myself from reaching for his fingers again. “I should get going too. I’m on my bike today, and it’s a bit of a ride back home from here.”

  He indicated behind himself, and I glanced over at a bicycle stand next to the library—the metal piece of art was literally the words “bike rack.” A lone bike, which must have been Hunter’s, was parked in the “b.” Dad would at least approve of Hunter’s vehicle choice, if not his age.

  Hunter’s voice brought my attention back to him. “It was nice to meet you, Nika.” His eyes flicked around the plaza. “Thanks for showing me around.”

  I could feel my cheeks heating as I smiled. “I didn’t really show you very much.”

  He raised an eyebrow. “Maybe we can meet again then. How about Friday?”

  I nodded. “It’s a date.”

  I held my breath after I said it. I hadn’t meant to call it a date, but if he was willing, I was willing. Hunter dropped his eyes to the stone beneath our feet. “I’d like that, Nika.” His eyes lifted to mine. “Very much.”

  My heart fluttering wildly, I could only give him a stupid wave before trotting off to where I could feel my father stopped and waiting for me. Dad would honk soon if I didn’t start moving toward him. And if I still didn’t move, he’d come get me. I really didn’t want him to see me making plans with Hunter. Only four years apart or not, Dad would immediately put a stop to me ever seeing him again.

  I hopped into the back seat of Dad’s car with a huge smile on my face. Mom and Dad both glanced at me. As Dad slowly drove away, Mom commented on my mood. “You’re awfully chipper. Good day today?”

  Mellowing my smile, I did my best to appear like today was just any average Monday. And for the most part, it had been. “Aren’t I usually chipper?”

  Mom grinned, turning back around to face Dad; subconsciously, their hands met and clasped together. It instantly reminded me of holding Hunter’s hand, and a tiny bit of my smile returned. “Extra chipper then,” Mom added, gazing at Dad.