“What’s wrong, Reed?” Amaia asked when he did not respond.

Suddenly, pain was written in his eyes. She knew how devastating Reed’s family life was but this time, Amaia felt different. It was as if a new kind of pain was brought out from his memory.

Amaia’s heart twinged. Suddenly, she was feeling guilty. Did she ask the wrong question?

“I-I’m sorry, Reed. I did not mean to...” Amaia was uncertain if she still had the right to go near him right at that moment.

“Hey, I thought you’re starving,” Reed said. He tried to cover up the bitterness in his eyes with a smile. “We have the whole day to spend together, Amaia. We both need energy.”

***

“DON’T you get bored being with me, Amaia?” Reed asked.

Amaia stared at Reed in amusement. They were in his jeep on the way to Pasing’s place just as they promised.

“What kind of question is that, Reed?” she asked with a cackle.

“You were a party girl back in the city. In fact, I saw you at the bar. You said you are here for vacation yet here you are, keeping up with me and my boring routine.”

Amaia shifted on her seat and looked at Reed with narrowed eyes.

“Now that you’ve mentioned it, let me ask you. What is your impression of me, Reed? When you first saw me at the bar,” she said.

Reed swallowed while his eyes are still focused on the road.

“Do you want to hear the truth?” he said.

“Uhuh,” she said with a nod and bit her lip.

Reed glanced at her. Then a shy smile curved his lips.

“You were so hot, Amaia.”

“And?” Her eyebrow raised in anticipation.

“And you’ll never like me.”

“What made you say that?” Amaia asked with a giggle.

“Because you’re too young for me. And you’re too beautiful, too. We are so much different.”

“Then maybe those are the exact reasons why I am drawn to you, Reed. We are total opposites!”

Reed glanced at her once again and smiled shyly. He should smile a lot. He looked youthful and even more good-looking.

“I’ve never met someone like you before, Reed. As I’ve said on the night you saved me, I really believe that we are destined to meet each other.”

“I’m about to believe the same thing,” Reed said with a chuckle.

Amaia found herself giggling once again.

***

“SO AMAIA’S not joining us for dinner again,” Amira said. “She must be totally smitten with that werewolf guy.”

“I told you Amaia is in love,” Amira said with a giggle and started eating her favorite salad.

“By the way, how’s everything going on between you and your nymph lover? Did you not meet him yesterday? When are you taking things to the next level?” Then Amara started eating.

“Everything is fine between me and Damien. We get along together even without a label,” Amira said meaningfully. “And you should start dating real human beings.”

“Damien is not even human.”

“I mean the living ones. He’s either an ordinary mortal man or a supernatural being just like us.”

“I don’t think I have to find one. If someone comes along, I’ll think about it,” Amara replied with a shrug.

Amira shook her head in surrender.