Chapter 45: Chapter 45

Her jaw dropped. She gaped at him, and her brain stopped working after it went in a slightly dangerous direction. “I… uh… what?”

Thankfully, Dorian arrived at the perfect moment to save her from her flustered and embarrassed state. He walked around the corner, looking puzzled.

“So you found him,” he mumbled, his gaze getting stuck on Ryder before it darted to Elena. “Is this how you court women nowadays? Taking off your clothes? It was different 100 years ago.” He scratched his chin, cocking his head. “Maybe it’s a new trend.”

“I invented it,” Ryder replied smugly. “And it’s working.”

“Hm, I should keep it in mind then,” Dorian nodded and continued walking down the hallway to his room. She stared after him in disbelief.

“You infected him with your weirdness,” she mumbled to Ryder.

“Just giving useful tips. You’re still flustered, buttercup.”

“I-I can’t help myself. Put on some clothes.”

“Want to assist me?”

“I’m going to lose my mind with you,” she said and turned her back on him, covering her burning cheeks with her hands. They were probably as red as they felt hot… Why was Ryder so intent on teasing—no, tormenting her?

The sly vampire was anything but done, however. She found out when his arms wrapped around her body and locked in front of her stomach. His bare chest brushed against her back. And she would be lying if she said it didn’t feel good.

“Do you still not want to shower with me?”

“Is that some weird obsession of yours?”

“It’s more like a habit,” he replied. She knew he was smirking by the tone of his voice. He shifted a little. Fabric grazed her legs.

“Oops, my towel fell,” he remarked. Her face looked like a tomato, and her damn mind went in the wrong direction once more. “Now would be the perfect moment to turn around, buttercup.”

She squeaked and covered her eyes with her hands. “YOU’RE NAKED,” she screamed loud enough for the entire clan to hear, refusing to turn around.

He chuckled and bent down to pick up the towel, tying it around his hips. “Alright, I get it. You don’t want to see the best part,” he snickered. “Maybe some other time.”

His hand ruffled her hair, and he walked past her in the direction of his own bathroom. She stared after him, thunderstruck and in complete disbelief at his attitude. A part of her wondered if she had only dreamed the past ten minutes. Something so insane couldn’t be real… could it?

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“I love the dress you picked! And I know Ryder will love it too,” Helen said as she walked next to Elena. They carried shopping bags, chattering while they headed towards the café on the other side of the street. “If you wear it on your next date, he won’t keep his eyes off of you.”

“Maybe I will,” Elena answered. She was in a good mood since this afternoon had been fun. Shopping with Helen was surprisingly entertaining. They had squished themselves into a changing room together and taken silly selfies wearing the clothes they had picked out. Elena’s picture folder was filled with hilarious photos. She wondered if she should send one to Ryder.

“So that’s the café you mentioned?” Helen asked once they reached their destination.

“Yes. They serve the best latte, and they have amazing cakes too. You should try their cheesecake.”

“I don’t think I ever had cheesecake,” Helen mumbled.

Elena’s eyes widened. Her jaw dropped. “What? You can’t be serious. You’re missing out,” she said and took her friend’s hand, leading her into the café. Someone did not particularly crowd it today, so they easily found a small table in the back where they had some privacy. Shimmering golden chandeliers hung from the ceiling, and the tables were decorated with little candles. A waitress took their orders as soon as they had a look at the menu.

“Looks very homey,” Helen commented while she gazed around. She leaned back in her seat. “It’s been a fun day. We should do this more often.”

“Gladly,” Elena smiled. She valued her friend’s advice when picking out new outfits, and it had been exciting to choose clothes for Helen, too. With her height, the vampire might as well be a model.

“I wonder what Ryder is doing right now,” Elena mumbled.

“Want to hear something cute about him?” Helen asked, leaning over the table. “Ryder talked to me before we left. He said not to tell you, but I think you deserve to know because it’s honestly so adorable. He was worried about you, and he demanded that I keep you safe today.”

“Sounds like him,” Elena answered, feeling slightly amused. “But you’re my friend and not my bodyguard.”

“Well, I understand his concern. Your kind is not as resolute as a vampire. It wouldn’t take much to hurt you. I don’t mind being your bodyguard for today,” Helen teased with a cheeky smile. “Elena, baby.”

Her friend sighed in exasperation. “No weird nicknames, please,” Elena grumbled. “I already got enough of those.”

“What do you mean?”

“Ryder made up a ton of nicknames for me since I moved in with you. Haven’t you noticed? Just when I think he runs out of ideas, he comes up with something new,” Elena answered. “Buttercup is his favorite.”

“He calls you buttercup?” Helen giggled. “I didn’t expect him to be so sweet. Before he met you, he was a serious person. He used to be worried about his soulmate being dead or unreachable.”

“Why would I be unreachable?” Elena wondered.

“Hmm… he hasn’t told you much about his past, has he? Perhaps you should ask him about it,” Helen suggested. “It’s not my place to tell you.”

“I know nothing about his past,” Elena frowned and gazed down. “It’s a little worrying, now that I think about it.”

“He must have his reasons,” Helen answered. “Don’t be concerned. I know he will tell you if you ask him to. I doubt he could say no to his buttercup.” An amused smile curled the vampire’s rosy lips, and Elena mirrored it.

“I wouldn’t be so sure about that. He is stubborn.”