Chapter 80

Rowena

Eric’s wide blue eyes stared down at me for a moment, his broad frame practically blotting out the light streaming into the hallway through the large windows before I managed to collect my bearings.

“How’s your arm?” I blurted out, taking a step back and adjusting my satchel on my shoulder.

He blinked at me for a moment before he responded with a one-shouldered shrug. “It’s fine. Sore. But fine.”

“Don’t try to play tough,” I chided, reaching out to lightly touch his arm before thinking better of it—any contact between us was bound to gather some glances so soon after Heather and Dr. Reynolds had spread that rumor. “My office was allowed to reopen. Let me take a look.”

“Are you sure—”

“I said, let me take a look.”

A few heads turned our way as we began walking down the hall toward my office, but most people didn’t seem to bat an eye. Dr. Reynolds’s credibility had been destroyed ever since Eric had revealed those videos from what truly happened that night, and so no one was bothering to place any merit behind the rumors.

Once we reached my office, I unlocked the door—surprisingly grateful to have this little utility closet back—and gestured to the exam table. “Take a seat.”

Eric did as he was told, shrugging off his jacket so I could inspect the bandaged wound on his arm. I worked in silence for a few minutes, carefully unwrapping the gauze.

“Well, it doesn’t seem to have gotten infected so far,” I said, carefully inspecting the wound. “But it’s definitely a bite. I’m sure you already know that.”

Eric clenched his jaw and looked away, but he didn’t need to give me an answer—I had known that it was a bite already, no matter how much he tried to hide it. Sighing, I slipped my small pen light out of my pocket.

“I want to check your pupillary response,” I explained, flicking on the flashlight and shining it into first one eye, then the other. “Unresponsive pupils can be an early sign of Wolf’s Fury.”

Eric flinched at the brightness, but his pupils contracted normally in response to the light. Upon seeing that, a bit of tension bled out of my shoulders.

“Well, that’s a good sign at least,” I said, clearing my throat. “But I want you to put this ointment on it three times a day and keep an eye out for any symptoms. If you start to feel weird—even the tiniest bit off—come to me.”

The faintest hint of a smile played at the corners of Eric’s lips as I pressed the bottle of antibiotic ointment into his hand. “Yes, Doctor.”

I felt heat rush into my cheeks and looked away, busying myself with jotting down some notes. We fell into a comfortable silence as I worked, but I still could feel the weight of his stare against me even with my back turned.

Finally, he cleared his throat. “Can I ask you something, Rowena?”

I glanced up to find him slipping his jacket back on. “What is it?”

“Why did you turn Adrian down like that? In the hallway, I mean.” He paused, seemingly choosing his words carefully. “It was… unexpected, to say the least. You’ve been chasing after him for ages now, and now it seems like he’s the one doing the chasing.”

My cheeks burned at the reminder of how pathetic I had been before, chasing after a guy who had never actually cared about me and was just using me for his own gain. I avoided Eric’s eyes as I secured a fresh bandage over his wound.

“I’m just… done, I guess.” I sighed, slumping back against my stool. “Done being the nerdy little girl who lets guys like Adrian walk all over her. He really hurt me with that stunt he pulled, and I’m tired of making excuses for selfish jackasses.”

When I finally looked up, Eric was watching me with an unmistakable glint of pride in his eyes.

“Good for you, Rowena. You deserve so much better than that asshole.”

I couldn’t help the way my lips curved into a small smile at his words. We simply stared at each other for a long moment after that, each of us unsure as to what to say next.

Suddenly, I was struck by how drained Eric looked—his tan skin looked ashy and there were faint shadows under his eyes. Concern quickly replaced the warmth in my chest.

“Are you sure you’re feeling alright?” I asked hesitantly. “You seem… I don’t know. Really tired lately.”

Eric’s expression shifted slightly and he dropped his gaze to his hands, shaking his head. “It’s just been a crazy few days, that’s all. I’ll be okay.”

I watched him carefully for a moment before swallowing. “Well, why don’t we do something fun this weekend then? To take our minds off everything?”

His eyes snapped up to meet mine, wide with surprise. “Like what?”

“I don’t know…” I shrugged, feeling oddly shy all of a sudden. “Maybe we could go to that arcade downtown? Get some games and junk food in? We could even make it a double date with Emma and her boyfriend if you wanted.”

Eric’s eyes widened, but then his brow furrowed slightly. “It wouldn’t technically be a double date for us, Rowena.”

I waved a dismissive hand although the reminder that we were siblings still hurt in ways I didn’t want to admit. “That’s not what I meant. I just want to hang out with you, that’s all. It feels like we haven’t gotten to do much of that lately.”

For a few moments, Eric didn’t respond and I thought he might tell me that he couldn’t make it, or that it would be a bad idea. And honestly, I wouldn’t have blamed him. After everything that had happened between us, after all the rumors…

Maybe the two of us going out in public would not only raise more suspicions, but would also make it even more difficult for us to restrain ourselves.

But I just couldn’t help it. It was like there was this deep, instinctual need to be near him—as if being apart felt like I was missing a limb, my right hand.

I let out a small breath of relief when I saw a grin slowly spread across Eric’s face, crinkling the corners of his eyes in that way that made my stomach flip no matter how hard I tried to make it stop.

“You know what?” he asked, nodding. “You’re right. It’s a date, then.”

I blushed, quickly turning away to busy myself with shuffling more papers around—as though that would somehow make me appear more nonchalant and not utterly sheepish at my own brother’s presence. “So, um… tonight? I’ll invite Emma and Liam?”

Eric cleared his throat behind me, and I heard the sound of him sliding down off the exam table. I saw his shadow move across the wall as he crossed over to the door, and when I finally dared to turn, he was standing in the doorway with his hand on the doorknob.

“Yeah,” he said, shooting me a nod over his shoulder. “I’ll pick you up tonight.”