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“Shit.”

“Yeah. I live across the street now, and Leslie lives across town.”

“
Well, I have to head down to the PT. She’s worried about my toes apparently, she doesn’t know… so I get to struggle with that question. Do I tell her?”

“Will they kick you out?”

“Maybe.” He sucked on his bottom lip. “A dancer was kicked out of ABT for it just last month…so if you could both put in a good word with Tristan.” He snickered as he pushed from the wall.

“Your secret’s safe with me,” Leslie managed to giggle out between sniffs.

“There’s the Leslie I know and love. For a second there I thought you two had swapped bodies. I’ll see you two tonight, seven-ish?” We nodded and Garrett disappeared down the hall.

“Thank you.” Leslie smiled at me.

“For all of the times you’ve listened to me cry, it was nice to be able to return the favor. And you’ll do fine. The Royal Ballet wouldn’t have written multiple times if you weren’t good enough to be a Principal.”

We—Garrett, Leslie, and I—stayed at the theater practicing until 2 am. I was little help other than using my soundtrack and DVD to help Leslie see the motions. From where I sat in the room, she didn’t seem like shit at all, she was actually really good. Both of them ended up spending the night.

“Thanks so much, I couldn’t make it home. I’m exhausted
,” Garrett groaned out as he walked passed me. “Holy fuck… this is a lot nicer than your last place.”

“Thank you. Do you guys need anything?” I asked as I locked the door and stepped into my nice shiny taupe brick and granite kitchen.

“Food?” Leslie snickered as she opened my refrigerator. “You have nothing in here…”

“I… haven’t had a chance to go shopping yet.” I confessed pursing my lips as I reached into the fridge around her and grabbed two protein shakes. A case of those little cartons of protein shakes was the only thing
in my fridge. “I do have this if you want it.” I held the small carton out to her and she took it. “Garrett?” I asked as he snuggled up on my modular sofa and pulled my throw around him.

“No… just sleep
,” He growled out.

“Alright, I’ll get pillows. If you need
anything, don’t be afraid to ask.” I called over my shoulder as I padded across the glossy wooden floor to the linen closet. I pulled out the extra pillows and blanket.

“Autumn, come sleep out here with us.” Leslie patted next to her on the couch as I tossed the pillows and blankets between them.

“I guess… Aleksi’s going to be here pretty
early, though.”

“You two are still together?” Garrett asked groggily.

“Yeah.”

“I haven’t seen you even check your texts all night.” Garrett’s words made me blink and my eyes shoot to my feet.

“W-we…”

“Dating a vampire isn’t like dating a
human
or a werewolf. They can be cold without meaning to be. Like how Tristan didn’t say anything because he thought it was a given that I knew I was doing well.” Leslie beamed as she pulled the blanket around her. I wandered back into my bedroom and grabbed my blanket and a pillow before returning to find the television on and Netflix up, Leslie was flipping through the movies. I turned off the lights and sunk into the couch between them. Garrett shifted immediately and put his head on my shoulder and Leslie also leaned on me as I relaxed against the back of the couch. It felt familiar, good familiar and I was out like a light.

“Look at the mirror.” The voice was familiar, but at the same time foreign. But I did as that masculine voice said, nothing stared back. The surface of the mirror was distorted. “Now look through the mirror. You can give yourself a vision whenever you want to. Maria could, so you can.”

“Vlad,” I breathed his name and the room came into focus. It was like a little cell with wrought iron bars and nothing but a mirror on the wall.

“You’re stronger than you look.” I felt his smile before I saw it. He came into focus for me slowly, he did look a lot like Aleksi. They had the same surreal eyes and dark hair, their lips were similar as well, but his face was lined and far rougher. Aleksi’s face had a quality to it that made it no surprise that his mother had been a French prostitute. His bone structure was fine and almost feminine, he teetered on the line between Pretty and Handsome. Vlad was just handsome, he looked like you’d expect a king to look, regal and imposing.

“Are…are
you r-really here?” I swallowed, and his response was a nod.

“You need to look for Gregory, and you need to find him before the envoys arrive.”

“H-how do you—“

I gasped awake, my dream shattered like glass on concrete leaving me feeling lop-sided. I looked outside, it was just barely light out. The warmth from Leslie and Garrett was almost suffocating. I heard a key in my lock and with a groan I wriggled out of their grasps and turned off the television. The door opened and in walked Aleksi looking perfect as always and carrying a brown bag with the diner’s logo on it.

“Good morning, Beautiful,” He purred as he took his sunglasses off and pulled me into his arms. “I got you and Leslie breakfast. A Zucchini bread muffin and a banana for you, and a spinach egg white omelet for Leslie.” He brandished the bag and walked to the kitchen, not mentioning a word about Garrett. Even for the new more thoughtful Aleksi this was odd. I watched as he arranged the food on plates, he couldn’t stand the noise Styrofoam made.

Then, just as I thought he was handling things like an adult he opened up the refrigerator, took out one of my protein shakes and threw it Garrett’s head. The carton landed perfectly in the center of the blonde’s forehead and with a loud growl he woke up gazing around the room suspiciously. He attempted to jump off of the couch when he saw Aleksi and instead tripped. The loud thud of his body hitting the floor woke Leslie up, and she laughed almost uproariously at him. Even I giggled behind my hand, the only one not laughing was Aleksi—even Garrett chimed in after a while.

“Heh, thanks, Aleksi.”

“Don’t mention it
,
” Aleksi retorted with transparent sarcasm. He then pushed the small plate towards me. “Eat.” I obliged him as I did in all things, picking apart the muffin. “Evan and Tristan want us on stage today after the morning class. Which means,
Dearest Autumn, you can’t come watch us today.” He leaned forward and kissed my forehead.

“It’s fine, I h-have errands to run.” After I finished he reached for me, and I stepped away and froze. His head tilted to the side and Leslie snatched her plate up from the breakfast bar in front of him distracting him momentarily.

“Come to the bedroom
,” he directed as he stepped away from me and walked out of the room. Leslie didn’t look up from her eggs, but Garrett actually seemed upset. I started to follow.

“And you’re just going to follow him? Most people call their dogs with more love, Autumn.” Garrett’s words sliced through the room and I paused for a moment before I decided to ignore him and head on my way.

“Your big f
at jealous ass is showing again,” I heard Leslie tease Garrett as I stepped into my bedroom and closed the door behind me.

Aleksi was seated on my bed, there was something almost sad about the set of his features. His lips were pulled into more than his natural frown. Staring at him was like looking at a fine sculpture, he was living art even in his jeans and jacket.

“Last night lying in bed alone, I realized we hadn’t said a word to each other in hours. I know for us it isn’t anything new but staring at the ceiling I realized I wanted you beside me. I wanted to know what you were doing, if you were
safe, if you were thinking of me. I couldn’t bring myself to actually text you, but… I still barely slept checking my phone all night.” He laughed nervously. “What I’m saying is that it’s starting to feel like I’m trying to pull you in while you’re pulling away. In the kitchen, when you just pulled away… that hurt. I didn’t expect it to, but it did. I’m trying, Autumn.”

“I—”
Knock. Knock. Knock.

“We’re going across the street, it’s eight fifteen. You guys have an hour and fifteen before class.” Leslie called through the door. I kept quiet until her footsteps disappeared.

“I know.” I sat on the bed beside him.

“But do you really want me like that? Anyone else would be ecstatic that you would want them for their body alone, but…” He shook his head. “You’re making me feel like a whore
.” Because we’re using him for sex.
My mouth hung open
. Shut it, before you catch a fly.
I closed my mouth. Was I? My brows furrowed and I fell into a shocked silence. I ran my fingers back through my hair and smoothed my bangs. Back were the nervous ticks I had seemingly shaken since coming into my power. I didn’t know what to say. I didn’t think I was, but Miss Manners certainly did.

“Aleksi… I… I…” I shook my head.

“We meet every morning, you feed me and we fuck. Then you come with me to class and you sit in on rehearsals but you don’t say anything… and at the end of the day we go our separate ways. I had more conversation with Kendra. We haven’t spoken on a weekend in two now because I stopped texting you first.”
You have become a horrible person without me, congratulations
.
He checked his watch. “Shit, I’ve gotta head across the street.” He wet his lips. “Tonight?”

“Yeah, I-I…I’ll be here… why does this feel like
th-the… the beginning of the end?”

I didn’t get an answer, he turned and looked at me with a weak smile before leaving the room. The carefully closed door sounded with all of the decibels of an atomic bomb going off. I collapsed bonelessly backward onto the bed and sighed heavily. Was I using him?

Needless to say, while I ran my errands, I blew up
Leslie’s phone with text messages like a sixteen-year-old who found out their crush might like them. I had sent a total of thirty-six before I got a reply at one when I was on my way back from the bank.

[In break now]
She texted me. I paused at the crosswalk and stared at my phone for a moment.

[I need to meet you NOW!!]

[have hr c u @ diner]
The phone buzzed back, causing me to sprint down into the subway station. I managed to catch the train and make it to the diner within fifteen minutes of getting the text.

The diner was packed as always during lunch, but still Leslie got our usual corner booth. In front of her was water with a lemon wedge and in front of opposite her was water with a slice of cucumber—my friend knew me well. My friend also looked exhausted. Her bun had fallen into a ponytail that was even starting to slip out of its elastic, and there were definite sweat marks on her pink tank top. Still she furrowed her brows when she looked up at me.

“Hey what happened?” Her voice was soft. Did she know?
Probably she did just spend the last few hours being carried around by Aleksi.

“I…” I started and shook my head sinking into the booth. “Am I a bad person?” She blinked at my question and shook her head.

“
No. You’re one of the nicest people I know, Aut.”

“When Aleksi took me into the bedroom…” I grew silent and sipped my cucumber water. “He…h-he…he accused me of using him for sex.”

Leslie immediately started coughing and for a few minutes was rendered completely mute as she attempted to catch her breath.

“I’m sorry. I thought you said he accused you, Autumn Sadie Darling, of using him for sex. Clearly I’m having auditory hallucinations.”

“Unfortunately y-you’re not…
aaaaand”—I sighed and wet my lips—“I think I am.”

“Wow.”

“I don’t want to be. It wasn’t even a conscious thing…he’s just r-really good at it.”
And now you’ve completed the transformation. What would your mother say? How unladylike you’ve become.

“Do you still love him?”

“Yes…I mean I think I do.
I h-haven’t been talking to him, though. He’s trying t-to open…open up to me and I’m sh-shutting him out,” I stammered out. I smoothed my skirt across my thighs not once, not twice, but three times and picked at the hem. Leslie didn’t answer me, the waitress came over and we ordered, but after that silence settled back in and Leslie shifted uncomfortably.

“You know we’ve been through a lot, and I bet you’re probably just in shock over the whole explosion thing. I am a little, that and being shadowed by the guards all the time doesn’t help.” She sighed and shook her head. “From what I’ve heard about Aleksi and what I’ve noticed working with him these last few weeks—he doesn’t open up for anyone. Colette says it’s because he’s Russian and all Russians are heartless. I think he’s forced himself to not feel this whole time. I mean… I can see the merit of it being in the world we’re in. But the fact that he’s trying for you—that means a lot. So you should probably decide whether or not you really want to be with him. Because,
you’re being a dick.”

“I want him.”

“Honey, most people with eyes want him. It’s not the same as wanting to be with him.” The waitress brought our food and I stared down at my salmon salad. Leslie only got a house salad which I thought was
strange until I remembered she was back on stage for rehearsals after this. “It’s really a no-brainer, Autumn. Either you want to be with him in a relationship or you just want him as a booty-call. I’ve known you for years and you’ve never struck me as the booty-call type. Not now, and not ever.”

“So how’s rehearsal going?”