She nodded, and we got in. Clay climbed into the back and stretched out so his head lay on the console between the two front seats. Rachel wasted no time backing out and leaving.
Halfway home, she pulled into a gas station. “Tonight’s an ice cream night. Be right back.” She jumped out and strode into the convenience station with the determination of a girl on a shopping spree.
Laying my head back, I sighed, and my hand found its way to Clay’s soft fur. I pet his head and ears. He exhaled loudly, but stayed still so I figured he didn’t mind. I was just glad he wasn’t rubbing in that it’d been a disaster of a night out.
I looked out the window, watched traffic zip past, and allowed myself just a small amount of self-pity. I’d wanted normal so badly. No werewolves. No second sight. No weird pull on men. Yet, I knew I would never be normal. I would never have a normal date. I kept trying to mold myself into something I could never be. Why?
Clay lifted his head under my hand, and I reigned in my emotions, knowing he could sense my melancholy.
“I’m fine,” I said as I met his gaze. “How are you doing?” He scooted forward to lay his head on my lap in response. Yeah, that was pretty much how I felt.
The door opened, startling us both.
“I got double fudge brownie for each of us,” Rachel said as she slid in behind the wheel and handed me the bag. “Sorry, Clay. Chocolate’s poison for dogs. None for you.”
She made me smile.
When we got home, I went straight to my room to change. Clay stayed with Rachel as she praised his good behavior and good sense to trip Scott when he’d started to follow us. No doubt, he’d get the other half of her burger before I finished. Tossing the shirt into the closet, I vowed never to wear it again and pulled on the comfortable clothes I slept in.
Shaking off my mood, I walked into the kitchen.
“Where’s my chocolate?”
Clay moved to my side, and I patted him again. I’d asked a lot of him tonight, and he deserved a real reward. He’d been surviving on sandwiches and leftovers from Rachel. Tomorrow, we’d go to the store, and I’d buy him a big steak.
Rachel handed me my pint with a spoon standing in it. She’d already dug into hers. After eating another spoonful with a blissful groan, she set her container of ice cream on the table.
“I’m going to go change. Want to watch a movie or something?” Rachel stripped out of her shirt on her way to her bedroom.
I looked at the wall clock and savored another spoonful of ice cream. It was only seven, but I was tired. I put the lid back on and tucked my container in the near empty freezer.
“What do you think?” I asked Clay, noting he watched me and not the striptease Rachel had unknowingly put on or the chocolate ice cream she’d left unguarded. “Stay up and watch a movie, or go to bed early? Lead the way.” I waved him forward, and he trotted through the living room to my room.
“Rach, we’re just going to go to bed early. ‘K?” I leaned against the wall in the living room, waiting for her answer.
“It’s okay. Go ahead,” she said, appearing again. She wore short shorts and a tank top for bed. “I won’t keep you up with a movie, will I?” She glided past me and flopped on the couch.
“I’m so tired I doubt anything will keep me from sleeping.”
“‘K. Night, Hun. Thanks for going with me even if it did suck,” she said, giving me a smile.
“Don’t worry about it. Night.” I walked into my room and closed the door behind me as she turned on the TV.
Clay lay on the foot of the bed, his usual spot. His head rested on his paws. He still had his eyes open.
“Thanks, Clay.” As I passed him, I stopped to kiss the top of his furry head. He made a funny grunt noise that made me smile. Probably his wolf version of “no problem.” I crawled under the covers and wiggled my feet under his body to the spot he’d already warmed.
I felt Clay relax a moment before he let out a gusty breath. He started to breathe deeply, and I tried to unwind as well. Going on a double date hadn’t turned out as badly as it could have.
Chapter 9
It was still dark when I woke. Not only dark, but also colder. The mild weather we’d enjoyed last night while eating outside had apparently fled with the sun. I nestled under the covers, trying to avoid the chill in the air. When I stretched my legs searching for Clay’s weighted warmth, I felt nothing. His spot was cool.
“Clay?”
My bedroom door creaked open, and he jumped up on the mattress, causing it to bounce. He settled on my feet, and his heat immediately warmed me.
“Thanks.”
Laying my head back down on the pillow, I burrowed deeper. The warm nights of summer, of sleeping with the window open, had retired for the year. Soon, going outside during the day would require a jacket. The thought was a little depressing. I didn’t really care for the cold.
I wanted to sleep a little longer and tried to close my eyes again but they popped back open on their own. Clearly awake, I knew I should really get out of bed and do something. Yet, the thought made me cringe...until I remembered I owed Clay for last night. This early, there’d be no one around outside, especially with this first cold snap. We needed to take advantage of the still above freezing weather and do something together. He’d like that.
“Hey, Clay. Wanna go get breakfast with me?”
With a sigh, he jumped back down off the bed.
“You could have said no,” I said with a soft laugh as I rolled out from under the covers.
Grabbing my clothes, I tiptoed to the bathroom. When I reemerged, Clay sat next to the back door, waiting patiently. I glanced at the car keys. Drive or walk? Walking would save money, and I enjoyed it.
“You up for a walk?” I kept my voice low since I didn’t want to wake Rachel.
The idea of walking outside with Clay before dawn made me smile. He looked like a beast. Any sane man would keep his distance. It would be vastly different from the heckling first walk I had taken to campus.
When he didn’t move away, I took that as affirmation and clipped on his leash, loosely looping it around his collar so I wouldn’t need to hold it. He turned to me with a questioning look.
“What? I’m following the law...you’re on a leash. Let’s go.”
I opened the door, and we soundlessly slipped outside. As expected, crisp air engulfed us, but the lack of wind made it tolerable. After pulling the hood up over my loose hair, I tucked my hands into the pockets of my hoodie and stepped off the porch, suspiciously testing the air to see if my breath clouded. Clay trudged next to me, still looking a little tired.
We walked in the direction of the campus, toward a small diner that was open all day, six days a week, closed Sundays. Well-known on campus, Ma’s Kitchen served good, cheap food for the perpetually broke college kid. With ten dollars in my pocket, I figured we could stuff ourselves before walking back home.
The sidewalks remained empty. Streetlights buzzed overhead. The soft scrape of Clay’s nails on the pavement comforted me, and I filled my lungs, relaxing. Very few cars passed us as we made our way from one pool of light to the next.
The walk to campus offered an eclectic array of buildings. Businesses jumbled in with residences. Some so close together their shadows merged, creating perfect places for hiding. But Clay’s calm presence allowed me to enjoy the walk without using my sight.
We strolled in companionable silence for a few minutes before I spoke up.
“So what do you like for breakfast? Oatmeal?” He laughed, and I smiled back. “Yeah, I was thinking you’re more a steak and eggs kinda guy.”