Vulnerable: Book 1 of the Magic Mutations Series | ?

6: Bittersweet Beginning

I liked how warm his palm was against mine.

"What's going on here?" I finally asked after we had strolled in silence for a while, the tension making the air almost as warm as the weather last week.

Head slightly ducked, a light blush on his face, he mumbled, "I'm not sure... But I like it."

Wary I may only have moments with him again to get the answers I sought, I moved on from the joy I wanted to relish in and asked my next question instead. "What did you mean about your life being complicated? Tell me about it."

"Olivia..." the way he pronounced my name, full of his British inflections, sent chills down my spine. The good kind. "Can we have that conversation another day, please?"

I frowned at him, unsure what to say.

"One week," he bargained. "Spend one week with me, talking about all the lighthearted details. Then... I'll tell you everything."

I came to a stop, our still-joined hands jolting him to a halt.

"What?"

"Are you married?" I asked.

He laughed. "No. Definitely not."

"Dating someone?"

"Negative."

"Have a terminal illness?"

"Thankfully not. I am in good health."

My eyebrows furrowed. What could it be? "You have a child?"

Almost reluctantly, he admitted in a hushed tone, "I've never dated anyone before."

"Excuse me?" I asked back, sure I had heard wrong.

"I've never had a girlfriend."

"Like a proper one?"

"Like proper or improper."

"So always friends with benefits?"

"Not even that."

I eyed him, quizzically.

Is this some fun game of his? Lure women into thinking he's some pure, innocent man and then kills them? Is that the secret?

But while I tried to doubt him, that pull from within me shook all the thoughts away, screaming at me that he was telling the truth and meant well. "But you've... Y'know..."

"Had sex?" he asked bluntly.

Warmth spread across my face. "Yeah..."

"No. I've never even kissed a girl."

I immediately dropped his hand and took a step back.

Hurt echoed in his gaze.

"How old are you?" I whispered before glancing around at the passersby, wary if any of them were police.

It didn't go unnoticed by him judging by the smirk he adopted. "About 19?"

My eyes narrowed. About? "Can you prove that?"

He fished in his bag, pulling out his wallet and handing me his national identity card. It read:

Cross, Benjamin.

Sex: M

Nationality: British citizen

Date of birth: 5 June, 1998

Place of birth: London

I frowned, handing him back his ID.

"Something displease you?" he asked.