Dock: Nick and Dana
Red flags waved wildly around Dana. Whenever Sorin spoke of Andrei before, it was always with more . . . emotion. The look he would get in his eyes about the vampire was sweet, and Dana liked how it looked. The two shared a special connection that Sorin had sought. Now he shrugged and she worried that maybe things weren't right between Andrei and him.
Had going to college somehow distanced them? Dana's mind filled in the blanks unwittingly. His question about Leon though brought to mind the vampire who had been her first friend at the school. She still texted him from time to time to see how he was doing. The thought of him brought a smile to her face that radiated warmth the way the sand near the dock did.
"Yes, I do," she said, though it might seem strange for people to see her smiling at her missing him. But Dana knew that partings were not always permanent. "But we talk often. He tells me about college and how much he learns. He is most smart and would help me with math."
Dana bit gently against her bottom lip. "Sorin," she asked, "Did something happen with Andrei? Is that why you have been different?"