Page 33
Story: Ache For Her
She chuckled and smiled, but the thought of it still repulsed me. I didn’t care how she tried to spin things, the idea of vampires wasn’t something I could easily get past even if the ones they fed from were willing donors. I shrugged. “I don’t think Simon would ever stop.”
Kayleigh didn’t answer. She turned away and stared straight ahead again. I took that as agreeing with what I said without actually forming the words. What was her aim in all this? Did she actually want me to stay with Simon? She said herself that she didn’t even like him.
“Galen said he just needs someone like me…”What was her point?
I supposed I could be a reminder of his humanity. For all the terrifying things he did, though, it seemed highly unlikely he had much left. Most of all, I didn’t think I could get past those things. It was time to start thinking with my head and not just all about myself, and my whims, and wants. I was older now. If anything, this was teaching me that it was time to start caring for myself. Grandpa wasn’t the person I thought he was. I could go off and live on my own.
I could support myself if I had to. I’d gotten myself out of this mess, hadn’t I?
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Chapter Fifteen
Delilah
Kayleigh rented a car at the train station and drove me straight to the front door of my grandfather’s house. She wanted to get out of the car and walk with me up to the house, but I told her not to. My grandfather didn’t like strangers near his things. She wouldn’t have even made it inside the house, anyway. She would’ve been turned away at the front door.
“Are you sure?” she asked again. She dipped her head low and looked out the window. She’d spoken to Galen a dozen different times on the last half of the trip. If I didn’t know any better, I’d say that the fiercest vampire of them all was genuinely worried about her, and he asked a lot of questions about me too from what I could hear.
“I’ll be fine,” I told her. “Listen, um, don’t tell anyone where I live, okay?” I asked. It wouldn’t matter because I was already determined to move out and find my own life, but just in case anyone came snooping. Simon already knew where I lived, but I also didn’t think I’d have to worry about him anymore. He wouldn’t come back for me at least, that much I was sure of.
“No problem,” Kayleigh said. “You don’t have to worry about us. We prefer to stick to ourselves, anyway. Now, Simon, I don’t know. Once he gets something in his head, it’s hard for him to get it out.”
“My grandfather?” I asked. I looked up at the house. I knew already that the guards would be assembling, scoping out the strange car parked near the driveway. I’d have to go in soon before they came out.
“And you.”
My head whipped around to stare at her. “I don’t think that will be a problem.”
“I think if you wanted it to it could be.”
I shook my head. What was she? Some sort of vampire matchmaker? No, I was done with this conversation, and I was done with this whole terrible episode of my life. “Look, the only good thing that came out of all this is that I finally realized something. My life’s on me to make it what I want it to be. I’d been too dependent on my grandfather, a man who may not even care. That’s all I want to take out of this.”
I pushed the door open and started to get out, but Kayleigh grabbed my hand. “Take care, Delilah.”
A shiver ran through me. She must’ve noticed because she pulled her grip from mine. I turned around, giving her a half smile. As vampires went, she was pretty cool even if her skin was ice cold. “I will.” I got out of the car and shut the door behind me.
That was the last time I’d ever think about vampires again. That would be my saving grace.
I went up to the gate. A guard peeked around the corner. His eyes rounded when he saw me. “Lilah?”
Nodding, I ran my hands through my hair and touched my face, knowing that I probably looked like shit. I never would’ve been caught dead going out of the house like this before.
He put the code into the computer and the gate opened. His hand still on the gun in his side pocket, he put his arm around me. “We thought you were dead.”
“Dead?” I asked, my body involuntarily shivering. I couldn’t tell if it was because of what he’d said or if it was because he was touching me, and it felt nothing like when Simon did.
“Yeah. With Ronnie dead in your room and your grandfather refusing to talk about it….well, we all just assumed.”
“Well, I’m alive,” I told him, itching to get his hands off me.
He looked at me from the corner of his eye, his gaze moving down me slowly. I could only imagine what he was thinking. That I only looked remotely alive.
How did he not know what had happened to me? The audio and video Simon sent… None of this made sense.
“Let’s get you inside,” he said. “I bet your grandfather will be so happy to see you.”
My stomach churned. I wasn’t so sure about that. Maybe it was a misunderstanding. Maybe he did think I was dead…but still, wouldn’t he have tried to find out? And there was still the issue of Simon sending the video of me clearly alive. Simon said my grandfather had gotten it, but maybe he hadn’t…
Kayleigh didn’t answer. She turned away and stared straight ahead again. I took that as agreeing with what I said without actually forming the words. What was her aim in all this? Did she actually want me to stay with Simon? She said herself that she didn’t even like him.
“Galen said he just needs someone like me…”What was her point?
I supposed I could be a reminder of his humanity. For all the terrifying things he did, though, it seemed highly unlikely he had much left. Most of all, I didn’t think I could get past those things. It was time to start thinking with my head and not just all about myself, and my whims, and wants. I was older now. If anything, this was teaching me that it was time to start caring for myself. Grandpa wasn’t the person I thought he was. I could go off and live on my own.
I could support myself if I had to. I’d gotten myself out of this mess, hadn’t I?
OceanofPDF.com
Chapter Fifteen
Delilah
Kayleigh rented a car at the train station and drove me straight to the front door of my grandfather’s house. She wanted to get out of the car and walk with me up to the house, but I told her not to. My grandfather didn’t like strangers near his things. She wouldn’t have even made it inside the house, anyway. She would’ve been turned away at the front door.
“Are you sure?” she asked again. She dipped her head low and looked out the window. She’d spoken to Galen a dozen different times on the last half of the trip. If I didn’t know any better, I’d say that the fiercest vampire of them all was genuinely worried about her, and he asked a lot of questions about me too from what I could hear.
“I’ll be fine,” I told her. “Listen, um, don’t tell anyone where I live, okay?” I asked. It wouldn’t matter because I was already determined to move out and find my own life, but just in case anyone came snooping. Simon already knew where I lived, but I also didn’t think I’d have to worry about him anymore. He wouldn’t come back for me at least, that much I was sure of.
“No problem,” Kayleigh said. “You don’t have to worry about us. We prefer to stick to ourselves, anyway. Now, Simon, I don’t know. Once he gets something in his head, it’s hard for him to get it out.”
“My grandfather?” I asked. I looked up at the house. I knew already that the guards would be assembling, scoping out the strange car parked near the driveway. I’d have to go in soon before they came out.
“And you.”
My head whipped around to stare at her. “I don’t think that will be a problem.”
“I think if you wanted it to it could be.”
I shook my head. What was she? Some sort of vampire matchmaker? No, I was done with this conversation, and I was done with this whole terrible episode of my life. “Look, the only good thing that came out of all this is that I finally realized something. My life’s on me to make it what I want it to be. I’d been too dependent on my grandfather, a man who may not even care. That’s all I want to take out of this.”
I pushed the door open and started to get out, but Kayleigh grabbed my hand. “Take care, Delilah.”
A shiver ran through me. She must’ve noticed because she pulled her grip from mine. I turned around, giving her a half smile. As vampires went, she was pretty cool even if her skin was ice cold. “I will.” I got out of the car and shut the door behind me.
That was the last time I’d ever think about vampires again. That would be my saving grace.
I went up to the gate. A guard peeked around the corner. His eyes rounded when he saw me. “Lilah?”
Nodding, I ran my hands through my hair and touched my face, knowing that I probably looked like shit. I never would’ve been caught dead going out of the house like this before.
He put the code into the computer and the gate opened. His hand still on the gun in his side pocket, he put his arm around me. “We thought you were dead.”
“Dead?” I asked, my body involuntarily shivering. I couldn’t tell if it was because of what he’d said or if it was because he was touching me, and it felt nothing like when Simon did.
“Yeah. With Ronnie dead in your room and your grandfather refusing to talk about it….well, we all just assumed.”
“Well, I’m alive,” I told him, itching to get his hands off me.
He looked at me from the corner of his eye, his gaze moving down me slowly. I could only imagine what he was thinking. That I only looked remotely alive.
How did he not know what had happened to me? The audio and video Simon sent… None of this made sense.
“Let’s get you inside,” he said. “I bet your grandfather will be so happy to see you.”
My stomach churned. I wasn’t so sure about that. Maybe it was a misunderstanding. Maybe he did think I was dead…but still, wouldn’t he have tried to find out? And there was still the issue of Simon sending the video of me clearly alive. Simon said my grandfather had gotten it, but maybe he hadn’t…