Page 41 of Running from Drac

She shoots him a confused look, tears spilling down her cheeks, face redder than a raspberry. “Even you’re against me?”

He shakes his head. “I’m not going to let you sit here and attack my son for not giving you what you want, Pippa. The boy has told you that he’s in love with his girlfriend, whatever has happened between you two is in the past, and you need to get over it. Face it. He doesn’t want you.”

Her face reddens as she takes a step back. “I hate you,” she seethes, her glare slicing through me. “I hate you for making me feel this way.”

“I’m sorry, Pippa, I really am, but I can’t help how I feel or who I love.”

An eerie smile slithers its way across her face. “It’s fine,” she says in a calm almost condescending tone. “But If I can’t have you, no one will.”

“What the hell is that supposed to mean?”

She shrugs, smiling smugly. “Just expect your perfect little relationship to explode very soon, Eddie. Mark my words… It’s now my mission to make your life a living hell. Just you wait and see. You’ll fucking rue the day you ever picked her over me.” She quickly retreats to her car, both glaring and sobbing at the same time.

My father and I share a similar concerned look before he says, “Be careful with that one, Son. I have a bad feeling that she’s about to fuck up your whole world.”

A nervous shiver works its way down my spine as she speeds down the driveway, fully anticipating what’s coming. If she doesn’t go home and immediately tell Amber about whathappened between us, I’ll be surprised. But what scares me the most is Pippa is a master of manipulation. She’s calculated and conniving. There’s nothing that woman won’t do to get her way.

I have to be prepared.

I have to be on alert.

If Pippa’s going to do something to me, it’s going to be later on, when I’m comfortable and I least expect it.

I just have to be fucking ready for anything, or do the noble thing and tell Amber everything before it’s too late.

Yeah… I think I’m better off preparing for Pippa’s revenge, because I know anything else will just result in another breakup.

Chapter Thirteen

Amber

It’s been nearly a month since Eddie and I got back together, but everything still feels unstable. Pippa hasn’t spoken to me since the night she went off on me. No texts. No glances. Not even one of her usual passive-aggressive jabs. The silence is driving me mad, but there’s no point in confronting her, not when I see the hatred burning in her eyes every time I speak. I’ve tried to get it out of Poppy why she’s been so hateful lately, but she won’t tell me anything. She just shrugs and says, “She’s going through stuff,” before changing the subject. No matter what, the twins will always have each other’s back, and I’ll be the odd woman out.

Eddie, on the other hand, has been trying. Really trying. He treats me like I matter again. He’s softer and more attentive, like he’s racing to patch the cracks before they deepen. He reminds me of the boy who once made my world spin with nothing but a smile and a quiet hello. I want to believe it’s real. I want it badly enough to let the tension with Pippa sink into oblivion,even though it’s never really gone. It’s like she’s just holding her breath for the moment she can say, “I told you so,” as the world crashes and burns around me, roasting damn marshmallows on the aftermath like she’s at summer camp or something

“I can’t believe it’s already been five years,” I say dreamily, losing my thoughts to memories of our past. His fingers lock with mine, his thumb brushing soft-loving strokes over the back of my hand.

This is nice.

Perfect even.

“Did you enjoy your Christmas?” he asks, adjusting so we fit better in the seat together. Both of us are squished in my car, our heavy jackets taking up more room than it should in the small space. We were going to go for a walk, but once the two of us felt the frigid night breeze, we decided to stay in the car and talk instead. I can’t remember the last time we’ve done something like this.

“It was good. I enjoyed spending time with your parents. Your mom is such a trip sometimes.”

He laughs. “She’s definitely a free spirit, that’s for sure. Seeing your mom was good as well.”

He’s lying. Nobody likes spending time with my mom, not since my dad died. She’s a negative person, one that brings everyone down around her—a true Negative Nancy, if you will. She’s been pretty absent from my life since I graduated. Her two favorite things are booze and recreational drugs, sometimes dabbling in the hard stuff just for shits and giggles.

It’s really sad. Her life has been a constant downward spiral that I want no part of. I only see her on the holidays, and she’s lucky I even bought her a present this year—one she didn’t even appreciate. All I got was a “thanks for the gift” as she threw it on her couch, a half-hearted hug after, and an offer of already drank booze as an afterthought because she forgot to buy me a presentagain. I immediately turned my nose at it before Eddie and I booked it out of there.

At least he tried to make it seem like he enjoyed seeing my mother.

“You’re a good liar.”

The most adorable half dimple appears in his cheek before he moves me on top of him. “Enough about your mom. Let’s talk about us instead.”

“Us?”