Page 66 of This Blood That Binds Us

“I, uh. I’m sorry about earlier. Truth be told, I don’t even like showing my brothers that side of me, so I feel weird that you had to see that.”

“Oh. Please don’t feel that way. It’s nothing to be ashamed of. I understand.”

He laughed nervously and rubbed his neck. “I’m glad you feel that way. Maybe, someday, I will, too. Thanks for being so cool.”

“Well, thanks for.. .raising your brothers to be the way they are. You’ve done a pretty good job. I’m sure you’ve dealt with a lot. It’s not easy being the example, I’m sure.”

His eyes lit up, and a huge grin spread from ear to ear. “That’s probably the best compliment I’ve gotten in a long time. Thank you. Glad to have you around.. .I gotta go check on everyone, but you’re riding with us, right?”

I nodded, and Luke disappeared toward the car as I waited for Aaron.

The night’s events repeated in my head. I couldn’t shake the feeling I had forgotten something important, but I couldn’t put my finger on it. I thought of the look on Danny’s face and how strange his behavior had been, then went back to Presley. Presley knew my secret. I had to warn Aaron as soon as possible.

After a few minutes, Aaron was done talking to Chelsea, and we walked toward the car. Aaron was oddly quiet.

“Presley knows,” I said. “He knows I know you’re a vampire.”

Aaron went to open his mouth, and I continued. “It slipped out. He tricked me, and it doesn’t matter. He knows, but he promised not to tell.”

Aaron sighed, and the car was fast approaching.

“Well, that’s not good because Presley is notoriously bad at keeping secrets.”

“There she is!” Presley jumped with a beer bottle in his hand. “Guys, I found her! I found her.”

The alcohol must have finally caught up to him. Luke put his hand over Presley’s mouth to keep him from talking further.

“Yeah, Pres, we see her.” Zach groaned. He sat on the hood of the car and ran his hands through his hair before taking a pack of cigarettes from his pocket.

“Can you get off the car so we can go?” Aaron snapped. His shoulders were rigid as he struggled to pull the keys from his pocket.

“Here we go.” Zach took a drag of a cigarette. “What is it now?”

“Did you have to cause a huge scene like that?” Aaron said.

“I didn’t cause a huge scene. The people trying to beat Presley to a bloody pulp did.”

“Bloody.” Presley snickered in his own little world.

“Yeah, I know, but do you always have to come in and do the thing where you walk around like some psychotic asshole?” Aaron said.

Zach groaned. “Please. Spare me. I don’t want to hear your holier-than-thou monolog today.”

Aaron shook his head. “Typical.”

“You’re both being rude.” Luke’s voice cut the tension. “We still have a guest. Your bickering can wait till we get home.” Luke smiled at me and put his large arm around me. “Sorry, about that, Kimberly. I thought I taught them better.”

Luke’s half hug was, oddly, what I needed at that moment. My previous reservations about him had disappeared. He radiated a sense of safety and warmth, yet the thought of telling them who I was flooded me with pure terror. But I didn’t know why, other than the obvious reasons. Something felt different.

We piled into their car, and I laid my head against the window. The cool feeling of the glass fell against my skin. The hanging vanilla air freshener’s scent bloomed in the car.

My brain was still playing catch-up of what I was missing. No matter how close it felt, it was out of reach.

Should I have just believed Aaron and what he said about William? We came to the dance to put everything to rest, but somehow, I found myself back in the car with no answers.

“Aaron, crank it up!” Presley was the only loud one. Zach and Luke sandwiched him in the back seat.

Aaron was driving and hadn’t said anything since his conversation with Zach.