Vampire Friend

by V. B. Andrian

  I lifted my hands up to stop him. “Okay, stop. Don’t say anything, okay?” I thrust my fingers through my hair and lowered my voice. “She’s in love with me, man. She told me and I… I don’t want to break her heart because I know how much it fucking hurts, but I can’t love her, Luke. Not the way she deserves. I need her to… to be okay.”

  Luke stared at me then shook his head in disappointment. “Nate, you’re messed up. I’m not going to push Ali to another man so that you won’t have to deal with her or your feelings. She’s not made of clay so that you can mold her into whatever shape you want. If she’s in love with you and you say you’re not, her heart is going to break no matter what you do. The only way to avoid this is to get your head out of your ass.”

  I didn’t even allow my brain to register the last part of his words. “But if she goes out with your friend maybe… maybe it can come easier to her. Maybe she’s not really in love and it’s just a crush that will fade soon.” I knew I sounded desperate, but I had nothing else. I’d fucked up big time, and I needed to fix everything.

  Luke shook his head again. “Again, Nate. She’s not a fucking toy. If you really believe yourself incapable to love – to love her for fuck’s sake – just tell her and stay away. Let her deal with this on her own. Don’t try mending things the wrong way.”

  He turned to leave, but I grabbed his forearm to stop him. “Luke, please. Help me, man.”

  He sighed deeply. “I can’t help you, Nate. It’s all on you. Her? I’ll do what I can for her, but don’t think that it’s for you. You make your bed, you sleep in it. This is wrong, Nate. You’re wrong and when you realize it, I’m afraid it might be too late to make things right.”

  Chapter 11

  Alicia

  Charles was phoning again and I was tempted to crush my mobile with a hammer. He’d phoned me three more times in the last five weeks. The first two I’d answered, only to get frustrated and hang up fairly quickly. Neither he nor Mother had accepted the fact I wasn’t going back, and were trying everything to convince me to change my mind.

  So I’d merely set a nice ringtone – they were both now ringing with Not For Me by Backstreet Boys – and kept ignoring their attempts. Only, in that moment, I was trying to write a formula for my research and could have used the silence.

  I could have turned it off, but I didn’t want to miss any phone-calls from my friends. Nate in specific.

  It was Monday before Thanksgiving break, and I was alone in my dormitory room. I hadn’t had any further problems with Julia – we were simply choosing to ignore each other – and I was keeping my assignment within those four walls. I hadn’t even debriefed Professor Sommers on my progress. I made sure no one knew about the blood samples Evy and Kay had given me.

  Someone knocked on the door, and I hurried to hide everything under the bed before answering. When I swung the door open, my eyes opened wide to see Luke and Evy grinning at me.

  “Can we come in?” Evy said and pushed past me without waiting for an answer. Not that I minded.

  I giggled. “Sure.”

  Luke pulled me up in a hug, squeezing so hard I thought I heard a few ribs crack. “How are you, little thing?”

  “I’m alright, Luke. It’s so nice to see you both.” I hadn’t seen them for almost a week.

  Ever since I’d told Nate I was in love with him, he’d stopped calling. He hadn’t asked me to sleep at his place again, and I’d barely seen him around the campus. Realizing that he was avoiding me, I’d kept away from the gym as well, resulting to not seeing Evy and the others unless they searched me out themselves.

  The absence of Nate and my friends had brought me a bad mood, which only amplified by the increasing number of phone-calls from England. And the fact that my heart was slowly sinking into depression didn’t quite help either.

  Evy looked at me from top to bottom and shook her head. “I don’t know what has happened between you and my twin, but it doesn’t excuse the outfit, Ali. What the hell?”

  I looked down at my clothes. I was wearing a khaki-colored linen pair of trousers and an olive-green blouse – I’d gone back to my London clothes. I looked back at Evy and shrugged. “I was only sitting in here. I wasn’t going anywhere. And nothing has happened between me and Nate.”

  “And that is the problem, isn’t it?” Luke pointed out, sitting on Julia’s bed.

  “Luke…” I started.

  He lifted a hand to stop me. “I know you’re in love with him, Ali.” Evy’s jaw dropped, but Luke went on. “And I know that he knows too, and he’s too big a coward to do anything about it. So instead, he’s staying away from you, am I right?”

  My mouth opened and closed a few times, because there was nothing I could say. Luke was right, at least on the parts that concerned me.

  “Ali…” Evy said, sitting beside me on my bed. “Honey, why didn’t you say anything? We’re friends, right?”

  I let out a sound that was between a laugh and a sob. “I thought Nate and I were friends. No matter how I felt, he told me I wouldn’t lose any of you, but then he started avoiding me. I didn’t want to make it harder on him or make any of you feel awkward, so I simply… stayed away.”

  “Harder on him?” Evy shook her head. “Are you serious? Ali, this was Nate’s choice. He broke your heart, so if it’s hard on him then he deserves it. I love him, he really is like a brother to me, but he’s being an asshole and he knows it. He… he has feelings for you, honey. He’s just too scared to admit them.”

  I shook my head, feeling tears prickling my eyes. “It doesn’t matter. Whether he has feelings or not, if he’s not willing to let himself go then there’s no point. As for me,” a tear escaped and I hurried to wipe it away, “I’ll get over it. It’s not a big deal.”

  None of them said anything, and I refused to look at either. I hadn’t been in love before so I couldn’t know if the feelings would simply go away, but I doubted it. At the moment it felt more possible I would sooner die of broken heart than self-heal. But at least I was hoping I could keep most of the pain hidden from everyone else. After all, I’d managed to hide the full expanse of my feelings from Mother for eighteen years.

  Luke clapped his hands once, startling me. “Well, there are plenty of things we can do to help you feel better. Why don’t I take you out tonight?”

  I shook my head, smiling lightly. “Guys, you don’t have to do this. I know you can’t stop hanging out with Nate, and I don’t want you to choose me over him. I’ll be alright.”

  Evy huffed. “Please, Ali. We’re not choosing you over him or him over you. We’re choosing both of you. The difference is, until Nate finally realizes what he really wants, we’ll need to split our time between the two of you. But there is a slight problem.”

  I lifted my eyebrows in question. “Problem?”

  She nodded. “We’re all driving to San Diego together the day after tomorrow for Thanksgiving, so the ride could be awkward.”

  I hadn’t forgotten about that. I’d just assumed that I wasn’t going anymore. “Um, it’s alright. I can stay here. I have a lot of work anyway—”

  “I’m driving Ali there,” Luke cut me off, standing up and walking towards the door.

  My eyebrows knitted in confusion. “You’re coming too?”

  He just gave me a smirk and grabbed the knob. Evy stood up and went to stand behind him. “I called my parents today and asked if they can have one more. I figured the more of us the easier it will be for you and Nate.”

  I felt tears climbing towards my eyes again, and blinked rapidly to hold them back. “Thank you for everything,” I whispered. “I know I’m a huge pain in the bottom and—”

  “So, will you be ready at six?” Luke cut me off again, catching me completely off guard.

  “Um, alright. But you don’t need to—”

  “Great. See you tonight, little thing!” And then they were both out the door and I was just standing there, wondering how I could have been so lucky to have found
friends like them.

  My mobile started ringing at the sounds of Alannah Myles’ Black Velvet. I pulled the top over my head, and hurried over to tap the speaker-phone function.

  “Oli! Why are you even awake? Isn’t it, like, almost four a.m. over there?”

  “Oh, shut it, you daft cow. This is serious.”

  I immediately picked up the mobile and turned off the speaker, bringing it to my ear. “Is everything alright?”

  “Well, to be honest, I may be over-exaggerating a little bit. Maybe I could have waited until the morning to phone you, but I couldn’t sleep and I had to tell you, if you know what I mean.”

  I took a deep breath, trying not to laugh at her verbal diarrhea. Something she’d gotten from me. “Oli, luv, you’re rambling. Just tell me what happened. Is Scott alright?”

  “What? Oh, Lord, yes. Yes, he’s great. Still hasn’t proposed the ass, but he’s simply marvelous. No, it’s your mother I’m calling about.”

  My eyes bugged out. “Mother?”

  “Yes, luv. I think she’s planning to fly over there and haul your ass back over the pond.”

  “What?” I screeched.

  “Bloody hell, Ali. I’m deaf from one ear now.”

  “Shut up, Oli, and tell me about Mother.”

  “Right. Well, she came to see me at my flat and demanded that I gave her all information about your stay over at California, and how she could find you. I gave her your dormitory room number, and every other detail I knew about the campus. But I didn’t mention any of your friends so, if you want, you can go hide over at Nate’s flat. You know, in case she actually shows up and wants to drag you around.”

  I wanted to shove my face in a pillow and scream. “Bloody hell! The woman is mental!”

  “So, you think I’m right? She could do that?”

  I snorted. “Oli, this is Leanna Dover we’re talking about. Do you really think there is a chance someone would stand against her and she would just let them be? She would die before letting anyone live their lives the way they wanted.”

  Oli let out a loud exhale. “Alright then. I’ll ask Scott to ask his uncle who works in the airport to let me know if she books a flight. That way I can warn you. Now tell me: Has Nate finally given in to your charms?”

  I groaned. “I told him I’m in love with him, but I could understand that he didn’t feel the same, and I was content with being just his friend. He seemed to agree, but after that he’s been avoiding me. In addition, I’ve been avoiding everyone to make it easier for both of us, and now I’m getting ready to go out with Luke.”

  A beat of silence and then “Um… Ali? What in the bloody hell did you just say? Please don’t tell me you’re going out with another guy just to get into Nate’s eye.”

  I sighed. “I’m not, Oli. Luke is taking me out as a friend because I haven’t seen any of them for over a week, and I could really use some friendly comfort.”

  “Alright. I like this guy Luke. Now, Nate on the other hand needs some serious ass kicking. Is that boy a pillock? Doesn’t he see how marvelous you are? How can he not be in love with you?”

  “Oli, imagine having your heart ripped out. Would you willingly give it away again?”

  “Yes! Of course I would! If the person I was giving it to was you! What does he think? That you’re going to crush him too?”

  “He’s not afraid I’ll hurt him, Oli. His girlfriend died. She didn’t leave. He’s afraid to love again and suffer a potential loss for the second time. He’s only trying to protect himself.”

  Oli groaned in frustration. “Oh, shut your gob. You’ll go to his flat, get starkers, and give him a good old rumpy-pumpy time, and then he’ll get on his knees and profess his love. Happy ending!”

  I couldn’t help but laugh. “Blimey, Oli. There are so many crackers in that simple story of yours I don’t even know where to begin. But thank you for making me laugh. I really should hang up though, and you should get some sleep.”

  “Alright, alright. Go on that friendly date of yours, and keep your eyes open for a British moo to appear. I’ll ring you if I have news.”

  Fifteen minutes later I walked out of the dormitory to find Luke waiting for me in his truck. I climbed – honestly, I could have used a ladder – into the cab, and buckled myself in after leaning to give Luke a peck on his cheek.

  “Alright there, little thing?”

  I nodded, feeling grateful for his time. “Thank you for this.”

  He pulled out of the parking lot with a chuckle. “Don’t thank me, Ali. I love spending time with you.”

  “I love it to,” I said with a grin. “So, where are we going?”

  “We’re meeting a friend of mine for bowling.”

  My eyebrows shot up. “A lady friend?”

  He chuckled again. “No. A guy friend.”

  My face slowly fell into a scowl. “Luke…”

  He shook his head, chuckling some more. “I don’t want to hook you up with anyone, Ali. Shit, if Sean was to try anything out, I would cut off any part of him getting close to you. You’re not for him, and he’s too fucking old for you anyway. Although I did try to get on Nate’s nerves once using Sean’s name just to get him to react. We’re just going out to have some fun and get your mind off your boyfriend.”

  I sighed. “Nate’s not my boyfriend, Luke. I’m not sure he’s even my friend anymore.”

  He laughed out loud, and I turned to look at him in surprise. When he stopped he said, “He’s your boyfriend, little thing. He just doesn’t know it yet.”

  I was beyond speechless. My mouth just hung open.

  “Now, the other reason I’m taking you to meet Sean is so you’ll have someone to hang out with that doesn’t involve Nate in case I’m busy. You don’t have to hole up in your dorm until that boy is ready to admit his feelings. And Sean is like my brother, and a cop, so I know he’ll keep you safe. He may look a bit intimidating, but he’s a cool guy.” He gave me a big smirk. “Just like me, though I’m way cooler.”

  I giggled in response. Luke was huge – tall and bulky. His acorn hair was short, smoothed on the sides and forming soft spikes on top. He had a short boxed beard that often looked untamed, and his eyes were the color of steel. He looked dangerous and downright scary. And everytime he laughed out loud, his booming voice could very much be compared to the sound of lightning striking.

  But from the first moment I met him I could see in his eyes a softness that immediately warmed me from the inside. I’ve had a connection with him that was almost sibling-like since the first day, and I always felt safe around him. I’d seen girls at the gym shying away from him upon first sight, but I knew he would never hurt anyone because he really was a soft, romantic guy.

  “You’re not intimidating, Luke. Everyone that knows you just a little can tell you’re kind.”

  His hand came to my shoulder and squeezed me slightly. “You say that because you’re like a little sister to me, and I would never hurt or scare you. But trust me when I say I would burn down the world to protect those I care about.”

  I smiled at him, his words bringing a strange tightness in my chest. I’d always wanted an older brother, but my situation in life never allowed me to have one. My first glimpse of what having siblings would feel like was when I met Oli and then her boyfriend Scott, and we became close. Since I’d come to California, I’d found another surrogate family, one that we’d grown close enough in such a small time frame that I could almost feel the empty spot my Dad’s absence had left filling over.

  And now I was chancing to lose that family, over some stupid feelings I’d developed for Nate.

  Unable to say anything past the lump that had suddenly formed in my throat, we drove the rest of the way to the bowling place in silence. When we walked in, my eyes landed on a man standing in front of the registration desk, and I immediately knew he had to be Luke’s friend.

  He was almost as bulky as Luke and just as tall, with dark brown hair buzzed at the sides and back,
and cropped on top. Unlike Luke, this bloke was shaved to a point it seemed unnatural. But what I assumed Luke had meant would be intimidating, was the bloke’s eyes and the look on his face. His eyes were a light, icy blue, and his face was stern as he looked almost as if he was frowning. But I saw the light in his eyes when he saw Luke and me walking up to him, and a small twitch of his lips as he clamped down on Luke’s shoulder in greeting.

  “What’s up, man?” the man said in a deep, gruff voice. His eyes flicked to me for a brief second, before he gave me a curt nod. I assumed it was some form of greeting, and I let my lips form a soft smile in reply. As I did, his eyes lit up once more and his own lips tilted up in one corner.

  Luke chuckled and looked at me over his shoulder. “Good, man. Good. I see you’re not immune to this girl either.” He took a step back and wrapped an arm around my shoulders, pulling me closer to them. “This is Ali. Ali, this is Sean.”

  I let my smile grow slightly and extended my hand. “Lovely to meet you, Sean.”

  Another light passed behind Sean’s eyes, and he grinned widely. His big hand engulfed mine as he shook it. “Lovely to meet you too, little thing. Love the accent.” He tilted his head towards the bowling-alleys. “We should get to our game or they’ll give our alley up to someone else.”

  I bit down on my lip as we picked up some shoes, and walked over to start our game. I watched around us at the other alleys, some people throwing the balls with so much force, I thought the wooden floor would crack open. “Um, maybe we should ask for the safety bars to be up on my turn. I don’t want to wreck anything.”

  Luke watched me through narrowed eyes. “You’ve never bowled before?”

  I snorted. “Are you mental? Mother would have thrown a fit if she’d thought I even touched something as common as a bowling ball.”

  They both laughed. “Well, let’s not wait then. Let’s give your mother a heart-attack,” Sean said with a wink.

  I rubbed my hands in excitement, ready to let go of the stress that had been eating at me the past two weeks. “Yes! Let’s.”