by Amy Miles
“I get that. But you’ve tried for four years to rebel against these people. Don’t give in just for one stupid party.”
Sadie’s upper lip tucked behind her lower lip, creating a pathetically endearing pout. “Look…I know I’ll be the leper of the party, but I still want to go. Can’t you give me just one night to feel like I’m special again?”
Roseline slung her arm over Sadie’s shoulder. “The in-crowd is just a bunch of miserable drug addicts, alcoholics and sluts. You really wanna be like them?”
“Well now that you mention it…” Sadie trailed off, grinning mischievously.
Roseline giggled. “You’re shameless!”
“And proud of it!” Sadie crowed, not looking the least bit contrite. “So what do you say?”
“Are you in on this too?” Roseline glanced over at William, who was still pouting over her earlier rejection.
He nodded before stuffing another biscuit into his mouth. “I’m game.”
“I don’t have anything to wear,” Roseline protested, knowing it was such a pathetic excuse that Sadie would shoot holes through it in an instant.
But she was wrong. William jumped first. “No problem. Sadie’s got a load of clothes that she never wears! I’m sure she has something that will fit you.”
Roseline’s eyes darted towards Sadie, not wanting to be rude. Sadie giggled. “I don’t always dress like this you know. I do own some normal clothes.”
“I didn’t say a word,” Roseline grinned.
“You didn’t have to,” William chuckled. “Why don’t we pick you up after dinner? That should give you about an hour to get ready.”
“Like that’s gonna be enough time,” Sadie scoffed, grinning conspiratorially at Roseline as she ushered her friend back towards the front door.
***
“Sexy,” Sadie grinned as Roseline hesitantly stepped out from behind the bathroom door. She tread lightly, careful not to twist an ankle on the mountains of clothes that’d been carelessly discarded around the room.
Roseline smoothed her hand over the tight black strapless dress. It hugged to her figure with perfection, and for the first time since she’d become an Immortal, Roseline felt nervous about her looks. “You’re sure about this? It seems a bit over the top.” The dress fell along the upper portion of her thighs and was far more revealing than she would have preferred but Sadie was a few inches shorter than Roseline.
“Oh yeah,” Sadie grinned, giving her two thumbs up. “Gabriel will love you in that one!”
“That’s what I’m afraid of,” Roseline groaned, reaching behind her to unzip the dress. Sadie shrieked and shoved Roseline’s hand away.
“Don’t you dare!” she commanded.
“Oh why not?” Roseline grumbled, trying to use her arms to cover her slender waist. The tight boning was beginning to dig into her side. Not that she couldn’t handle it. She’d worn dresses far tighter and heavier than this but that’d been a long time ago.
Sadie shoved Roseline in front of the mirror. “Because you look freaking amazing!”
A knock on the door startled Roseline. She’d been so worried over the dress that she’d let someone make it up the stairs without her noticing. She was losing her edge.
“You girls ready now?” William asked through the door, checking for the third time in ten minutes.
Sadie threw a hiking boot at the door. “Go away. We’re not ready yet!”
Roseline smiled as she heard William’s heavy sigh seconds before he lumbered back down the stairs. She could sympathize. They’d been playing dress up for nearly two hours and Sadie had yet to decide on an outfit. But Sadie seemed unfazed by the passing time.
“So…strappy or closed toe?” Sadie held up two pairs of black high heels. Roseline chewed on her lip. She would normally go for the strappy, but they were a bit too sexy. “Definitely closed toe.”
“I thought you’d say that,” Sadie groaned. She yanked her window open and chucked the closed toes shoes straight out of her second story room. Her cat, Patches, howled as they landed nearby. Sadie giggled and held out the strappy ones. “I think we need to work on your fashion sense!”
“Look whose talking,” Roseline chuckled, pointing at Sadie’s mix matched outfit. She wore a shredded Metallica t-shirt over a purple tank top, green feather earrings, bright yellow mini skirt and red flip flops. Her normally spiked hair had been tamed and braided with black leather straps. Sadie looked like the rainbow threw up on her! “No offense but that outfit is horrid.”
“You think you could do better?” Sadie challenged, spreading her arm towards her walk-in closet. “Be my guest!”
Roseline disappeared into the messy room. “You really need a maid!” she called.
“Tell me about it. I’ve been begging for months but mom thinks it’s a waste of money. Can you believe that? All you have to do is take one look at my room and see the value!”
Moments later Roseline reappeared, a triumphant grin lighting her face. “This is perfect!”
Sadie’s eye brow rose as she nodded appreciatively. “Rose, you’ve totally redeemed yourself.” She grabbed the outfit from Roseline’s hand and danced off into the bathroom. Roseline sat down on the bed and began winding the straps of her high heels around her ankle.
She was still trying to find a way out of attending the party when the bathroom door creaked open. Roseline glanced up and woof whistled as Sadie twirled in the doorway. “Oh Sadie. You look smashing!”
Sadie smiled shyly as she spun back around. The bright pink and black zebra stripped dress was an amazing match with Sadie’s pink braided hair. Black teardrop earrings dangled from her earlobes, gently caressing her pale cheeks. “You think so?” she asked, her voice unusually soft as she blushed.
“Definitely!” Roseline assured her, throwing a pair of black knee high boots at her. “You are definitely gonna turn some heads tonight.”
“Not if I’m standing next to you,” Sadie giggled, shoving her feet into her shoes. She stood back up, smoothing out her dress. “All set. Let’s go before William breaks down the door.”
Roseline had barley reached the bottom step when she heard Sadie’s cry of exasperation. “You have got to be kidding me! Why does he have to come?” Nicolae winced, shifting back and forth nervously.
“Sadie, don’t be rude to our guest. You know Gabriel invited everyone to his party,” Mrs. Hughes called from the living room. The smell of popcorn filtered throughout the ground floor. Apparently Sadie’s parents were planning a date night of their own.
“I can not believe this,” Sadie growled under her breath. “Fine, just try not to act like a loser.” She grabbed Nicolae by the arm and yanked him through the door. William held the door for Roseline, grinning stupidly as he eyed her dress.
“Wow Rose, you look amazing.”
“Thanks,” she blushed and ducked out onto the porch. Not waiting around to give William another eye full, Roseline raced across the side yard. She still couldn’t believe that Sadie actually lived next door to Gabriel. Wasn’t she being tortured enough?
Roseline came to a grinding halt behind Nicolae just as the door opened. “Sadie, Nicolae, how nice to see you. Come on in,” Gabriel smiled, not even bothering to look at them. His eyes had instantly been drawn toward Roseline. They shuffled past him into the beating heart of Roseline’s first high school party.
“I’m glad you could make it,” Gabriel said warmly, letting his eyes flicker south only for a moment. Instantly he fixed his gaze on her face, refusing to linger on her stunning outfit.
“It was really nice of you to invite Sadie,” Roseline returned his smile as he led the way into the foyer. Her stiletto heels slipped on the newly waxed wood floor. She reached out towards the wall to stop her fall, but Gabriel grabbed onto her first.
When her wide eyes met his she knew he felt the same electrical current that she did. He cleared his throat and helped her across the hall towards the carpeted living room. He dropped her arm a
s soon as they’d crossed the hazardous floor. “This should be safer for you,” he grinned.
“Maybe not the best choice in shoes, huh?” Roseline grimaced.
“Oh no,” Gabriel shook his head, risking a glance down at her shapely calves. “They look great.” Roseline flushed and lowered her gaze. Realizing he’d just embarrassed her, Gabriel changed the subject. “So do you like to dance?”
Roseline shrugged. “I think I might kill myself in these shoes.”
Gabriel chuckled. “Well if you change your mind, the dance floor is downstairs. The snacks and drinks are in the kitchen and the back deck has some loungers if you need to cool off. You’re free to roam the rest of the house, but I’d stay clear of the third door on the left upstairs.”
Roseline’s brow crinkled. Gabriel laughed. “It’s my room.”
“Ah,” she nodded. “Afraid I might see you’re bed unmade?”
“Nope,” Gabriel laughed. “The last time I looked it’d been turned into the hook-up room. Just trying to save you from walking in on something you really don’t want to see!”
“Right.” Roseline stood next to Gabriel, unsure of what else she should say. The silence wasn’t uncomfortable but it was definitely awkward.
“I should probably go,” he said wistfully, motioning towards the crowd.
“Yeah, definitely,” Roseline nodded in agreement. “I don’t want to steal away the host.”
“I wish,” he muttered longingly, his words inaudible to the human ear. Too bad for him Roseline wasn’t human. “Well…see ya.”
Roseline waved, watching as he disappeared into the crowded family room. She snuck down the basement stairs, desperate to remain as far away from Gabriel as possible for the remainder of the night. Downstairs, strobe lights danced over the heads of the throng of underage drinkers. They ground against each other, moving in ways that Roseline had only ever seen at clubs back in Romania. Not that she’d ever been allowed to dance!
The heat and cloud of teen hormones drove Roseline back up the stairs. She maneuvered her way through the packed kitchen, grabbed a soda and handful of chips and headed out onto the deck. She sucked in a breath of fresh air.
“It’s pretty intense in there isn’t it?”
Whirling around, Roseline came face to face with Nicolae. “What do you want?” she hissed.
His eyes flitted back towards the house. “I told you earlier. I’m keeping an eye on you.”
Roseline threw her hands up in the air in annoyance. “Really? You think I’m gonna do something with all of these kids around?”
Nicolae’s intense green eyes appeared to ice over. The corded muscles in his neck pulsated. “That’s what your kind does.”
“My kind?” Roseline growled, baring her teeth as she confronted Nicolae. “You know nothing about me.”
“No? I know more about you than you think, Roseline Enescue.”
Roseline reared back as if his words had been a physical slap. She quickly recovered. “So you know my name…so what?”
Nicolae advanced, back ram rod straight, face reddened with fury. “I know what you and your precious family have done. They will pay for their sins.”
A chill raced down Roseline’s back. Certainly her family deserved the vilest torture known to man for the acts they’d instigated over the years, but for Nicolae to lump her in with them turned her stomach. Roseline felt like she was going to be sick. The world began to sway as she slumped back against the railing.
“What the heck did you do to her?” William shouted, shoving Nicolae back.
“Nothing. I don’t think she’s well,” he replied, instantly letting his geek façade slip into place. He pushed his glasses back up the bridge of his nose, straightened his button up dress shirt and drifted away.
“Are you ok?” William asked, glancing at Roseline’s nearly transparent skin. “You don’t look so well.”
“Yeah,” Roseline cleared her throat. She pushed back the bile rising in her throat. “I think I need a drink. Could you grab me one?”
William nodded, disappearing back inside. Roseline blew out a breath and leaned heavily on the banister surrounding the deck. After a few moments she had herself under control. The punch William brought back to her stank of cheap alcohol but she downed in anyway. What did she care? She had a high tolerance for the stuff.
“Feel any better?”
Roseline smiled as the cool liquid soothed the burning in her throat. “Yes, thank you. That guy just really irks me.”
William turned, glaring at Nicolae through the window. He stood on the opposite side of the room, staring intently at them. “You know, if it weren’t for his obsession with Sadie, I’d think the guy was hung up on you.”
Laughing weakly, Roseline nodded. “Poor Sadie.”
“Tell me about it,” he grunted. “If that guy touches one hair on her head I swear I’ll lose it.”
“Then you should probably go after her,” Roseline said, pointing at Nicolae’s fleeting figure ducking out of the room to follow Sadie down the basement stairs.
William looked torn. “Are you sure you’re alright?”
“Yes,” Roseline grinned. “Now go. Kick his butt!”
Grinning, William rushed back inside. Roseline watched until he slipped down the stairs before turning away from the manic scene behind her. And right in the middle of it was the one thing she’d been dreading…Claire and Gabriel together as a couple. One glimpse of Claire grinding against Gabriel’s lap had sent her jealousy sky rocketing to the moon.
“He’s just a guy. He’s just a guy,” Roseline repeated over and over.
Chapter 4
“Hey.”
Roseline whirled around. She scrutinized the guy standing in front for her, but although he looked vaguely familiar, she had no clue who he was. “I’m sorry. Do I know you?”
“The name’s Conner,” the handsome boy said, casually leaning against the railing next to Roseline. She watched him, unsure of why exactly he was speaking to her. Seeing her confused expression, Conner laughed. “I’m Gabriel’s friend.”
“Oh,” she whispered, glancing down so he wouldn’t see the flicker of a smile that tried to light on her face.
Conner leaned in, his cologne smelling heavenly. Roseline breathed deep, closing her eyes as she savored the aroma. “Gabriel would be ticked if he knew I was out here.”
Surprised, Roseline glanced up, meeting Conner’s golden flecked hazel eyes. “Really?”
“Of course. Haven’t you wondered why none of the guys here have hit on your tonight?”
“Uh…no?” Roseline wasn’t quite sure if he was trying to pull her leg or not.
Conner’s chuckle was deep and throaty. “Surely you can’t be that blind. Just look around you. You’ve had eyes glued to you since the moment you walked through that door. All of the guys want you and all of the girls would kill to be you.”
Roseline’s smirk faded as she glanced back towards the crowded room. He was right. Numerous glances shot their way. Some envious ones were directed towards Conner but most were icy daggers sent by teetering girls whose dates were paying little attention to them. She turned back to Conner, crossing her arms over her chest. “So what about you? Is that why you’re here? To chat me up?”
“Well that depends,” he grinned, leaning in closer. His gaze lowered to take in the appealing curve of her low cut dress.
“On what?”
He reached out and ran a finger down the length of her bare arm. His smile was enticing, filled with experienced promise. “If you want me to.”
The thought of leaning in and pressing her lips against his was tempting, but only because she was bored. Passing the time cuddled up with this handsome human seemed like a much better idea than standing around feeling completely out of place.
Her hesitation gave Conner the go ahead. He leaned forward as his hands wound around her waist. She let him press up against her, intimately molding around her. His breathing became labored a
s he looked down at her. “You are so beautiful,” he murmured, lowering for a kiss. Roseline caught movement from behind her and gasped, shoving Conner back.
Gabriel, who had just stepped through the back door, halted in his tracks the instant he found Roseline. Deep anguish filled his face as his fingers clamped tightly around the door. Roseline felt his pain slam into her. “I’m sorry Conner, but I can’t.” She didn’t even look at him when she spoke, too focused on Gabriel.
Conner followed her gaze, sighing when Gabriel shifted to look at his friend. Gabriel ground his teeth and turned on his heel, allowing the glass paned door to slam shut behind him. “He’s been all over Claire tonight and you still want to hold out hope that the guy would want you?”
Roseline shrugged. “What I want doesn’t matter. But this,” she motioned between them, “is wrong.”
“Why?” he asked, gripping her hand in his. “I’m not seeing any one. It’s not like I’m cheating.”
“No,” Roseline shook her head. “But you just betrayed your friendship with Gabriel.”
Connor shrugged. “Well it wasn’t fair for him to claim you and Claire. No guy deserves that kind of luck!”
Roseline sighed as she noticed the line of teens pressing against the windows. Great! Now her reputation had been tarnished here too!
“Well if you change your mind…” he trailed off, his perfectly straight white teeth gleaming at her as he turned. She didn’t respond as Conner reentered the house. He was instantly met with cheering and congratulatory pats on the back. Roseline groaned as she sank down onto a lounger, staring up at the sky. How could the night get any worse?
People came and went as the hours passed. The moon moved slowly across the sky, bathing her with its luminescent glow. Finally, when the ache of sitting still for so long sank deep into her bones, Roseline wearily rose to her feet. It was time to go. She had to find her friends.
“William,” Roseline called as she slipped inside the door. William cast an apologetic glance over his shoulder as he followed a cute blue eyed, mini skirted girl up the stairs. The sheen on his warmed skin told Roseline all she needed to know. “Oh brother.”
