Stage Fright (Bit Parts)

by Scott, Michelle

“Blame it on my genes. When Greeks and Lebanese intermarry, they produce pretty kick-ass offspring.”

  He laughed. Putting his arms around me, he finally met my kiss.

  When the porch light came on, it was like being doused with icy water. Reflexively, I jumped back, as if I was still in high school and my parents were signaling me to come inside. “Andrew, I’m going to kill you,” I muttered. Isaiah laughed and reached for me again.

  The doorknob rattled, and Caleb came outside. It wasn’t clear which of us was more surprised. For a moment, we stared at each other. Then Caleb smiled smugly, like he didn’t just hold the winning hand, but owned the whole, damn casino. “Cassandra! Surprised to see me?”

  ‘Surprised’ was an understatement. ‘Horrified’ would have been more accurate. Having Caleb in my home was like seeing a large rat slinking along the baseboards in the kitchen. “What are you doing here?”

  Andrew stepped into the doorway. He avoided my eyes. “Caleb came to talk.”

  “And apologize.” Caleb’s eyes softened as he gently touched Andrew’s shoulder. Although I hated to admit it, I knew that Caleb really did love my friend. True, his love was obsessive and warped, but at least it was stronger than that of Andrew’s family who had kicked him to the curb and never looked back to see if he was okay.

  “I’ll see you soon, Drew,” Caleb said. He smiled crookedly. “I’ll even keep the TV remote out of the kitchen.”

  Andrew chuckled at what was obviously a personal joke between them. Before the good-bye could become too heartwarming, however, Caleb added, “Be sure to get to the gym tomorrow. The trainer’s expecting you by nine. And I want you trying those new protein powders I brought.”

  That wiped the smile from Andrew’s face and all the goodwill from my heart. Instantly, the memory of Andrew’s bruise and the violent scene on their front lawn returned. Caleb was possessive, controlling, and manipulative. Everything Andrew didn’t need in his life.

  “Love you,” Caleb said.

  Before Andrew could answer, I said, “If you love him so much, why do you beat him up?”

  Caleb swore, but the obscenities died on his lips when Isaiah planted himself between us. Caleb tilted his head back farther and farther, taking in the massive chest, broad shoulders, strong jaw, and finally, intent eyes.

  “Something wrong?” Isaiah rumbled.

  Caleb swallowed.

  “Caleb, this is Isaiah,” I said. “Isaiah, this is Caleb, Andrew’s ex-boyfriend.”

  Color rose in Caleb’s cheeks. “Stay out of it Cassandra,” he growled. “Tell her, Drew! Tell her that we agreed she wouldn’t come between us again!”

  Andrew kept his eyes down and said nothing.

  Caleb swore again but stormed off the porch, purposely knocking against Isaiah as he passed. He crossed the lawn at an angle to reach his SUV which was parked up the street. A moment later, an engine roared to life and sped off.

  I let out my breath as Andrew slipped back into the house without a word.

  “Do you want me to stay?” Isaiah asked, concerned.

  “No, I can handle it.” I wanted to talk to Andrew alone.

  “If anything happens, call me.” He folded me back into his arms.

  I laid my head against his chest. “I almost wish Caleb was a vampire. That way, I could keep him out of the house and stake him if he got too aggressive.”

  Isaiah laid his cheek against the top of my head. “The courts don’t take a kind view of vigilantes.”

  “I guess not.”

  We kissed again but more sedately this time. As Isaiah drove away, I stood on the porch and watched until I couldn’t see his taillights any longer.

  Andrew stood at the sink rinsing out a pair of coffee mugs. He eyed me warily, probably expecting me to go nuclear.

  I fought to keep my tone light. “So you called Caleb tonight?”

  “No. He just showed up at the door.”

  “What do you mean he just showed up? How’d he find you?”

  Andrew shrugged. “No idea.” His troubled eyes met mine. “Before you start in, Caleb and I had a really good talk.”

  My heart sank. I didn’t want them fighting since Andrew might get hurt again, but I didn’t want them making up, either. “And?”

  “And nothing. We talked, that’s all. Caleb apologized like he said.”

  I grit my teeth. “That makes it all better?!”

  “No, but it’s a start. He agreed to stop drinking and get counseling. He also said that he understands I need my freedom, so he’s going to help me get a car.”

  No wonder Caleb had looked so smug. He’d played a masterful hand. After this, Andrew would probably move back into Caleb’s condo by the weekend. Too upset to speak, I hid my dismay by opening the fridge and rooting around for a Coke.

  “Caleb only wants what’s best for me. He’s very supportive, Cassie. More than you know.”

  “So you keep saying.” The Coke was hidden behind a wedge of brie and a package of meat wrapped in white paper. Probably the ingredients for Andrew’s next culinary miracle. On that thought, I slowly shut the door to the fridge. “What about your new career goal?” I asked. “Did you tell Caleb that you’re giving up acting and going to cooking school?” It was a cheap shot, but I wasn’t pulling punches where Caleb was concerned.

  Andrew flinched. “I did.”

  “And?”

  “He didn’t like it, but it’s not what you think!” He tripped over his words in his hurry to explain. “He’s absolutely right, Cassie. A food addict has no business being a chef.”

  “Andrew! You’re not a food addict!” Almost worse than the physical abuse was the way Caleb twisted Andrew’s mind, making my best friend constantly doubt himself. “I keep telling you, you’re beautiful. Your body is perfect!”

  “You don’t understand. My weight used to be a huge problem.”

  When I rolled my eyes, Andrew went into his bedroom, and returned a moment later with an old high school year book. He opened to a page and shoved it at me. “Look. Right there. That’s me.”

  I stared, fascinated. It was a group shot of the yearbook committee. At the edge of the group stood a boy so massive that half of him hadn’t made it into the picture. Peeking out from between a pair of jowly cheeks and overly long bangs were Andrew’s eyes. I’d never seen a sadder, more miserable-looking kid in my life. No wonder the guy never gave himself enough credit for his looks. He probably saw that heavy, awkward boy every time he looked into a mirror.

  I wanted to tear the book into pieces. “Don’t do this to yourself,” I begged. “You were beautiful then, and you’re beautiful now.”

  “You think that four-hundred-twenty pounds is beautiful? Please.”

  “Listen. When those pictures were taken, you were still in the closet, right?”

  He nodded.

  “And once you came out, what happened?”

  “Do you mean before or after I got kicked out of the house?” Then, seeing my pain, his expression softened. “After I came out, I decided to become the person I always wanted to be.” He touched the picture. “Caleb helped me do that.”

  I took Andrew’s hand. “Maybe he helped you back then, but he’s only hurting you now. You’re not a food addict. Don’t listen to him!”

  “That’s funny because he’s always telling me to not listen to you.”

  There was no winning this argument. At least not tonight. Deciding I didn’t want the Coke after all, I put it back in the fridge and headed for the shower.

  After a half an hour of tossing and turning in my bed, I realized that sleep was out of the question. I flung off the covers and went into the hall. The muted sounds of Portal came from behind Andrew’s bedroom door. It was a relief. Andrew might say he trusted Caleb again, but the fact that he was wrapping himself up in his favorite video game proved that he was as uncertain of his ex as I was.

  I went into the kitchen to make tea, but Andrew’s baked goods called to me from the freezer. I sa
t at the table and nibbled several cookies as I fretted. Vampire hunting, crazy ex-boyfriends…how on earth had I gotten myself into such a mess? I’d never asked for any of this crap.

  After a while, however, I realized the cursing and fretting weren’t doing me any good. Neither were the cookies. Andrew’s post-break up cooking binge and my feed-my-stress mentality were going to make us co-dependent for sure.

  To stave off temptation, I dumped the rest of the cookies in the trash. Then, because I didn’t want Andrew to see I’d thrown out his creations, I tied up the bag and took it to the garbage can behind the house.

  I walked outside in my stocking feet, grimacing at every step. Halfway across the back porch, my heel landed on something small and hard. I dropped the garbage bag and cursed, hopping in pain. A flare of light from the driveway lit up the backyard. Headlights.

  For five, terrible seconds I imagined Caleb or Martin bolting out of the darkness and grabbing me. When that didn’t happen, I tossed the garbage into the bin, and returned to the house. Before I reached the back door, my foot clipped the small object again. Reaching down, I found a plastic key fob attached to an envelope. I clicked a random button on the fob, and the headlights blinked on again.

  Growing bolder, I left the porch and walked to the driveway. Parked alongside the house was a car. It was too dark to see the color, but it was small and sleek and topped with an enormous bow, just like in those ridiculous holiday ads on TV. I didn’t have to open the card to know who had sent it. Victor.

  Unable to resist, I unlocked the driver’s door and slid inside. My nostrils flared at the twin aromas of leather and new car. I ran my hand over the steering wheel and dashboard, trying to imagine how much it had cost. When I found the switch for the overhead light, I turned it on and read the card.

  My dearest Cassandra, Consider this a thank-you present for becoming my director. I’m so pleased you’ve signed on with the play.

  I had a strong feeling that Victor’s present wasn’t really about my agreeing to direct 16 Voices. Like the promise to give me the Bleak Street, this was another way to woo me into becoming his blood partner. Well, forget it. I shoved the card back into the envelope.

  Still, I didn’t move from the seat. It was so cold outside that my fingers were growing numb, and my nose was running. To solve that problem, I started the car and looked for the heater. And, oh my God, the thing had heated seats! In less than a minute, my backside was toasty. I tried the stereo, and gave a yip of glee at the rich sounds of the speaker system.

  I would return the keys in the morning, I told myself sternly. I would not be bought off with a car. For the first time, however, I started to really understand that Victor could give me anything I wanted.

  Still too jacked up to sleep, I made a cup of tea and snuggled under an afghan on the living room couch. The day had been like a ship riding the waves: down one minute and up the next. Sitting on the couch in the quiet house was like finally standing on dry land.

  When my phone chimed, I picked it up. Everything okay? Isaiah asked me.

  I smiled and texted, All’s quiet here.

  Goodnight, Beautiful.

  My smile changed to a grin. Goodnight. Kisses.

  Wish I could get those in person. See you tomorrow?

  Definitely.

  I set the phone aside. That day, I’d watched Victor nearly break Charles’s neck, had been asked to be a vampire’s blood partner, had been attacked by a man in a ski mask, helped fight off a group of rogue vampires, and had my bff’s evil ex storm back into my life. Yet, I still thought that it had been a good day.

  Smiling, I re-read through Isaiah’s texts.

  A really, really good day.

  Chapter Eighteen

  When I dreamed of icy fingers caressing my cheek, and a soft voice calling my name, I bolted awake, a scream lodged in my throat.

  I still lay on the couch, huddled under the afghan. The front door stood open, and a cold draft made my niece’s paper mobiles flutter. Other than that, the house was perfectly still.

  The wind had blown the door open. Nothing to worry about. Still, when I hopped up and closed it, I remained on high alert. I set the deadbolt and slid the chain in place.

  “Too late. I’m already inside.”

  At Marcella’s raspy voice, I shrieked and whirled to face her. To my surprise, the person standing in the kitchen doorway wasn’t Hedda’s paramour, but the woman from the picture sitting on top of Isaiah’s television. His little sister.

  Was I still dreaming? Marcella was the one who had attacked Isaiah and maimed his leg. Not even vampires would be so monstrous as to attack a blood relative. Would they?

  The vampire stood with her hands behind her back. Her pouty, bottom lip and lowered eyelashes gave her a slightly innocent, childish air. However, the strapless black evening dress and red stiletto heels spoke loudly of sex.

  When she smiled, she revealed perfectly even, perfectly white teeth. Along with a pair of perfectly sharp, perfectly lethal fangs. “Cassandra and Isaiah sitting in a tree. K-I-S-S-I-N-G.” Her voice rasped along the rhyme like dirty fingers strumming rusty guitar strings. “Only it wasn’t a tree, was it? More like a porch. Better watch out. My brother’s a smooth operator.”

  My brother. No!! Still, I couldn’t deny what I saw. Marcella was the woman in Isaiah’s photograph. When I’d first met her at the Muse, she’d been wearing a mask, and in the blind pig, she had kept her back to me. Her skin was lighter than Isaiah’s, her face thinner, and her build more willowy. There were no physical similarities between her and my vampire hunter. Yet the truth hit with a sickening blow that left me reeling. My heart plunged like a stone falling to the bottom of a very deep well.

  I choked on my breath as I backpedaled. I immediately reached for Andrew’s cross necklace before remembering it was still at Mercury Hall. “Get out of here!”

  Her laughter was flat and heavy. “You can’t order me away.”

  “It’s my house!”

  “According to the realtor, it’s your parents’ house. The nice man in the gold jacket let me in today, and once I’m in, only he can revoke my invitation. But he won’t be able to do that, poor thing.” From behind her back, she withdrew a bloodied, gold blazer. “He met with a terrible accident.” She flung the jacket at me, laughing when I squealed and dodged it.

  I forced air into my lungs. “You can’t take someone’s shine without permission.”

  Her upper lip lifted in contempt. “He was a real estate agent. He didn’t have any shine.”

  I retreated to the furthest corner of the room. My eyes clicked like cameras, my brain too overwhelmed to process anything but one snapshot at a time. Cruel eyes. Flashing fangs. Bloody jacket.

  “My, aren’t we scared? Your little heart is beating like it’s about to explode!” She closed her eyes and inhaled deeply. “All that lovely blood pumping through your veins!” Opening her eyes, she rubbed the tip of her tongue over her fangs. “Blood mixed with fear is the best.” She gave me a conspiratorial wink, as if we were trading recipes.

  “What about Hedda’s rules?!”

  “I don’t give a damn about Hedda or her rules.”

  I gaped. “But aren’t you two lovers?”

  She fell back a step and hissed in disgust. “Lovers?! Hedda doesn’t love me; she wants to possess me. The fact that I was human meant we wouldn’t be together forever, so she changed me into a monster!” Marcella hissed again, and her eyes turned bloody red. “Hedda knew that doing so would ruin my voice, but she didn’t care. She wanted me, and she took me!” Marcella put her hand to her throat. “She stole the one thing I truly cared about.”

  “Isaiah said that Hedda only did it to save your life!”

  Marcella’s laugh wrenched my ears. “That’s what she tells everyone. Including herself.”

  So much for Hedda’s high ideals. Briefly, I felt sorry for Marcella. That quickly changed, however, when Marcella darted across the room to brush a finger under m
y chin. “Because she thinks I love her, she lets me do whatever I want. She’ll send the entire grieve after you if you hurt me.”

  My knees weakened, and the world began to gray out. I fought to remain conscious. I couldn’t faint. Not now.

  Marcella blew cold breath against my cheek, laughing when I cringed. “Don’t worry. I won’t risk making Victor jealous by touching you. I hate Victor as much as I hate Hedda, but he’s the dangerous one. I came to find out what you and my brother were up to. Word in the grieve is that you’ve been seeing a lot of each other.”

  “Okay, so you got your answer. Now go!”

  Her red pupils enlarged, swallowing up the irises until her eyes became two, glowing embers. Her hiss raised gooseflesh on my arms. “I’ll leave when I’m ready!” She pinned me against the wall. “And I’m not ready.”

  I struggled to free myself. My cross was at the Mercury. The stakes were in the kitchen. Without weapons, I was helpless. “Isaiah,” I finally gasped. “He wouldn’t want you to hurt me.”

  She put her mouth very close to my ear. “I’ve vowed to spend my life destroying my brother’s happiness.” Her red eyes glistened like fresh drops of blood. “And you make him very, very happy.”

  “Why would you hurt him? He loves you!”

  “Really? Then why did he tell me to give Hedda my shine?”

  I gasped. “You’re lying!”

  Her eyes gleamed. “He didn’t tell you that, did he? I’m not surprised. It wasn’t the best advice he ever gave me.”

  She kissed me, forcing her cold tongue between my lips and across my tongue. Revulsion soured my stomach.

  She laughed. “Don’t I kiss as well as my brother?”

  I longed to scrub my arm against my mouth to erase the feeling of her icy lips, but she held my hands fast.

  “Isaiah set things into motion. Because of him, Hedda stole everything I loved. My voice. My soul. My music.” Another of her kisses left me gagging. When she let go, I fell with a thud to the ground. She stood over me like the angel of death in a couture evening dress.

  At the back of the house, Andrew threw his door open and charged into the kitchen. I scrambled to my feet, hoping to reach him before Marcella. It was no contest. By the time I made it to the doorway, she already stood by the fridge. She crossed her arms over her stomach and watched Andrew yank open drawer after drawer.