by Myers, J. L.
“You have every right to be mad,” Ty whispered beside me.
My hands were shaking with anger and restraint. I couldn’t bring myself to look at him. “So glad I have your permission,” I spat, sarcasm dripping from my words. “So, where were you, really?”
“It’s complicated.”
Blowing out an exacerbated breath, I glared out the window at the gloomy, ashen sky. If I were lucky, the impending storm would hurry up and bring with it a gale force wind of fresh air. “Whatever. I don’t care.” But I did. For some unfathomable reason I needed to figure Ty out. I needed to know where he had been and what dark secrets he was keeping. I needed to know who or what he really was, and if he was anything like me.
“Yes you do.” Ty sounded so sure of himself. He flicked through his textbook to the instructed reading. Then he paused, cocking his head sideways. “How about this… Go to the party this Saturday with me.”
Was he kidding? I turned my narrowed gaze to Ty. He was watching me with anticipation. “And why the hell would I do that?”
Ty didn’t even flinch at the edge in my whispered tone. Instead, his bright-hazel eyes gleamed intently. “To have some of your questions answered.”
“Now?”
“No,” Ty said shaking his head. “At the party, after we arrive.”
I contemplated the pros and cons. Uncover the mystery of Ty, versus lunging at him with bared fangs. I slumped back in my seat, noticing what I swore were new thin, whitish scars across his arms. Unable to suppress my curiosity, I decided that figuring Ty out was worth the risk of attacking him. “So, all I have to do is go to this party with you, nothing else?”
Ty’s lips lifted at the sides. “I can add conditions, if you’d like me to.” I narrowed my eyes, causing him to chuckle. “No,” he said more seriously. “I wouldn’t do that. Just come to the party and I’ll tell you whatever you want to know.”
I bit my lip. This was a bad idea. But my inner voice couldn’t change my mind. “Fine, I’ll go.”
~
“Give me a sec, gotta tidy up.”
I darted inside my room and yanked the door shut behind me. With my heart pounding, I flew to my bedside table. I snatched up the empty glass that was tinged with dried blood, and shoved it sideways into the top drawer.
After a few, quick, calming breaths, I let Vanessa in. “Sorry about that, come on in.”
Vanessa shimmied out of her Gucci button coat, handing it to me as she strut across my room. In calf-high boots, shorts and an eye-catching top, she looked like a model. A second later she disappeared into the long rectangular space of my walk-in. She had followed Dorian and me home in her dinged-up Corolla after school this Friday. It’d been her idea to help me figure out my wardrobe for the party tomorrow night. According to her, my style lacked enthusiasm and finish, something she seemed more than willing to assist me with when she invited herself over. Not that I minded. Ty had promised to offer answers to my many questions at the party. Still, prying some info about him from Vanessa in preparation couldn’t hurt.
“Seriously?” Vanessa’s voice drifted from the walk-in even though I couldn’t see her. “This closet is huge and you’re taking up—what, one freaking draw?” She muttered under her breath at how dismal my clothing selection was.
I leaned against the wall in wait, dread searing though me. What outfit would she inflict on me?
A progression of clothes flew from my walk-in, hitting me in the face before falling to the carpet. Finally Vanessa emerged with a much-too-short, black ruffled skirt, and a red and white silk top sporting a plunging neckline. It was the only daring outfit I owned. Mom had given it to me as a gift. “With your pitiful resources, this is the best I can do.”
I mumbled, “More like a curse.” Then, unable to entertain the thought of ever wearing such girly, revealing clothes, I began to argue, but froze mid-sentence. Beside the white-painted, antique dresser across my room was a waste-paper basket. Just poking out of the top along with a chocolate wrapper was an empty blood baggie. It was the same one I had squeezed out this morning.
“What’s wrong?” Vanessa began to turn, following my line of sight.
I clutched her shoulders, trying not to inflict pain. “Nothing, the clothes are great! I was just wondering, um…will my Vans match?”
“God no!” Looking mortified Vanessa rushed past me. She flung the skirt and top onto my bed before disappearing back inside my walk-in. “Purple-laced shoes with a red top aside, those shoes are hideous.”
With Vanessa out of sight, I abandoned her coat and shot across the room. In less than a second I snatched the blood baggie from the basket and shoved it into the dresser’s top drawer. That was close, too close.
Struggling to control my breathing, I turned to catch Vanessa re-emerging from my walk-in. She was carrying a set of black-suede, over-the-knee boots which she thrust into my face. Another Mom present. “You have to wear these. They’re perfect!” she almost shrieked. “Man, Ty’s going to have a heart attack when he sees you. Oh, and you’ll want to bring bathers, there’s a heated pool.”
With a silent groan, I took the boots from Vanessa’s hands and hurled them onto my bed. My opportunity to probe her for info on Ty was limited. “So, Ty’s um…different.” I coiled my arms around my waist and pinched my sides. I sounded like a moron. Vanessa’s eyes narrowed. “I mean, he just doesn’t seem like a regular teenage guy.”
“He’s not,” Vanessa confessed. She moved to the tall, arched window and plopped down on the ledge.
“Oh?” I couldn’t hide the eagerness my voice betrayed. Was Vanessa actually about to offer a revelation?
“He’s a private person.” Vanessa eyed me up and down. The speculation in her expression was clear as day. “Well, he was until you came along.” She turned her head, causing her hair to fall over her shoulders as she gazed out the window. Heavy rain pelted down. It sheeted everything it touched in glimmering monotones. “He’s different around you, less restricted, less controlled.”
“And that’s a bad thing?”
Vanessa blew out a long breath, head twisting back to me. “When he’s around you, his guard is down. It defies his…religion.”
The way her voice grated over the word religion only confused me further. It almost seemed like she had opted for that word in place of another. “So, Ty’s not allowed to date, or something?”
A chime sounded and Vanessa pulled her diamante-studded phone from her boots, looking at the screen. “This should be interesting,” she said under her breath. Then she slid the phone back into her boot. “I’ve gotta bounce. Cash job. But what were we, oh right. Dating…” Her voice turned sharp while her sapphire eyes pierced through me. “Is that what you and Ty are doing?”
Feeling my stomach turn, I shook my head and dropped onto the foot of my bed. My arm curled around one of the tapestry-wrapped posts for support. “No, of course not, it’s just…” Unsure of how I felt or what I wanted to say, I broke off. I couldn’t very well tell her that my agreeing to attend this party with Ty was solely to interrogate him. And that was the only reason. Wasn’t it?
“Look.” Vanessa rose from the window ledge and almost stomped in her boots to my bedroom door, swooping up her jacket before clutching the handle. “I’m saying this as Ty’s friend, for both of your sakes. Stay away from him. This can only end badly.”
“Is that why you insisted on coming here?” My accusation stopped her in her tracks.
Vanessa shrugged. “I love fashion, and you need help. Dressing like a guy is not okay.” She frowned at my casual jeans and tank top. “But Ty is like a brother to me, and I know him. You two can’t work.”
~
I popped a fifth consecutive piece of chocolate into my mouth as I paced back and forth. Then I glanced through my bedroom window again. The clouded sky was darkening with night. The driveway was still empty. He’s late. Just as I thought the words, Ty’s WRX veered into sight, catching the house’s exterior lights ag
ainst its freshly washed panels. Anxiety seeped through to my bones like acid as I bolted from my room. Tonight I’d learn the truth.
Stepping out of his car, Ty was dressed in black-denim jeans and a hooded V-neck, just visible beneath a black-leather bomber jacket. He was heading for the door as I flew out onto the rain-slicked steps. I slid and almost landed on my butt before awkwardly righting the fall. My face burned. Stupid freaking boots!
But Ty didn’t seem to notice, a broad smile lighting his perfect features. “Wow!” His eyes widened, sparkling as though they were drinking me in. “You look delicious.”
My face grew hotter and I tugged at the too-short hem of my skirt, feeling self-conscious. “Vanessa picked it out.”
Ty’s smile faltered. “I know.”
She told him? My heart sank at recalling Vanessa’s cryptic words. Stay away from him. This can only end badly. Having mulled the words over again and again since she left yesterday, I had jumped from one conclusion to another. But now, knowing she’d told Ty, I wondered what his reaction had been. Standing before me he seemed unsettled, like he was being pulled from different angles.
Ty’s voice cut through my mental turmoil, his smile returning. “Just ignore Vanessa. She likes to meddle.” He pulled open the passenger door, standing aside. “Shall we?”
With uncertainty, I lowered myself into Ty’s car. Then knowing his scent would soon curl around me and assault my nostrils, I retrieved the nasal tube from my right boot. Concealed in my palm, I raised it to my nose while jabbing the button to lower my window. When Ty resumed the driver’s seat I asked, “Whose party is it, anyway?” Please don’t be Vanessa’s.
Ty’s shoulders stiffened and a flash of gold rippled across his irises. He shrugged, directing the car through the front gates. “Does it matter?”
Distracted by the sight, I shook my head. The flicker of that unmistakable color sparked a memory of the dream I wished I could forget, as Ty had lunged at me, weapon raised. Shaking off a dark chill, I found my voice. The time was now or never. “Ty, have you ever been to Alaska?”
Ty frowned, eyes set on the dark road ahead of us. “No. Why do you ask?”
Tension released from my body, soothing as a receding tide. It wasn’t him. Of course it wasn’t. I cracked my knuckles. “No reason.”
After a few minutes of uneasy silence, Ty pulled into the long gravel driveway of what appeared to be a country club. It was an elaborate double story of extending gray stone and balcony-laced walls. A cone-pitched roof made up the domed entrance. Half of the foregrounds were taken up by a gravel car park. The rest was decorated with manicured hedges and Rose bushes, all illuminated by yellow-hued garden lights.
As we stepped out of the car, I said, “People live here?”
Ty walked up beside me. With clear hesitation written across his face, he took my hand. His skin was rough and calloused, the hand of someone who worked with them on a daily basis. The warmth of his touch radiated up my arm, causing my heart to skip a beat. But I didn’t resist. Instead, I allowed Ty to pull me forward, around the side of the house and into darkness. The seclusion raised my pulse, while my mind conjured up unspeakable images. I imagined forcing Ty to a standstill and slamming him against the brick wall, then plunging my fangs into the soft-looking flesh at the base of his neck. Gritting my teeth, I tried not to hum the chorus of ‘Monster’. Then I consciously loosened my grip on Ty’s hand. In my resistance to playing out my sick fantasy, it had tightened to an almost bone-breaking vice. I snuck a shooting glance at Ty. He didn’t seem uncomfortable in the slightest, or even to have noticed.
After a few more tension-filled steps, we emerged out of the darkness. I sucked in a quick cleansing breath and glanced around. The largest outdoor entertaining area I had ever seen surrounded us. A resort-style pool encompassed most of the space, with a rocky island in its center. It was surrounded on three sides by the U-shape of the house. I did a double take on noticing a slope curving down the island. The raised-rocky-structure was actually a water slide. Teens dotted the courtyard and pool, and a steady beat of music filled the crisp night air.
Ty’s hand released mine, bringing me back to reality. “What’s your poison?” He inclined his head toward the bar and motioned to the bartender.
I paused, surprised and a little uncomfortable, then glanced around sniffing the air. There wasn’t a single visible adult, and almost everyone, even the teens in the pool, had alcohol-scented drinks. I shrugged. Alcohol had very little effect on vampires, so I didn’t see the harm. Besides, I needed a distraction. “Uh, sure. Vodka lemonade.”
Ty called out our drink order to the bartender, requesting a bourbon and cola for himself. Once served, he grabbed the glasses from the tabletop and handed mine over.
A loud, repetitive pulse of music radiated through my body with force. My sight redirected across the pool as I sipped my drink. The space had been transformed into a club atmosphere. A growing sea of bodies danced provocatively under an array of flashing strobe lights. I sniffed the air, and was surprised. Even from the other end of the courtyard, I could detect salt, blood and chlorine mixing on the air.
As I continued sipping my drink, a mixed group made their way over from the dance floor. A slight breeze had picked up, delivering a waft of nose-assaulting perfume. Ty stiffened beside me. The muscles along his neck corded with strain as a girl’s flirtatious laughter rang through the air. Then Ty’s scent deepened. It grew with intensity and clouded my mind. Desperate for a distraction, I downed the remainder of my drink. I leaned into the bar and away from Ty.
“Shots of Tequila or Vodka?” a guy I recognized from chem questioned. He slumped onto one of the leather cubes that surrounded a cane-weaved coffee table.
“Gotta be Tequila!” another answered, following suit.
One guy shouted their eight, double-shot order to the bar tender, while the crowd made themselves comfortable around the table.
“And keep ’em coming!” yelled a girl wearing a mini skirt that molded to her curvy hips. A seriously tight tank top flaunted her generous bust. She didn’t ooze the smell of blood and alcohol from her pores like the other kids. Instead, she reeked of the vanilla perfume I had detected moments ago.
Just looking at her made me feel flat as a board in comparison and, if I was being totally honest, a little jealous. I’d never be daring enough to dress with such confidence.
The girl staggered with intoxication and caught sight of us. She flicked her black abyss of hair over her shoulders and straightened to attention. “Ty,” she said in a voice that was both alluring and intimate. “It’s been a while.”
Ty downed his drink then slammed the empty glass down on the counter. It exploded in a rain of splinters, and Ty huffed, brushing the shards from his unharmed hand. A few of the kids had gasped, but Ty took no notice. Instead, he turned abruptly from the girl and grasped my elbow, pulling me away.
Throwing a glance over my shoulder, I caught the girl watching after us. Her eyes were narrowed into a death stare. “Who was that?” I demanded, instantly disliking the girl. Everyone else I had recognized from various classes at school. I was certain I had never seen this girl before.
“No one you need to know.”
Pulling my elbow free from Ty’s powerful grasp, I crossed my arms over my chest. I had played along with his conditions and now it was his turn. “Time for answers…”
“Alright,” Ty said with a sigh. With his back turned, he stripped down to a pair of blue board shorts, revealing more scars across his back. Even with his scars, his perfect body sent dizzying warmth through me. I fought to keep my jaw from dropping. He threw a backward glance over his shoulder, eyes seductive and inviting. “Coming?” Without waiting for an answer, he dove into the crystalline water of the pool, breaking the surface like an arrow before emerging ten feet away.
Recovering, I glanced around, worried. Dorian had already known about the party when I told him I was going with Ty. His invite had come from a ne
w girl at school. Apparently Cindy was already old news. Though him seeing and following us was the last thing I needed. Since the swim-off last week and my poor explanation for Ty winning, he hadn’t even brought the subject up, much to my relief. He was generally a carefree guy. Still, whether he appeared concerned or not, I was certain he hadn’t forgotten. It would only take something small to re-ignite his suspicion.
I scanned right to left. The group at the bar was engrossed in an exuberant drinking game, and the dance floor across the courtyard was still crammed with gyrating bodies. A few kids bobbed in the water on the other side of the pool, which must have been heated considering the chill in the air. Dorian was nowhere in sight.
I reluctantly kicked off my boots and shed my clothes. Thank God I’d decided to wear my bikini underneath. The green of Ty’s eyes gleamed as they raked over my body and vibrant-purple bikini. The stupid thing covered far too little flesh and emphasized the tiny peaks on my chest. Scalding heat crept across my cheeks. Why didn’t I wear a one piece? Or, come to think of it, a full-bodied chastity suit? Hoping the water would provide some reprieve from his eager expression, I lowered myself down into the pool. I waded closer to him, but not too close. “So tell me…”
“Wait,” Ty demanded, raising a hand to cut me off. “Not here. It’s too…public.” He pointed to the rocky island, acting as a water slide in the center of the pool. “There.”
My fingers curled into fists beneath the water. “You’re stalling.”
Ty edged closer, his face inches from mine. “Amelia,” his warm breath washed over me like a soft caress. “I made a promise, and I intend to keep it. Just try to trust me.”
I nodded dumbly, the power of his scent totally clouding my judgment. Ty shot me a captivating smile, then dove beneath the surface and swam over to the island. And I followed. This was a bad idea and my mind screamed for me to stay away. But my body wouldn’t obey.
