LIPSTICK AND LIES AND DEADLY GOODBYES

by Jodi Vaughn

  “What would animal blood do to me?”

  “You can’t drink animal blood.” He shook his head. “You need human. It’s stronger. And you can last a lot longer on it.”

  “How long?”

  He shrugged. “It’s different for everyone. It could last you a few days or a week. No way to tell just yet.”

  “What about animal blood?”

  He glared. “You wouldn’t last a day on it.”

  “Fine, fine.” I knew when to drop the subject.

  “When are you bringing me more?” I cringed after I’d said it. I hated how I was already dependent on blood.

  “Bring you more?” He threw back his head and laughed. “I’m not your little bitch. You have to go out and get your own.” He held my gaze and, suddenly, his image was gone, and I was looking at my reflection once more.

  I stood there for a while, unsure.

  On one hand, I felt incredible, and I looked absolutely gorgeous. I looked better than I had at twenty. And now that my cramps were gone, I felt like I had energy for days.

  “Mom, are you coming?” Arianna called out from the other side of the door.

  I took a deep breath and composed myself. I had my children to take care of before I could figure out the rest of this craziness. Like being a vampire.

  “I’m coming,” I said and looked at my reflection again.

  I may be a vampire now, but first and foremost, I was a mom.

  Chapter 15

  “Hurry up,” I groused at the coffee pot as it slowly filled my cup. I had stayed up all night, unable to sleep, and now that it was time to get the girls to school, I was dragging.

  “I thought school would be canceled,” Arianna huffed and glared into her bowl of cereal.

  “Nope. I checked and double-checked. The roads are clear, so school is in. Sorry, kiddo.” I gave her a sympathetic smile and turned back to wait for my coffee.

  “What did you do last night?” Gabby asked as she walked into the kitchen.

  I froze.

  “Sounded like you were up half the night.” Gabby plopped down on the kitchen stool and poured herself a bowl of cereal. “Cereal? We never get to have cereal.”

  She was right. I usually cooked breakfast for them every morning. But after staying up all night, I didn’t feel like cooking. I felt like going to bed and sleeping all day.

  “I couldn’t sleep, so I decided to declutter the Christmas ornaments.” I turned and faced them.

  “But there are about twenty boxes of them.” Arianna frowned.

  “Actually, twenty-six.” I had dug everything out of every Christmas box we had and had gone through it all with a fine-tooth comb. “There were a lot of boxes with lights that were tangled or had bulbs out.”

  “You must have thrown away half of them,” Arianna said.

  I grinned. I didn’t tell her that I had untangled hundreds of feet of white Christmas lights. I then went and tested each light and replaced the ones that didn’t work. I’m not sure why. I could have thrown them away and bought new ones. But I couldn’t do that. I didn’t want to throw things away just because they had gotten old or outdated.

  It would have been like throwing myself away.

  “Hurry and eat. We have to leave in a few minutes.” I glanced at the time on the microwave and then picked up my coffee cup. I was usually a two-cup-a-day woman. I had a feeling that today I’d need more caffeine to get rolling.

  I quickly glanced at the newspaper that I’d gotten off our doorstep. The headline was the freak snowstorm that had struck Mississippi, followed by a small mention of a missing college girl from Ole Miss. She was a senior at college and majoring advertising. Her boyfriend had not heard from her since the night of the snowstorm. And her car was nowhere to be found.

  The hairs on the back of my neck stood on end. I couldn’t imagine not knowing where my daughters were. The mere thought of something happening to them made me sick to my stomach. Crime rarely happened in Charming and there hadn’t been a missing person’s case in years. Hopefully the girl would be found soon.

  “Soccer practice is going to be canceled.” I glanced at my cell phone and read the group text.

  “Damp, Hit” Arianna said.

  “Arianna, no cussing.” I turned and glared at her.

  “Geez, it’s not like I said the real thing.” She shrugged. She’d been using words that sounded like curse words without actually cursing. I was on to her, though, and I didn’t like it.

  “Well, it’s close enough to damnit. Don’t say it again.” I held her gaze to let her know I was serious.

  “Ugh, Melanie’s mom lets her say the real thing,” Arianna pouted.

  “I have never heard Melanie say damn.”

  “She says worse.” Gabby giggled.

  I took a deep breath and looked at both of my girls. “I’m not Melanie’s mom. I’m your mom. And neither of you will curse. Got it?”

  “Got it.” Gabby nodded once, and her dark bangs fell over her eyes. Laughing, she pushed them out of the way.

  I looked at Arianna.

  “Yes, Mom. I got it.” Arianna gave me a long-suffering sigh and hopped off the barstool. She gathered up her bowl and spoon and put them in the sink.

  “You know, you’re lucky.” Arianna turned to me.

  “Oh, yeah. How’s that?”

  “Because Melanie doesn’t even put her dishes in the sink. And she doesn’t clean her room.” Arianna crossed her arms.

  I should have been sterner with her, but for some reason, I couldn’t. My life had tilted on its axis and shifted in ways that would never be the same. But I had my girls, and that wouldn’t change. For that, I was grateful.

  “You’re right. I’m lucky that I have you and Gabby as my beautiful daughters.” I reached out and stroked Arianna’s dark hair.

  “Ugh, Mom.” Arianna ducked away from my touch and hurried to the foyer to get her backpack.

  Gabby hopped off the stool and placed her dishes in the sink with a clatter.

  She looked up at me and grinned. “Sorry, Mommy.”

  “It’s okay, sweetie. Go brush your teeth and make sure Arianna has brushed hers, too. We have to get going, or we’ll be late for school.”

  Gabby hurried off to find her sister. Words were exchanged in the hallway, followed by footsteps running toward the bathroom.

  I sighed and grabbed my coffee and picked up the creamer. I stopped. I’d almost forgotten. I didn’t like cream in my coffee. Not anymore.

  I lifted the black brew to my lips and took a tentative sip, expecting not to like it.

  The hot liquid slid down my throat in a heated rush. I sighed with joy that I still liked coffee. I just preferred it prepared differently.

  “Good morning.” Miles came up behind me and reached for a coffee cup. I quickly got out of his way. He gave me a look but said nothing more.

  “I figured you’d be at the hospital early today,” I said over my coffee cup.

  “I don’t have surgery today. Just making rounds at the hospital and then off to the office this afternoon.” He waited while the coffee maker filled his cup.

  I didn’t answer him. I didn’t really want to be around him until I figured things out. My emotions were settled a bit this morning, and I didn’t have that strong urge to draw and quarter him for what he’d done. What scared me was the fact that I was beginning to feel numb. Like I saw him for what he was, and I didn’t want that in my life anymore.

  Hell, maybe it was the blood that I had consumed. Perhaps it was making me delirious. Maybe Khalan had put something into the blood to calm me down so he could sleep. That could be why I was so freaking tired this morning.

  “Let’s go, Mom!” Arianna called out from the foyer.

  “I’m coming.” I grabbed my coffee cup with one hand and swiped my purse off the kitchen island with the other.

  “Rachel,” Miles said.

  “Yes?” I turned and looked at him.

  “I just want you to k
now I love you,” he said softly.

  I blinked and nodded, then headed toward the door where my girls were waiting on me.

  They scrambled into the back of my Volvo. I climbed into the driver’s seat and turned on the car and opened the garage door.

  It was still early, but the sun was bright and just starting to come up over the horizon. I loved sunrises, and the colorful streaks of pink and orange and blue looked like an artist’s canvas across the sky.

  It always made me happy.

  I grinned as I backed out of the garage, thinking to myself that this was something Miles couldn’t ruin for me, couldn’t take away from me.

  The sun seemed brighter today, more intense, and I cringed and flipped the visor down to block the light.

  I stopped and squinted as I dug around in my purse for my sunglasses and slipped them on. Before I continued down my street Cal stepped in front of my car. I slammed on the brakes to keep from hitting him.

  My stomach dropped. He didn’t say anything, just stared at me for a full five seconds before crossing the street.

  He didn’t have to say anything. I knew he knew. He’d seen me almost naked, driving like a madwoman the night of the snowstorm. He could tell the whole neighborhood if he wanted.

  “What are you doing? The sun’s not up yet,” Gabby asked.

  “It may not be all the way in the sky, but it sure is bright this morning.” I cleared my throat and pulled away slowly. My gaze landed on the landscaped mascot in our yard, and I frowned. After the snow had killed the foliage and flowers, the Ole Miss Landshark was unrecognizable. The flowers were all distorted into a shape that resembled a limp penis.

  I turned onto the main street heading toward the school. A beam of early morning sunlight came through the window.

  “Ugh.” I cringed and scooted farther down in my seat. I held up my hand to shield myself from the brightness.

  “Mom, what’s the deal? Please tell me you’re not going diva on me,” Arianna said from the back seat.

  “What are you talking about?” I snarled and batted the visor to position it so the sun wasn’t blinding my eyes.

  “You act like you’re scared of the sun. Like you’re one of those people.”

  My heart thumped hard in my chest. “One of what people?” My voice cracked as I spoke.

  “The moms who think the sun is going to give them crow’s feet or other wrinkles or sun spots,” Arianna said.

  Maybe that’s why the sun was so hard on my eyes this morning. Maybe after drinking that blood, I had started hating the sun.

  “Maybe Mommy had too much wine last night.” Gabby giggled.

  “She was up all night. That could be it,” Arianna added.

  “I assure you, I didn’t drink last night.” I hissed when another beam of sunlight came through the windshield.

  I was going to have to get some darker shades. What I had on was not cutting it.

  I turned into the carpool line in front of the school and came to a stop. I always made the girls wait until we were right in front of the school before getting out of the car. I didn’t take chances when it came to their safety. I knew that something could happen in the blink of an eye. Someone could hit them with their car, or someone could kidnap them.

  The line was moving at a snail’s pace this morning. I’d never minded before and usually used the time to remind the girls of what activities they had that afternoon. Whether it was soccer, dance, or church, they were constantly busy. They didn’t seem to mind either. Both had high energy levels and seemed to thrive on the challenges.

  But today with the sun trying to get into the car, and my body literally exhausted from staying up all night, all I wanted to do was make it home to my bed for a well-deserved nap.

  When I was almost to the beginning of the line, I looked at the girls in the rearview mirror. “You know, I’m not feeling very well. I think, just for today, it would be okay if you guys got out here.”

  “Yes!” Arianna pumped her hand in the air and grabbed her bag. “I love you,” she whispered as she got out of the car and slammed the door behind her.

  “You okay, Mommy?” Gabby’s furrowed brow made my heart clench “I could stay home and take care of you.”

  “I’m okay, sweetie.” I forced a smile. “But thank you for the offer. I’ll take you up on it next time.”

  She nodded and unbuckled her seatbelt. She opened the door and stuck her arms through her backpack straps before slamming the car door. She ran for the school entrance, her dark hair swinging from side to side.

  I pulled out of the car line and, immediately, someone behind me honked.

  I growled but chose to ignore them as I headed toward the street.

  The ride back home was the longest drive ever. I had to turn on the air conditioner to try and stay awake. Even with the air on sixty and blowing in my face, all I wanted to do was pull over and go to sleep.

  But I resisted. The last thing I needed was some cop knocking on my door and the whole town whispering that I was the new town drunk.

  I wanted to weep when I finally saw my house. I pulled into the garage and dragged myself inside. I tossed my purse onto the counter and headed toward the bedroom.

  As tired as I was, I could not bring myself to sleep in my bed. So I turned and headed toward the guest bedroom and slid under the covers.

  Before closing my eyes, I set my alarm, just in case, so I wouldn’t forget to pick up the girls.

  Chapter 16

  The annoying sound of an alarm had me patting the bedside table in an attempt to turn it off. When I couldn’t find it, I pried my eyes open and reached for the cell in the bed.

  Squinting, I looked at the screen.

  It was the alarm. I’d slept nearly the whole day away. Again.

  And now I only had twenty minutes to get up and get the kids.

  “Shit.” I groaned and forced myself to crawl out from the comfort of the sheets.

  Sunlight streamed through the blinds, leaving a pattern of light on the hardwood floor.

  Startled, I stepped around it.

  I plodded into the bathroom and splashed some water on my face. I didn’t have time for a shower, so I rubbed on deodorant and brushed my teeth, then headed downstairs.

  I slipped my feet into my boots and grabbed my purse off the kitchen island, then with my hand on the kitchen door, I stopped. I couldn’t forget my sunglasses.

  I dug around in my purse and stuck them on, then headed to the closet for a long coat that provided the most coverage. My hand landed on the fur coat that Miles had given me when he first opened his practice. He’d said it was to show his appreciation for how much I had sacrificed so he could live his dreams.

  I never really wore it because it wasn’t my style. It looked like something a pimp or socialite on the Upper East Side of New York would wear. No self-respecting Southerner would wear it. Plus, I was always afraid PETA would track me down and picket my house or throw paint on me.

  Now, I didn’t care.

  I slid my arms along the silk lining and then snuggled down into the soft fur of the coat. I glanced out the window to see the sun beaming down on the quickly melting snow. By tomorrow, there wouldn’t be any signs of the freak March snowstorm.

  The sun seemed brighter, and I knew I needed bigger sunglasses. I hurried to my closet and pulled open the drawer where I kept my accessories, sifting through my designer sunglasses until I found what I was looking for. A pair of square-shaped, oversized shades. The only time I wore them had been on vacation in the Bahamas. They looked pretty ridiculous, but they kept the sun out.

  I slid them on and started to leave, but my gaze lingered on a pair of long, black gloves. Silk gloves that had been worn to some black-tie event hosted by the hospital.

  I hesitated for about a second, then my sensible side won out. I grabbed them and tucked them into the pocket of my fur coat.

  I was out the door and into my car in a flash.

  I opened the garage
and cringed as I backed out. I expected the sun to be glaring down on me with blistering heat, but between the protection of my coat and the obnoxiously large sunglasses, the light was manageable.

  I pulled out onto the street and headed toward the school.

  I sighed with relief and pulled into the carpool line, grateful that school had not let out just yet.

  A brisk knock on the window nearly made me jump out of my skin.

  I turned and scowled at the intruder knocking on the driver’s side window.

  I groaned when I saw her. Veronica Counts.

  She was the biggest gossip in town. She showed up at every school event, birthday party, and charity fundraiser. Every time people saw her, they ran the other way.

  People avoided her like the plague. She didn’t really have any friends. She would volunteer for every event just so people would be forced to interact with her. She’d find out who you knew and then start gossiping about them. It didn’t matter if it was your mother, she’d smirk and then launch right into the kind of filthy gossip designed to ruin reputations. It didn’t matter that the majority of what she said was false, or was no one’s business. She even gossiped about her best friend’s children. Nothing was off-limits with Veronica.

  I’d learned to never tell her anything that might be misconstrued. She thrived off other people’s misery.

  She wasn’t going to thrive off mine.

  I let out a sigh and rolled down the window about six inches.

  “Rachel! I was wondering if that was you behind those ridiculous sunglasses,” she screeched. People three cars down could likely hear how loud she was.

  “Hello, Veronica.” I cringed. I couldn’t bring myself to give her a smile. I felt that gracing her with my time was sacrifice enough.

  “Why are you dressed like that? Are you hiding from someone?” Her smirk grew as her eyes narrowed. Very reminiscent of the Grinch when he decided to steal Christmas.

  “No, Veronica. That’s ridiculous.” I hit the button, and the window slid upward, but she stuck her claw-like fingers in at the top of the glass to stop me.

  I wondered what would happen if I continued to close the window. Would her fingers snap off like the legs of a gingerbread man, or would they just get squished? I decided I didn’t want the bother of cleaning up and stopped the window before it caught her digits.