Night Tide

by Kory M. Shrum

  “I want to be with you. I don’t care if we’re in LA or if we’re here, but I want to be with you. After what happened to Landon—” Her breath hitched. She swallowed. “No one knows how long they have. I can’t keep waiting for the right time. I want every minute I can get with you. I just need to know if you feel the same way about me?”

  Grayson Choice 15

  Yes, Grayson Chooses Abby

  No, Grayson Met Daniel Has Feelings for Him Instead

  Grayson: has feelings for Daniel

  Grayson stood outside the three-story apartment building trying to slow his heartbeat. At this rate, he was going to work himself into a frenzy. He wanted to handle this right. He really did. And yet he found a small handful of gravel on the sidewalk and scooped it up into his hand. Chalk residue stuck to his sweaty palms as he paced the sidewalk, trying to find the right window.

  “Here goes nothing.”

  He took a deep breath and threw the smallest pebble at the third-floor window, the one he knew overlooked Daniel’s bed. As soon as the rock clipped the window, he felt incredibly stupid. What am I even doing?

  He could’ve gone to the bar. He could’ve hung out at the House of the Setting Sun and tried to run into Daniel that way. He could’ve been cool about it. He didn’t need to be standing here just after dark throwing rocks at someone’s window like a total creeper.

  He dropped the remaining pebbles and turned.

  That’s when the window creaked open and a familiar face appeared.

  “Grayson?”

  “Hey.” Grayson wiped his sweaty palms on his jeans. “How are you?”

  Daniel laughed. “I’m fine. How are you, Romeo?” He gestured at the window. “You going to recite some poetry now or something?”

  Grayson laughed. “No.”

  “You better come up then. Go to the front door. I’ll buzz you in.”

  Grayson walked around to the front of the building and stood nervously outside the glass entrance. Several excruciatingly long heartbeats later, a buzzer sounded and Grayson pulled the door open.

  Daniel stood on the third floor landing, bare chested and barefoot with only black silk pants on. He smiled when Grayson appeared on the landing below.

  “Come on in,” he pushed open the door.

  Grayson stepped into the apartment and found it was the same as it had been on his first visit. The impeccable kitchen. The inviting sofa. The soft glow of lamps well placed in the corners of the room.

  “Can I get my hopes up that you’re here for my company alone?”

  Grayson slid onto the kitchen barstool. “Yes.”

  Daniel smiled, leaning one hip into the counter. “Can I get you something to drink? I don’t have any food in the house, but I’ll take you out for dinner if you want.”

  “I imagine it would be pretty boring to watch me eat,” he said.

  “You’d be surprised.” He went to the fridge and pulled out two see-through packs. Grayson recognized it as a blood pack, which he’d seen many of in his father’s lab.

  Daniel misunderstood his gaze. “Does blood gross you out? I get it from a blood stand near Hyde’s Park.”

  “I know,” Grayson said. When Daniel frowned, he added, “My father’s lab harvests and manufactures a lot of the blood in town.”

  “Really?” Daniel looked genuinely surprised as he cut the corner off the blood pack and poured the contents into a pot on the stove. “So your father is a scientist.”

  “Biochemist.”

  “And your mother?”

  “She teaches folklore at CCU.”

  “Both human?”

  “Yep.”

  “Good genes,” he said with a smile, pulling a metal spoon from the drawer. “That explains you.”

  Blush spread across Grayson’s cheeks.

  “Forgive my frankness, but I never thought I was going to see you again, Grayson. I’m more than a little surprised you’re here.”

  “If you want me to go—”

  “No,” he said, turning away from the stove. “I didn’t say that. I just said I’m surprised.”

  Grayson bit his lip, unsure of how to answer.

  “I was under the impression that I was a hookup for a curious guy. Are you telling me that I’m mistaken?”

  Grayson picked at his sleeve. “Maybe.”

  “Maybe?” With steam rising from the pot, the vampire reached for a ceramic mug in the counter and poured the blood from the pot into the mug. He set the mug on the counter, untouched and turned off the stove. He came to stand in front of Grayson. “Maybe?”

  Grayson could only smile.

  “How about we play a game? Do you know Hot or Cold?”

  “My little brother loves that game.”

  “I hope he doesn’t play it like this.” Daniel stepped forward and grabbed Grayson’s hand. He pulled him from the chair, forcing him to stand in front of the vampire. Then he placed a hand on Grayson’s hip. “Is this what you came for? Hot or cold?”

  “Warm.”

  Daniel stepped forward so that the entire length of his body was flushed against Grayson’s. “Now?”

  “Warmer.”

  The vampire enveloped Grayson in his arms and pressed his lips to his throat. “And now?”

  “Hot.” Daniel’s smile spread against his skin.

  He kissed Grayson’s throat, placing several sweet kisses along the exposed skin.

  “So you came back for some kisses?” Daniel asked.

  Be brave, Grayson thought. You didn’t come all this way just to chicken out now.

  “No,” he said, his heart knocking in his chest. “I came back for you.”

  Daniel stepped back, regarding him with an amused expression. “For me? Are you sure that’s not the pheromones talking?”

  “Yes.”

  “I know that vampires have this mysterious, sexual vibe going on, but you should know that I’m the monogamous type,” Daniel said. “So be clear. When you say you came for me, are you saying you want to keep hooking up with a vampire or are you saying you want more?”

  Grayson managed to breathe despite the pulse in his throat. “More.”

  “I-want-to-be-a-vampire more or I-want-a-boyfriend more?”

  Grayson rubbed the back of his head. “If you’re already with someone—”

  “I’m not.”

  “Donors or—”

  Daniel smiled. “No donors. Or boyfriends.”

  “Okay. Then would you be open to...” He searched for the words. “Seeing where this goes?”

  “Seeing where this goes,” Daniel repeated. He looked ready to burst with laughter. “You want to date me?”

  “Yeah,” Grayson said. He stepped forward and wrapped his arms around Daniel. He placed a kiss on the vampire’s bare throat. “But only if you want to. I mean I—”

  Daniel pulled him up into a deep kiss. His cool mouth nearly devoured Grayson’s as he forced his tongue past his lips. Grayson felt his feet leave the floor, followed by the collision of soft pillows at his back. When he opened his eyes, the ceiling above the sofa came into view.

  “If I’m interested?” Daniel ran his fingers down Grayson’s chest. He bent and placed a kiss on Grayson’s throat, where the jaw and ear met. “What do you think?”

  Create a new story

  Remake Last Choice

  Grayson: Yes, he feels the same way

  His mind raced. “What about the coven? You’ve apprenticed—”

  “I don’t have to be here until I’m a full member,” she said. “And I can’t become a full member for several years. College won’t interfere with that. Assuming you wouldn’t mind being with a witch. Or living in Castle Cove someday. Would that be a problem?”

  No, he realized. Because in reality, he wanted to spend whatever time he had left with this beautiful, smart woman.

  “If it’s a problem,” she began, misreading his silence.

  “No, it’s not,” he said. He broke into a smile. “I think witches are
sexy.”

  “It’s going to take us a while to figure this out. How to make room for us and Landon,” she said. “But we’ll figure it out.”

  He squeezed her hand. “We will.”

  She squeezed him back, hard. Then reaching up and clasping the back of his head, she pulled him into a kiss, a deep lingering kiss that sent the room spinning.

  Her breath was hot on his lips. “Just tell me you want this.”

  “I want this,” he said, his whole body alive with electricity.

  “Good.” She pulled back smiling. “Because I’m going to make you stupidly happy, Grayson Helmson. Just you wait.”

  Create a new story

  Remake Last Choice

  Grayson: Stay home

  “I’ll stay home,” he said and checked the time on his phone. He had two hours before his shift started. “It’s short notice, but I think Ms. Monroe would understand.”

  “If she doesn’t I’ll talk to her,” his mother said.

  “Yes,” his father agreed, looking up from his phone again. “There’s no shame in needing personal time.”

  “I know,” he said and he did. While his parents did worship at the altar of work and productivity, they were also into self-care. Really into self-care. Grayson didn’t know another kid at his school who could call his mother and be removed, no questions asked, because he needed a mental health day.

  His mother squeezed his hand. It was warm from the coffee mug she’d been holding.

  “We want to give you space and we trust you to take care of yourself,” she said. “But we also worry. No one should have to go through what you went through last night. Loss is terrible, but last night...last night.”

  He squeezed her hand back and then let it go. “Don’t worry about me. I’m just going to read or maybe I’ll go for a walk.”

  Abby came into the dining room and took the empty seat. She smelled like soap and her face was a little red from being scrubbed. She sipped the coffee first, then added creamer from the carafe on the table. She also poured herself a juice.

  “Mom texted me and said she’s going to be a few minutes late. She got hung up on a 911 call or something.”

  “You’re welcome to stay here as long as you need to,” Grayson’s father said.

  “We love having you,” his mother added. “How are you feeling today?”

  “Awful,” Abigail said and his mother responded by rubbing Abby’s back.

  “Eat your breakfast. Your bagel is already cold. Want me to reheat it?”

  “No, this is fine.”

  Abby and Grayson shared a meaningful look. They both knew the breakfast would have to be choked down regardless. No amount of spread or toastedness was going to make it taste like anything other than ash in their mouths.

  The front door slammed open. “I’m home! Grayson! How was your birthday?”

  Tanner, ten years old burst into the dining room. His sandy blond hair was blown back from his face and he had his backpack slung over his shoulder. He dropped it with a clunk on the floor.

  He took one look at his family and his brown eyes widened. “Whoa. Who died?”

  Grayson snorted before he could stop himself. His brother had an uncanny ability to hit the truth spot on. His father often said he was fairly certain Tanner—because he’d been born in this creepy town—was some kind of psychic. Grayson had been born in LA and while he might have a knack for surviving, he didn’t seem to know things out of the blue.

  Grayson’s mother was standing at the dining room window, waving to Will’s mother in the driveway.

  “Landon died,” Abby said. She took a bite of her bagel as if to stop herself from saying anything more.

  “Shit.”

  “Tanner!” his father cried.

  “Language,” his mother said, which was very funny because everyone at that table knew his mother knew words that would make a sailor blush.

  “Please put your shoes and bag where they go,” his father said.

  Tanner didn’t seem to hear him. “Did he really die?” He was looking to Grayson for confirmation.

  Grayson found his voice. “There was an accident when we were swimming.”

  Both his parents shot him warning looks. Lucky for them, Grayson understood that he was supposed to omit the details of Landon’s death. Tanner understood Castle Cove was different. He knew about the vampires, werewolves, and witches—even the sirens in the cove. As with Grayson, his parents took great care to raise a curious but cautious boy.

  Tanner knew there were monsters in Castle Cove. But this didn’t mean that Tanner fully understood what those monsters could do to a person if caught unaware.

  However, Grayson thought that Tanner understood more than he let on. Perhaps it was his gift for knowing that seemed to protect him from saying too much. This gift worked as well as, if not better than, their parents’ diligent training.

  “He drowned?” Tanner asked. His eyes were wide. Too wide.

  “Yeah,” Abby said, lifting her coffee from the table. Grayson saw the tremble in her hand.

  “On your birthday?” Tanner asked. Now he was hanging off Grayson’s chair, looking him in the eye. He began to cry. “I’m sorry, dude.”

  Dude was his favorite word the last few weeks and to hear it uttered with such sincerity undid Grayson inside. Tears formed and spilled over onto his cheeks. He pulled his little brother in to a tight hug. “Thanks, man.”

  His parents let the moment unravel between them. No one spoke. Breakfast continued until Tanner pulled away.

  “Shoes. Bag,” his mother said.

  He returned dutifully to the bag he’d dumped upon arriving and removed his shoes. The backpack went on its wall hook and the shoes in their designated cubby.

  The front doorbell rang.

  Because he hadn’t closed the door behind him after his arrival, it stood open with a clear view of Officer O’Reilly on the porch. She wore pressed black dress pants and a deep burgundy dress shirt tucked into the waistband. Her badge was clipped to one hip and her gun was visible in its holster.

  “Abby, it’s your mom,” Tanner said, and opened the door. “Hi, Una.”

  “Hey, buddy.” She sounded as exhausted as she looked. Deep pillows of purple had formed under each of her eyes.

  Abby started to clear up her plate, but his mother gently tugged her hands away. “Leave it. I’ll get it.”

  Officer O’Reilly stepped into the hallway, ushered in by Tanner.

  “Are you ready?” she asked, when she saw Abigail.

  Abigail patted her pockets as if she’d forgotten something. “I guess so. I feel like I don’t have enough stuff, but I didn’t really have anything before...”

  “Thanks for letting Abby stay,” Una interjected.

  “Of course,” his parents said in unison.

  “Abby is welcome here anytime,” his mother added, lifting her coffee mug to her lips again.

  “I thought Landon was a good swimmer,” Tanner said. He was looking up at Officer O’Reilly with a strange expression on his face.

  Una’s lips pinched. “It was rough seas last night. A storm rolled in really quick.”

  His eyes lit up. “Yeah, we saw it. Will and I were in the backyard catching fireflies and then all of a sudden it was lightning and thundering.”

  Officer O’Reilly frowned at him. “Where does Will live?”

  “Cliffside,” his father answered. “Near the east parking lot.”

  “North Beach?”

  “Yeah. We go down there sometimes and look for crabs. Will’s dad will cook them. Alive.”

  “That’s very close to the water.” Officer O’Reilly shrugged as if to say there you go. “No surprise you saw the storm.”

  “Are you going back to work after you take me home?” Abby asked.

  “For a few hours,” Una said. Then to Grayson. “Okay, well we have to go.” She clamped a hand on his shoulder and gave it an affectionate squeeze.

  Tanner pulled open
the door, holding it open for them.

  “Such a gentleman,” Una said and stepped out onto the porch again. “Thank you.”

  Abby hesitated in the doorway. Her gaze fixed on Grayson. “Call me later, okay?”

  “I will.” He’d already planned on checking on her at least a hundred times today.

  With a weak smile, she descended the porch steps to the waiting unmarked car.

  “Bye,” Tanner said and shut the door. “Well that was awkward.”

  Grayson spent most of the morning lying in his bed, staring at the ceiling. It felt stupid to keep his eyes open and gaping at the popcorn plaster, but every time he closed his eyes, he saw Landon’s body slapping against the dark, sandy shore.

  And all the blood.

  He should’ve gone to work. At least then, he could’ve kept his mind busy.

  A soft knock on the door made him look up.

  It was Tanner. He stood in the doorway with his baseball glove. It was fitted to his right hand, his left hand punching the worn leather gently. “You wanna play catch with me?”

  He looked ready for rejection.

  “Mom told me not to bother you,” he went on, blowing his bangs out of his face. “But I thought you might want to get out of this shithole.”

  “Language,” Grayson said, but he couldn’t help smiling. His little brother discovering swear words had been the highlight of his year. “This place isn’t a shithole. You’ll really hurt Dad’s feelings if he hears you say that.”

  Their father took a lot of pride in their restored home. From the renovations to the décor, he’d put a lot of time and money into this place.

  Tanner frowned. “I didn’t mean it. I was just trying to make you smile.”

  “And what do I say about that?”

  Tanner sighed. “The joke’s not worth it if it’s at someone else’s expense.”

  Grayson spared him a wan smile. “I’ll play with you. Go get me a mitt.”

  Tanner’s sneakered feet bounded down the hall, squeaking as he cut the corner toward his own room at the opposite side of the landing.

  Grayson sat up, dragging a hand down his face. He took deep breaths, trying to compose himself. Some fresh air would do him some good. A crash in Tanner’s room echoed through the floor, rumbling under Grayson’s feet.