brought on by my feet being near the water. “I'm going swimming,” I said, standing up and pulling off my tank top until I was just wearing a bra. His eyes bulged as they devoured my skin. I pulled my skirt down deliberately, enjoying the look on his face. I dived down and kissed his cheek before jumping off the rocks and into the water.
“Brooke!” Jamie screamed.
I stayed under for way longer than a human would. I didn't know why, but I was messing with him, trying to see if he'd rescue me. I watched him through the water as he struggled to see if I was going to come up, and also pulling his shirt over his head. I popped my head through the surface of the water.
“Hey, what's wrong?” I grinned and splashed some water at him.
“Oh my God, you're okay.” He paused with his shirt in his hands. His chest was well-muscled. Clearly, he was an athlete. There were tiny scars all over his skin that only I could see, but other than that, he was a perfect specimen. Just the kind of boy human Brooke would have gone for and had an unrequited crush on for years. Noctalis Brooke wanted him for other reasons.
“I'm fine,” I said, kicking my feet back so I could float. The water was probably too cold for him, but it wouldn't be fatal. I laughed, giddy with the feel of the water on my skin. He tried not to stare at my chest. It wasn’t much, but still. The bra I stole was too small, so my boobs looked more ample than they really were. It was all part of the look I was going for. Deadly force in a sweet seductive package.
Nine
Ava
Things calm down for a few days as we wait for the weekend and our guests from India to arrive. Most of the time I alternate between hope and terror. Hope that they can help us and terror that they'll say they can't, or that they'll turn out to be Di's second cousins twice-removed and have a binding promise with her.
Anything is possible.
I also consider telling Peter to change me. He says he will if I ask him. I find myself watching him and imagining how our life would be. What it would be like to belong to him. I already belong to him, but my soul would be his, as well as my heart. I open my mouth at least a hundred times to tell him I'm ready, but then an image of my mother flashes into my head. How can I have the audacity to seize immortality when she's dying? It seems like the most selfish, horrible thing I could possibly do. It feels like spitting in her face. So I shut my mouth and don't say a word.
I'm not going to tell Peter about it. The truth is I feel caught between betraying my mother and setting Peter free. I love him, but she comes first. There will be a time when that could change, but it's not right now. As much as I would give anything for him, I can't betray my mother.
Tex succeeds in her plan to get Toby fired and instates Viktor as his replacement. How she swung that with her mother, I never find out, but when I see Viktor at work on Thursday night, I find out why.
Tex's mom is as infatuated with him as she is. I've never seen Mrs. Hamilton giggly before, but I do, and more than once. That isn’t what made my jaw drop though. It is Viktor's behavior. He smiles, he compliments, he is helpful, and he flirts with little old ladies over knitting books. Viktor is the perfect employee, hands down. Who knew?
The flowers, casseroles and phone calls continue to flood in. The house smells so strongly of flowers that I almost can't smell Dad's blood. Almost, but not quite.
I wrestle with the want for blood all day, and being away from Peter doesn't help. I can't wait until it will be just the two of us, or just Mom and me in the garden for the whole summer. The bite on my neck fades enough so I can put makeup on it. No one seems to notice. I guess I'm really paranoid that people are always looking at my neck because apparently they aren't.
I try to get her to let me take some time off school like we talked about, but Dad shuts that down. He's been really quiet lately, always
“Brooke!” Jamie screamed.
I stayed under for way longer than a human would. I didn't know why, but I was messing with him, trying to see if he'd rescue me. I watched him through the water as he struggled to see if I was going to come up, and also pulling his shirt over his head. I popped my head through the surface of the water.
“Hey, what's wrong?” I grinned and splashed some water at him.
“Oh my God, you're okay.” He paused with his shirt in his hands. His chest was well-muscled. Clearly, he was an athlete. There were tiny scars all over his skin that only I could see, but other than that, he was a perfect specimen. Just the kind of boy human Brooke would have gone for and had an unrequited crush on for years. Noctalis Brooke wanted him for other reasons.
“I'm fine,” I said, kicking my feet back so I could float. The water was probably too cold for him, but it wouldn't be fatal. I laughed, giddy with the feel of the water on my skin. He tried not to stare at my chest. It wasn’t much, but still. The bra I stole was too small, so my boobs looked more ample than they really were. It was all part of the look I was going for. Deadly force in a sweet seductive package.
Nine
Ava
Things calm down for a few days as we wait for the weekend and our guests from India to arrive. Most of the time I alternate between hope and terror. Hope that they can help us and terror that they'll say they can't, or that they'll turn out to be Di's second cousins twice-removed and have a binding promise with her.
Anything is possible.
I also consider telling Peter to change me. He says he will if I ask him. I find myself watching him and imagining how our life would be. What it would be like to belong to him. I already belong to him, but my soul would be his, as well as my heart. I open my mouth at least a hundred times to tell him I'm ready, but then an image of my mother flashes into my head. How can I have the audacity to seize immortality when she's dying? It seems like the most selfish, horrible thing I could possibly do. It feels like spitting in her face. So I shut my mouth and don't say a word.
I'm not going to tell Peter about it. The truth is I feel caught between betraying my mother and setting Peter free. I love him, but she comes first. There will be a time when that could change, but it's not right now. As much as I would give anything for him, I can't betray my mother.
Tex succeeds in her plan to get Toby fired and instates Viktor as his replacement. How she swung that with her mother, I never find out, but when I see Viktor at work on Thursday night, I find out why.
Tex's mom is as infatuated with him as she is. I've never seen Mrs. Hamilton giggly before, but I do, and more than once. That isn’t what made my jaw drop though. It is Viktor's behavior. He smiles, he compliments, he is helpful, and he flirts with little old ladies over knitting books. Viktor is the perfect employee, hands down. Who knew?
The flowers, casseroles and phone calls continue to flood in. The house smells so strongly of flowers that I almost can't smell Dad's blood. Almost, but not quite.
I wrestle with the want for blood all day, and being away from Peter doesn't help. I can't wait until it will be just the two of us, or just Mom and me in the garden for the whole summer. The bite on my neck fades enough so I can put makeup on it. No one seems to notice. I guess I'm really paranoid that people are always looking at my neck because apparently they aren't.
I try to get her to let me take some time off school like we talked about, but Dad shuts that down. He's been really quiet lately, always
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