Tainted Blood (17 page)

To distract myself from where my thoughts were going, I asked Hayden what she’d done for Halloween. I was surprised when she told me that her mom didn’t let her celebrate Halloween. After my night, I didn’t blame Julz and considered never celebrating again myself.

Hayden began chatting away, telling me that her parents were still not speaking, that her mom was spending a lot of time alone in her bedroom. She moved on to tell me about a recent book that she’d read and had really enjoyed, then she moved on to ask me about school. Particularly my Astronomy class, even more specifically, she wanted to know about my professor. She asked what I thought about my astronomy teacher and if I knew that she was a vampire.

I admit, it took me by surprise, at first, but I quickly composed myself, feigning ignorance, and told her that I did know that
Amber
was a vampire. At the same time, I wondered how much Hayden knew about Amber, and especially, how much did she know about Felix and Amber
?
I also told her that Amber was a great professor and that she was one of my favorites. I wasn’t sure how that sat with Hayden but it did silence her and I wasn’t sure if that was a good thing or a bad thing.

It was clear Hayden was digging for information. I knew she had feelings for Felix, feelings a fourteen-year-old shouldn’t have for a man that was much, much older. I had assumed it was just a crush back when she’d shared her “gift” with me and I’d caught a glimpse into her heart. I wondered if Felix knew how Hayden felt about him and if so, what he thought about it.

But it wasn’t like this was something you’d just bring up in casual conversation.

I don’t know how long Julz had been behind us. She could’ve been there the whole time, for all I knew. We never heard her until she said, “Hayden, give me a minute with Laney, please.” We both squeaked and I jumped.

I was instantly alarmed. I searched for Oliver, or Isaac. Oh hell, I searched for anyone who wasn’t Julz. I thought maybe Oliver would feel me panic. I wondered if the whole “feeling emotions” thing worked when he was that far away, and when he didn’t immediately come running to save me, I figured it didn’t.

Julz took a seat on the curb beside me as Hayden was walking away and telling me good-bye. I stared at Julz as she sat and I wasn’t sure if I should run, scream, hop back in the car, or all of the above. I was sure she could hear the frantic beat of my heart though, and that just made me even more nervous.

Julz pulled her knees up close to her chest and hugged them. Her curly, purple-streaked hair was pulled back into a ponytail and she was dressed in black yoga pants and a baggy sweatshirt that was blue, faded and once had a picture or words printed on the front of it. She was wearing gray running shoes that had purple stripes on the sides, and it just struck me as an unusual ensemble for her. And she seemed…thinner than usual, but I assumed it was the clothes, they were so baggy on her. But she was also paler and that struck me as odd. She just didn’t look right.

I continued staring at her, pondering her attire and her appearance and I was clueless as to why she would want a minute with me. I could just imagine all of the horrible things she could do to me in that minute. And that minute that was stretching into lots of minutes at the moment.

She glanced over at me and smiled slightly before resting her chin on her knee. The eerie sound of the ice cream truck chimed in the distance. It wasn’t reassuring. I figured that she’d probably help that creepy-ass, ice cream truck driving, vampire abduct me.

To keep myself from going crazy over all the horrid things I could imagine them doing to me, I finally said, “What do you want?” I wasn’t trying to be rude. Although I saw no reason I needed to be nice to her. After all, she had tried to kill me the last time I’d seen her.

She didn’t look at me when she responded. “Why haven’t you told him?”

I had no idea what she was talking about and when I didn’t answer right away, she glanced at me and I looked at her like she was a total idiot.

“Oliver. Why haven’t you told him about Oscar and me being married?” Her plain brown eyes searched mine for an answer.

I shrugged and looked away from her, staring out across the cul-de-sac. “That’s your business. I imagine you have your reasons for not wanting him to know.” I paused a moment then added, “Doesn’t mean I won’t tell him. I just haven’t, yet.”

My eyes met hers for a brief moment. I really couldn’t remember why I hadn’t told him. So much had happened since Julz had shared her memories with me. Honestly, it kind of just slipped my mind. But now, now that she’d brought it up, I was feeling guilty that I hadn’t told him. But on the other hand, thinking about telling Oliver made me feel like I was betraying Julz somehow. And I really didn’t understand that one.

“Thanks for not telling him,” she said softly.

I shrugged and stared off toward the front of her house, doing my best to will Oliver out the door. He was taking longer than I thought he should.

Julz began picking at the chipped, black nail polish on her fingers. “I know everyone thinks things would be better without me,” she said, and I gave her a quick glance. She didn’t acknowledge it and continued, “I don’t blame them, or you. The choices I have made have had a terrible rippling effect on everyone I care about.” She sniffled and I realized she was fighting back tears. “Isaac is done with me. I’ve broken his heart…again.”

“Why?” I asked under my breath and from the corner of my eye I saw her turn her attention on me so I turned toward her. “Why did you do it?”

“I couldn’t help it. But it doesn’t matter what I say, I know you don’t believe me.” She wiped at her nose with the sleeve of her sweatshirt and looked away. “Nobody does,” she added quietly.

We sat there in silence for another moment then she laughed to herself sadly and said, “You know, I sometimes think the Knight family is cursed.” I raised an eyebrow at her. It was one thing for her to speak poorly of her Knight, but it wasn’t okay for her to bash my part of that family. She ignored my expression and continued, “Look at all that’s happened to them. I don’t know about you, but my life was perfect until I met Oscar.” She smiled sadly. “I had it all. I was so happy, and then
he
happened. There was just something about him… Something that I couldn’t resist giving in to and then my life went every way but the right way.” Her eyes met mine, questioning how much I knew before continuing. “But then I look at Hayden and realize that something so wonderful couldn’t come from a curse.”

I felt like she was rambling, like she had just before she bit me not so long ago and I was beginning to get nervous again. Not that I hadn’t been nervous the entire time, it just got stronger at some moments…like this particular one.

“She’s the best thing that I’ve ever done.” She stared down at her fingers and started picking the polish again. “Laney, will you promise me something?”

I imagine my eyes were super wide. She was kidding, right? Asking me for something?

She stopped picking her nails and hugged her knees tight and stared at the gutter. “I see how great you are with Hayden, and I know how much Oliver loves her. I mean, if anything ever happens to me…” Her eyes flicked up to mine for a brief moment. “Promise me you’ll take care of my baby for me.”

I was speechless. She’d tried to kill me! She’d been downright evil to me pretty much every moment since we’d met, and now she was asking me to care for her daughter—the most important person in her life. I really didn’t get her at all.

She turned her head, resting it on her knees, and looked at me. “I know Oliver has his whole ‘no promises’ thing, but I just need to know, even though I’ve been nothing but horrible to you, that you won’t hold that against my daughter. Please tell me that you will take care of her. That you will raise my baby if something happens to me.”

“Julz, why would you want me to do it? What about Isaac? He’s her dad, he’s the one who’s raised her.”

“Laney, I don’t expect you to understand any of this, I just need to know that my baby will be loved and cared for.” Her voice was getting a little unsteady, and louder. I needed to just agree and let it go.
Don’t poke the bear
,
I kept reminding myself.

“Of course, Julz.”

“Promise me,” her eyes narrowed and didn’t leave mine.

“I promise.” Pretty sure I just promised a crazy woman that I’d raise a child that was only five years younger than me.

“Thank you, Laney. You have no idea how much this means to me.” She was totally sincere and even had tears in her eyes. It was clear that she was far from stable. She focused on the ground for a moment then said, “I know you’ll make a great mother, the mother I never could be.”

Crazy. She was bat-shit crazy.

“Sorry about your aunt,” she said a moment later. She picked a small twig up off the ground that had been near her foot and began shredding the bark from it. “Believe it or not, I do care and I do understand, all too well.”

I shot her a look, instantly defensive. I could not fathom how she could possibly understand my loss, and in the next moment, I found out that I shouldn’t be so quick to judge.

“Oscar killed my parents,” her eyes flicked to mine for a brief moment. “I know what it’s like to lose family, especially in a gruesome way.”

Wow was the only response I had, and it stayed in my head. I reminded myself that this beast of a man was my boyfriend’s—the man I planned to spend the rest of my life with—brother. His twin brother. They’d shared a womb for nine months. They shared DNA, the same genetic makeup, and yet, they seemed to be polar opposites.

As if reading my thoughts, Julz said, “He wasn’t always bad.” She was back to shredding her twig, of which there wasn’t much left. “It wasn’t like he was some monster that I fell in love with. He was broken, I’ll admit I knew that, but of course I thought I could fix him.” She chuckled softy. “I think I just made him worse.” She tossed the remains of the twig into the street and hugged her knees once again, her eyes meeting mine. “Don’t let Oliver break, okay?”

Oliver called my name just then. There was concern in his tone. “She’s fine, Oliver.” Julz called back as she rose up from beside me. “I didn’t touch her.” She smiled down and said, “Thanks, Laney.” I wasn’t exactly sure what she was thanking me for so I just nodded to her as she walked away.

Lola padded over with Oliver. She nuzzled me and made that odd purring sound that she sometimes made. She licked my face and shoved her nose against my neck. I laughed because it tickled. I ran my fingers into her fur and buried my face against her. I loved the way she smelled, so calming and...
Oh, my God!
That was it! Phen and the dog, they did make me feel the same way. That calming and comfortable feeling I got when I was near either of them, it was the same.

Oliver was putting a box into the back of the SUV, his sunglasses hooked on the collar of his tee, and he eyed Julz as she walked back to the house. “She’s avoiding me, more so than usual,” he said as he focused on me still sitting on the curb. “What did she say to you?”

“A whole lot of crazy stuff, as usual. Why?” I kept my fingers buried in Lola’s fur and hugged her tight.

“Just wondering what she said, that’s all.” He returned his attention to Julz as she made her way up the driveway.

“Who does Lola belong to?” I asked and his attention quickly returned to me.

“She’s mine, in a way,” he responded and closed the back of the car.

“In what kind of way is she yours?”

“She was given to me many years ago by her owner. I was asked to care for her until her original owner comes back for her. Why do you ask?”

I buried my face in her fur and whispered, “‘Cause I want her.” I smiled up at Oliver.

He laughed at me and crouched down beside us and rubbed Lola. She looked over at him, her head to the side and her tongue lolling out of her mouth. She looked like she was smiling.

“Do you really have to give her back?” I couldn’t bear the thought of it. I didn’t even want to put any thought into the idea for fear I’d break down.

“I wouldn’t worry about it, Laney.” He leaned close and kissed my forehead. “Lola’s not going anywhere,” he said as he stood. “Unfortunately, she can’t come with us either. Not just yet.”

“But she can someday?” I asked with uncontrolled excitement.

He smiled that heart-melting smile of his and said, “Yes, Laney, someday.”

I gave Lola more love and then waited in the car while Oliver put her back in Julz’s house and told everyone good-bye. Isaac and Hayden waved from the open garage and I waved back as we drove away.

“Isaac has taken over my room,” Oliver told me as we drove away. “I guess it might be time for us to get our own place.” He gave me a look, a look that made my stomach drop, just before he slipped his sunglasses on.

We were pretty much already living together. I couldn’t remember, other than the night of my birthday, the last night I’d spent away from him. I had no doubt that I wanted to spend the rest of my life with him. I had no problem with the idea of bonding with him, and that, when laid out in fr
ont of me, seemed like a much bigger commitment than living together.

“Maybe it is,” I replied with a smile of my own.

Chapter
9 - A Very Awkward Dinner Party