Southern Exposure

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  Tink was furious with me for running off. He couldn't believe I'd taken such a risk. I didn't have the heart to tell him that I didn't care what happened.

  "I left a backpack on your bed," Tink said, "put some things in it for the trip." He checked my eyes, content they were honey gold.

  I was putting another pair of jeans in the backpack when I heard Tink from Benjamin and Elizabeth's bedroom.

  "We've got company."

  I was by his side in the blink of an eye. We both peered out the window toward the driveway unprepared for what we saw, albeit for different reasons.

  "Jason, I presume?" Tink asked, with a smirk.

  "Yes. I don't know how—"

  "You better meet him at the door, he looks determined enough to march right in here."

  I raced downstairs and stepped out onto the front porch as Jason reached the top of the stairs. His forehead wrinkled with confusion before I got the door closed, but when he recognized me, his face lit up.

  "Finally," he sighed.

  "What—I mean how—aren't you supposed to be—"

  "I'm your date. Matt told me and I'm where and with whom I'm supposed to be with. Any more questions?"

  I heard Tink laugh.

  "I like this guy," Tink whispered so only I could hear. "He knows what he wants."

  "Date?"

  Jason pulled an orchid out from behind his back. "I got one with a wristband so I didn't have to worry about sticking you. Do you want to change before we go? I mean you don't have too. You look great, but if you want to, I don't mind waiting, not for you."

  "Jason, I told you, I can't—"

  "Do I look like I'm dressed for the school dance?" He waved his hand over his jeans and Warrior letterman's jacket. "It almost sounds like you don't trust me."

  "That's not true." I glanced down at what I was wearing and it was a mess from my little jaunt to the pool. "Wait right here."

  I raced upstairs to dig through my dresser. I found a red cotton blouse, took the fresh pair of jeans I'd packed and quickly changed. Tink met me in the hallway.

  "So, does this make it an official courtship?" Tink asked.

  "I don't know, he wants to take me somewhere—he brought a flower."

  Tink took the piece of straw out of his mouth and then scratched his head. "Might be dangerous."

  "You don't even know where he's taking me," I pointed out.

  "True, but I wasn't so much worried about our adversary as I was young Jason there."

  "Very funny. Seriously, can I go?"

  "Tell you what, see if you can find out what he's got in mind. I'll tap on the window, twice if it's okay, once if it's not."

  "Got it." I ran downstairs and slipped back outside.

  "Wow!" Jason's smile was intoxicating. "You look great in red."

  "Where are we going?"

  "It's a secret. Shall we?" We walked down the steps. "Oh, wait." Jason opened the plastic box he was holding and slipped the orchid onto my wrist. "Perfect."

  There was one quiet tap on the window upstairs.

  I hesitated. "I should probably tell my mother where I'm going."

  "Nobody's home, Izzy."

  Apparently he had seen the draped furniture. "My brother is."

  Jason looked up at the second floor window. "It's a surprise alright, get over it!" He offered me his arm again. "That should take care of it."

  He wrapped his arm around mine and led me to his Jeep. The door was open, and once he helped me in, he raced around to the driver's side and jumped in. At the bottom of the road, we turned toward the school. "Trust me," he said, apparently detecting my apprehension at the direction he'd taken.

  We drove past the school and after a short distance, he pulled over and stopped.

  "What's wrong?"

  "He reached over and opened the glove box. "I want you to put this on." He held up a black, satin blindfold.

  "Jason," I cautioned.

  "Come on, don't spoil the surprise."

  I reluctantly tied the blindfold securely over my eyes knowing I could rely on my other senses. We pulled back out on the main road, and after a short distance, turned right. We'd gone no more than a block when we turned again. "Are those motorcycles?"

  "Yeah, I've never seen so many, must be some kind of gang. You're not peeking, are you?"

  "Blindfold, remember? I can still hear."

  We made two more turns and I began to suspect he was trying to disorient me. It wasn't that easy, but I played along and decided he was right. I didn't want to spoil the surprise. I used all my senses to concentrate on anything but where we were going—the smell of the orchid—Jason, the wobble of the right rear tire, even the chill in the night air. Even so, a whiff from the treatment plant put us just south of Main Street. The bumpy road dipped and rose like a rollercoaster. We made another left and then a quick right. The road made another steep descent and then the boards of a wooden planked bridge clattered under the tires. Finally, we turned off the paved road and stopped.

  "Promise you won't move," Jason pleaded, the excitement in his voice was obvious.

  "Sure."

  He got out without turning off the engine and the squeal of a metal gate opening broke the silence. We drove a sort distance further before he stopped and got out again. He went straight to the front of the Jeep. As he fumbled around under the hood, I could tell he was taking extreme measures to try and be quiet. The hood squeaked closed and then a draft washed over me as my door opened. I was sure I could hear and smell water. Jason reached across me and turned off the engine. "Okay, here we go." He held my hand as I climbed out, and then led me around to the front of the Jeep.

  "Ready? Oh, wait. Don't move." He went around behind me and got something out of the back of the Jeep. When he returned, he set a heavy object on the hood.

  "Come on Jason, I'm going crazy here."

  "Hold on." His voice was in front of me now. "Could you scoot back just a little?" The warmth of his breath felt like he was just inches from my face.

  I edged back.

  "Perfect." Suddenly there was soft music. "Okay, here we go."

  It startled me when his fingers touched my face and I instinctively flinched.

  "Easy, just a second now." He ran his fingers ever so gently across my cheekbones, through my hair until they reached the bow at the back of the blindfold. As he slowly pulled the knot loose, the blindfold peeled away.

  I opened my eyes and I was staring into his beautiful, smiling face. Behind him, a huge oak was draped in a canopy of tiny white lights that twinkled like a starlit sky, their warm glow reflecting in a still pool at the edge of the creek. I was speechless.

  Jason cradled my cheeks in his hands and drew my face to his. We kissed in the most beautiful moment I could have ever imagined. He stepped back, took my hand and slid beside me. "You like?" He waved his other hand across the scene in front of me.

  "It's beautiful," I said, although the word didn't do it justice.

  "Well, I figured if I can't take the princess to the ball, I'd bring the ball to the princess."

  "That's kind of corny."

  "Yep."

  "You're a hopeless romantic, and I feel like such an idiot. I thought after the game you—"

  "Yeah, sorry about that, but I had to get this set up. I felt horrible, but I wanted it to be a surprise."

  "And Lisa?"

  "She loaned me the lights." He put his arm around me, and I snuggled up against him.

  "You're amazing."

  "Come on." He led me forward toward the tree where he'd tied a heavy blanket between two massive roots like a hammock. I sat down and then he eased down next to me, draping his arm around my shoulders.

  When I looked up, I realized he'd strung the lights so that each strand started at a point just above us and fanned out under the tree like the spines of an umbrella. Jason's breath hung in the cold night air.

  "You must be freezing."

  "No, I'm good,
long-underwear."

  "Good? You're incredible. I don't deserve this. You should be at the dance celebrating your victory with the others."

  "Dance—right." He jumped up, pulled me to my feet, and led me to the center of the smooth dirt floor under the lights. "Shall we?"

  I stepped into his open arms—he folded them around my waist and we danced. I lay my head against his shoulder as we slowly turned, wrapped in one another's arms, but as we turned, I noticed the faint red glow of the tower behind my house, reminding me this could not last. "No," I mumbled under my breath.

  "No?" Jason tried to ease me back so he could see my face, but I clung tighter.

  "I don't want this to end," I whispered.

  "It doesn't have to."

  We danced through two more songs before he led me back to the hammock. We sat back down and as I cuddled, wrapped in his arms, he rested his head on top of mine. I think neither of us moved for almost half an hour. The contact between us was as magical as ever. There was a draw, a tranquility that was beautiful in and of itself, but this time, it was laced with an irrepressible passion. It was euphoric. Jason gently flexed his arm.

  "You're cold."

  "Long-underwear, remember, just a little stiff." He pulled his arm back and stood to stretch.

  "From the game?"

  "Yeah, those guys were monsters."

  The word hung between us uncomfortably although I wasn't sure why.

  "They were huge is what I meant to say," he said apologetically and then eased back down next to me. "Can you believe we won?"

  "Yes, I believe you can do anything."

  We leaned closer and kissed, longer, more passionately. His heart was pounding wildly, sending out waves of human warmth with each beat. I was thankful for the slight breeze that whirled around us. I managed as we held each other, touching and kissing until he sighed. The knots in the blanket began to slip, lowering us down between the roots in a cocoon of longing. Jason was on top of me now, the air still, close. His lips filled mine with a fiery kiss that went beyond my control. I locked my hands on either side of his face and kissed him even more passionately. I was filled with his warmth, it was everywhere. He eased back, kissed the bridge of my nose and smiled tenderly.

  "I love you, Izzy."

  "What? What did you say?" I panted. The spasms within my chest pulsed like a heartbeat.

  "All in, remember? I'm ready, ready for our forever." He leaned back down and kissed my trembling lips. "I love you."

  With the only measure of control I had left, I froze, but even so, my mouth watered, my teeth pressed forward, parting my lips as my monster began to take control. Jason had to see what was happening to me, but his expression didn't change—he didn't look frightened at all.

  "Please," I begged, but the sound came out more like a guttural growl. My body began to twitch with tremors as I fought the unyielding instinct. "Get away from me."

  Jason leaned down and kissed my teeth and lips. When he lifted back up, he tilted his head to the side and pulled down the collar of his jacket exposing the soft subtle tissue of his neck. "Make me like you so we can be together, forever."

  My monster grabbed him, almost dislocating his shoulders and pulled him down. I was horrified, I was going to bite him, to taste the most delicious blood imaginable and there was nothing I could do to stop. His weight sagged down, begging me to do it.

  "I love you," he whispered in my ear. "We belong together."

  Unable to keep my jaw clenched any longer, I opened my mouth, exposing my razor sharp teeth. I teetered on the edge of lust and thirst not sure which one would win out, or if the outcome would be the same either way. It was there, if I could just—focus. My lips touched his pulsing vein—my teeth drug across his soft skin—my tongue touched the artery to his heart—his heart, that was it—love—not just lust. I loved him. In that instant of awareness, I pushed him away.

  Jason flew across the clearing, skidding to a stop on the bank of the creek. He clutched his chest, struggling for breath, but he didn't look shocked or afraid, he looked disappointed.

  "I'm sorry," I grimaced, squirming out of the tight confines between the roots.

  "It's okay," Jason coughed. "I shouldn't have provoked you. It was selfish."

  "Selfish?" I puzzled. "It was suicidal."

  The distance between us—the cold night air—brought us both back to reality. Tiny rings appeared on the water as it began to rain and then the sky opened up. Jason was out from under the tree and the wet shoulders of his jacket soon glistened. He rested back against his arms and looked up into the cold rain. "I'm such an idiot." He lowered his face until he was looking at me. "Why would anything as beautiful as you want to spend eternity with the likes of Jason Whitaker?"

  The rain began to trickle through the canopy and my clothes were soon wet as well, but the rain also cleansed the air and curbed my thirst. "Come back, Jason." I held my arms out to him.

  He laughed. "Why, so you can feel sorry for me?"

  "Please Jason, we have to talk."

  "Talk, yeah, that's what we do." He walked back and plopped down in the mud at my feet.

  "Why did you do that?" I began. "You have no idea what I could—"

  "I'm not an idiot, Izzy. I know."

  "Know, know what?"

  "Bionic Robo Cop, seriously? I mean sure, at first I thought it was something like that, you know, high tech modern stuff. I figured you were out here in the middle of nowhere to hide, or maybe your father was some kind of secret agent or something, but seriously?"

  "So you chose some mythical creature instead?"

  "Mythical—yeah—those legends—there has to be a reason they've lasted this long. You can run faster than a car, you're strong, you don't eat—although I've got to admit you threw me with the whole chips and soda thing last night—and I figure the reason every time we get close, you back away is because you thirst for my blood."

  I couldn't hide my shock.

  "It doesn't take a genius to put two and two together, you're a vamp—"

  I pressed my fingers across his lips. I'd done exactly what I swore I'd never do, led Jason to his doom, a human could never know. It was the law. "Jason, you can't—"

  "Hey, I get it. I figured that's why you couldn't say anything, because humans aren't supposed to know."

  I tried to force a smile. Now what? Part of me searched frantically for some tidbit of information that he missed—something I could use to convince him he was wrong, but the other part—the part of me that loved him—felt relieved that the truth was out and that he didn't care.

  "There's one thing I don't get, though. How can you go to school, isn't that like walking through a candy store?"

  "It's not like that," I hesitantly replied.

  "Seriously, you don't drink human blood?"

  "Jason, we're not having this conver—"

  "Come on, nothing's changed. I'm still hopelessly in love with you." He scooted closer.

  All the secrets, the deception, the struggle to adapt became an excuse to confess. "I belong to a coven of hunters," I babbled.

  "Coven, that's awesome. So what do you hunt?"

  "Animals, deer, bear, and the occasional mountain lion."

  "So vampires don't drink human blood."

  "We don't," I clarified.

  "So there are others that do. Is that why you were guarding my house?"

  I nodded. "We can't talk about this."

  "You okay, now?" he asked cautiously.

  "I think so, yes."

  He slid up on the root and put his arm around me. "So you were protecting me."

  "Aren't you terrified? I mean, I'm way more dangerous than your Great White."

  "You kidding? I'm in love with you. I could never be afraid of you. Besides, what's the worst that could happen? Eternity with the one I love?"

  I had nothing. What could I say to such unconditional love? Jason leaned forward and kissed me again. I cautiously wrapped my arms around him and savo
red the contact. Suddenly the rain shorted the twinkle lights and they began popping like a string of fireworks. Jason flinched and we slid down the slick root into the mud. He hovered over me, his gaze washing over me from head to toe. His deep, chocolate eyes flashed with longing. I followed his gaze to my soaked blouse that clung like a second skin. Apparently, I was going to be beyond Jason's control. I put my hand on his chest and gently lifted him. He twisted, rolled off my hand and splashed down into the mud next to me. We were both covered.

  Jason pushed up on his elbows, laughing. "We look ridiculous, like prehistoric cavemen or something—me Tarzan."

  I pushed up on my elbows as well, the mud sliding through the ringlets in my hair. I splashed mud over his chest.

  "Funny," he said, splashing mud on me. "A guy looks...rugged when he's dirty; a girl, not so much."

  "Oh really," I gawked, and sprang dramatically to my feet at vampire speed.

  "Ooooh," Jason taunted.

  In one leap, I was in the creek. I sank and spun so fast that the mud washed away instantly. One, quick leap off the bottom, and I was back on the bank. I posed. "Better?"

  "I've got some moves of my own," Jason boasted, climbing to his feet. He took off toward the creek, but slipped in the mud and sprawled awkwardly into the water. He flopped around on the shallow shoreline like a trout, then sprang to his feet and posed, still mostly covered in mud.

  "Not even close," I laughed. I leapt for the deeper water, grabbing him as I passed, and we splashed into the water. "Hold tight," I said when we surfaced. He took a breath, or gasped, I wasn't sure which, and I took him under and spun. When we surfaced, his arms were tightly around me. "Hold on." I sprang toward the shore, depositing him next to me. "That's better."

  Jason shook off like a dog. "Show off." He shivered, and I realized his lips were blue.

  "You're freezing. I'm sorry, I forgot—"

  "Yeah, yeah, I know. I'm only human."

  "We've got to get you warmed up." I grabbed his hand, led him back to the Jeep, and set him in the passenger's seat. The twinkle lights had drained the battery and it barely had enough juice to crank the engine, but on the third try, it finally caught. I turned the heater controls on high.

  Jason had his arms wrapped around him and he was shivering violently. "Guess swimming wasn't the greatest idea," he stammered.

  The windows fogged as the Jeep began to warm up, but he continued to shiver.

  "Take off your wet clothes," I said.

  He looked at me and bobbed his brow. "You first."

  My smirk definitely told him that wasn't happening. Jason did take off his jacket, and I used my strength to wring out the heavy material. My instinct was to cuddle him, to make him warmer, but I knew my body temperature would have the opposite effect. As the Jeep warmed, Jason's shivering began to subside. Finally, he decided to take of his shirt and long-underwear top. He put the shirt back on after I wrung it out, but without buttoning it. He was even more beautiful than I remembered him in the tight, white tee shirt. The heat—Jason with his shirt open—were definitely getting to be a bit much. I reached over him to button the shirt, but he caught my hand and pressed it against his sculpted chest.

  "Feel that? I love you with every beat." His smile was irresistible.

  "And I love you," I whispered, but it stuck in my throat. I thirst for you, I've doomed you, seemed more accurate.

  "That's what a guy wants to hear."

  I slid my hand off his chest and grabbed the armrest on the door. I leaned over him and kissed his wet, warm lips. He slid his hands under my shirt, and wrapped his arms around my waist while I nibbled my way to his ear. I could see—and feel—the artery in his neck pulsing, and while I still craved his blood, I loved him more—I knew that for certain now. I lowered my head and kissed his neck. His warmth consumed me.

  "How can you not want this to last forever?"

  I pulled back and sneered at him.

  He smiled. "Guess you think I'll settle for the time we have. We'll see."

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