I woke up with a killer headache. It seemed my healing abilities were never as fast as I needed them to be. I lay there sprawled out on my bed and tried to remember yesterday. I had spent most of the day with Jamie and then I saw Michael. Yup I remembered how we left things and how upset it had made me. I must’ve done some pretty heavy drinking. The last time I had drank nearly that bad was on my eighteenth birthday, oddly enough Michael had been the reason back then too.
My cellphone went off and the ringtone was far too jolly for the splitting headache I had. I reached over to the nightstand and grabbed the little evil object. “What have I done to deserve this torture?”
It was Jamie, she laughed at my expense. “Drinking will do that sort of thing, human or not. You were really going at the shots.” As she spoke I realized I had done all my mistakes with her by my side. Wow I felt like an idiot.
“My head is a ball of mush, can you tell me exactly what happened?”
“You realized it was truly officially over with Michael and you wanted to forget it. You took me to a really cool bar you swore my father would kill you for if he ever found out but everyone was so nice and you were always on guard. I drove us home and I did pretty good with convincing my dad we were just out late but you were so drunk you got us caught.” She wanted me to know it was my fault she was possibly grounded, not her wonderful lying.
“How do you know it was me?” I was still trying to piece everything together but my memory was not cooperating.
“When I went up to bed he believed everything I said but after he came from walking you home he knew you had been out drinking and took me along for the awesome ride.”
“That was very stupid of me and I don’t blame him for being pissed. He probably won’t want us alone for awhile especially at night. Why did he walk me home?” I could not remember seeing Caleb at all last night.
“You were pretty out of it. How do you feel now about everything?”
“My head hurts too much for me to wallow about Michael and his insensitive ass.” I went from regret and sadness to pure anger over the subject of my ex-boyfriend. “I’m sorry for getting you into trouble.”
“You could tell my dad that and convince him I don’t need to be grounded until I’m thirty.”
I tried to find the bright side and help her out. “For you to be thirty you’d have to stay for him to keep an eye on you.”
“Exactly, I think I’m wearing him down. I love my mom but I really don’t want to live with her and the new husband. So far it doesn’t look like dad is gonna force a step mom on me. If he does hopefully I can like her almost as much as I like you.”
“Sure, hopefully.”
“It’d be a lifesaver if you got with my dad, I’d love you forever.” She suddenly sounded like she was ten and begging with all her adorable features for you to do what she wanted.
I laughed, I couldn’t keep the laugh in no matter how much it pained my throbbing skull. “Fat chance and you know it. I have to go throw myself in the shower, I’ll talk to you later.” I ended the call and flung the phone onto the bed. I sighed and sat up.
The day had just begun and already felt impossibly long.
It was two hours later when I managed to get into my kitchen and make a cup of coffee. I was just about to pour the dark liquid when I heard someone knocking on my door. I groaned, why couldn’t I be left alone until I was more like myself? Just until I’ve had some coffee and my head would stop hurting? I cursed whoever was behind the door. It was probably someone trying to sell something I wasn’t interested in.
I walked from the kitchen to the living room and swung the door open. It wasn’t someone trying to sell something. It was my neighbor, Caleb, and he looked pissed. Had I done something to him and didn’t remember? “Whatever it is, I don’t remember. And have mercy on my headache.”
He let himself in, walking past me into my living room. “You don’t remember last night? How convenient.”
Shit, I was never drinking again. “I know I messed up with Jamie but I swear it’ll never happen again. No matter what I’d always protect her.”
“I know that.” The tension on his shoulders eased just a bit. “I’m debating if I should leave it at that and leave, or tell you the rest of what happened last night.”
I groaned and walked over to the couch, standing made me feel like a bigger piece of shit. “I’d rather you tell me and you know that, that’s why you’re here.”
“You wouldn’t want to be spared the embarrassment?”
“Embarrassment?” I repeated as I stared at him. I began to realize I screwed up somewhere where he was concerned. “I called you pretty.” Horror filled my chest.
“Amongst other things.” The anger he had walked in was gone, replaced by a grin I saw tugging his lips. He thought my horror was funny.
His lips…aww shit. I turned away and hoped he didn’t see the horror across my face. “I’m sure I’ll remember it on my own eventually. You can go and do whatever it is you do all day.” I got up to walk him out; I didn’t want him to realize I was trying very hard to get rid of him.
We were half way to the door, nearly at the home base when he turned toward me, a huge smile on his face. “Was it as good for you as it was for me?”
Fuck he knew, he always knew too much. I reached out and punched him on the arm. “Shut up!” as mortified as I felt, I was glad we were talking about the kiss and not everything else I said about him and Michael.
Caleb was laughing, full out laughing at me.
“Yeah, yeah laugh it up. You ran out of here fast enough, you were probably freaked out and had to wash the cooties off from the vamp girl.”
Caleb’s laughter died down. “No, I don’t see you as a vampire Evangeline, not anymore. Now that I know the truth I see you as one of mine.” The way he said that had my heart racing.
I remembered him telling Michael how I belonged more with the wolves than the vamps. I had forgiven him for saying such a thing because he had been in a pretty bad spot at the time but the truth was I didn’t belong to either side. I shook my head. “I’m not. Ok so I didn’t completely disgust you, good times. I need coffee.” I nearly ran to my kitchen and left him standing there, I didn’t care if it was rude.
Caleb didn’t care to take the hint and leave the embarrassing conversation for another day, maybe fifty years from now. “Shall I assume you don’t want to talk about anything said last night?” I felt him standing near the door of the kitchen.
Just as he some times knew too much so did I, I knew for a fact he was talking about my slip up about picking between him and Michael. Why had I said that? Maybe because I meant it. I didn’t want to pick between them but I also don’t know exactly what that meant. What was there between me and Caleb that made me feel I’d have to give it up? My head hurt too much for all these questions.
“Yup. I was drunk and everything I said was just a big mess of words.” I shrugged and kept my back facing him while I pretended to be messing with something in the sink.
“I’m glad that’s cleared up then. I’ll let you get back to your coffee.”
I listened as he turned around and walked through the living room to the front door. I could breathe a little easier once that door shut and he was gone.
Chapter 17