Blue Sacrifice (Blue Davison) (4 page)

Again I wished I could explain to him how I did
want a tomorrow. I wanted it so badly, but if I had a tomorrow, others might
not. Was it not my destiny to sacrifice myself like the women in my family had
for a hundred years?

Flynn wouldn’t understand though. He wanted to
save the girl, nail the girl, and move on with his life. The problem was saving
me might put his life at risk. When the town bled, the victims could be anyone
from long time locals to transplants like pretty boy.

“I have a test tomorrow so I have that to live
for,” I said with a big smile, deciding I would enjoy the evening then call
Lacey and tell her goodbye.

“I would like to join you for lunch tomorrow and meet
your friend.”

“She’s very beautiful and funny. She’s traveled a
lot, so you two have that in common.”

Smiling, Flynn tapped his fingers. “I’m sure she
and I will be fast friends.”

“I don’t know if she’ll want you to join us
though,” I lied to keep up appearances about me living another day. “I’ll ask
her and she’ll probably pity you enough to say yes. It’ll help that you’re as
beautiful as she is. Lacey has a soft spot for pretty boys.”

“I am very pretty, aren’t I?” Flynn said, flashing
a brilliant smile. “Makes life so much easier, don’t you think?”

“I’m nowhere near as pretty as you,” I said with a
grin. “Few people are.”

“You’ll make me blush.”

“I highly doubt that.”

Flynn opened his mouth to speak then closed it
when the waitress appeared with our salads.

“I’m not eating this,” he said, waving it away.

“I’m eating mine. Got to make sure to get my
veggies so I can grow big and strong.”

Flynn smiled wider, but let the waitress take his
salad. I ignored his gaze on me and enjoyed my food especially the cucumbers.
Once I had eaten every bite, I set the plate aside and smiled at him.

“Not hungry, my ass,” Flynn said, grinning.

“The salad came with the meal. If I’m paying for
it, I’m eating it.”

“Your liberated woman shtick is annoying. I expect
you to enjoy dessert.”

“Dessert is extra and I don’t have that kind of
money to spend on a dinner with a guy I just met.”

“A guy you were willing to do very intimate things
with, I might add.”

“True,” I said, leaning back in the chair. “Will
you tell me about the places you’ve lived?”

“So you won’t have to talk about yourself?”

“Of course not. I’m genuinely interested.”

Flynn ran his tongue over his top teeth and
nodded. “You lie better than most girls. I’ll give you that, Blue.”

Grinning, I waited for him to give me details and
he did. Vague travelogue details. It rained a lot in Seattle. Portland was full
of quirky people. In Malibu, rich people owned tiny dogs. Jacksonville had a
lot of humidity. Flynn told me the names of things like the schools he attended
and the restaurants he enjoyed, but anything more personal was apparently off
limits until I shared my secrets. I figured it made sense for neither of us to
share anything too personal. Tomorrow I would be dead and he could share his secrets
with another girl.

Once the steaks arrived, Flynn’s casual
descriptions of things shifted into enthusiastic descriptions of foods he enjoyed.
Flynn really liked food. From ethnic cuisines to comfort cooking, he loved to
eat. In describing his favorite foods, he managed to paint himself as ordinary
and remarkable in the same strokes. Flynn had seen much of the world and eaten
little pieces of it all. He was fascinating, yet relatable. I knew Lacey would
swoon like crazy for him and his palate. The girl loved her spicy foods and was
desperate to find someone with her good taste.

By the time we left the restaurant, I found myself
swooning for the worldly pretty boy who had seen and experienced more than I
ever would. I was also happy for him to have figured out what he wanted in life
at such a young age. A lot of kids at school complained about traveling so
much. They found only fault in their lives, but Flynn accepted what life had
given him and relished the opportunities.

“If you have a car,” I asked as he stopped at a
silver Lexus, “why didn’t you drive to school today?”

Flynn leaned down and kissed my cheek. Again I
shivered and again he grinned innocently.

“Couldn’t find my keys. Good thing too or I might
never have met a lovely redhead.”

Settling into Flynn’s car, I frowned. Could my
plans have been ruined by merely a coincidence or did Flynn’s arrival at that exact
moment mean I wouldn’t have to die?

“Don’t be overly impressed,” he said, starting the
car. “It’s just a lease.”

“Well in that case, it doesn’t really compare to
the bike I own full and clear.”

When Flynn let out a rambunctious laugh, I laughed
too. The guy had a rather infectious way about him.

“I’m sure it’s a fine bike.”

Grinning, I couldn’t wait to get home or wherever
he wanted to share a little quality time. Flynn was an attractive male specimen
to begin with, but after dinner, I was nearly stunned by his beauty. This infatuation
stupor had only happened with one other guy, but he wouldn’t even admit he
wanted me. Flynn seemed pretty clear about his intentions though and my body tingled
with anticipation as we arrived at my house.

Saying nothing, Flynn took my hand as I led him up
to the porch. Gretchen wasn’t home yet and I figured I could bring Flynn to my
room and she would never notice. Or even care if she was as cranky as Hans
signaled.

“Would you like a ride to school tomorrow?” he
asked, tugging me to a stop as we reached the porch. “As nice as your bike
might be, it’s cold out.”

Frowning, I tilted my head in confusion. “You said
if we had dinner, we could…you know.”

“I changed my mind.”

Like a punch to the gut, I realized I had been so
busy swooning over Flynn that I hadn’t noticed how he was losing interest in
me.

“I’ll be fine getting to school,” I said, backing
away from him. “I’ll see you there and I’ll pay for dinner.”

Flynn watched me with those green eyes which even
looked striking under the dullness of the porch light.

“Blue, I lied. I was never going to sleep with you
tonight. I just wanted you to go to dinner with me.”

“To keep me from jumping?”

“Among other things.”

“I’ll see you tomorrow.”

Turning to go inside, I didn’t want to cry in
front of him again. However I had envisioned a great romantic roll around my
bed tonight with this beautiful fascinating boy. A lifetime of adventure and
romance could be enjoyed with a few hours with Flynn.

Wrapping his arms around me, Flynn held me from
behind and didn’t let me open the door.

“I should be chivalrous and focus solely on making
a sad girl happy,” he whispered in my ear, his warm breath on my cold skin,
“but I can’t pretend I only spent tonight with you for selfless reasons. After
I saw you today, I couldn’t stop thinking about you. I should have been
distracted by the new classes and people, but I could only see you everywhere I
turned.”

Squirming around in his arms so I could look at
him, I frowned. “Then why won’t you come inside?”

“I don’t like cats,” he said with a small smile.

“Then your car.”

“Why tonight? Why not this weekend after a proper
date? Why not next week after I walk the halls holding your hand like a real
couple? Why must it be this very night?”

Knowing what Flynn was asking me, I also knew I
wanted to wait. I did want a proper date and the idea of walking the halls with
a guy sounded divine. Just holding hands in a way I’d seen others do, but I’d
never experienced myself. Was it fair to the town to wait until next week
though? Was it fair to Flynn to get close to him, knowing I would die later and
leave him feeling responsible for being unable to save me?

Of course if I jumped tomorrow, I would still
leave Flynn feeling like he failed. He saw this morning as a sign and maybe it
was. By next week, he’d likely lose interest in me and I wouldn’t have to feel
guilty for jumping. Whatever happened next week would be the concern for the
Blue living next week. The Blue standing on the porch with the handsome guy wanted
to wait.

“I’ll see you at school tomorrow,” I said,
smiling.

“Not so fast,” Flynn told me as he leaned down and
pressed his lips softly against mine. The kiss lasted mere seconds, but felt
warm and inviting. Full of promise, his touch made me hunger for tomorrow and
the next day. “Should I pick you up in the morning?”

“You live on the other side of town. We’ll just
meet at school.”

Flynn eyed me, his smile fading. “Are you sure?”

Words weren’t going to do it so I flashed him my
happiest smile. He shared it then fidgeted away when my fingers teased at the
buttons on his shirt.

“Tomorrow,” I said.

“Promise.”

“I promise,” I said and I felt the power of those
two little words. “Thank you for dinner, but I’m still paying you back.”

Rolling his eyes, Flynn stepped off of the porch.
“Liberated women are so troublesome.”

“It’s a con we use to frustrate men.”

Flynn laughed then headed to his car. “I’ll wait
for you at the front of school.”

“Wear something pretty for me,” I said and he
laughed again.

His laugh caressed my skin and gave me a jolt of
optimism. How different the day ended from how it began. After watching Flynn
drive off, I walked inside and found Gretchen not only home, but sulking on the
couch. Hans stood in the kitchen, making a sandwich. Staring at the wall,
Gretchen had her blonde hair tied up on her head and her pale hazel eyes were
wet.

“What’s wrong?” I asked, sitting next to Gretchen.

“There’s a new food truck in the Falls,” Gretchen
said, taking my hand and squeezing it painfully. “Mexicans, Blue.”

Glancing at Hans who still stood in the open
layout kitchen, I saw him smile warmly, but he said nothing.

“So?” I asked when Gretchen didn’t explain.

“The first time I ate off a food truck was in Santa Monica years ago. The food was so good and I dreamed of having a truck of my own. Do
you know who ran that truck in Santa Monica?”

“Mexicans?”

“Yes, Mexicans. How can I compete with them? Why
would anyone eat what I make when they could eat what the Mexicans make?”

“It’s a pretty big town, Gretch. I’m sure there’s
room for two food trucks.”

Yanking my hand loose, I again looked to Hans. His
fair blond hair was cut short and his striking blue eyes were smiling at me
even as his handsome face remained passive.

“It’ll be okay,” I told Gretchen.

Looking at me with an expression which implied
doom, she sighed, “Mexicans.”

With this last declaration, Gretchen stood up and
headed for the stairs. She would hide in her room for the night. Possibly a day
or two, but she would be fine once she found something new to obsess about or
if she ran out of
No Reservations
episodes on her DVR.

“Good day at school?” Hans asked from the kitchen.

“It was fine. Thanks for helping with Gretchen.”

“It’s my pleasure to assist in the crazy.”

Smiling, I walked to the kitchen for a drink
before going to my room.

“She’s just tense like everyone else,” Hans said,
finishing the sandwich. “I swear every customer was cranky today. Either
depressed or angry. Maybe it’s the season?”

Pausing in the hallway, I considered his words and
what they meant. The townspeople always became moody before a sacrifice was
made. If one wasn’t made, they got more than moody.

“I’m sure it’ll be better soon,” I said and Hans
smiled.

“Be careful out there. People are on edge and I
worry the anxiety could turn to violence. Just watch your back.”

Nodding at Hans, I waited for one of the cats to
slither into my room then I shut the door. Solid gray Vixen was the only cat
who showed the least bit of interest in me. I think she was a slut and the
other girl cats hated her. Apparently slut shaming occurred even for felines.

Vixen found a spot on my window seat while I
pulled off my clothes and headed to the shower. During the renovations, Gretchen
spent lavishly to make this bungalow modern. My bathroom was designed with
colors like those of my wardrobe so it was forever autumn in my en suite.

I could have done without the large bathtub
though. After my mother bled to death in one, I preferred showers, but Gretchen
was a bath person and she designed the house for her tastes. I was just happy
the color scheme fit me.

In the shower, I let the hot water warm my cold
skin, much like Flynn’s kiss had done. He was so interesting and I wanted to
know his secrets much like he wanted to know mine. I suspected his secrets
would be exciting and sexy. Mine were more on the bloody side.