Hours later, the rap on the window broke the narcolepsy my homework had induced. I opened my eyes with a start.
“Parker,” Phil quietly called. “Invite me in.”
I blinked, groggy and unsure of the time. In the window, the moon tinged Phil’s wayward blonde hair with golden strings of light. “You’re invited in.”
He slid the glass the rest of the way open and stepped inside quicker than my eyes could register. “Why do you do that?”
“Do what?”
“Un-invite me?”
I yawned and moved all the stuff scattered across my bed into a pile on the floor. “I don’t.”
“Really?” Phil moved towards me and sat down. “That’s weird. Maybe the invite has an expiration date.”
“Maybe.” I chuckled and crawled under my covers, aware that only a thin sheet separated his body from mine.
If Nicholas saw us at this moment, he’d rip Phil’s head off. They already had quite the jealous relationship going on, and Nicholas had killed him once. But his visiting and occasionally staying the night was harmless. And after reading Nicholas’ journal again, I knew who my heart belonged to. I’d never let myself kiss Phil no matter how good I knew it would feel.
“You okay?” he asked, rubbing my shoulder and smoothing back my hair.
“Meh,” I groaned, curling into the pillow and closing my eyes. “If I talk about it, I’ll just get all riled up again.”
“And you’re far too adorable when your angry,” he said, a smile in his voice.
With all my energy focused on Nicholas, I’d forgotten how pissed I’d been at Katie.
“You’re crazy.” I leaned into his hands as his touch sucked all the tension out of my tired muscles. “It’s just not fair. Katie has never gotten what she deserves and acts as if the world revolves around her. She hasn’t even said thank you to me for letting her stay in Nicholas’s house. Then she rubs her romance in my face when she knows I’m missing him.”
Phil took his hand away and sighed. His longing radiated out, mingling with mine, and my words stabbed me in the gut. While I pined for Nicholas, Phil longed for me, a wish that would never come into fruition. The guilt tore into my illusion of our friendship. Once Nicholas did return, Phil most likely wouldn’t stick around. The thought of losing him killed me. How could I survive this? I scooted away from him, adding a little space between us.
“The Fab Five isn’t so fab,” I said, burying my face into my pillow.
“I can talk to her.”
“No, don’t. It’s over.”
Silence lingered, the tension building. He knew what I wanted and I knew what he wanted—a recipe for disaster. We needed to stop pretending everything would always be like this. That we’d be close. That he could come over anytime he wanted at any hour in the night and talk. That I’d eventually accept Nicholas wasn’t returning and become his.
Without a word, Phil popped off the bed and reappeared at the window. “Well, I just wanted to make sure you were okay. I’m sure you’re tired, so . . . I can go.”
I bit my tongue to stop myself from asking him to stay. “Yeah. Big day tomorrow. Thank you for checking on me.”
He nodded and disappeared, disappointment fluttering out the window with him.
“So, about next Friday. Is everything cool with your aunt?” I asked, trying to gain Sam’s attention and failing miserably.
Her gaze lingered exceptionally long on Todd as he walked away from us toward the cafeteria line with Tyler.
“Hmmm? Oh yeah. It’s cool,” she said, taking a seat at our table.
Beyond the few measly minutes before class started, I never got time alone with her anymore and I wanted to discuss the details before the guys returned. Not to mention, I didn’t want Tyler to overhear. My plan was privileged information, and the Fab Five was only on a “need to know” basis.
“It’s awesome she got us those park hopper passes. Helps when you know Tinkerbell personally, right?”
Sam laughed. “Yeah, and she got an extra one for Todd too.”
The blood drained from my cheeks. “Todd?”
“Oh.” Sam looked at me, guilt wafting out. I pulled my feelings radar in tighter. Whatever she had to say, I didn’t need to feel her excuses as well. “I was hoping that would be okay.”
I looked away, swallowing the bitter pill. How could she do this? We’d been planning our girls’ getaway for months now—just us.
“That’s okay, isn’t it? I was thinking we could ask Tyler to come, too.”
“Tyler?” I wrinkled up my nose. “Why Tyler?”
“I thought maybe since you’ve been spending so much time together. . .”
“Tyler’s just a friend. I’m back together with Nicholas.”
She looked down and chipped the black paint off her fingernail. “I thought you hadn’t heard from him in a while.”
“I … I have,” I said, suddenly feeling as though I needed to defend our relationship.
“Oh, really? When?” Sam straightened up and for once gave me her full attention.
“Last week …”
Her eyes widened. “And you didn’t tell me? This is huge.”
“He’s been super busy with work.” Maybe mentioning Nicholas wasn’t such a good idea after all. “It was a letter. He’s supposed to be back soon. But, since we were going to be close to his Dad’s when we go to Disneyland, I was hoping we’d stop by. He’s staying there right now.” I’d have the perfect excuse—I was in town and wanted to invite him along.
“Oh …” she leaned in and whispered, “Top secret under cover stuff?”
“Yeah.”
Sam bit her lip. “That sounds dangerous.”
I took a deep breath and mashed my lips together. “You know, forget it. Maybe I shouldn’t come at all.”
And just go on my own to L.A. without you.
“What? No. I want you there.”
“Want Julia where?” Tyler asked, as he approached the table.
Crap.
I froze, watching him take a seat, his aura brimming with curiosity.
“Nothing,” I said and kicked Sam under the table.
“Ouch.” She looked at me and frowned. “We’re going to Disneyland. Didn’t Jules tell you?”
Tyler squinted and cocked his head to the side. “No, she didn’t.”
“I didn’t?” I shrugged and faked a laugh. “What did you get for lunch?”
Tyler’s tray hit the table hard as Todd slid in next to Sam. Their sudden interest in each other masked the tension building between Tyler and me.
“You should come with us,” Todd finally offered.
Tyler’s aura teemed with suspicion. “When are you going?”
I opened my sack lunch and pulled out a bag of cheese curls. “These are so yummy. Have you tried them?” I held out the bag to Tyler.
He shot me a glare.
“Next week, after finals on Friday,” Todd interrupted, as if he’d always been invited to go.
I glowered at Sam, my stomach clenching and unclenching. The more I thought about it, the more I didn’t want to go. I could already see how the trip would unfold, starting with me getting stuck in the back seat and having to watch them be all lovey the entire drive.
I stood up, unable to take the pressure any longer. “Sam, can I talk to you in private?”
She looked startled, but nodded. “Yeah, sure.”
I walked ahead of her out the double doors to the quad and turned to her once we got outside. Sam oozed dread. She knew exactly what was wrong.
“This was supposed to be our girl trip,” I finally said.
Sam’s eyes fell downward, her foot tracing a crack on the cement. “Yeah, but I didn’t want him to feel left out. . .”
“Left out? You didn’t even ask. I never get time alone with you anymore and I was counting on this. Now I’ll be the third wheel.”
“But what about Nicholas? You said he might come, too.”
I inhaled and closed my eyes. “I’d never ditch you for a guy, Sam.”
“Are you saying I’m ditching you?”
“No, but this just makes everything awkward now. I’m not even sure I want to go.”
“What? Why?” Sam’s mouth fell open. “You have to. I’m not going to stay at my aunt’s alone. My mom thinks it’s just us.”
So that was it. I was the cover-up for her having a fun getaway with her boyfriend.
“So where’s Todd staying?”
“He’s got a friend down there …”
I crossed my arms. “You didn’t think I’d be upset?”
“I’d hoped you’d understand,” she said. “When Nicholas was around, I never complained when you two spent all your time together. I could have, easily. But to be honest, I never liked how he treated you and his convenient disappearances with his so-called job.” She paused for a moment, mustering up her courage before she annihilated me with a hard stare. “Don’t you see he’s dangerous? But I didn’t say anything and accepted your relationship out of respect, because you love him. And now that I’m in a serious relationship, I expect the same from you. It’s just common courtesy. I love Todd and I—” she gulped and puffed out her chest in pride, “hope to marry him someday.”
I couldn’t believe my best friend, who’s always been so sensible and sweet, was actually telling me this. What had Todd done to her? A million cruel things bounced around in my mind to say but I bit my tongue and blinked in disbelief. I quickly scanned her finger for a ring or something and found nothing.
I squeezed my arms tighter, partly due to the chill from the wind, but mostly because she’d chosen him over me.
“No, actually it’s common courtesy when you plan a trip with your best friend to not invite your boyfriend to come along, too. Behind my back.”
Her pain flared and I clamped down my gift. We looked at one another for a moment and I swallowed hard. All I wanted was for her to tell me she’d uninvite him. She’d made a mistake. She was sorry.
“You’re making this harder than it needs to be, Julia. Don’t make me choose,” she finally said and turned to rejoin Todd inside the cafeteria.
I stood outside, rejected and torn. How did this end so badly? And why, when I missed Nicholas so much, did I want comfort from Phil?
I gauged the interior before entering the kitchen door of Nicholas’ house. Though I didn’t think I’d go to Disneyland after all, I didn’t want the group to give me a heaping dose of disapproval on top of my fight with Sam. The mood inside was the usual mishmash of Phil’s boredom, Scarlett’s annoyance, and Katie and Tyler’s infatuation with one another. I wanted to vomit.
Why do I come here?
Phil’s face lit up once he saw me. He vanished from the couch and reappeared at my side, taking my backpack from my shoulder before I could blink. “Hey, you … where you been?”
“School.”
And taking my time.
“Thank God there’s only one more week of that. You stoked?” he asked with a mischievous grin.
I raised my eyebrow. “Maybe?”
“Big Senior on campus now.”
“If I survive finals.”
I glanced over at Tyler, who gave me a knowing look. Obviously, he hadn’t ratted me out yet.
“And we’d be getting ready for Texas A&M,” Katie purred while wrapping her arms around Tyler’s waist. “You aren’t still going, are you?”
“Well, yeah,” Tyler said with a shrug. “I have a scholarship.”
I chuckled at her mistake. Of course he’d go. He had a human life to live, after all.
A red puncture wound, just below his collar line, marred his neck—evidence of why he’d been ditzy as of late. I frowned at Katie. Though her sterile venom wouldn’t make him a vampire, she wasn’t supposed to be feeding on him, or any one for that matter. The unwritten tenant agreement for her to stay in Nicholas’ house required her abstinence from drinking blood.
“Does that mean you’re going to be hanging out here more often?” Phil said in my ear, while Katie begged Tyler to stay home.
“Yeah, I guess. I should try to get my job back.”
I continued to eye Tyler’s neck, sickened she’d break our most cardinal rule. The urge to confront them burned on my lips, but I refrained for fear Tyler would retaliate and tell everyone about Disneyland.
It didn’t matter. Everything was about to change anyway. Once I reunited with Nicholas, they’d all need to move out. And whatever Katie decided to do from then on would be her own business. She probably would go to Texas with Tyler and move into his dorm room anyway.
Phil put his arm around me and pulled me into his shoulder.
“Whatcha thinking about, Parker?”
“Nothing. Just finals.”
“Are you sure you’re not thinking about your trip to
Disneyland
next week?” Katie asked, her voice sweet like honey, but cutting like acid.
All eyes fell on me.
Here we go.
“Your what?” Phil asked.
“That’s ill-advised,” Scarlet interrupted.
Stunned, the group all turned to her in unison since she rarely spoke out loud. I ignored her and kept my glare on Katie. No one had claim over my comings and goings, especially not neck-biting Katie.
“Yes, that’s on my mind as well, thank you very much for mentioning it. I need a vacation.”
Scarlett inhaled deeply, while Phil’s arms fell to his sides. Everyone’s uncertainty laced the air around me, its tentacles looking for hearts to constrict.
“You’re not welcome in Los Angeles. The line has been clearly drawn. If you are out at night for one instant, they’ll find you,” Scarlett said.
I smirked. “Have you forgotten the talisman? There’s nothing those vamps can do to me.”
“Physical harm, no. But psychologically…” Scarlet closed her eyes. “It’s just not in the plan.”
The plan.
She’d finally somewhat voiced her real purpose for being in our muddled group. Though everyone believed she liked heading up our coven, interested in our teenage drama and banter, I knew the truth. She only hung around to keep tabs on me so I’d fulfill my destiny, a fortune told to me by her deceased owner several months ago. Madame had read my palm and said I’d single-handedly wipe the earth clean of vampires, which ironically included her shape-shifting self. So of course, being in mixed company, the “plan” wasn’t freely shared.
But because each vampire’s lifeline depended on their maker being alive, in order to fulfill the prophecy, I’d have to kill Cain, the father of all vampires. Only then could they all be destroyed in one swoop. Though I hated the evil vampires of the world, and grieved daily the murder of my mother by one, I’d never do it, even if offered the chance. How could she even think I’d murder Nicholas, Phil, Katie and even herself?