“Why? Because Rianne confided in Noah about you and Sam? All Jack told you was that Rianne told Noah a few things. Jack never said what those things were. He could’ve assumed you slept with Sam because of Sam’s text. You even said yourself that Rianne might’ve accidentally slipped. What does it matter, anyway? It’s out there now.” She picked up the bottle of shampoo for me. “Ease up on yourself.” She closed the curtain. “And save some hot water for me.”
I shook off the eerie feeling as I lathered the fruity shampoo in my hair and washed it as fast as I could. I was anxious to pack the small amount of clothes I had and leave, but not before confronting Rianne.
“By the way, any sign of your period?” Jordyn asked.
I peeked around the shower curtain to find Jordyn picking at something on her cheek in the mirror. “Where did that come from?” I hadn’t thought much about my monthly friend, but if my calculations were correct, it should show up any day.
She turned to face me, leaning against the sink and smiling as if she knew something I didn’t. “You were throwing up again earlier this morning. Store-bought pregnancy tests are not always accurate.”
I flipped her off and went back to rinsing my hair as a boulder dropped into my stomach. “We’ve discussed this. It’s not possible. Sam can’t get me pregnant. Besides, I licked blood off a knife. That is not a sign of pregnancy.”
“True, but you’re still not feeling well.”
“As soon as we talk with Rianne, we’ll head to the airport.”
Jordyn and I had decided to fly to Massachusetts instead of driving. We’d debated whether to steal the beat-up truck we’d borrowed the day before but nixed that idea. The less shit I had to deal with when it came to my uncle, the better.
I’d tried to talk to Aunt Tab yesterday, but she avoided me like the plague.
After I rinsed, I stood under the hot water for a minute longer, taking deep breaths and trying to clear my mind. But it was no use until I got answers. I snagged a towel that was hanging over the shower rod, dried myself off, squeezed the water out of my hair, and wrapped the towel around me. I pulled the shower curtain back to find Jordyn sitting on the sink, filing her nails, when something occurred to me.
“Jack mentioned you had an interview with Carly’s company in Chicago. Is that true?” I’d been so hung up on Rianne, my father, and Kendra that I’d forgotten that small tidbit of information.
“No. I told him I might. Carly and Jack Jr. were FaceTiming Uncle Jack and Aunt Tab the other night when I went into the kitchen. Carly was talking to them about her job and how she was looking for help on her tech team at Intech. I just said I could do that job. Before I knew what was happening, she and I were on the phone, talking one-on-one. I did send my résumé in because she asked me to. But I haven’t heard anything. And before you freak out, I was going to tell you, but since you just joined the living yesterday, I haven’t had a chance. Besides, I would rather work for the vampires.”
I wanted to believe her, but truth be told, a tiny part of me didn’t. Still, I knew when Jordyn was lying or trying to get around the truth. She always looked anywhere but at the person, and her eyes were glued to mine.
“You don’t know yet if Steven has an opening. Right?” I asked.
“I don’t. But we have a plan, and that makes me happy.” She hopped off the counter. “Maybe Dr. Vieira will call you back today.”
“Does it matter? We’ll see him soon enough.” Not that I was looking forward to seeing Sam gloat over the fact that he’d given me forty-eight hours before he chased me and brought me back to Massachusetts. At that point, I didn’t care who chased who or who was right. My health came first.
Jordyn undressed. “I’ll be quick.”
I wound my way out of the en suite bathroom and into the bedroom. I dressed quickly, letting my hair air-dry. I was dying to see if Aunt Tab was home. I wasn’t letting her off the hook without explaining why she called Sam. I stuck my head in the bathroom. “I’ll meet you in the kitchen.”
“Okay,” she said.
Before I left the bedroom, I called Rianne. The line went straight to voice mail. Then I sent her a text:Call me. I know you told Noah about Sam and me, and that’s not the only reason I want to talk. It’s important. I also want to know how your meeting went with the recruiter.I wasn’t leaving the state until Rianne and I settled things.
Once I hit Send, I wound my way through the house, listening intently. It was dead quiet, although our bedroom was secluded from the rest of the house. Plus, my cousins were probably in school. I was praying my uncle wasn’t home.
As I crossed the carpeted floor from the hall into the media room, my aunt asked someone, “Cream?”
I had no idea how my uncle liked his coffee.
I inched closer to the arched doorway leading into the kitchen. Daylight sprayed in from the large windows, giving the rustic media room a warmer vibe than the cold feeling that had plagued the house since I’d arrived. The clang of a spoon against glass filtered out.
I held my stomach, willing the nerves to take a breather as I stopped along the wall of family pictures.
“Jack and I were out last night,” my aunt said, “so I’m not sure.”
I blew out a breath, relieved that she was talking to someone other than my uncle. As the tightness in my stomach eased, I marched into the kitchen.
Aunt Tab was sitting at the island. Her face wore a smattering of makeup. Her salt-and-pepper hair was styled nicely into a chignon bun, and she was wearing a blue scooped long-sleeved top over a pair of jeans.
When I swung my gaze to her friend, I did a double take, blinked, looked again, then lost my breath. Suddenly, my heart was on a fast-moving train that was about to run off the side of a mountain.
