“What do you mean?”I asked the carpet. As much as I wanted to look at him, I couldn’t bring myself to do it.
“You seem to think it’s impossible. You don’t say it, but I’ve noticed.”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“Stop playing dumb orI’ll get it from your mind.”
“I’m not playing dumb. I don’t get it,” I insisted, finally working up the nerve to meet his eyes. “I really don’t.”
“Don’t get what? Why I don’t like seeing Kiro treat you like a piece of meat? Why it pissed me off that he kept threatening you?”
“Yes!That’s the thing, is that it bothers you. I don’t get why you care, I don’t get why Ari cares, I don’t know why anyone would care and I don’t understand any of it.”I stopped abruptly—none of that was supposed to be out loud.
“Care about what?”His tone was so careful, it made me feel even worse. “You?”
“No,”I mumbled, but ofcourseit’s me. It’s always gonna be me. I’m always causing problems and driving people away with my mental issues.
“Why would you say that?”
“Because there’s something wrong with me.” Iwas suddenly fighting back tears.“I don’t know what it is, but I know it’s there and it’s gonna scare you away once you notice it. That’s why I put up a wall, because if my own parents didn’t want me, then who the fuck would?” I’d never admitted that out loud. Never said it to anyone, not even a therapist. My vision blurred as I wiped away falling tears. “Can we pretend I didn’t say any of that? I don’t wanna talk about this.”
A few seconds of silence passed.
“C’mon.”He sounded unusually gentle.Heextended a hand and I reluctantly took it.
“Where are we going?”
“To get blood.”He had me up before I could resist.
“No, wait, I don’t wanna go.”I tried to go back in the chair but he ushered me across the room.“It’s daylight, we’re gonna melt!”
“You’ll be fine.”He caught my hand and continued down the hall, pulling me along.
I was gonna keep complaining, but the urge died when I saw the way Sean was looking at me. Pity. He’d overheard my outburst. I tried not to show the embarrassment and sense of weakness that washed over me. This is exactly why I hate talking aboutemotions.
“Where are you guys going?”Ari watched as Dennis towed me to the door.
“To get blood.” Itried my best to sound normal, since she clearly hadn’t heard a word.
“Will you be gone ‘til bedtime again?”
“No,”Dennis answered for me.“It won’t take that long.”
“Okay, good.”She grinned and I smiled back.“I miss you. You keep running off to do vampire things lately.”
“You could come with us if—”
“I don’t wanna be a vampire.”She shut it down before I could finish. How rude.“Dennis, did you kill that guy?”
“Of course not,”he said, so pleasantly you’d think it was true.
“I’ll take that as a yes. And tortured him?”
“You know,”his lips turned up in a mockingsmile,“you should be a detective. Your intuition is impressive.There’s no way you could’ve seen that on the news.”
“Stop being mean.”I shoved him outside to hide the deranged laughter.“Ignore him,”I told Ari, hoping it wouldn’t get to her as much as usual.
“He only does it for reactions,” Sean said.“He thinks scaring you is fun.”
