My eyes burn as I start scooting out of the booth. I’m such an idiot. I can’t believe I thought for even a second that Kip might like me. I mean, look at me. I’m a skinny, emo dude. There’s no way someone like Kip could like someone like me. I’m chronically grumpy and pessimistic, and Kip is like a literal ball of sunshine. I’d only drag him down.
“Wait, please, Charlie. Don’t go.” Kip wraps his large hand around my bicep, halting my movement. “Please, stay.”
I freeze, waiting. My breath is stuck in my chest.
I hear Kip take a deep breath behind me. “I really like you, Charlie. I like how prickly and grumpy you are on the outside, but you’re also soft and sweet on the inside when you let your walls down. I know we’ve only known each other for twenty-four hours, and it’s crazy for me to like you this much already. I don’t date, or do relationships. But I want to try with you. It’s like something inside of me calls to something inside of you.” He pauses.
Kip’s voice gets quieter as he continues, like he’s uneasy about saying whatever he’s going to say out loud. “The past day of my life has been insane, if I’m being real with you. I’m overwhelmed and scared. And that’s not like me at all. I’m the easygoing guy, the guy who isn’t afraid of anything. But the last day? All I’ve felt is terrified. I feel like my life has been flipped upside down. The dude I thought was my best friend? I found out he’s been using me all these years, and now I’m notsure that we were really ever friends at all. And then I fell from that tree while saving Nacho, and turns out I broke my neck doing that. And Tyson, my maybe friend? He has been feeding off of me for years, and because he gave me some of his vampire blood, when I died I turned into one too. I don’t want to be a vampire, Charlie. But I don’t have a choice now?—”
I clear my throat, interrupting Kip’s odd and slightly insane speech. “Hold up a sec…who is Nacho?” Wait, that’s not the important part. “And I don’t understand what you’re talking about right now Kip. None of what you’re saying makes sense. Are you messing with me again? Because I’m too fragile right now for that.”
Kip sighs. “I’m not messing with you, Charlie. I’m trying to get you to understand. I know it sounds fucking crazy. I know you don’t believe me. Why would you? I want to prove it to you, but I don’t want to scare you. I don’t want you to leave. That’s another thing that’s frightening me. I barely know you, but I can’t stand the thought of you not being in my life, even if it’s just as a friend.”
“Kip…” I turn around, and when I do I see Kip’s pleading mist gray eyes looking at me. His hand covers his mouth.
“Promise you won’t be scared, Charlie.” He whispers from behind his hand.
“You know I can’t promise that. You’re already freaking me out.”
Kip nods. “I understand. Just know that I would never hurt you, okay?” He takes a fortifying breath, his eyes connecting with mine.
I see apprehension in his gaze. He’s really scared. But I feel like I’m witnessing some sort of mental breakdown. He keeps talking about being a vampire, and it seems like he really believes it. What does he think he’s hiding behind his hand? Fangs? Before I thought maybe he was joking around, pulling a prank on me, but now…
Kip’s gaze doesn’t break from mine as he slowly lowers his hand.
His face is screwed up in a grimace, his lips thinned, and two of his teeth poking out over his bottom lip. Wait…those two teeth are very long and very sharp. But also…kind of cute?
I tentatively reach out a hand, waiting to poke one of the teeth with my finger. “Are those…real? Like did you get implants or something? But wait…we’ve been talking all night and I didn’t see those before…I would’ve noticed.”
“They aren’t implants.” Kip says slowly.
I feel anger flare inside of me. “Okay, this is a whole new level of bullying I’ve never experience before, so props to you. You got me good.”
Kip grabs my finger, bringing to his mouth to press against one of his ‘fangs’. All it takes is a gentle press, and his tooth punctures my skin, blood welling around the spot. I inhale sharply as Kip’s tongue flicks out, licking at the wound, his chest rumbling with a growl.
His eyes hold mine as they start to shift. Before they were normal, human eyes. Now, it’s almost as if there’s a silvery mist or fog swirling inside of them. It’s hypnotizing. Kip’s hand still hold my finger, and I watch in fascination and horror as his nails transform, growing into sharp black talon-like protrusions.
“What the fuck…” I whisper, my mind not processing what I’m seeing. “Did you drug me?”
Kip releases my hand like I shocked him. “Of course not, Charlie!” Kip growls. “What else will it take to get you to believe me?”
“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean that. I…well…this is a lot to take in, Kip…” I don’t really think he would drug me. But there’s no fucking way he’s actually a vampire that’s just…they’re not real.
“I know it is. You think I believed in them before this happened to me? Think of how the last day has gone for me! Not to mention the fact that I’ve got about twenty-four hours to feed otherwise I’ll die.”
I look at Kip, like really look at him. From his swirling silver-gray eyes, to his jutting fangs, and his long talons. It all looks so real. I mean, what if it is? What if vampires really do exist? I mean, I believe in aliens, ghosts, and even Bigfoot. Are vampires really that far fetched?
“You’re really a vampire? You aren’t fucking with me?”
“I wish I could say that this was an epic prank, but it’s not.” Kip shakes his head. “You don’t know how badly I wish this wasn’t real.”
“And you have twenty-four hours left to feed, or you die?”
“Either that or my instincts take over, I go feral, and have no control over if I attack a rando. But I’d rather die than let that happen. I don’twant to hurt people, Charlie.” Kip sounds so sincere, and I actually believe him.
This is probably a bad idea. No, it is a bad idea. But is that going to stop me? Apparently not. “What if you feed from me?”
As if suspended in time, Kip freezes. Not even a muscle twitch. It’s eerie.
