Or, it seemed, I was letting Brianne run the place. Which my gut told me was just fine. For now.
“Atlanta, huh?” I wrenched myself away from my internal monologue. “Isn’t it sunny there?”
“It is. But by the grace of the universe, I don’t burn to ash in daylight.” Nate propped his chin on his hands and batted his eyes my way. “I glitter like a million diamonds.”
“You do not.” Brianne nudged him, and Natalie giggled. “Most of what you know about vampires is lore, Simone. As you can see, they are really quite domesticated.”
“How dare you imply I’m domesticated.” Nate made a play for Brianne’s neck, nuzzling in as if he might bite before planting a noisy kiss. She pushed him away, her cheeks flushing a deep red.
The way they adored each other was like a sharp knife to my heart. Someone had looked at me that way once. Someone had stroked my hair and spoken with so much tenderness it was like he held the whole of his emotions for me in his voice.
Someone had left me so flushed with desire it bloomed on my body.
It hadn’t been Jeff. My thoughts escaped to that summer after high school, and the man who’d disappeared into the night, taking my heart with him.
I was happy for Brianne. She deserved a home and family full of love and respect. The playfulness they all had spoke of a deeper affection. As they ate and we chatted, their familial bond showed. They were a team. A well-oiled machine with few squeaky wheels. A perfect blend of magic and mundane.
I’d never seen anything like it. As I poked at dessert, I realized thiswas the reason Brianne invited me to dinner. So that I could see that the supernatural aspect of them was another aspect of their personalities.
This could have been any house with any family. This one just happened to have a vampire living there. And the sooner I embraced that, the better able I’d be to help them.
Which would mean embracing my own supernatural abilities as well, a feat I couldn’t imagine overcoming without facing up to the past I was so desperate to avoid.
CHAPTER 21
“My dear, do you play poker?” Nate rose and stacked the dishes, passing them to Nolan. With a false grumble, he took them into the kitchen. Natalie rounded the table to stack utensils while Nate refilled my wine glass.
“Not really,” I answered. “I don’t think I’d be very good at it.”
“Definitely not.” He clinked his glass to mine in cheers. “You have a most expressive face.”
It was my turn to blush. I already knew I wore my emotions like a sleeve.
“I’m sorry, Nate.” I stood with Brianne, holding tight to the wine. House had excellent taste. It was delicious. “I don’t mean to be rude. I’m… in my head a lot these days. Figuring life out, I guess.”
“My dear, what is life if not a mystery never to be solved?” He looped his arm in mine, guiding me to the front door. We’d barely finished dinner, and I was being kicked out. Had I been more rude than I realized? “If I’ve learned anything in my two-hundred years on this planet, it’s that I know nothing.”
He wasn’t kicking me out. Instead, he guided me to the front porch, gesturing for me to take a seat on one of the cushioned, white rockers. He took the opposite chair, patting his lap and motioning to his wife.
“It’s okay not to have all the answers, Simone. But you should know you’re in a safe place.” Brianne slid onto his lap and nuzzled close to his chest. “We moved to Treater’s Way to raise our children in an environmentwhere they could be themselves. Where we wouldn’t have to hide the aspects that make them so unique and wonderful.”
“Like their half-human side,” Nate added with a chuckle.
The neighborhood was quiet. Families were likely all settled down for the evening, finishing homework or watching television. This could have been any suburban neighborhood, not unlike the one I’d grown up in. My thoughts drifted back to the boy and his maybe Cerberus I’d seen at my old house. How many of these seemingly normal families included something or someone paranormal?
Happy families, living their lives just like any family in any town. The exact thing I’d wanted for myself and lost by my own choice.
Tears stung my eyes then flowed down my cheeks before I could stop them.
“I’m so sorry.” I sobbed the words out. “This is a wine-induced drama moment.”
Nate and Brianne did that thing close couples do. With a single look, they held an entire conversation. They stood up so Nate could leave. He placed a soothing hand on my shoulder and squeezed on his way inside.
Brianne let me sob quietly for a moment longer. Well, in my mind it was quiet. In reality, I was choking and gulping like a pug after a good sneeze.
“Give me the drama.” Brianne leaned forward and focused on me. “What’s holding you back, Simone?”
I shook my head, burying my face in my hands. I wanted to sink into the porch and slither away. Everything was brewing inside me, rumbling around like I’d drunk a dozen cups of old, strong coffee. I was nasty inside. Full of gunk and guilt and unease.
