God, how my heart aches. How can I miss someone so much when he’s less than five feet away?And how do I get him back?
“Every vamp I’ve talked to said their personality never changed,” I say, determined to move past this. “Not in the big picture, anyway.Some got big egos when they realized how strong they were, but their likes and dislikes? None of that changed. Which means you're still the guy who loves Korean movies and who knows all the lyrics to every Aerosmith song ever written. You're still the guy who wears socks inside out even after you've worn them once just because you hate doing laundry.”
He wrinkles his nose. “Not anymore.”
I snort. “Thank God because that was so gross.”
A tiny smile appears, so I continue. “You probably still wrap yourself like a burrito when the temperature drops below seventy degrees, and you probably still drive with both hands on the wheel like my grandmother did.”
His smile grows. “So? I doubt you've learned to parallel park in the time I've been away.”
I grin. “Nope.”
Jericho shrugs. “It doesn’t matter. I don’t even need a car. I can run faster than you can drive.”
I laugh. “Yeah, I’dloveto see you try, my friend. You know I have a lead foot.”
His eyes soften at the memory, but then his jaw ticks and his voice drops. “I canhurtyou without meaning to, Evan. Or kill you. And I don’t mean only with my teeth.” He reaches for the empty glass on the counter and shatters it with very little effort.
I blink at it, annoyed. “I liked that glass.”
I know Jericho is just trying to scare me or make me believe we can’t be friends, and maybe there is some truth to it, but deep down, I still trust him. I can’t explain it. I just do.
“Look, if you hurt me, you can just feed me more of your blood and say you’re sorry,” I say, hoping we can move past this. Because all I want is my friend back.
His expression shifts. I can’t tell if he’s amused or annoyed, but the cold tone gives him away. Definitely annoyed. “I’m not kidding about this shit, Evan. I’mdangerous.”
“Yeah, and I. Don’t. Care,” I reply. “I still don’t think you’ll hurt me. Besides, I’m dangerous now too. I’ve learned how to shoot since you left. I’m pretty good at it.”
For a long moment, we just stare at each other, trying to bridge the gap between then and now. His eyes dance between mine and his nostrils flare, like he’s using his vampire senses to sniff something out. Is he smelling my dirty house, or me? Yikes, yeah. Probably me. I don’t think I showered after my run earlier.
He finally relaxes, turning away from me as he sweeps up the shards of broken glass into the trash. “I’m sorry,” he says, though I know he’s not referring to the mess. “I hurt you, and I hate myself for it. I think about it every day.”
“Then prove it to me.”
“How?”
“By not leaving me again,” I say quickly.
“It’s not that easy.”
I scoff, but Jericho shakes his head.
“It's not. There's a lot of shit you don't know. Things that can get you killed if you get too close.”
I fold my arms over my chest. “There's a lot of stuff you don't know about me either. A lot has changed since you left.” Nothing as exciting as growing a set of fangs and diving into the supernatural life, but hey. Losing a job, going bankrupt, and avoiding a psychopath still count. Trace was the reason I even learned to shoot. I got sick of him tailing me and wanted a way to protect myself. “But I still want to be friends. Don’t you?”
“Of course I do.”
“Then stop being a dumbass and come around more often, okay? And answer my fucking calls. That’s all I ask.”
Jericho actually smiles, and it instantly melts the stress away. God, I’ve missed that smile.
“I really do need to go for now,” he says.
I resist the urge to ask him to stay. I’ve pushed him too far as it is. “Fine. Come by tomorrow then, okay?”
He nods. “Yeah.”
