Shattered (Book 2)

Chapter 3

Jackson

The look Ivy had given me before she left was a clear sign she was not going to let it go. I knew very well she wasn't. Arguing with me was stored perfectly in her DNA, and I swear sometimes she found complete joy in ringing me out. I'd let Noella deal with the brunt of Ivy's anger. Right now, I needed to clean my mess and tie up some loose ends.

The bed Ivy had rested on was covered in her sweat and Hazel's blood. I ripped the comforter off, the blood-stained through to the sheets. Getting the sheets off, I noticed, thankfully, it hadn't touched the mattress.

I stripped the bed, piling all the blankets and pillows into one corner. The mess I'd made earlier was exposed in the corner of the room, taunting me. Hazel, out of all people, had to be Ivy's victim. How ironic, since Ivy had no idea of their history together. Just a perfect cherry on top of the pile of shit I'd created for myself. Brilliant.

I carried the bedding out of the bedroom and chucked them inside the washing machine down the hall. My shirt was drenched in Hazel's blood, and the thought of finding it appetizing had me gagging. Blood was great, but not when it was from a dead girl who you unintentionally got killed. I trekked back into the bedroom and opened up the dresser in the corner, snagged some clean clothes, and headed to the bathroom for a shower.

Steam filled the small space of the bathroom as the water heated up, creating a calming sensation. Stripped down to nothing, I stepped in and let the water pelt against my back. I tried to scrub away the day's mistakes, afraid if I didn't clean thoroughly, they would cling to me forever. All the blood swirled in a small pool at my feet, reminding me once again what a shit person I'd become lately. I had no idea what I was thinking. At the time, yes, starting the process to change Ivy into a vampire sounded like a good idea. It would give her a chance to survive whatever Theodore was failing to protect her from. And because Theodore was scum, I took matters into my own hands.

I finished the shampoo, rinse, and repeat bullshit with my hair and exited the shower, wrapping a towel around my lower half. I wiped the condensation from the mirror. Staring back at me was the idiot who couldn't keep things together. I was a failure, a complete utter failure. This was going to be a disaster. I knew it, we all did. Noella had warned me from the beginning not to mess with Ivy's vials. She warned me to let nature run its course and to stay out of Theodore's way.

But I couldn't.

I couldn't stand by and watch the girl that I...

The floorboards outside the bathroom creaked, indicating I wasn't alone anymore.

Did they finish the hunting trip already? I thought.

I hesitated with my hand hovering over the doorknob, straining my ears to listen through the door. I may be a dhampir, but my hearing was a lot better than the average human.

The creaking stopped just outside the bathroom door, trying to catch the sound of a heartbeat to limit the possibilities of who could be in here with me.

The silence stretched to the other end.

Shit.

"Jackson," said Theodore.

SHIT, I thought. SHIT. SHIT. SHIT.

"I'll be out here waiting whenever you're ready," he stated. The floorboards creaked once again, echoing toward the direction of the living room right across from me. His tone didn't give anything away, but I knew what was coming.

He'd figured it out. Or maybe he wanted to talk about something completely different. There was only one way to find out, and it was to actually go out there and speak face to face.