Silver Bullets And Pretty Fangs. (WxW)

14. Eden is tormenting me...

VIVIAN.

Eden is tormenting me—why? Is she intentionally doing this? Does she find this enjoyable? Does she realize how much she affects me? Does she get a kick out of seeing me so messed up that I can't even think straight?

I could really use some blood; my head feels fuzzy. The only way I know to deal with my problems is to keep feeding until I can not anymore — which takes a while. 

With her loud, pulsating heartbeat echoing in my ears, I leave the classroom. I bask in the momentary thrill of having to quicken her heartbeat. I think that she might experience the same emotions that I do when I am with her, though not in the same way. I am pretty sure she would never want to bite my neck to extract every last drop of blood from me.

Perhaps all I am to her is this funny thing, and she has no idea how much danger she is putting herself in. 

I shake my head as I make my way to my assigned office. The space is uncluttered, with pure white tiles, walls made of brown canvas, a lone desk, and an elegant swing chair. A small filing cabinet and student documents are located to the left. 

"Damn it," I curse under my breath, slumping into my seat. My head feels heavy in my hands.

Making a new lesson plan is as stressful as having to greet hotel guests with a smile because there is so much going on. I know I should not be complaining because I am not that demanding, but come on, it is so damn tiring. 

I do not know how much time goes by, but when I do leave the office, the school is empty except for a few students who are hanging out in the campus hallways conducting group studies, etc.
 
Stepping outside feels nice because the air is crisp and warm against my skin. 

I think of taking a shower when I get home in the hopes that it will help me unwind, but I change my mind after a moment. Taking my duffel bag, I go downstairs to the building's local gym. 

The only thing about this apartment that I really like is the in-unit gym. I do not mind, even when it is crowded for the majority of the day. I could literally sweat out my worries. 

While it passes the time, I do not find the treadmill to be fast enough. When I'm satisfied and sweaty, I step out. I glance at my phone, the time says it's only 6 in the evening, I still have so much time left. 

Right now, it is a bad idea to have so much free time. If I do not fill it up, I will start to think. I will start to think back to Derek, and how disturbing it all is in my head. How can I still not remember what happened? That alone causes me a fuckload of anxiety; I have never had anything like that happen to me. It's not very nice.

The hunter, the bullet, and Anna will all come into my mind. 

My reverie ends when my phone dings. 

With a swipe, I unlock it.

Pet>[Hey.]

A smile cracks up at the corner of my lips. I was so engrossed in my thoughts that I neglected to check on Poppy. 

Selfish of me. 

Me> [How are you feeling, baby girl?]

After hitting send, I return to packing my bag. I head for the elevator when another text comes through.

Pet>[I am fine, just tired, and I miss you. Can I come over?]

I gulp. 

My thumb lingers on the keyboard for a moment too long that before I can type up a reply, another text comes from Poppy.

Pet>[Some sex would help me relax]

As alluring and thrilling as that sounds, I do not think it is a good idea to be with Poppy right now. I can't trust myself around her anymore. What if I hurt her like I did last time? I care too much about her to end up coming down from cloud nine with a dead, pale body in my hands.

Me>[I’m busy tonight. Raincheck?]

The three dots bouncing up and down signals that Poppy is typing. They keep coming and going; I wonder what she is typing. Is she angry with me for saying no? Does she think it is unfair? Well, she helps me "unwind" when I need it, but why do I let her down like that when she wants to? 

And it is just deadly fuel to think of her with someone else. 

The reply comes when I reach my apartment. Unlike what I anticipated, it is straightforward; [Okay.]

Though I let it go, I still want to give her a call to see if she is okay. I toss my phone onto the bed and get into the bathtub. 

I either completely pass out or zone out because when I wake up, I have a few missed calls from Anna. 

Even though her voice has the potential to console me in some way, I prefer to wallow in my problems rather than call her back because I lack the energy to do so.

After getting out of the tub, I pat myself dry and put on some cozy sweatpants and a tank top. Though it is still quite hot for me, the evenings are cooler than the days. 

I wander around the house for a bit longer—I am not sure how long—maybe a minute. Despite my best efforts to distract myself, I know that I will eventually have to do the thing I have been dreading. 

After a moment of hesitation, I reach for my phone. If I do this, I risk being found. Being Anna's close friend and potential victim, I feel compelled to jeopardize my brief freedom.

Without giving it too much thought, I dial my fathers number. I put the phone to my ear and wait for the soft ringing sound, an uncomfortable sensation swooning in my stomach.

A second goes by. Though my fingers are itching to hit the red button and discard the phone completely, I resist the urge.

“Princess?” A gruff voice sounds from the end of the line. “Hello?”

It is hard for me to know if I should be relieved or terrified. 

“Dad.” Breathing, I find an island to support myself. “Didn't think you'd pick, are you busy? Can we talk?”

“Uh-” A small laugh pops out of his side. My brows furrow slightly.

“Who is that?”

Dad clears his throat. “Um, my wife.”

I snicker. “Wife?” 

Why am I not surprised?

Unlike other vampires, my father has an extreme weakness when it comes to women. I don't even know how he manages to juggle all of them; if my math is correct, this should be his fourth wife. He sort of just picks them like he is picking apples. 

“That's not important, what did you want to talk about?”

“I don't know if we can speak through the phone, maybe we can meet for a coffee when you're free this week?”

“I'm free right now but I just can't fly there, people are watching.”

As if he can see me, I nod. “Right.”

"Well, perhaps Wednesday?"

“Sounds good,” I responded. 

“Awesome, princess, I've got to go but stay safe okay.” More chuckles. 

I roll my eyes.

At a thousand years, my father gets excited to have sex like he is in his teenage years.

“Bye.” I stand staring at nothing for a second after the line dies. I am not sure what I was expecting, but this is not it. It's too silent.

I turn to look at my phone again; the longer I look at it, the more paranoid I get. I want to call Poppy to come over but I remember she might be upset with me. 

I can not stay here, though. 

I need a drink.

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