Taint (Formerly Claimed) Dark Midnight 1

Chapter 30

“You don’t know that,” she countered out loud, swiping at a smudge absently with the rag. 

Eliot, quite obviously, had a life; one that she wasn’t a part of.  Hell, to be fair he had only really known her for a few days. 

After all, just how well could you truly get to know someone by stalking them?

But still…

She couldn’t resist the urge to reach up, cupping her palm around her mouth, and sniff her breath. 

Did she smell?

Was that why he hadn’t so much as looked to her since their kiss?

But her breath smelled the way as it always did—like toothpaste and mint gum.  Besides, her scent hadn’t seemed to bother him the other day...when they’d been so close she could feel that cool breath tickling her chin. 

Maybe…

Impulsively, she grabbed a handful of hair and dragged it over to her nose—but that didn’t smell either.  Or, at least, it smelled the same way it always did; like her rose scented shampoo. 

With a halfhearted sigh, she reached down to pinch at the sweater hanging loosely from her frame; maybe he had just taken a second glance at her and didn’t like what he’d seen?

She wasn’t modelesque by far. A girl as beautiful as Sidney might have been more his speed.

But, Eliot didn’t seem that shallow—there had to be another reason.  Something else.  She could sense it—taste it.   A darker reason was behind this whole silent treatment. 

Maybe he’s just bored with you, a cruel voice hissed from the back of her mind.  After all, what could a vampire possibly want with a human?

Not just any human either, but a silly, damaged, broken little girl?

Grimly, she set the now-clean volleyball aside and reached for another, scrubbing at it so hard that her fingers felt raw.

But then, she only reached for another. 

And another.

And another.

Until the monotony finally drowned out the voices in her mind.

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The dull task kept her mind busy.  Sure, it got tedious after a while—but at least the concentration on cleaning didn’t leave much room to focus on anything else. 

It was only when she reached down for another tennis racket to wipe down that she  realized they were all clean; she had gone through the entire pile of equipment. 

Not only that, but the gym was nearly dark. 

Without her even noticing, someone had turned off most of the lights, leaving her little corner of the spacious room the only part with light. 

Thankfully it was also the section closest to the door.  Shoving the equipment back into the storage closet, she tried to ignore the shivers that ran through her mind at the thought of being in the building alone.  

Though, if she hurried, she might have been able to make it hope because it was fully dark.  

She stooped, reaching for her backpack before she remembered Carl’s last instructions.

The hockey equipment, out in the shed. 

Glancing over at the window she saw that it was nearly nightfall—a quick check of her watch confirmed it.