The Love I Lost

Chapter 31: "You're in love with a vampire named Damon Salvatore."

I gasped, my hand over my heart---why do girls do that?! I sighed in relief. "Alex."

He stared at me. "Are you okay?"

I laughed nervously. "Yeah, fine, just...sleep walking, I guess...I dunno, nightmares..."

"Hmm..."

~*~*~*~**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

"So I'll see you later tonight. We're gonna be doing our song, Back in the Day, Black Velvet, 6 Months, Think Twice, and All I Wanted," Ashley said.

So I drove home to get ready for tonight's gig. We were getting paid more frequently and, Ashley said, after everyone heard our song, they might want is to tour. I was nervous about the new song, so I kept singing my part as I drove.

The cell started buzzing in my bag. I let it ring a couple times, ignoring it. Finally the noise was too much and I answered it. "Hello?"

"Thought I'd forgotten about my girl, huh?"

"Shit, Andrew," I said shakily. "Don't call me again." And I did the unthinkable; I hung up. It rang again. I stared at it a minute and clicked the talk button without saying anything.

"Tough shit from a girl who's not hiding behind a vampire anymore." When I still said nothing, Andrew chuckled. "Yeah, babe, I knew. Who didn't? Oh, that's right...you didn't."

I bit my lip to stop the tears from falling. "Fuck off, Andrew."

"Oh, shit, do I detect tears?" he mocked. "Aw, my bad. I didn't know you were in love with the douche bag."

"Shut up!" I screamed. My foot on the gas pedal automatically pressed down so that my car sped up to eighty-seven.

Andrew continued to laugh. "So you have a new concert tonight, huh? That's sweet. Be lookn' for me, babe."

I took a deep breath, choking down the tears. I wasn't going to be afraid of him for the rest of my life, and I was sick of running from him and hiding behind the safety of the public. "Hey, Andrew?"
"Yeah, babe?"

I looked out my window. "You ever felt the exhilaration of flying? Feel this." I opened my window and tossed my phone outside. Then all the adrenaline sort of kicked in all at once and I was speeding up to ninety, heavy metal blasting through my speakers, with me laughing in insanity. Oh, yeah, I so didn't care about keeping everything a secret.

I called Greta and Lily as soon as I got home.

*~*~*~*~**~~*~**~*~*~~*~**~*~*~*~**~

Lily stared at me, speechless. Greta's jaw was clenched and I think she was thinking, 'I knew it'. I fiddled with my hands awkwardly, wondering what to say, or if I should say anything.

"So..." I said awkwardly, fidgeting on the couch.

Greta sighed. "What do you want us to say, Liz?"

Um, excuse me, why was there disappointment in her voice? "Hey, I didn't ask for this to happen," I defended.

"Yeah, but you sure as hell didn't stop it until you were sure," Lily said.

My mouth fell open. "I broke up with him, you freaking retard!"

"Yeah, after you were absolutely sure he was a vampire," Lily added.

I opened my mouth to defend myself further, but I was stunned speechless. It was as though they'd punched me in the gut.

"You should have already known what he was," Greta said. "After you already had a vampire boyfriend."

I stood up angrily. "Hey, I may be a vampire radar, but that doesn't mean I have spidey-senses to vampires, either! And, damn, who the hell are you to judge?"

"We warned you, Liz," Lily said.

I glared at her with a grudge Damon would have flinched from. "You, and you encouraged it! You're a bunch of hypocrites! Lily, you were all too excited we were boyfriend and girlfriend, it was so fucking romantic! And Greta, you were all too willing to leave us alone at prom."

"Well, we don't have spidey-senses, either!" Lily protested.

"That's my effing point!" I shouted angrily. "Now how the hell can you accuse me of falling in love with a guy who I thought, a womanizer, yes, but who seemed like a normal human being when you couldn't even tell?!"

Greta and Lily stared at me. "What?" I panted. "Is it just too damn much to hear the truth?"

Lily nodded. "Well, yeah..."

"I mean, we always knew, but...It's different when you actually say it..."

"Say it?" I snorted. "That you guys are retarded? I could shout that all day and it wouldn't---"

"No, stupid," Lily interrupted.

I stared at them. "Then what are guys talking about?!"

"That you're in love with him," Greta said.

"Wait...no, I'm...I never said...I..."

"You did, Lizzy," Lily said quietly. "You're in love with a vampire named Damon Salvatore."