"I'm not coming downstairs today," Colby's voice spoke through the blanket of sleep surrounding me.
"Why?" Sam, a more than unpleasant voice still, asked.
"I've got plans," the body beneath my head shifted in a shrug, "and Rebecca's coming with."
"Does she know that yet?"
"No."
"What are your plans? If it's going to make it uncomfortable for us all night..."
Colby chuckled, catching me so off guard that I felt my body jolting me awake. "Nah, that'll be later." Sam groaned. "I'm not saying what we're doing, just know it isn't in the house."
"You don't want anyone to come with?"
"She's still got blood in her system and so do I—we'll be able to defend ourselves." He paused. "She's waking up, though, and we both know how she feels about you."
Sam sighed. "Right, I guess I should go before I get stabbed. Have a good time wherever you go, dude. Please don't make her angry somehow? I like us all getting along."
"Same, bye Sam."
There was a beat of silence then a tingly sensation drifted up my arm, over my shoulder, then beneath my chin. I felt my eyes fluttering to open as my head was lifted up. The room we were in was dark—our room—and the covers were providing a pleasant source of warmth aside from Colby's own body, though he also kept me chilled.
His other hand, which laid somewhere beneath me, pulled me tighter to his body, which was just about the last straw for asleep me. My eyes opened to the almost-black room and I met the blue of Colby's gaze instantly. He was watching me, waiting for me to wake up. He didn't say anything yet knowing I wasn't quite there, in the room with him.
I blinked a few times and drew in a deep breath as I stretched, making him smile and let go of me to do it. I heard something click but ignored it, tucking back into his side. He accepted me, but he didn't brush his fingers through my hair like usual.
"Where are we going?" I mumbled with my eyes shut once more.
"I can't tell you yet."
I groaned. "Why?"
"It's not you who can't know, it's the others," he said with a smile in his voice. "We could have gone before everyone was up, but you've decided to lie in."
"Fuck off," I grumbled and he laughed. I had to open my eyes to see the smile on his face, and I wasn't left disappointed. He met my gaze when he calmed shortly after. "Casual?" I asked.
"Definitely."
"Okay." I slid out of bed, hurrying to the bathroom so I could get into the shower. I changed into a pair of black shorts and a matching crop top—since I didn't want to dress up at all—then found out a pair of almost-flat shoes. My dagger slid into the pocket of the shorts and anything else I wanted to take was shoved quickly into a backpack.
By the time I looked up at Colby, who was still lying in bed and watching me, it'd somehow gotten darker outside. Noticing I was done, he zipped from the bed to the closet, only to come out completely ready within a second. I wanted to make a comment on how unfair it was but I kept my whines to myself for now. He wrapped his arms around me from behind, placing his chin on my shoulder as he held me tightly to him seemingly for no reason at all.
Finally, he spun me around, looked me up and down, and leaned in. I met him halfway in a surprisingly passionate kiss. His hands found my lower back quickly, his tongue teasing my lips. I was just getting into the kiss when he pulled back, though, a small smirk on his face.
"Come on," he said, "you're distracting me."
I sighed. "As always."
We walked hand-in-hand out of his room and down the stairs, which I didn't stomp down for once. I could hear a gentle buzz in the kitchen but didn't turn to look as we headed straight through the front door to his car. He opened the passenger door for me then zipped to the driver's seat, where he climbed in. We were driving within long.
"So," I said once I was sure we were out of hearing range, "where are we going, again?"
He smiled. "You aren't gonna like it."
"Wonderful."
"Mhm. I decided that, as you're currently making huge life decisions so I change you—and to help when you eventually have to ask your dad for permission, we'd go and visit your parents for a night." I fell still. "I think I should get to know the people who raised the love of my life, no?"
Though my heart stuttered, I was still silent staring at him. My parents were far from my favourite people. I avoided my mother usually as much as I could and I tried not to bother my dad from whatever it was he did to help afford their house—which was fit for having five children instead of just two.
Colby'd made a decision based around my parents once more... only this time, it felt like it was worse.
"Colby, you know I don't like spending time with my parents," I said quietly, staring at the side of his face. He turned a corner then glanced at me but didn't say anything. "Is there another reason we're going?"
He shook his head. "Not really. I just... don't think I should change you on bad terms with your father."
"You want them to like you," I realised and he shrugged with only one shoulder. "You know you're a vampire, right? You don't have to act like this is a normal relationship; you don't have to be liked by my parents."
"I don't care. I'm lucky to have met you while you still have some form of a life—I want to take advantage of that. I get to meet your parents and go through everything we would if we were human."
"Sometimes I think you wish you were human, Colby," I muttered without looking at him now. He was silent for a short while as he considered his answer. I knew a part of him did wish he was human, because he listened to my heart beating too often to not want one of his own.
Finally, he reached over to place his hand on my thigh. "If I was human, I never would have met you. Or, if I did, we'd never get to where we are now. I would be different and you'd be your old self. We wouldn't have worked and I wouldn't have you sleeping in... well, our bed every day. I would rather be as I am and have you, than with a heartbeat without you." He paused. "You understand that?"
"I understand," I whispered.
"If we're cutting out all other factors... yeah, I suppose I would like to be human. It's new for me to want it but if I could choose to be human with you and have a normal life with you, ironically, I'd choose it in a heartbeat." I smiled to myself. "But as of right now, I'm happy to be as I am."
We didn't talk for the rest of the ride. Neither of us thought it was necessary, nor did we want to break the intimate moment until we had to. He kept his hand where it was and tightened it only once he'd pulled up on my parents' too-big driveway, where I could see both of their cars.
We walked up to the front door holding hands, he knocked on it holding my hand, and we waited holding hands. I was pretty sure he was holding onto me for nerves, whilst I was enjoying the last bits of intimacy I would have with him before we were sat at opposite ends of a couch with both of my parents between us—I wouldn't put it past my father.
Finally, the door opened to reveal just the man. He looked surprised to see us but let us in, leading us into the living room without a word. I wondered, for a second, if Colby'd warned him somehow, but then I remembered that this is just how Dad was.
He sat down on one end of a couch and Colby and I took a seat at the other.
"Your mom's out," Dad said as he turned down the volume of the TV. "I don't know if she'll be back while you're still here."
"That's okay, we're just..." I trailed off and looked at Colby for help, but he didn't take over for me, he just squeezed my hand. "We're just here to hang out for a bit. You wouldn't mind some company, would you?"
Dad was taken so off guard that he opened and closed his mouth before shaking his head. "Uh, no. I don't... mind. Why, may I ask?"
Colby took this one. "I thought it might nice to get to know you, since I'm with your daughter and everything. I don't like to be known only by name."
"You're known by more than that," Dad muttered but didn't elaborate. "Is there something you kids want? Food? A drink?"
"A drink," Colby replied and Dad cringed. I gave him a look but he didn't control his expression. "Something that's not, you know. We can consume food and drinks normally."
"Normally, you say? I don't recall ever hearing about a vampire going to the toilet."
"Almost normally," Colby corrected.
I had to interrupt, for my sanity more than either of theirs. "Dad, how about I help you?" I suggested. "I know what Colby likes. Come on."
As soon as I was left alone with my dad, I regretted it, but I found myself having a conversation with him within long. Of course, Colby knew what we were talking about when we returned with alcohol beverages. Dad checked the alcohol wouldn't affect Colby's driving ability before we returned to conversation about his life lately. It was surreal to hear how little he did now, considering he used to be so busy.
"I prefer to be a house kinda guy," he explained, "but that might just be my age shining through."
Colby snorted. "You don't look that old."
"Boy, you have no idea. Once you hit a certain point," Dad clapped, "that's it for you. You're lucky that you'll never have to experience that." His eyes drifted to me but he didn't say what was on his mind, moving on.
We talked for what felt like forever in the best way. He was smiley toward the end, loosening up even around Colby. I could feel his good mood across the room, and I could also feel Colby's good spirits from just beside him. All things considered, I was happy we'd come to my parents' house tonight: it gave me a chance to know my dad again after so many years. He hadn't changed much, but the subtle differences made for a much easier man to get along with. He was less stressed—and I guessed it had something to do with one of his major problems, Angela, having found a solution to her issues. He only had his wife to worry about now.
His wife, who wasn't here because she was banging a vampire. It wasn't Julian, I was sure, but we all knew when Dad said she'd left the house without her car exactly where she'd gone and what she was doing. I didn't understand how she could so completely blow him off like that; how she could continually betray every one of their marriage vows and seem not to care, just to get her rocks off.
I wasn't going to sit there and watch it happen much longer. I saved Angela and I had every intention of saving her; of first taking away Julian, the man who could apparently sweet talk anyone under his fangs, and then forcing Mom to stick in the human world with her husband, kids and designer life.
No longer would she be banging vampires. No longer would she be bitten every week. No longer would she break our family apart.
I was the one in the family to break the moulds—I always had been. Why should I go off-brand now?
Things were about to change.
Chapter 201 unfortunately has to take place on another book. To get to it, check my profile (links work strange on here) for Bad Taste Part II.
I'm sorry for the inconvenience.