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CHAPTER 14:
CATALINA'S POV:
I have fun hanging out with Noah. We haven't done that in such along time. We had a quiet dinner at a restaurant and went to a movie. I am still worried about Jaden going to see his parents tonight and I plan to call him as soon as I get to the privacy of my bedroom. I think maybe it was immature of me to freak out earlier and run back home. Jaden may be my first relationship, but I am eighteen and certainly old enough to deal with it like an adult.
I actually miss him right now. I mean, Noah is fun to be around, but with Jaden I feel alive. Being with him, I feel different than I have before. I hope I didn't hurt his feelings earlier.
Noah and I get home after the movie and are walking to the front door of the house, when grabs my arm and pulls me to a stop. "Before we go inside, Catalina, I just want to do this." Noah strokes my cheek and kisses me lightly on the lips. I just stand there, frozen. I guess he gains encouragement from the fact that I'm not pushing him away, because he wraps his arms around me and deepens the kiss. I kiss him back. I am attracted to Noah, but after kissing Jaden, this kiss just doesn't compare. I stop kissing him because I need to let Noah know that it can't happen again.
As I start to pull back, I hear tires screeching. I look out towards the street and see a black Audi R8 speed by the house. An Audi that looks just like the one that Jaden took me to the vampire club in. Shit!
Noah can tell by the look on my face that something is wrong, "What is it Cat?"
"I have to go Noah," I tell him. I get into my car and drive out the gate. What have I done? I didn't even really like kissing Noah. If I hadn't already kissed Jaden, I think I may have. I'd rather have been kissing Jaden. He is probably so pissed right now. And hurt. He goes to his parents and tries to find out information on my familys' murderers and I go out on what is practically a date with my best friend and kiss him at the end of the night. I feel like such a major bitch right now. I need to tell him that I don't want Noah. That the kiss was a mistake that won't happen again.
When I pull into the parking garage that's connected to Jaden's building, I see his black Audi. Good, he's here. First, I go up to my apartment and see that he isn't there. Then I take the elevator down to the floor below, where I found him standing in the hallway with that Jessica woman.
I knock on the door that he was standing in front of. No one answers at first and I am about to try the next door, when the door opens. A blonde woman says, "Can I help you?"
"Oh, I'm sorry. I must have the wrong apartment. Do you know which apartment Jaden lives in?" I ask.
She smirks, "Yes, actually I do."
That's when Jaden walks up behind her and says, "This is where I live Catalina." Jaden has red lipstick smeared on his mouth. I look at the woman and see the same shade on her lips. Then, I notice the fresh bite marks on her neck and run to the elevator before they can see the tears that are coming.
When I push the button it opens immediately, thank god. I step inside and push the button, with my head down. As the doors are closing, I look up and see Jaden standing right on the other side of the elevator doors, staring at me, with an intense look on his face.
So much for him not seeing my tears.
JADEN'S POV:
I made her cry. I shouldn't feel guilty, after I saw her kissing Noah, but I do. Catalina has been hurt a lot in her short life and I just added to it. What do her tears mean, though? Why is she crying? When I saw her kissing Noah, I had thought that I had lost her for good. That she had decided to reject me because I'm a vampire and be with the human boy instead. I was angry and hurt, so I asked Rebecca to come over.
Now, I don't know what to think. She obviously rushed right over here after I left her house. I need to talk to her and find out what is going on between her and Noah. Maybe I misinterpreted that kiss. I don't have time for the elevator to come back up, so I take the stairs down. I run down them at full speed and catch her just as she is getting into her car.
When I grab her arm, she screams, "Don't fucking touch me! I don't want you touching me after what you did with that woman!" I let go of her.
"What about you kissing Noah?" I ask her.
"He kissed me and I was glad he did because it helped me sort out my feelings. I came over here to apologize and to tell you that his kiss didn't compare to yours and that I don't want Noah. That I only want to be with you! But guess what? Now I don't want you either! I hate you! Go back to your whore!" she screams at me.
She starts to get into her car again, but I stop her, "I saw Jonathan and Daniel tonight."
She looks at me, "I can't deal with this right now Jaden. I'll call you tomorrow to talk about it," and slams her door shut. She starts her car, backs out and speeds away.
I'm worried about her driving while she's upset, so I get in my car and follow her. She doesn't drive to her house, but instead she drives to a large house in the suburbs and I have no idea who it belongs to. I park down the street from the house and sit in my car while she goes inside. I wait in my car for about an hour and she still hasn't come out. The house is dark and I am curious as to who lives here, so I get out of the car and walk towards the house.
I go through a side fence to the backyard and stand at the back door, listening. I can't hear any voices or movement inside. I am worried about Catalina and I need to see her. I twist the doorknob until it breaks off and I can get inside. I stand just inside the back entrance of the house and listen again. Still no sound.
I walk through the bottom floor of the house and it just looks like a normal house, with a family living in it. I slowly walk up the stairs. I open the first door and it is a master bedroom. The bed is empty. I open the next door and it's a girl's room. I see Catalina laying in the bed, with her back to the doorway.
I walk around the bed and see that she is asleep, clutching a piece of paper in her hand. I pull a blanket over her and take the paper out of her hand. It isn't a paper, it's a photograph. I recognize a young Catalina and she is standing next to a boy that looks a little older. Behind them is a man and woman. This must be her family.
I look around the room at the furniture and posters on the wall. This was her room. She kept her family's house after they died. She even kept everything the same as it was when they were murdered. How painful it must be to come back here, after what happened that night four years ago. Despite that, she came here for comfort tonight, after I hurt her. I am such an idiot for biting and kissing Rebecca before I'd even spoken with Catalina about that kiss between her and Noah.
I sit down at the end of the bed and put my hand on her leg, "I'm sorry Catalina." I stay as long as I can, watching over her since the back door is broken, then I leave with just enough time to get home before dawn.
CATALINA'S POV:
I wake up around noon the next day and just lie in bed for awhile. If I don't get up, I can pretend that that horrible night four years ago didn't happen. I can pretend that at any moment one of my parents is going to walk into my room and tell me to get up for school. I can pretend that I still have a big brother. I can pretend that Jaden didn't break my heart.
Finally, I quit feeling sorry for myself and get out of bed. The place is pretty clean. I hadn't been back in a long time. I pay a cleaning service to come in once a week, so that the dust doesn't accumulate and rodents don't start moving in. Last night I just needed to go someplace that felt like home. Someplace that neither Jaden or Noah were at.
I drive home and take a shower. Instead of working out in the gym, like I normally would, I sit around the living room, watching TV. Colin walks in and stops dead in his tracks. "Are you sick?" he asks.
"No, I just don't feel like doing anything," I say.
He plops down the couch next to me, "Boy troubles?"
"Yup, boys suck troubles," I tell him.
He laughs, "Noah, or the bloodsucker?"
"I don't want to talk about it Colin. Go bug someone else.," I say.
"There is no one else to bug. Rick and Zoey are holed up in her room, probably screwing and Noah is in class. Plus, you know you're the most fun to annoy. You get so worked up!" he says.
"Sorry, my anger management issues can't perform for you right now, Colin. I'm too depressed," I tell him.
"That's it!" he says and stands up. I look up at him warily and he picks me up off the couch and starts carrying me out of the room.
"Put me the fuck down, Colin!" I yell.
"See now? There's the Cat we all know and love. Try to hit me, then I'll know you're back for real," he teases.
I cross my arms over my chest, "I'm not going to give you the pleasure."
He laughs, "Cat, only you would tell a guy that you aren't going to give him the pleasure of getting beat up by you."
I ignore his comment, "So, where are you carrying me off too?"
"The gym. You need to a good workout to let out all your emotions," he says.
"I think I got all of those out last night, now I'm just drained. Now, take me back to the couch, the novela I was watching was getting good. The midget just slapped someone," I say.
"Catalina, you don't speak Spanish. What you are doing watching Spanish soap operas?" he asks.
"Hey, I'm half Mexican-American, remember? I don't need to understand the words, us Latin people speak through our emotions," I tell him.
"Here we are!" he says, putting me down.
"I can see that. I do live here, you know," I say sarcastically. "Are you volunteering to be my punching bag, Colin?"
"No way. I'm not going to let you let loose those crazy Latin emotions on me mamacita," he says.
"Coward," I tell him, knowing that daring him will work. He makes a face, but goes and waits over at the mat. Here we go.
Fifteen minutes later, Colin and I are both lying on our backs, on the mat, soaked in sweat. "I am so glad that I'm not a vampire, Cat. You definitely have some rage issues."
I smile to myself, "I know."
"Proud of it, are we?" he asks.
"No, but it does come in handy sometimes," I tell him. "Hey, do you want to go out tonight?"
"Hunting?" he asks.
"No, partying," I tell him. "We never all get together and do that. We should all get dressed up, go out and get our drink on."
"Sounds like a plan. I'll let everyone else know," Colin says.
"Good, I'm going to go decide what to wear," I tell him and pull myself up off the mat.
JADEN'S POV:
When I wake up for the night, I get ready and check my phone. No messages from Catalina. I go to a home supply store and pick up a new doorknob. Still no message from Catalina. I go to her family's home and replace the doorknob that I broke. I guess, I'll just have to call her.
I call her cell number and she picks up on the fourth ring. I can hear loud music in the background. She must be out hunting at a club. "Hello?" she shouts into the phone.
"Hey, I thought we could get together to talk," I say.
"What? I can't hear you! The music is too loud and I don't have super vamp hearing!" she says and starts laughing.
"Are you alright Catalina? You don't sound like yourself," I say.
I hear some guy say, "Get off the damn phone Cat and let's go dance!"
"Sorry, gotta go Jaden. I'm too drunk to talk right now anyways," with that, she hangs up.
I know that I deserve this. I deserve for her to date someone else, but I don't give a fuck. I'm going to go get my girl. I know that she is at one of the clubs downtown, so I'll look there. I go to three different clubs and finally, at the third one, I spot that Colin guy that I fought when he and Noah attacked me the other night. Catalina must be here somewhere. I see Noah on the dance floor, dancing with a girl. He's lucky it isn't Catalina. After kissing her last night and causing problems for me in the process, I don't know what I'd do if I saw him with his hands on Catalina again.
A minute later, I see Catalina coming out of the women's restroom with another girl. She is dressed in a slinky silver dress with black stilettos. She looks sexy as hell. I approach them and Catalina scowls, "What are you doing here, Jaden?"
"I came to see if you were alright," I say.
"She's fine, no thanks to you!" says the girl she is with, who is giving me a dirty look.
"Who are you?" I ask.
Catalina says, "Jaden, this is my friend Zoey. Zoey, this is Jaden. Now, go find some slut to bite, because I'm busy having fun." I guess I deserve that.
I look at Zoey and say, "Go find a guy to dance with." She immediately walks off without saying a word.
"What the fuck Jaden? Did you just use mind control on my friend?" Catalina asks.
"She was annoying," I say.
"If she finds out, powerful vampire or not, she's going to stake your ass," she says.
I laugh, "It was worth the risk. Now, we need to talk and you need to sober up."
"I don't need to do anything that involves you, except ditch your ass old man," she says and smirks.
"Don't you want to know what I found out about Jonathan and Daniel?" I ask. She won't be able to resist that bait.
She scowls at me, "Fine! Stupid, cocky, cheating, manipulating, lying-"
"I get the point," I say and grab her arm to lead her out of the club. "But, you forgot sexy."
She huffs, but doesn't say anything. When we get to my Audi, she kicks the tire and asks, "Whatever happened to your Mercedes?"
"I told you that I was going to get rid of the Mercedes because, as you put it, it smelled like skank in there after Renee rode in there with me," I tell her.
She looks me in the eyes and raises her eyebrows, "Are you going to get rid of your apartment? I bet after last night, it smells like skank in there too."
I laugh, "If it would make you happy, Catalina."
She gives me a dirty look, "I don't give a fuck what you do anymore."
We go to my building and while we're on the elevator, she asks, "Did you move your whore into my apartment?"
"I thought you didn't care what I did anymore?" I ask.
"I don't, but I don't want the bitch touching my weapons," she says.
"I gave her your jewelry," I say.
"WHAT?" she yells and she moves closer to hit me.
I grab her arm before she can strike and say, "Just kidding, love." I try to put my arms around her, but she ducks down and moves to the other side of the elevator.
"That's so not funny, Jaden," she says and steps out of the elevator. She gets out the key that I gave her to the place and opens the door. She turns around and stands in the doorway, "If this is my apartment, then I get to say who can and can't come in it. I don't think I want you in my apartment."
"Enough of this, we need to discuss Jonathan and Daniel. Catalina, I'm going to use mind control to sober you up," I say.
"If you do that, I'll-" she starts.
I cut her off, "Catalina, you're sober."
She blinks and shakes her head, then looks up with that cute, angry look on her face, "Motherfucker! You ruined my buzz!" She slams the door in my face and turns the locks. Like I don't have a key. And, oh yeah, super vampire strength. I shake my head. This is going to be a long night.