Chapter One – How Bad Is It?
Day before Valentine’s Day…
Michael?
What?
I have a headache.
I heard him sigh from across the table. At the moment we were in the library, me doing research for a history paper and him doing some leisurely reading. The table top was already covered with books but here lately I’d get leftover headaches from the concussion I received in New York. They would start simple enough, just being a cluster in the front, right behind the center of my forehead. But If I let it get too bad, it would feel like someone wrapped a rubber band around my brain and pulled it as tightly as possible.
How bad is it?
About a four.
Georgiana…
What?
We’ve only been here fifteen minutes.
It’s not my fault my brain is trying to turn to mush.
His sigh was louder this time, accompanied by the sound of his chair sliding across carpet. I tried not to smile at the fact I was the only one who get that sort of reaction out of him. I didn’t have to look up in order to know what he was doing. Here lately, he was the only person I knew better than myself and most of the time, his actions were as predictable as my own. Then again what he was about to do was something he’d been doing often these days. Granted, I was certain the headaches wouldn’t be as bad if we didn’t use the bond but it was my normal way of communication with him. It would be weird if I stopped. Hell, it would be weird if I talked to him any other way. Half the time I wasn’t sure if I was speaking out loud or in my head when I talked to him.
“Tell me when to stop.”
Michael stood behind me and very gently placed his fingers on my temples before starting to do slow circles with light pressure. That was our routine to stretch it out. I didn’t like taking drugs so most days I toughed it out. The headaches were better than when I first got back and I was told they would dissipate over time. So I was hoping it would be sooner rather than later.
“Maybe if you took something for it…”
“Shut up and do your job.”
I grinned up at him even though my eyes were closed. He was used to my sharp comments and he knew they weren’t as harsh as they sounded. Sometimes he was even meaner than I was.
“What are you doing Thursday?”
“Um…” I frowned. “Nothing. You know that.”
“You’re not planning on going to the dance?”
I cracked an eye open and looked at him. “I don’t do dances anymore.”
He looked pensive as he stared down at the table and continued to move his fingers in slow circles. “So that means you’d be free to go out to dinner with me.”
My other eye popped opened and I stared up at him. “We have dinner together every night.”
“This would be different.” He stopped with the fixed stare and looked down at me. “This would be like a…date.”
A date? Are you trying to ask me out?
He stopped massaging my temples and sat in the seat next to me, not breaking eye contact.
“Yes. That would be what I’m doing.”
My brow creased a little. I don’t know if that would be a good idea.
The boy’s gone, Georgiana. You know that. You wouldn’t be hurting anyone’s feelings by going out to dinner with me.
My frown got deeper and I looked away. “You know what I mean,” I whispered. “It has nothing to do with Aidan. The fact that you’re a Vampire and I’m a Slayer hasn’t changed. That’s the problem.”
“You ran away to New York with a Vampire.”
“That was different and you know it.”
“Georgiana, I’m asking you to spend Valentine’s Day with me. You know I don’t care…”
“You should care,” I hissed. “Something might happen. Your Coven…”
“I don’t care about the Coven. I care about you. I love you and I think it’s time we both accept that we’re in love.”
I have. You’re the one…
And I’m trying to change that. Come to dinner with me. Spend Valentine’s day with me. A strange smile spread across his face. “Be mine for just one day. That’s all I’m asking. If you don’t like it, if it doesn’t feel right, then we’ll just pretend it never happened.”
“Why? Why now? Is it because Aidan’s not here…”
“Like you said, this has nothing to do with the boy. This has to do with you and me. I love you. I want to make you happy. You’re fine, you’re normal again and…”
“I have to give you up at the end of July,” I whispered. “I don’t think I would be able to do that if something serious happened between us. So tell me how this would be a good idea.”
When he couldn’t come up with anything and the shield on his mind shot up, I started gathering my things.
“Georgiana…”
“No, Michael. Ok? That’s my answer. No.”
“Don’t be afraid of the future, Αγάπη.”
I stared at him. “I’m not afraid of the future. I’m afraid of what’s going to happen in six months when I have to let you go.”
~ * ~
When I got home the apartment was pretty much silent. My parents were both out mentoring some younger at risk kids but I was pretty sure my brother was supposed to be here…
“Bast!” I tossed my keys on the bar and dropped my bag on one of the bar stools. “Hey, Bast! What are you doing? Taking a crap?” I chuckled at my half joke. “When you get done do you want to make some popcorn and watch a movie with me?”
I heard a shuffle from the direction of his room and frowned. What the hell was he doing? I finished my approach to his bedroom door and knocked. “Bast…what the hell are you doing in here?” Normally I wait for him to tell me to come in. That was the general rule in the house after Bast walked in on our parents when he was six. Little Bast stood in the doorway staring at them until he asked why our mother was tying our father to the bed with one of dad’s neckties.
Needless to say I found my brother in a similar compromising position with my best friend.
I quickly slammed the door closed even though they were in the process of covering up when I’d opened the door. “Oh my god. Hang a sock or something on the doorknob next time!”
I went to my own room and slammed the door closed, just about tired of all the romance in the air. I hated this time of year. Why flowers, chocolates, and getting laid was made into a holiday, was beyond me. It was pretty much the stupidest thing on the planet.
Everyone was just killing me with the lovey dovey crap. There were pink and red paper hearts plastered all over the school and the worst part was the carnation sale that they did every year. Every time I passed the sales table I couldn’t help but be upset and angry at the same time. My heart would constrict to a painful level and my throat would close up…
I shook my head at the thought of seeing those white carnations and turned on my laptop. If I was going to get this history paper written, I needed to get ahead on the research, even if it made my head pound to an excruciating painful level.
There was a soft knock on my door and I yelled for them to come in. I pretty much knew who it was. My brother had a habit of groveling seconds after he did something wrong. Not that he did anything wrong. Making love to your girlfriend of six plus months wasn’t a horrible thing.
“Grem…”
I looked up at him, trying to appear stern. “I don’t think that’s what our parents would constitute as homework, Bast.”
“I thought you were supposed to be at the library until eight,” he said plopping down on my bed after cracking the door.
He came across as shifty and I swear the boy could never steal anything in his life or do a good job distracting anyone. He wasn’t that sneaky. At the moment, Sophie was trying to slip out of the apartment but there was no way I was going to waste this opportunity.
“You’re right. And then you and SOPHIE were supposed to meet me at the dining hall for dinner. I GUESS THE TWO OF YOU LIKE YOUR DESSERT BEFORE EATING THE MAIN COURSE.”
My brother groaned and fell back on my bed while I sat grinning menacingly in my desk chair. This would probably be the time where I act like my father, be all stern and nonjudgmental. But if I wasn’t getting any, then I was going to make it hard for my little brother to get ANY.
Sophie came in looking awfully bashful. The color on her cheeks would put any Disney princess to shame. She sat down on the bed next to my brother but made sure they weren’t touching. This was classic but it was better I caught them than my parents.
“So…what’s going on?”
“Nothing,” Sophie said instantly.
My brother just stayed quiet. I nodded, still smiling. When my brother got caught or became overly emotional about something, he clammed up. Sophie just rolled her eyes, obviously embarrassed she’d be facing my sarcasm and scolding alone.
“How long has this been going on? The last time I checked you two weren’t even close to being at this stage yet.”
“Gee…”
My brother sat up and glared at me. “Just get it over with. I know what you really want to say so stop with the pretense.”
The smile dropped off my face and I was sure my eyes flashed at him in anger. “You’re lucky it was me instead of Mom and Dad. You do realize what they would’ve done right? Dad’s already dealing with one sexually active child. I don’t even think he’s told Mom about it. Can you imagine what this would’ve done to her?”
“I know, Grem…”
“No. I don’t think you do because the talk she would’ve had with you would’ve been worse than the one Dad had with me after he found out about Aidan. They would’ve called Sophie’s parents. The two of you would’ve been banned from seeing each other without supervision. Mom would’ve broke out the baby books and the Pinot Grigio and cried because her baby boy…”
“Is growing up. I know,” my brother mocked. “Can we just drop this?”
“NO! Bast,” I sighed. “You have to be smarter about this.” I looked at Sophie. “You too. Did you guys even…”
“Yes,” my brother groaned. “I’m not an idiot.”
“Good because I’m not ready to be an aunt yet. I know you’re both young and it feels good but come on. If you’re going to do it…”
“Can we just get to the part where you tell us what you want in order not to tell Mom and Dad?”
“Who says I want anything?! I just want you to be smart about this and stop thinking with what’s below your waistline.”
Surprisingly, Sophie had remained silent for this. That made a thought pop into my mind. “You know what?” I bit my lip and swiveled back and forth in my chair, looking from one to another. “I do want something. I want my best friend for Valentine’s Day.”
“NO!” Sebastis cried. “No, Gee. I’ve already made dinner reservations and ordered the flowers…”
“Deal,” Sophie said.
“Soph!” My brother turned to face her. “I had a plan…”
“It’s the least we can do.” She looked apologetic. “Besides, it’s tradition. Gee and I usually spend the night watching anti-Valentine’s day movies and eating ice cream and junk food…”
They started to banter back and forth, Sebastis trying to convince her that it was a lover’s holiday and her trying to convince him that I needed girl time. The whole thing was comical and I was really starting to get out of my funk.
Until my phone started ringing. They stopped talking and the smile on my face slowly slid off. Everyone knew who was calling, mostly because he called at the same time every day.
Like clockwork.
So as Alanis Morissette’s You Oughta Know rang through the room, everyone stayed quiet and stared at my phone where it sat on the desk. When it was over I breathed out a sigh of relief and turned back to the pair, planning on continuing where I’d left off. Unfortunately the looks on their faces made my words dry up and my left eye start to twitch.
“You know what,” my brother glanced at Sophie who nodded just slightly, “you’re right. You can have her. In fact, you can have both of us. We can watch My Bloody Valentine and laugh at…”
“I was joking. You guys can go out.” I stood up, leaving my phone where it was. “Have fun.”
And I was chased out of yet another place I expected peace and quiet for the second time that day.