Bloodspell (The Cruentus Curse, #1)(78)

"Stalk much? Look Gabe, sorry I bailed, but I had to run an errand."

"So are you going to come to Cancun? Come on, Tori, it will be great."

"I really can't, Gabe. I would but I'm swamped right now," she said as she tried to find the door leading to the garage.

"Fine, I'll stay here too then," he said. Victoria knew that he would stay just to prove a point.

"I'm on my way up to my Aunt Holly's," she said. "Look, I have to go, talk later. See you, Gabe."

She disconnected the call before he could argue and hoped that he wouldn't do anything stupid like drive up to Holly's. Finally, she found the mahogany door to the elevator that lead down to the garage.

Christian's garage was more like an underground warehouse with huge high ceilings, fluorescent lighting, and about ten cars, several bikes, and a wicked-looking cigarette boat on a trailer, all lined up in neat rows. Christian was standing next to the '67 Shelby GT 500 that he'd told her he was restoring himself. He had on a pair of faded blue jeans, smudges of grease on his face and hands, and he'd never looked more appealing. She steeled herself as he walked toward her, his face shuttered and demeanor wary, like a goaded lion. Victoria swallowed, unexpectedly anxious. Maybe this hadn't been the best idea.

"What do you want?" he said, his voice cold. At his tone, she lifted her chin.

"You wouldn't let me explain, so I had to find you."

"Explain what? There's really nothing to say, is there?" She flinched from the emptiness in his words.

"Christian, I know what you thought you saw, but it was nothing."

"Is that what you call it? He was going to kiss you."

"No, it's not what you think," she said, and then added, "besides what does it matter? We broke up, didn't we?"

"You're right. So why are you here, Victoria?" She stared at him to see if his eyes were as unfeeling as his words were. They were worse.

"I'm sorry, I shouldn't have come," she said, fleeing before the tears came.

Victoria drove back to her apartment, her fingers clenched in humiliation on the steering wheel. What was she thinking, going to Christian's house like that? They were over—she didn't owe him anything! The way he had looked at her, as if she were nothing, had hurt her far more than she'd ever thought possible. She screeched to a stop in front of her apartment, only just noticing the lanky frame leaning against the wall as she got out of the car.

"Did you run over here?" she asked, her heart racing at the sight of him. She steeled herself, guarding her mind ... and heart. Christian's face was pained.

"Victoria, I'm sorry. I handled that badly. I was just ... surprised by your visit, that's all."

"Look, it's nothing. I wanted to explain, but you're right, there's really nothing to say, is there? We're over."

After several agonizing moments, he spoke, his voice carefully modulated. "Yes, we are, and I'm sorry I reacted the way I did. You have every right to be with someone like you, someone ... human," he said. "Someone you can hold and love without fearing for your life. Like him." She remained silent. "You should be worrying about school and parties and dates, not whether some monster is going to rip your throat out." Victoria flinched even as he continued. "You've moved on, and that's good."

The rational, sane part of her agreed with him, the reasons why they shouldn't be together were obvious—he was as much a danger to her as she was to him, and she'd nearly killed him when they'd been together last. Yet at his words, something inside Victoria cracked.

"That's just it, I haven't moved on," she cried, everything she'd been holding in suddenly exploding within her. "I haven't been able to let you go, even though God knows I have tried. And I hate you for doing this, for making me this ... weak."

"Victoria—"

"Please, don't."

Victoria.

Christian couldn't help himself. Her stunning admission crippled any resolve he'd had. He caught her shoulders and pulled her to him taking her lips in a desperate kiss. She couldn't help herself either, kissing him back with everything she'd boxed away in her heart, every single bit of emotion she'd suppressed since they day she had left his house. The kiss decimated her.

Victoria broke away, gasping. What was she doing?

"Please," she whispered, "just go."

With a searching look Christian left, and she almost collapsed against the building. She touched a finger to her burning lips. Her mind and body felt like two separate things. She couldn't even begin to process the feelings Christian's kiss had kindled. Her brain spun with dizzying intensity as forgotten emotions threatened to overwhelm her. Seeing him had been torture. Kissing him had been excruciating.

Suddenly across the street, movement caught her eye as a person stepped away from a dark car parked in the shadows. Victoria tensed, her body already preparing for attack, as the stranger's features became clearer in the light. Her stomach flipped and soured immediately.

"Oh, hi Gabe," she said, wondering just how long he had been there. Gabriel's face was cold, his normally open smile was grimly absent and his lips were a hard, flat line. He'd been there a while, she guessed.