Almost Midnight (Shadow Falls: After Dark #3.5)(10)

“How did you … get inside?” He looked back at the window.

“It was unlocked.”

“But it’s the second-story window.” He scratched his head.

She sat down beside him. “I love you, Lee. I want to be with you, always.” She reached out to touch him. His skin was so hot, and felt so good. She just wanted to lie down beside him, have him hold her.

He flinched and pulled away. “You’re cold. Really cold.”

His words brought back something Chan had said when she’d been half out of it. Something about her body temperature changing, about how she couldn’t let her parents take her temperature anymore.

“What’s wrong with you?” he said, scooting away. “You must still be sick.”

“No,” Della said. “I’m fine, I’m just … I mean…” What did she mean? Was she going to tell Lee the truth? “I’m not contagious,” she said.

“What did you have?” He eased away, when all she wanted to do was to get closer. She wanted him to hold her, to kiss her and make her forget everything that happened these last few days. He raked a hand through his black hair. “You should probably go. If you get caught here, you know how it will look.”

“It will look as if we’re sleeping together. Which we are. And I don’t care if people know anymore.”

She put her hand on his shoulder.

“But I do care,” he said. “Don’t touch me.” He pushed her hand away. “I … I’m sorry, but I don’t like how you feel right now. Something feels … off about you. It’s hard to explain, but you just seem really weird right now. I think you should go home and talk to your parents, get the help you need.”

It hit her then. Hit her like an eighteen-wheeler without brakes. Lee would never like how she felt. If he was afraid of some kind of flu, how would he feel about her being a vampire? About her drinking blood?

Tears filled her throat, but like the daughter her father had raised her to be, she didn’t let a single tear fill her eyes. “I see.” She stood up.

“See what?” he asked.

She moved to the window and swore she wouldn’t look back, but she couldn’t help it. She turned and met his eyes. For some reason, she suddenly saw something in Lee that she hadn’t seen before. She saw her father. And yet … “I love you. I will always love you.” And with that she jumped out of his upstairs window. She heard him call her name, and pull back the covers.

But she was gone before his feet touched the floor.

*

When she got back to her room, she sat on the edge of her bed. Her stomach growled, her mouth watered, and she knew she needed … blood. Where was Chan? Had he taken her O negative pint for himself? Had he abandoned her? She jumped up and went to the mirror and stared at herself. Her eyes were no longer dark brown, but golden. Bright hot yellow as if something inside her burned. And yet she was cold. Too cold for Lee? She noticed her two canines were … sharp.

Her pulse raced and she heard Chan’s words bounce around her head. “You can’t live with humans anymore. You don’t belong here.”

Her chest ached and this time she did cry. Tears crawled down her cheeks. Accepting what she had to do, she grabbed her suitcase and tossed in a few things. When Chan got here, she would be ready. Then, realizing she couldn’t leave without … without at least seeing her family one more time, she tiptoed out of her room and headed down the stairs. Her parents’ door was closed, but she eased it open just a bit. Just enough to see them one last time. Her mother was asleep on her father’s chest. Her mother might not like her father’s pride, but she still loved him. She loved him because down deep she knew that her father had forsaken his pride to marry a white woman. In truth, he loved her mom more than his pride.

Her throat tightened as she silently closed the door. Then she moved back up the stairs, but instead of moving toward her room, she went to Marla’s room. The door wasn’t closed. She stepped inside and moved to the edge of the bed. Her sister rolled over and opened her eyes.

“You feeling better?” she asked.

“Yeah.” Della tried to keep her voice from shaking.

Marla smiled that sleepy smile of hers that made her look younger than fourteen. “I told Mom you wouldn’t die, because you wouldn’t leave me. You’d never leave me.” She dropped down on her pillow and drifted back to sleep.

Tears filled Della’s eyes and the pain of knowing she’d never see her sister again made her heart break. She got up and walked out of the room. She closed the door and saw her packed bag. She’d left the window open, hoping Chan would see it and come back. A breeze entered. It felt … colder. Unnaturally cold. Chills tiptoed up her spine.

Something fluttering across the wood floor caught Della’s eye. She looked down at the card. She picked it up and saw the name Holiday Brandon scribbled across the card. Below the name was a telephone number and the words SHADOW FALLS CAMP.

Vaguely, she remembered the doctor and nurse telling her she could call someone, someone who could help her decide the right thing to do. But she couldn’t call a stranger and ask for help. Or could she?

Her thoughts went to her sister and Della reached for her phone and dialed.

“Shadow Falls Camp,” a woman answered. Della couldn’t speak. “Is someone there?” asked the sleepy voice. “Who is this?”