Reborn (Shadow Falls: After Dark #1)(70)

They cut off the light a little after eleven, but none of them could sleep. No doubt the day they’d had left them all with lots to think about.

Della especially.

Ignoring the still present headache, she stared at the ceiling fan. Della’s mind spun with questions. The biggest question being how the hell was she going to find Chan? She wanted to know if he knew anything about their uncle and aunt. She wanted to know if he was okay. She’d even tried to call his friend, Kevin Miller, again. He hadn’t answered, so she’d left a message. Told him she was in Houston and asked if he’d found out anything about where the Crimson Blood hangout was. He hadn’t called back.

Della’s gaze shifted to the window. She could go out tonight and do her own search for the Crimson Blood gang. It wasn’t that hard to sniff out another vampire. Surely, a stray vamp would know something about the gang. But then she’d really be breaking the promise to Holiday to not take any risks. It was one thing to go try to talk to some old geezer vamp … another to go in search of a gang—one she didn’t know much about.

Was she desperate enough to break that promise to Holiday? To chance thoroughly pissing off Burnett and having him reconsider her working on the case? She really wanted to work on that case. Her mind conjured up the image of Lorraine again, lying in her casket—so cold, so dead. The thought gave Della a chill. She pulled the cover up a bit to fight the cold and tried to think about something pleasant.

Unfortunately her thoughts turned back to Chan and how he’d helped her through the turn. And she hadn’t even taken his damn call. Maybe pissing off Holiday and Burnett would be worth the chance to help her cousin. But alone this time. She didn’t want to drag Kylie and Miranda into this.

Closing her eyes, she heard her two friends’ heartbeats. They weren’t asleep yet. She’d have to wait to sneak out.

Miranda shifted on the mattress. She let out a big sigh and sat up. “Can I ask you guys something?”

Della blinked when she turned the lamp on. “If we said no would it stop you?”

Kylie elbowed her.

“I wasn’t serious,” Della said.

“Ask away,” Kylie said.

The witch pulled her knees to her chest. “What’s it like?”

“What’s what like?” Della asked, but she was afraid she knew.

“You know, sex.”

Yup, that’s what Della was afraid she meant. “Not the sex talk, please?” Della dropped her arm over her eyes. And that earned her another poke in the ribs by Kylie.

Kylie sat up. “I have a whole drawer of pamphlets if you’d like to read them.”

“I don’t want to read about it. I want you to tell me about it.”

Della sat up. “Okay, here’s the basics. You get naked and tab A goes into slot B.”

Kylie chuckled and Miranda grunted. “I’m serious. It’s going to happen soon and I just want to be prepared.”

“What do you want to know?” Kylie asked.

“Is it true it hurts at first?”

“It did the first time,” Kylie said.

Miranda looked at Della as if needing both of their input. Della nodded.

“Was it worth it?” Miranda asked.

“Yeah,” Kylie said. “It’s amazing. When we’re together, it’s exciting and romantic and I feel so close to him.” She sighed. “I’ll admit it, it was embarrassing at first. And sometimes it still is.” She grinned. “I still blush when he sees me naked, but it feels right. I really think it’s the purest form of sharing your love. But I was sure that he was the right guy before it happened.”

Was it worth it? The question rolled around Della’s brain, and she knew Miranda was going to expect Della to answer it. It was a question she’d asked herself recently. A question she had yet to answer.

Miranda looked at Della.

Emotion swelled in her chest. She’d given her all to her ex-boyfriend Lee and he’d given up on her. In less than three months, he was engaged to someone else. How could giving her heart and body to him have been worth it?

“No, it wasn’t worth it,” Della said. “Don’t get me wrong. I’m not saying don’t sleep with Perry. I just think you need to be really sure that the guy you are giving this part of yourself to is the right guy.”

“I think Perry is right,” Miranda said. “I love him.”

“I thought Lee was right, too,” Della said. “And I’m not saying that the right guy has to be the only one, or the guy you marry. But it shouldn’t be someone who could just walk away so easily. It makes me feel like I wasn’t nearly as special to him as he was to me. I still feel cheated and angry. I wish I could take it back.” Emotion sounded in her voice and she swallowed hard.

Kylie touched Della’s arm and the warm comfort stemming from her touch told her that the chameleon had turned to fae.

“Holiday sort of said the same thing,” Kylie added. “She said she’d slept with several guys, and a couple of those memories were like tattoos that she can’t get removed. So I think Della’s advice is good. Just make sure that no matter what happens, Perry is special enough to you that you won’t regret it. Even if the worst thing happens and you don’t stay together.”

“How do you know you won’t regret it?” Miranda asked.