Blood-Red Tear (25 page)

   “I’m par
ked right next to you. I saw you getting out of the truck this morning,” he said, as if hearing my thoughts.

  
Relief flooded me. “Oh, are you the Dodge Viper we saw this morning?”

   “I’m
impressed; I did not think girls were into cars.” He smiled and leaned against the locker, staring into my eyes.

   “Don’t be
; my brother saw it this morning. I really don’t know a whole lot about cars.” I told him, looking away from his entrancing gaze, feeling uncomfortable with the emotions his being near stirred in me. It was weird: I loved Aidan, of that I was sure, but I felt an attraction to Orin that was inexplicable.

   “Do
n’t you drive?” he asked as we walked.

   “I have to t
ake my driving test. I was in a bad accident and haven’t gotten around to it yet.” To be honest, even if I had there was no way Paul was going to let me drive anyway, since he was so concerned about keeping me safe.

“You’re
okay now, right?” He looked me over with worry.

I
smiled reassuringly. “I am fine now, but I had broken my leg pretty badly, which kept me laid up for awhile.”

“How did it happen
?  Was there anything odd about your accident?”

Anything odd?
I thought. If only he knew. “No it was just a car accident. A deer was in the middle of the road. Why would you ask that?”

He visibly tensed, giving
me a forced smile. “No reason. I’m glad you’re all right. Do you at least have a car?”

I could tell he was trying
to change the subject but I wasn’t sure why. “Yeah, but it just sits in the garage.”  Just talking about my beautiful car reminded of Aidan, and I forced a smile to my lips so he would not see the sadness I felt.

“Hey, are you alright?” he asked.

“Uh, yeah,” I murmured, looking at my brother who watched us approach with narrowed eyes. I could see and feel his anger that I was with a male he did not recognize, but I pasted a smile on my face, hoping he would not cause a scene.  “Hey, Paul, Beth, this is Orin. He just started here today.”

“I wasn’t aware we had a new student
starting today,” Paul said, his voice full of hostility.

Beth elbowed him in the side, but he continued to glare.
“Nice to meet you, Orin,” she said.

“We need to go,” Paul told me.

I could swear I heard him growl when Orin took my hand in his.

“See you tomorrow,” he said
, sliding his finger down the inside of my palm, his eyes glued to mine.

There was no mistaking the interest in his
captivating eyes and it made me nervous. “Alright...tomorrow,” I stuttered.

“I am counting on it,” he said softly
, before letting go of my hand and getting into his car.

I stared after him until
Paul placed a hand on my shoulder directing me to the truck.

W
e were just out of the parking lot before he began his tirade about Orin. “What are you doing, Katie?” he spat out as he put his foot down hard on the gas pedal.

“What are you talking about?” I asked
, confused by his attitude.

“Where is Chad? I don’t think he would appreciate you
spending time with another guy like this.”

“Chad is not my boyfriend or my keeper
. Besides we have parted ways.”

“What!
” He clenched the wheel, and the truck sped faster down the road as he continued to glare at me. “It is this new guy, right? What has he got that Chad doesn’t?”

“Look
, Paul, Orin is new here. I just met him today, for pete’s sake. He has nothing to do with any of this! I love Aidan, but none of you can seem to grasp that, so I dated Chad to make you all happy but I care for him only as a friend,” I yelled, feeling bad for Beth, who was stuck in the middle of our argument.

“Chad is a
nice guy, Katie. He would never hurt you, and he didn’t expect too much from you.”

“Great
! I guess if that’s what I wanted that would have been okay, but newsflash: I want more!”

  
“There’s something off about this guy, Orin. I can’t get a read on him and I had no idea he was moving into town. That is odd.”

“And that just kills
, you doesn’t it?” I sneered. “Believe it or not, Paul, you don’t know everything!”

“W
hy don’t you give Chad another chance? I bet if you called him he would take you back.”

   We pulled up to the house and I jumped out of the truck
, angry that he was once again trying to control my life. “I’ll tell you what, Paul, why don’t
you
date Chad since you like him so much!” I screamed before turning away, walking quickly into the house.

Paul was close behind slamming the door as he bellowed
behind me. “Katie, we are not done with this.”

“Just leave me alone
, Paul,” I shouted angrily.

My father came from
the library to see what was wrong, looking between us with a frown. “Paul, why are you yelling at your sister?”

Before he could even open his
mouth, I pounced. “He thinks he knows what’s best for me, as usual,” I hollered, rolling my eyes to emphasize my disgust.

“Young lady! You
calm down right this minute. We don’t yell in this house,” Dad warned, then turned to Paul for his answer. “What’s going on?”

   “She dumped
Chad and now some other guy that we know nothing about, who appeared out of nowhere, is sniffing around her,” he explained with a snarl.

“Well
, I’m sorry about Chad, your mother and I thought he was very nice, but why is this any of your business?” He looked at Paul with a questioning gaze and crossed his arms over his chest.

“S
he was good with Chad, he was safe, and this guy Orin seems like trouble,” he answered, glaring at me.

“We can’t tell your sister who
m she can and can’t see. I asked her to date other males, and as long as there is no solid reason you can give me why he might be dangerous, I won’t interfere.”

I couldn’t believe he just said that when he was the one keeping me from the guy I truly wanted to be with, but I was sure reminding him of that po
int wouldn’t be wise, so I bit my tongue. 

Paul snarled angril
y, and my father gave him a warning glance before pulling me into his arms and hugging me, completely unaware that I stuck my tongue out at Paul over his shoulder.

Paul took a step toward me but Beth
, who had been hovering close by, grabbed his arm and pulled him away.

“Now, don’t you have some homework or something to do?” my father asked.

“I do,” I agreed kissing his cheek. “Thanks for supporting me, Dad.”

“There isn’t any reason I shouldn’t right?” he asked.

“Of course not,” I told him, turning to run up the stairs.

I barely made it into my bedroom before my cell phone began ringing incessantly. I tossed my book bag on the
bed, pulled my phone out of the front pocket seeing Jess’s name flashing across the screen, and sighed. I was sure she knew about Chad, and I really didn’t want to deal with her being angry at me too, but if I didn’t answer she would just keep calling, so I decided to answer and get it over with. “Hey,” I said, dreading the conversation to come.

“Are you okay?” Jess
asked softly.

“Guess you heard about Chad, huh?”

“He’s just devastated that you dumped him.”

“I did not dump him
, Jess! We were never a couple.” I clenched the phone tightly wondering why everyone was pushing me toward Chad.

“He thought you were,” s
he said sadly.

“We weren’t!
He never asked me to go out with him exclusively,” I argued.

“Are you sure about this
? Chad would probably forgive you and take you back if you wanted. ”

I knew that would make everyone happy
, but it wasn’t what I wanted. If I was doing what I wanted, I would be with Aidan and none of this would be happening. I sighed. “I’m sure, Jess. You’re supposed to be my best friend, please do not make this harder than it has to be.”

“I
am always your best friend and I can’t tell you who to date, but he was so good to you.”

Never had I heard her push so hard
, and I couldn’t help but wonder why she did now. “Look, Jess, let’s just agree to disagree on this, okay?” I said firmly, unwilling to let our friendship suffer over something that wasn’t going to change.

“Okay
. Well I have to go. Josh and I are going out tonight.”

“Have fun,
” I said before hanging up the phone, sad that Jess would choose Chad’s side over mine.

My stomach growled and
I left my room to go find something to hold to over until dinner.

My mother
was in the kitchen cooking dinner when I walked in, humming softly, her back to me as I entered. “Hi, honey how was your day?” she said knowing I was there even though I had not made a sound. 

“Chad and I ar
e not seeing each other anymore.” I could tell by her expression she already knew, which meant she had probably already spoken with my father.

“Are you okay with that?” She stopped working and leaned against the counter across from
me, patting my hand sympathetically.

“I didn’t feel the way he did. I
t was the only fair thing to do.” My voice cracked and tears pricked my eyes. I was confident I had done the right thing, but I hated hurting Chad who really was very sweet.

“Then you did the right t
hing. I know you didn’t hurt Chad on purpose. You aren’t that kind of girl.” She hugged me close, her comforting scent bringing me a calm I had not felt all day. “Now, dinner is done.  Why don’t you go into the dining room and I’ll bring it out.”

My mother thought eating was the answer to all problems for huma
ns, and I didn’t have the heart to tell her that was not the truth. “Thanks, Mom.”

“Not a problem,” she said
, turning back to the meal she had lovingly prepared for me.

I walked away
, my stomach growling in protest as I left the aromatic kitchen and headed into the dining room.

“Are you feeling better
, honey?” my father asked as I entered the dining room.

“I’m okay
,” I told him, taking my usual seat.

He eyed me speculatively. “So who is this Orin person
?”

I knew it had been
coming; my family made it a point to know everyone and anyone who surrounded me, so someone new would raise their suspicions. “He’s new, Dad. I don’t really know him, but he seems nice,” I told him, hoping to ease his mind.

“Who
m are we talking about?” Mom asked as she came to join us, setting a plate of roasted chicken, mashed potatoes, and steamed vegetables before me.

My stomach growled loudly and they both chuckled
, amused by my very human reaction.

“T
he new boy Katie met at school today,” my father explained.

She frowned
, but quickly covered it with a thin smile. “Oh, well, I am sure he’s very nice,” she said, exchanging a look with my father that I knew meant they were both uneasy about the newcomer.

I knew they wer
e just being overprotective after my accident, and I certainly didn’t fault them for it, but I wished my life could be simpler. I had a feeling, though, that that was never going to be the case.

Chapter Twenty-
Two

The next morning Orin was leaning against his car waiting for me as I got out of Paul’s truck.

“Good morning
,” he called out, ignoring Paul completely.

“Go
od morning, Orin,” I answered, suppressing a smile at his arrogance, which I knew would not bode well with my brother.

“I thought maybe I could walk you to class?”

“Sure.” I put my bag over my shoulder, but he reached over and took it from me, easily lifting it despite its heavy weight.

I felt everyone staring
as we entered the school and walked down the hall together. It was clear that the gossip mill had been working overnight, but that was to be expected, so I lifted my head high and ignored them all.

Once at my locker,
I introduced Orin to Jess and Josh, but the tension in the air was palpable.

“Nice to meet you
,” Josh said shaking his hand firmly.

“Good to meet you too,” Orin told him staring at him quizzically.

“Yes, nice to meet you,” Jess added, before rudely turning her back to Orin. “We are going to the movies Saturday night, Katie. Do you want to go?”

   “Maybe it would b
e better if you went without me. I don’t want to be a third wheel,” I said, more than a little angry about her reaction to Orin. It wasn’t like Jess to be so openly rude and it bothered me.

“We could find a date fo
r you,” Jess returned with a sly smile at Josh.

I had a feeling I knew just who that date would be. “Uh…”

“I will go with you,” Orin said quickly, pushing past her to my side. Jess’s eyes snapped to Josh’s with disbelief and I knew then that she really had been planning on springing Chad on me.

“Oh
, well, I don’t want to inconvenience you,” I told him.

Instant relief filled Jess’s eyes.

“No, it would be fun,” Orin said with a smile. “I don’t know the area at all, so it would give me the chance to get to know the town.”

Jess’s face became tau
t once more.

“Okay
, then,” I told him, noting Jess’s disappointment that her plans had not succeeded.

“It’s a date then,” he said
, with what I would describe as a triumphant smile in Jess’s direction.

“We should invi
te Chris and his girlfriend too,” Jess added, as if adding more people would make it less like a date.

“Whatever you want,” I murmured
, just wanting to end the uncomfortable meeting.

After agreeing to me
et at Kelly’s we all moved on to class and my daily routine began, which was oddly comforting given all the tension in my life. I went through the rest of the day trying not to think about how much easier my life would be if my father would just relent and let me and Aidan be together. If that were the case, I wouldn’t have to worry about dating, fighting, or even arguing with my brother, who had to answer to Aidan. 

Orin me
t me at my locker at the end of the day, his easy conversation taking my mind off all of my troubles. I closed my locker and he took my bag, then walked me to the parking lot.

“Do you think I could drive you home?” he asked as we neared the vehicles.

I bit my lip, trying to decide if I wanted to risk my brother’s wrath, and decided that after how he had acted the day before, I would. “I don’t see why not,” I answered with more calm than I felt. “Just let me tell Paul.” I knew that was not going to go well, but in all honesty he would follow me anyway, so there was no real danger.

Paul was waiting for me by the tru
ck, glaring at Orin and I knew I had to act fast before he had time to react. “Paul, Orin is going to drive me home,” I called out.

“Katie
.” His voice shook with anger but Beth reached over and quieted him, whispering in his ear, earning an unhappy nod.

Orin
helped me into his car, then came around to his side and got in, ignoring my brother revving his truck’s engine next to us, and started the car. Carefully he pulled out of the parking space, then out of the parking lot to the main road that would take us through town. He drove really well, stayed in between the lines, and did not speed. From the side mirror I spotted the truck behind us the entire way home and knew Paul was watching for something to complain about, but I was relieved there would be nothing for him to whine about to my father once we got home. I knew well that if my parents thought for one second I would be harmed in any way by Orin’s driving, they would prevent me from seeing him again despite my father’s talk of me knowing my own mind.

We pulled into the driveway and he parked
, ignoring my brother’s loud engine as he pulled into the garage situated behind us.  Orin got out and came to my side, helping me from the car.

“So is there any
thing in particular you want to see Saturday?” I asked, to make conversation as he walked me to the front door.

“I’m looking at it
,” he replied with a grin.

I blushed.
“Would you like to come in?” I asked nervously at the door.

He looked a little unnerved by my question.
He ran his hand through his hair as if frustrated by my question. “Maybe another time, I have a ton of homework I should go.”

“Oh
, okay, well, thanks for the ride then.” He leaned in close as if he was going to kiss me, but the front door opened and Paul stuck his head out. I assumed after he had parked in the garage he had run through the house at vampire speed to get there, and hoped Orin didn’t notice it.

Orin frowned and took a step back. “Uh…I’ll see you tomorrow,” h
e said, moving quickly back down the steps towards his car.

“Good riddance,
” Paul said as I walked inside. “What was that crap back there, Katie? You know you ride home with me. Don’t ever pull that shit again, or I swear…”

“Paul,” Beth called out
, looking as frazzled as I felt about his behavior.

I was glad she stopped him but I’d also had enough.
“Do not push me, Paul. I’m not a child anymore and I won’t be ordered about by you.” I walked past him going straight to my room, too angry to even think about being around him any longer.

*****

Saturday night I was in the foyer waiting for Orin to pick me up, feeling extremely nervous about going out with everyone after their reaction to Orin. Jess had made it clear she was unhappy about the entire situation, but after I had cautioned her that she was hurting me with her remarks she had apologized and promised to be nice. Chris was reserving judgment, and Josh… well, I had no idea what he was thinking. He was a man of few words, but he seemed to be watching Orin very closely.

“I ho
pe you have a good time tonight,” my mother said, as if sensing my hesitance.

“I’m su
re I will,” I said, uneasy myself now that the time had come to go out with Orin. There was just something weird about the attraction I had for him; it wasn’t anything like I felt for Aidan. With Aidan I felt it all the time even when we weren’t together, but with Orin I didn’t unless I was with him. I supposed that was because what I felt for Aidan was love, but I wasn’t entirely sure.

My father
walked into the hall so I knew he had heard Orin’s car coming up the drive. He smiled and told me how pretty I looked, then opened the door.

Orin was
already standing on the stoop looking uncomfortable, and my father’s icy expression didn’t do anything to ease the situation.

“Hello
, sir, I’m Orin.” They exchanged an awkward handshake, which Orin pulled away from quickly. “It is nice to meet Katie’s parents at last.”

My father eyed him closely as if analyzing him.
“We are very close,” he said, his tone threatening, which was very unlike my father. “Katie, I want you home by eleven.” He peered at me sharply, and then walked to my mother’s side, placing his arm around her.

“
I’ll be sure she’s home on time,” Orin said as we moved out of the door.

“Be sure you do,” my father murmured
behind us.

“Sorry,” I said
, as Orin helped me into the car.

“Don’t be
, they are parents, of course they are concerned for your safety,” he told me before closing the car door, giving the house once last long look before he got inside and started the car.

   As we drove through town, we talked
. I found we had a lot in common, and I grew more comfortable in his presence.

“You look great,” h
e said, casting an approving glance my way.

“Thanks
, you too.” It wasn’t just polite talk. He was really hot, and I knew many of the girls at school were already after him.

“Your parents seem nice,
different than I expected,” he said.

The way he said things was odd, as if there was another meaning I didn’t get. “Thanks,” I answered
, but I didn’t want to talk about my family. I always feared that I would slip up and say something that might give their vampire status away. “Do you know where you’re going?”

“I drove past
the restaurant the other day.” He reached over, taking my hand in his own. “What movie are we seeing tonight?”

“Jess said something about a new horror movie that just came out
, so I guess that’s the one.” I had let her make all the plans, to make up for her unhappiness that I was no longer seeing Chad, but now I was regretting it.

“Sounds good to me
, I love to see evil monsters get what’s coming to them.” He chuckled as if joking, but his face was hard and his hands clenched tightly around the wheel. Before I could comment, he pulled into Kelly’s parking lot where Jess and Josh were waiting out in front of the restaurant for us. We got out and joined them and walked inside, where Chris and his girlfriend already sat at a table large enough for us all. After taking our seats and ordering our meals a nervous silence filled the air, but then Chris, as always, began to crack jokes and everyone seemed to loosen up. Soon I found myself relaxing and enjoying the conversation that flowed around the table. I had been dreading the night, but Orin was very charming and soon had everyone at ease, so it went better than I could have imagined.

A
fter dinner we drove to the theater and the guys brought our tickets. Since it was crowded, we found our seats quickly and spent the next few minutes talking while waiting for the movie to start. The lights went down. Orin reached over and took my hand in his, absently stroking my fingers with his own as if he were nervous. I, too, was feeling somewhat nervous. I wasn’t sure he understood I wasn’t looking for a boyfriend, and worried he might misunderstand our going out as something more than it was, like Chad had done.

“Orin
, I…”

“Shhh!” Jess whispered next to me as the movie started.

“Later,” Orin murmured, turning his attention to the screen.

Everyone in the theater
watched intently as the killer butchered one victim after another until only one girl, who was scantily clad, badly wounded, and too weak to fight, was left. He stalked her for ten horrifying minutes before he finally caught her, and I looked away when he took an axe to the female, laughing maniacally before leaving another blood-soaked crime scene behind. When the screaming stopped and I looked back to the screen the carnage I saw made me nauseous, and I leaned my head back against the seat, closing my eyes. Orin saw my discomfort and pulled me into his arms, laying my face against his chest so I could no longer see the screen. His warm scent filled my nose and I was thankful for his thoughtfulness, but it didn’t offer the same comfort Aidan’s arms did.

Aidan’s embrace
always offered me reassurance and safety. Just being close to him brought me solace and peace. Emotion twisted my stomach as I thought about how lonely I was without him and how desperate I was to be with him again. Suddenly I needed to get away, so I made an excuse to go to the bathroom and fled before he could stop me.

I stood at the sink trembling,
beating myself up for being unable to forget about Aidan. Every day he was gone it just got harder, and the hole in my heart refused to mend.

“Are you okay?” Jess asked from
behind me.

“Yes
, I just needed a minute. I guess the blood was too much...” Her face fell and she rushed to a conclusion that gave me the cover I needed.

“Oh
, God, I’m so sorry, we never thought…I mean, with your accident and all it is understandable that you were upset with all that blood.”

Tears welled in her eyes and I rushed to reassure her. “No
, its fine, really. I’m alright now, so let’s go back to the guys.”

“Are you sure?”

I nodded and grabbed her hand, pulling her from the bathroom.