Eternally Blue (Sunset Cliffs Vampire #1) (Paranormal Teen Romance) (5 page)

Once they decided on a place to eat and everyone was paying, Courtney sniffed in distain as Stacey paid for my food. A little bit embarrassed and confused as to her actions I followed them to a table and glanced down at my outfit to see if it was something I was wearing that offended her.

That’s when I ran into something and in the next instant I was soaking wet with soda, and wearing my food. Before I could completely fall an arm was around my waist steadying me. We both started speaking at once.

“
Oh my gosh, I’m so sorry” That was me.

“
Whoa there! Are you ok?” At least I think that’s what the end of our sentences would have been. We both stopped talking as soon as we made eye contact. I don't know how long we stood like that, it couldn’t have been very long, but I still had time to process that this was the hands down most perfect person I had ever seen in my life, and that’s a long life.

He had about four inches on me, so about 6’0, or 6’1. He had shaggy black hair, with some natural looking dark brown highlights. He was lanky but had the long muscles of a dancer. He wasn’t as pale as me, but I wouldn’t call him tan, I would describe his coloring as perfect - but said in the type of whispered breath usually reserved for natural wonders. He had delicate looking skin with a smattering of freckles across his nose and cheekbones as if in the shape of a butterfly. What hypnotized me though were his green eyes framed by dark, thick lashes. They were almost too bright, and were staring at me unblinkingly, reminding me of a cat.

I unwillingly came back to my senses and groaned when I saw I had managed to get my lunch on him as well. “Oh nooo, I’m so sorry!” It barely came out as a whisper of horror.

I didn't dare make eye contact with him again I was so ashamed. He looked down at himself too, then at me, but before he could respond we heard clapping and laughing from two different directions. Stacey and Lindsey were grinning sympathetically but amused, and Courtney was already up and hurrying over to us, that’s nice of her I thought as I looked around for the other source of laughter. A smaller scale version of the guy I bumped came over and slapped him on the back, wiping away tears of laughter and called him a klutz.

Courtney arrived next. She started trying to unsuccessfully clean off the front of his shirt, and took my lunch tray that he was somehow holding, out of his hand and handed it to me while cooing “Are you ok Noah I think I have an extra t-shirt in the car if you want to come outside with me”.

He brushed her hand off his chest, and without so much as a glance at her he said softly, “Courtney you haven’t introduced me to your friend”.

Her hurt expression quickly changed to joy at being acknowledged and stepping slightly more in between us she said “Noah this is Blue, the girl on the news that won’t be staying with Stacey very long, just until she can remember where she belongs or they give up and put her in a home” she trailed off at the end and looked at me with mock sympathy. What is wrong with this girl?

I think at the same time Noah and I both realized my beloved new hat had fallen off and was on the ground, and both went to pick it up at the same time and successfully bumped heads on the way back up, both still holding onto a part of the hat. We laughed and as he reluctantly let it go he simply said “Blue”.

It was more of a question to himself than to me, and Courtney looking increasingly impatient and confused interrupted our stupid staring to say “Yeah ‘Blue’ that was what her necklace said and she took that to mean it was her name, but it could have been her favorite color, or her boyfriend’s name even”, she paused to look at me pointedly before continuing “Blue you’re a mess, you should really go clean up so we can go shopping, they won’t let you in any stores I want to go in like that” she laughed and continued to Noah “Come on, let’s get you another shirt”.

Quietly Noah said “No, I’m taking her home, it’s the least I can do after carelessly running into her”. Uh.. Didn’t I run into him? Why wasn’t he directing this at me as a question?

Courtney gaped with her mouth open, fumbling for what to do next, and then her eyes lit up with realization “That won’t be necessary, Blue has clothes in Stacey’s car, don't you Blue?” She was challenging me for some reason, was this her boyfriend? I didn't think so but I still didn't want to get in the middle of this so I just stood there stupidly, glancing a look at Stacey for help but she was still at the table deep in conversation with Lindsey.

Noah interrupted with “I’ll go tell Stacey I’m taking you home”. And with that he walked away. I fingered at the stripes on my hat still in my hand, grateful for the huge hat covering up most of the stain on my outfit and avoiding eye contact with Courtney who I could tell was staring at me haughtily. I looked over to see Noah leaning over the table Stacey and Lindsey were at, and Stacey looked at me hesitantly and then back at him, smiling and nodding enthusiastically. She tried pulling out her wallet but he shook his head and walked back towards me, Courtney, and the boy he was with.

He spoke to the guy “Ben, I’ll be back after your shift to pick you up, bye Courtney”. With that he gently took my elbow and led me out of the mall.

He had a really nice car from what I could tell about cars. Dark blue, shiny like it was new, and the strong scent of leather inside, mixed with another sweet scent that I knew immediately was his scent. I breathed it in and watched him as he drove. “Who was that guy back there?” That’s all I can think of to say? Really?

“
That was my brother; I have been taking him to work while his car is in the shop”. I could see us slowing down and turning into a drive-thru and started to protest but my stomach growled silencing me and he laughed. So that is why Stacy pulled out her wallet. I made a mental note to thank her later for remembering how hungry I was. He ordered our food and at the risk of me ruining his upholstery probably, he held onto it while he drove us to a nearby grassy area. He pulled a blanket out of his trunk and a spare t-shirt and promised to turn his head as I changed out of my smelly, sticky shirt. As far as I could tell, he kept his word, his shirt smelled so good I took a moment to breathe it in before turning around to watch him setting up the food on the blanket he had laid out.

He sensed me walking towards him and patted the blanket next to him, inviting me to sit. “Thank you” I mumbled, and started eating. I have never been so hungry, or glad for a distraction of something to do rather than talk. We ate in silence for awhile and I wondered how he made me feel so at ease and so on edge with excitement at the same time. He finished first and stretched out on the blanket watching me eat. When I finished I grinned at him and stretched out next to him. “I have never been so hungry in my life!” I said seriously.

He considered me for a moment then laughed “Are you sure about that? You just ate two Big Mac meals with ease”. Realizing what he’d just said he sobered quickly and tried to apologize but I waved it off.

He started plucking at blades of grass and softly asked “Do you really not remember anything?” He went from fidgeting with grass to looking at me intently.

“
Nothing” I said, hoping he didn't hear my voice falter slightly at the lie. This is ridiculous, I’ve been lying to people the whole time, why does this feel different. Trying to joke I said “So why don't you tell me about you”.

His eyes looked… hurt, alarmed? I couldn’t place the emotion behind them but it quickly vanished and he rolled on his side to face me and solemnly asked what I wanted to know. Everything, that’s what my mind screamed but instead I asked how he knew Courtney and braced myself for the worst.

“
We go to school together, that’s all. She spends a lot of time at Stacey’s which if you don’t already know, you’ll soon find out, so I do see her around a lot”.

I perked up at that. So Courtney wasn’t his girlfriend, or more importantly, never was. “Wait, what? You hang out at Stacey’s a lot?” Uh, oh, was this Stacey’s boyfriend or crush? No wonder she trusted him to get me home safe, and seemed so at ease around him. He brought me out of my wallowing with, “No, she didn’t tell you? Oh, well I guess it wouldn’t have come up. I live across the street from Stacey, and now I guess you.”

I let out my breath in a long whoosh of relief. “How long have you guys lived across the street from each other?”

“
I moved here last year, I was homeschooled but for socialization purposes and for college, my parents wanted me to go to school for my senior year, and our old city wasn’t the greatest so here we are”.

“
Sunset Cliffs High? I start there tomorrow; they said they are going to treat me as a home school student transferring actually so I’ll assume you took the same test I get to take?”

He groaned, “That test is a joke. Don't worry about it”.

Well that’s a relief at least. We somehow slipped back into a long silence, looking at each other. I don't know what he was thinking for sure but I was merely trying to figure him out, and realizing with horror that if I still had my vampire senses, I would probably have eaten him by now because he smelled so good.

This is dangerous for me to be here with him, when I turn back, I don't want to know anything about him, my desire is already so strong to be near him I might not be able to help myself, and hurting something so perfect, so beautiful, someone I felt very sure I already loved, no matter how crazy that sounds, would not be something I could live with myself over, if I were to make a meal out of him later.

Suddenly he looked at his watch and jumped up saying he had better get me home, and I finally looked around and noticed it was slowly getting darker. I reluctantly got up and helped him fold the blanket.

On the ride home I could feel myself getting more comfortable around him and asked “What do you guys do for fun around here?”

“
Not much” he laughed, “this is a true beach town so all anyone ever does is go to the beach and surf or just sit around talking and watching other people surf”.

We lapsed into a comfortable silence as I thought about that; my clan was in northern California too but it was like a different world. We were in the San Francisco Bay area, for easier feeding purposes. We’d never go unnoticed in a small community like this one.

We pulled into his driveway pulling me out of my thoughts and I saw Stacey’s jeep then in the driveway across the street.

“
Let me guess” he said pointing at a window in my house across the street “is that your room?” His words stopped me before my thoughts about him living across the street carried me away AGAIN. It did however bring up the thought that he must be awfully friendly with the family since he knows the layout of the house.

“
I—I think so” I stammered, following him now across the street.

We were closing the gap between his house and mine all too quickly for my liking and I still didn't have anything good to say to him, anything that wouldn’t sound like a desperate plea for him to stay anyways. I looked up at him hopefully as we stood there on the porch, but surprisingly he had a pained expression on his face that I couldn’t read but it seemed as if he didn't want to leave either.

“
Well” He cleared his throat, “I..”

He stopped as the front door suddenly flung open, and there was Courtney, hanging seductively against the door frame, “Noah” she purred “Do you want to come swimming?”

He looked at me with a raised eyebrow but I couldn’t keep eye contact so I looked down quickly and shrugged, “I don't have a swimming suit” I mumbled.

He glanced at his watch, “I’ll have to take a rain check Courtney, I have to go pick up my brother”. He gave me a goofy smile with only half of his mouth turning up before he loped across the street.

Courtney and I stood there watching him go, and when he disappeared across the street she turned to me clearly annoyed “Where did your smelly shirt go?”

Oh no! I realized as I looked down with horror I still had his shirt and mine must be still stinking up his nice car. “I, I, mine was sticky, he just gave me –“

She cut me off, nicer this time even though her eyes betrayed her sweet act by narrowing slightly “That’s Noah’s shirt? Let me take that home and wash it for him”.

I heard laughter from the next room, “Courtney, my mom can wash it, and we live right across the street”, I smiled weakly at Courtney and walked toward the kitchen with her following. Stacey and Lindsey were standing there also in their bathing suits, picking at a bag of lunch meat. Stacey smiled at me and continued “What took you so long? Mom nearly had a heart attack when I came home without you. I thought you’d beat me here for sure. She trusts Noah but with you not having any way of contacting us….” She frowned for a second but at seeing the anxiety written all over my face she grinned finished with “its ok, Mom just ran out and got you a cell phone. Anything to keep herself busy you know.”