The sound of a car broke her reverie. She looked up to see headlights approaching. The rumble of the motor spoke of an old sports car.
When the ancient Mustang drew up next to her, she let out a sigh of relief. Pete must have been hanging out with Damon and heard the commotion at her Dad's place. Pete and her had gotten along pretty well all through their lives. He was more Damon's friend than hers, but he never treated her wrong. They had never dated, but had gone out with friends to shoot pool and drink beers back when Damon had yet to fall under his step-grandmother's sway. After Damon had decided Amaliya was a whore for sleeping with one of his friend's when she was seventeen, Pete had remained her friend.
“I heard it got bad,” Pete's rich voice said out of the darkness filling the car.
Leaning down, she saw his pleasant features illuminated by the pale glow of the dashboard. His black hair was a tangled mess of curls on his forehead and his blue eyes were warm and inviting. His goatee was neatly trimmed. He smelled of beer, barbecue and aftershave.
“Doesn't it always?”
“They're really drunk this time. I heard the shotgun go off and Mae is telling everyone you're possessed.”
“Great,” Amaliya sighed, averting her gaze, trying to look harmless.
“Mae's a toothless bitch.”
Amaliya laughed bitterly, then nodded. “Yeah. Without a doubt.”
Pete looked at her evenly. “You've been putting up with that shit a long time. You know, it's okay to walk away.”
“I didn't have a choice
but
to walk away. I got tossed out. They didn't want me.”
“Yeah, but they don't get you. And never will.”
“Truer words have never been spoken.” She sighed softly and shrugged. “I'll be okay. I'll find a place where I am wanted.” She tried to sound light-hearted, but she knew her voice was thick with emotion.
“You're wanted, Amal,” Pete assured her. “People do care about you.
I know I do.”
She tucked her hair behind one ear and smiled at him. “You're always sweet to me.”
Pete looked a little embarrassed. He gave her a sheepish smile.
“Need a ride somewhere?”
Amaliya leaned her elbow on the edge of the passenger window and looked at him for a long time. He smelled of good things; it made her feel safe all at once. “Yeah. Yeah,” she decided. “I can't stay here.”
“I can take you anywhere you want. I got nothing planned tonight, but going to bed.”
“That sounds good,” she decided. “Take me to the Dixie Motel.”
Pete nodded slowly, his lips pressed together, his eyes on her face.
“You sure?”
“Yeah. I am very damn sure.” She was tired of walking. All she wanted to do was rest.
He looked startled for some reason, and said quickly, “Okay, sounds like a plan.”
Yanking the door open, Amaliya tossed her bag into the back seat and slid in. “I don't know why I bothered coming home.”
“Home is home,” Pete answered. “For better or for worse. It's where you came from.”
“And what you're trying to escape,” Amaliya added.
“Some of us. I like my home. Did you know I'm building out on the acre my Daddy gave me?”
“Really?”
“Yep. Three bedroom house and a big ol' porch,” Pete grinned. “I remember playing house when we were kids. You always said a three bedroom house was a rich person's house.”
“I shared a room with two brothers.” She laughed. “Having a canopy bed and a Barbie were rich folk stuff.”
Shifting gears, Pete pulled the rumbling Mustang back onto the road.
The scene at her Dad's house faded to the back of her mind. Her family didn't matter anymore; they didn't want her and she didn't want them. She was on her own now and she knew it. It was okay.
With the wind in her hair and the roar of the engine filling her ears, she felt safe again.
“Yeah, well, your Daddy is doing much better now. I'm sorry he doesn't help you out more. Or your brothers. I told Damon and Ray to give you a break. They don't know what all is going on with you and they don't have a right to hold you back from your education. I know it’s always been real important to you. It used to be all you talked about.”
“Well, it was a way of getting away from them,” she answered. She set her battered cowboy hat on her lap before it could blow away.
“Yeah, I know,” Pete said.
And he did know. She had run to him and told him she had caught her cousin and her Dad doing married folk stuff in the barn. It was Pete who told her not to tell anyone least her Momma in the hospital find out. And Amaliya could not hurt her mother with the truth as she lay dying. So she had kept silent.
“What about you? How are you doing since I left?”
“Got that job down at the refinery. Manager. My experience and those classes I took down at the community college paid off. That's why I'm building my house.”
“That's good! Real good!” Amaliya grinned at him with a flash of white teeth. To her surprise, he seemed a little dazzled by her and despite the dark, she could see him blush.
“I like the black hair,” he said after a moment of silence. “It looks good. I remember you had it like that when you got back from Austin.”
“Yeah, Dad threw a shitfit so I dyed it back to blond. But I figured I'm twenty-four and I can do what I like since I don't live under his roof.”
“Liking school?”
Turning her head away from him, she slightly nodded. “Yeah. I liked school, but it’s been rough lately.”
“Classes are a bitch. But I was never as smart as you. You were always making B's and I was barely getting D's.” He laughed his rich, wonderful laugh. “You always were smart.”
“Not smart enough at times,” she answered softly.
The Dixie Motel sign flickered into view up ahead. Its bright pink and blue lights stood out against the black relief of the trees towering over the road. The faux, German-style hotel was lit up with pale blue lights that blinked on and off as bugs buzzed around them. A large sign announced the $39.95 per night rate and Amaliya inwardly grimaced as she thought of her small cache of money.
“Pete, thanks for doing this,” she said. “For picking me up. You could have stayed back there drinking.”
“I'd rather stay here with you,” he answered with a shy smile. The car rumbled to a stop. He flipped off the headlights and turned off the car.
“I think you're a good person. And you got a raw deal. Besides, I kinda like your fiery Mexican streak that only comes out when you're pissed.”
She laughed and shook her head, her black hair falling around her face. “Sad that the only Spanish I know are swear words.”
When he touched her shoulder, she turned to look at him. His kindness touched her, as did his warm smile. She smiled back at him, and once more, he seemed stunned by her expression. He
did
grin back though.
“I'll go get us a room,” he said, and leaped out of the car.
“What?”
The door slammed shut just as she spoke. He jogged off toward the front office.
Blinking, she sat back in the bucket seat and furrowed her brow. “Oh, shit.” Reflecting back on their conversation, she realized he had misunderstood her. She had inadvertently picked up Pete. Covering her face with her hands, she let out a little laugh. “Oh, God.” Giggling, she ran a hand through her hair and looked out toward the office.
Pete's jolly little walk and wave made her laugh once more.
Considering how gawdawful this night had started and kept going, she was surprised to feel any levity at all. He made her feel real again. The nightmare at the college seemed like a dim memory. The showdown with her father was a fading bad taste in her mouth.
Propping her feet up on the dashboard, she leaned back in the chair and forced herself to relax. Okay, she was a vampire. A strong one at that. She could do things she never dreamed. But she was still Amaliya Vezorak, from the city of Spooner deep in the wilds of East Texas. Despite it all, she was still wearing her shitkickers, her beat-up jeans, and she was still wanting her Daddy to love her and her Momma to be alive. Whatever had changed inside of her had not taken that away.
Closing her eyes, she silently considered whether or not to sleep with Pete. She would have to toss him out before the sun came up. She wasn't sure how that was all going to work yet. But she felt good and alive in this moment despite everything and she didn't want it to fade.
A little sex might do her good. Make her feel alive and wanted.
Realizing she wasn't breathing again, she put her hand against her chest to feel a very slow thud. Frowning a little, she waited for the next beat and her brow furrowed even more as it seemed to take far too long to come.
“Okay, I got the room, but its Mr. Rusk in the office. So, I'll drive up as close as I can to the room and you sneak in super fast.”
Amaliya laughed. “You're still afraid of our Sunday School teacher?”
“Yeah,” Pete answered and grinned. “Aren't you?”
“Actually, yeah. He was a scary old coot! But won't he think its weird you're staying here?”
“I told him that I'm tired of sleeping on an air mattress at my sister's house while the house is being built,” Pete said with a wink.
“You're good at this,” she said with playfully-narrowed eyes.
“You have no idea,” he answered, kissing her lips.
She smiled against the kiss, pushing him back. “Let's go for it!”
With glee, they jumped out of the car and ran toward the rooms at the far end of the motel. Amaliya almost overshot the room, but Pete grabbed her wrist and yanked her against him. He swiped the card and shoved the door open with so much gusto he almost fell in.
Tripping over his feet, Amaliya stumbled into the hotel room and managed to land on the edge of the bed.
“You're such a dork,” she chided with a wicked smile.
“Yeah, yeah, I am,” he answered, and shut the door.
Again, she could have no idea of how alluring she was with her luminous blue-gray eyes, flushed cheeks, and red lips. Her change had altered her in ways she could not know. Her skin was very smooth and almost translucent. Her black hair looked silky against the rough fabric of her tank top and it glistened like raven's feathers.
“Oh, wow,” Pete whispered.
“What?”
“You have no idea how long I've been waiting for this,” he breathed.
“What?” She narrowed her eyes at him. “What are you talking about?”
“I've had such a crush on you since we were kids.” Trembling a little, he drew near her. Gentle, roughened fingers caressed her cheek. She leaned into him.
“No, you didn't.”
“Yes, I did. A terrible crush.” Sitting next to her, he traced the lines of her face with quivering fingertips. His soft expression and strong body caused a little shiver in her own. Deep inside of her, a great need was born.
“Do you still?” she asked, kissing his lips ever so gently.
“Yeah,” he breathed, kissing her deeply.
***
“God, yes,” she whispered into his hair, moaning as he pushed harder into her. She moved her hips against his, grabbing his dark, curly hair, pulling his face against her neck. He was big and heavy and wonderful.
The sound of their lovemaking filled her ears. She loved the sound of his gasps, his moans, was enthralled by his gentle touch and brutal thrusts. She gasped and moaned with each delightful thrust.
They were on their third bout of lovemaking on the torn-apart queen-size bed. They had fallen onto the floor at one point and managed to keep going. She now believed him when he said he had wanted her all those years. He was like a man possessed and not able to get enough of her.
“Oh, God,” he murmured against her collarbone, then dragged his mouth down to her right breast.
With a wild little laugh, she arched up to him and gasped when he bit her hard, pierced nipple.
Dragging her off the bed, he pulled her close to him, her legs around his waist as he kissed her hungrily. She teased him by pulling back from him and licking his lips.
“I'm building the house for you,” he whispered, and managed to grab her hair and pull her close to him.
“What?” She shivered as he licked up her neck, his tongue playing with one of her silver earrings.
“I am building the house for you, waiting for you to come back,” Pete whispered. He turned and pushed her against the wall, sliding his cock deeper into her. “Waiting for you to come back and see if ain’t all bad out here.”
Biting her bottom lip, she dug her nails into his shoulders as she came closer to climax. Lost in the moment, she urged him to shove harder, rocking him with her legs, and gasping as he lightly bit her throat.
Lost in the frenzy of the moment, she couldn't fully fathom his words as he murmured them against her cheek. It wasn't until he collapsed against her, coming hard inside of her cool body, that she realized he had been whispering that he loved her.
“Stay here,” he's voice said, his voice a husky purr in her ear.
“Something went bad at the school. I know it. But stay here. I'll buy you a big ol' pink canopy.”
Her hands slid over his cheeks and stroked the softness of his goatee.
Gazing into his eyes through the darkness, she could see his need for her to say yes.
“I have a good job. The house will be done soon. We'll not deal with your family bullshit and have a good life. Amal, I waited for a whole year for you to come back here and see that I can give you a good life.
I should have spoke up before you left, but I could see that if you didn't go, you'd hate me forever.”
“This is so unexpected,” she said. “I never knew.”
“Everyone, but you knew,” he laughed, and stroked her skin. “I almost drove down to see if you would consider it when you got out of school. I don't care if you got piercings on your nipples or the one down there. Your tattoos are pretty. I just want you here, Amal. And when I saw you tonight, I knew I had to say something now or lose you.”
Cupping his face in her hands, she stared into his lovely eyes and wondered how she had never seen it before. A hard and terrible pang of regret sliced through her.
Sensing that something was changing between them quickly, Pete kissed her lips, then her forehead. Holding her tight, he whispered, “Say yes.”