Tainted Blood (23 page)

During our meal something was mentioned about the new class Carter and I would be taking and I felt my irritation returning. From that point things seemed to circle back to the beginning of the night and Oliver and I began arguing over whether or not he’d told me about ordering his new car. I finally cut him off when I saw the uncomfortable looks on my friends’ faces.

“Nevermind,” I told him. “It doesn’t matter now.”

We headed across town to the theater and I was sad that I was in such a poor mental state. Normally I’d enjoy the velvet of the theater seats, the smell of the popcorn, and the movie quizzes that played on the big screen before the previews. It bummed me out even more that I wasn’t excited about finally seeing the new Leo movie.

There weren’t many people as we took our seats near the upper section of the theater. I sat between Oliver and Kiera and she shared her popcorn with Carter and me. The lights dimmed and the previews began to play. I settled back into my seat and Oliver stretched his arm across the back of my chair, his hand resting on my shoulder.

I was just getting into the movie, I mean
really
focused, when Oliver whispered in my ear, “So, you like this guy, the one up there on the screen?” I nodded and shushed him. “But he’s got like twenty years on you.”

I turned my attention to him, raised an eyebrow and whispered back, “So do you.” I returned my attention to Mr. DiCaprio.

“True,” Oliver continued, his cool breath brushing against my neck. I shivered. “But I don’t look like I’m that much older than you.”

I turned to him again. “What’s with you? Are you jealous of a man I’ll never meet?” I asked as quietly as I could. I could feel my irritation returning.

He didn’t say a word. He just leaned forward and kissed me, really kissed me. He was pushing himself against me which made me push against Kiera and she hissed, “Do you mind?” I did, but Oliver didn’t seem to.

He got way too handsy in the next moment and I shoved him away. He didn’t budge but my seat did. I heard it snap, making a really loud noise. I felt like all eyes were on me in that dark theater. I sank down into my seat just before the bottom gave out and I hit the floor where no one but Oliver could see me.

He actually laughed, and normally I’d find his laughter melodic but at that moment, I found it annoying.

I stormed out of the theater a moment later with my snickering, vampire boyfriend trailing behind me. The butt of my jeans was sticky with whatever I’d fallen in and I felt hot with anger.

“What is with you?” I shouted as I spun on him outside of the theater.

“Shh, shh,” he said as he tried to control his laughter. “Keep your voice down.”

“Keep my voice down? Are you serious? What the hell is wrong with you tonight? You’ve been so, so…” Hot angry tears spilled over and I frantically wiped them away. Oliver pulled me into his arms and kissed the top of my head and I took several calming breaths, inhaling his intoxicating scent.

“I’m sorry,” he said softly against the top of my head. “That Ashton gets me worked up.”

“But he didn’t even do anything,” I said in return and thought about the way Oliver acted in Avery’s presence. I felt my frustration surfacing once again.

“Well, it wasn’t just that,” he began and I looked up at him. “I felt something.”

“What did you feel?”

He took a moment before responding. “Carter smiled at you and you relaxed. It was like he made you…happy.” I could hear a hint of pain in his tone and I wracked my brain to remember the moment he was speaking of. “Laney, I’m supposed to be the one who calms you and makes you happy.”

“You do,” I said, giving up on trying to remember the moment he’d been referring to.

“Lately it doesn’t seem that way.” His deep green eyes held mine and all I could do was apologize because he was right.

We’d been arguing on and off for weeks and I was tired of it. I just wanted to get back to us. We talked a little more and agreed that we needed some time for just us and Oliver again mentioned taking some vacation so we could leave town. I really liked this idea.

Moments later Carter and Kiera exited the front doors of the theatre and asked if I was okay. They thought we were coming back to finish the movie and when we didn’t return they figured it was time to go.

We headed home and I was bummed out that I missed the rest of the movie and that Oliver and I had been arguing so much. Oliver held my hand all the way home, and after we told Carter and Kiera good night at my apartment, he pulled me close against him and we walked to his place.

After getting into my jammies and snuggling up next to Oliver on the couch I told him that Kiera was moving back in with her parents. I explained that it was part of some deal her parents had made with her in order to agree to the wedding. It still didn’t make much sense to me, but her parents, particularly her mother, could be a bit irrational at times. “I don’t know what I’m going to do,” I told Oliver.

“About what?”

I raised an eyebrow at him. Had he not been listening? “About rent and a place to live.”

“Yeah, that sucks,” he said, his attention focused on his phone.

“Oliver!” I scolded. “Are you even listening to me?”

His eyes met mine for a brief moment. “Yeah, I was listening. But do you think we could talk about this later? I’ve gotta go.” With that, he hopped off the couch, pecked me on the cheek and was gone.

What the hell?
I was so angry; it felt like my temper was right there, bubbling on the surface, waiting to blow.

Chapter
13 - Dirty Laundry

To my surprise, I woke the next morning to Oliver sitting on the edge of the bed. I rolled onto my back and stretched. “Hey,” I yawned.

Looking sideways at me he flashed a crooked smile. The kind of smile that made everything alright, the kind of smile that usually led to lips meeting and clothes being removed.

“Would you like a ride to school today?” he asked, his spectacular green eyes settling on mine.

“Sure. You’re actually going?” I responded, pushing myself up to a sitting position.

He shrugged. “I need to keep up an appearance. Believe it or not, if I don’t keep up my attendance, which is part of my duty, I will be reassigned and I have no idea where that would be. It could be elsewhere or it could still be here just on a different assignment. There’s no way for me to know.” He reached for my hand and held it, stroking the back with his thumb. “I don’t want to risk finding out.”

“Oh.” As irritated as I was with him, I didn’t want him to risk finding out either, and I definitely didn’t want him to be elsewhere.

“I’m sorry about last night,” he said with a sigh. “I just haven’t been feeling right lately. I think it might still be from drinking too much.” He looked away. “I’m actually angry with myself for letting it happen,” he added quietly.

I pulled my hand from under his and ran it across his back in a comforting way. Then I scooted closer and hugged him from behind, resting my chin on his shoulder. I didn’t say a thing. I just let him get out what he needed to say.

“I’m sorry I wasn’t paying attention last night when you mentioned Kiera moving back in with her parents…” he trailed off like he intended to say more but he didn’t, he just left it hanging. Maybe it was me wanting him to say more, but I couldn’t quite figure out what that would have been, so I simply responded, “It’s okay.” It wasn’t, but what else could I say? I didn’t want to fight or argue anymore.

He turned his head to the side and kissed my cheek. “I love you,” he said softly.

It made me smile and I said it back. Yep, there was no doubt Oliver was what I wanted.

I got ready for the day and we talked while I ate breakfast. His solution for Kiera moving out was for me to officially move in with him and Carter.

With a nervous feeling in my stomach I said, rather quietly, “Okay.”

He flashed me a breathtaking grin and pulled me from my chair and into his lap and really kissed me. I felt a little flushed when he released me and I saw a wicked little smirk picking at the corners of his mouth.

As I finished my breakfast I thought about how weird if was not to have to answer to anyone. My aunt would
so
not approve of me moving in with my boyfriend, but I don’t think she would have ever approved of Oliver, or any boy for that matter. But she couldn’t say anything about it now. It was just me, on my own, making all my own decisions with no one to tell me they were wrong or right or anywhere in between.

We talked about the paranormal class I was required to take. He told me that the course was actually something new the coven was trying because so many civilians knew or were finding out about the vampires and other creatures, that it had been decided that a class might be the best way to educate these
people
. People like
me
and Carter. He also told me that Professor Amber would be co-teaching the class but he wasn’t certain who the other professor would be as of yet.

We also talked about his new car again and how he really thought he had told me about ordering it. I expressed that I thought it was too big of a purchase to forget to tell me about, especially to his soon-to-be-life-mate. After flashing me a gorgeous smile over my comment, he mentioned again that he hadn’t really been feeling right; he told me that he had been feeling a little foggy for a few days and that he thought he was might be a little overworked and that it was probably time for a break. We talked again about taking a vacation together and my stomach turned at the excitement of the idea.

“I always take a week off around my sister’s birthday.” He focused on his hands resting on the table and continued, “You know, around the anniversary of her death and of me and Oscar being changed.” He looked up at me and finished, “I was thinking that this year, you could come with me.”

“Where?” I was intrigued.

“There’s a house that I stay at, it’s a few hours from here. It’s near the beach.”

“Really? I’ve never been to the ocean.”

He smirked at me and leaned forward, taking my hand in his. “I know,” he said, his eyes meeting mine and I noticed that his pupils were still a bit off, not as bad as they had been, and probably not really noticeable to anyone else, but I noticed and I kept it to myself this time. I’d spent many moments lost in those perfect emerald eyes and I had them memorized, I could tell when they just weren’t right.

“I stay down there because it’s close to the cemetery where Olivia and my parents are buried. I pay a visit to them but I also enjoy the area, too. It’s where I grew up and it’s nice to go home once in a while. What do you think? Would you like to go with me?”

“Of course I would!” I felt a smile spread across my face. A beach house and alone time with Oliver. It was just too good to be true. I was somewhat afraid I was dreaming.

He grinned at me. “Great! I’ll put in a request for time off the week of Olivia’s birthday.”

My smile faded. I knew it was just too good to be true. His sister’s birthday was the fourteenth and that also meant midterms. My heart fell and so did Oliver’s expression. “What is it, Laney?”

“Oh, uh,” my eyes dropped from his. “I can’t miss midterms.”

“Oh,” he absently rubbed the back of my hand with his thumb like he often did when he was thinking. “How about the week of Thanksgiving?” He asked and my eyes met his again.

“Are you sure you want to wait for me?” I asked. “I don’t want to mess with your yearly vacation.”

“Laney, you are my life now. I don’t care when I go, just as long as I get to take you with me.” He smiled so sweetly and he was so sincere. I felt my cheeks warm. It wasn’t like I had any Thanksgiving plans. I imagined that Kiera and her parents would invite me to their house as they had done in the past, but I’d rather be at the beach with Oliver. Who wouldn’t?

“Thanksgiving then,” I said, and his smile grew. He leaned forward, over the corner of the dining table, and kissed me slowly.

Moments later we headed out into the cool morning on our way to school and I slipped my hand into Oliver’s. I loved him so much. I could feel that happy feeling pulsing through me. It was a feeling only he could cause. The one that I got at the thought of us being bonded, together forever, growing old together, possibly starting a family together, seeing the world together. It was the same feeling I got when I thought about him being mine and only mine.

He opened my door for me, closing it once I climbed inside, and I watched him make his way around the front of the car. He slid into the driver seat and kissed me before he started the engine. His smile was breathtaking.

We pulled into a spot at the far end of the parking lot and Oliver killed the engine. He took my hand in his and kissed the back of it. “I’m happy that we’re taking this vacation,” he told me. “It’ll be good for us to get away from here.”

I felt butterflies, a whole mess of them, wake in my tummy.

With his free hand he slipped his sunglasses off, setting them on the dash. Then he gently brushed my hair behind my ear, his fingers lingering on my neck. His attention shifted from his hand to my eyes and I saw a need in those pools of green. That same need that I felt.