Tainted Blood (25 page)

I wanted, with every ounce of me, to snap off each and every one of her perfectly, manicured, hot pink fingernails. Especially the one on her index finger that she kept playing around her mouth, like she was trying to draw his attention to her highly glossed lips.

I felt so mad that I imagined in a cartoon world, I would have had steam coming out of my ears. Normally, that would have made me laugh.

Normally.

“See,” Oliver told me as we left. “Nothing to worry about.” He hugged me to his side as we walked to his car but I wasn’t buying it. There was something up. I didn’t think that Avery stalking Oliver was any run-of-the-mill type infatuation; there was something else going on. Just like Ashton, I feared Avery might know too much. Plus, even though I thought we’d evened the score back in high school when she stole my prom date, I thought this was different. This wasn’t to even the score, she wanted him and like her brother, Avery always got what she wanted.

Oliver bought me a chocolate milkshake on the way home and it seemed to help mellow me out a bit. He had to leave for work not long after we got home, but not before having a minor flip-out over me not making the bed and my mess of clothes that hadn’t made it into the laundry basket. I was shocked by his outburst and the fact that he seemed irritated with me when he left. I felt bad and confused, and my heart ached a little.

So, as I sat there alone, in the quiet of the apartment, I decided to get some laundry done. I gathered my dirty clothes and went down to the laundry room. Several of the machines were already taken so I crammed as much as I could into a free washer, put my coins into the slot and started the machine. Not wanting my clothes to disappear like they had in the past, I waited just outside the laundry room at the pool. It began sprinkling and I watched the rain making tiny ripples as it hit the water. I thought about how I should have been feeling like such a big girl out on my own, but instead I felt rather small.

Then my thoughts went back to Avery. There’d been a time when the four of us—Zoey, Kiera, Avery, and I—had been close. Avery and I actually use to spend a lot of time together, back in high school, back before her boyfriend dumped her and took me to the prom. I knew it was wrong but I really liked that boy and I fell for his silly lines. It wasn’t like we were ever dating, he’d just been my prom date, but it still broke Avery’s heart. Agreeing to go to the prom with Tate had caused me to lose Avery’s friendship and I think that hurt her more than it hurt me.

Lilly would’ve never allowed me to go to the prom with him if she had thought Tate and I were dating. He’d been one of my friends, just like Carter and Ashton. She knew all of my friends pretty well back then and she had no clue anything had ever happened between me and Tate. Not that anything really ever did.

Tate was Carter’s best friend, and I knew he’d be at their wedding. I hadn’t seen him since the summer after we graduated, but even then we didn’t speak much. He and Avery were back together then and Avery and I were no longer friends which meant he wasn’t allowed to hang out with me anymore.

He dumped her after he went away to college—down south somewhere—and that’s when she turned into the Avery she is now. Part of me felt a little guilty, like if I hadn’t gone to the dance with Tate maybe he’d have taken Avery and her life might have turned out differently. For one, she would never have felt betrayed by me…

I couldn’t do this to myself. I’d let all of this go years ago and now it was all pouring back in and I hated it. But I feared stealing Oliver from me was Avery’s goal and I refused to let that happen.

I pushed all of my Avery and Tate memories back down to the dark shadows of my mind where they lingered as a reminder that I too had a dark side and was capable of hurting my friends.

To pass the time, and to distract myself, I called Zoey. She said she’d grab us some food and come hang out with me. She arrived about the time I was swapping my laundry into the dryer and starting another load in the washer.

We sat on a bench in the warm laundry room. We ate and chatted until Carter got home and texted me, asking me where I was. He found us down in the laundry room and he snagged some of my leftover fries.

“Let’s go for a swim,” Carter suggested enthusiastically. He took my hand and pulled me out of the warm laundry room and into the cold drizzling night with Zoey following.

Zoey and I declined swimming. Carter called us wussies as he stripped down to his dark blue boxers and cannon-balled in to the deep end of the pool. Zoey and I sat on the edge and dipped our feet in as we laughed at Carter shivering and treading water at the far end of the pool. The pool was heated, but it was a crappy, old pool and most of the heat tended to stay at the shallow end where Zoey and I happened to be sitting.

“You know,” I began, as I watched a group of people walk by eyeing us, “I don’t think we’re supposed to be in here this late, are we?” It began pouring right then and Zoey and I grabbed our shoes and hurried back to the laundry room while Carter scrambled to get out of the pool and grab his clothes before they got soaked.

Carter tossed his damp jeans and t-shirt into an empty dryer for a few minutes then hid behind one of my newly cleaned and folded towels to drop his boxers and go commando in his warm jeans. He made a big deal about this, to the point where I felt my cheeks burn. Finally Zoey told him to shut up, playfully of course, and he finally let it go.

While we waited for my second and final load to dry, Carter and I talked about how messed up it was that we were no longer partners in Bio and that Satan was my new partner. Then I told both of them that I thought Avery might also know a little too much for her own good.

We all agreed to be even more cautious around the two of them, and after my laundry was finally done, we walked Zoey to her car then Carter and I headed back up to our apartment where I called it a night.

As I lay there in Oliver’s bed, I thought about how odd it was that he wanted me to move in with him, but he was almost never home in the evenings. For someone who didn’t want me to spend a lot of alone time with Carter, he sure the hell wasn’t preventing it. It was almost like he was encouraging it… Or maybe he was testing me. That last thought made my temper flare once again.

Needless to say, I had a hard time falling asleep that
night.

Chapter
14 - Bitten and Angry

That weekend there was a street fair downtown and it turned out that
Bitten
, Felix and Isaac’s band, would be playing. Oliver and I had plans to go and I had invited Kiera and Carter to join us. After their last outing with us I was surprised they agreed.

The morning of the street fair Oliver sent me a message letting me know that he would meet me downtown at the fair that evening. I was really looking forward to spending some time with Oliver outside of school. He had been somewhat distant the past few days and that made me feel both worried and kind of sad. I missed him. I missed the closeness of him, his cool touch, his tender kisses… I shook myself out of my thoughts. Thoughts that were taking me to a secret place that was only to be shared with Oliver.

Walking from our apartment complex that was near the university, I wandered into the street fair with Carter and Kiera and felt very much like a third wheel.

We were happy to find Isaac and Felix near a stage that had been set up in the fountain area. The fountains were turned off for the evening.

Felix and Isaac were signing autographs with the other three members of their band. We stood back and watched for a while as fans swarmed the group. We witnessed one girl, probably around my age, get overly excited and tell her friends, “I touched him!” as she and her friends walked away, autographed photo of the group in hand. Carter and I exchanged a look and a chuckle over the girl’s excitement at brushing hands with Isaac.

Once the throng of fans had been encouraged to move along, Isaac and Felix motioned for the three of us to come over. We were then quickly introduced to the other members of the band before they began helping get the stage ready for the concert.

I listened to Isaac and Carter chat for a moment. “I hear the big day is approaching quickly, my friend,” Isaac said to Carter with a smile, his turquoise dipped bangs falling into his eyes as he strapped on his guitar.

Carter ran a nervous hand through his messy, sandy blonde hair and I noticed a hint of that bluish-gray color as the lighting hit him just right. “Yeah, I wanted to tell you myself but it would seem someone can’t keep his mouth shut,” he said, jokingly directing his words at Felix who held up his hands in innocence and grinned from ear to ear, his sky blue eyes sparkling and his dimple appearing. Carter shoved his hands into his front pockets and he and Isaac continued talking.

“It’s great news, Carter. Like I said before, congrats!” Isaac told him. He flipped his head, unsuccessfully trying to get his bangs out of his eyes.

“Thanks,” Carter responded, and as I watched him I noticed that he seemed to be struggling to find words. In the end, he asked Isaac to be a groomsman in the wedding and Isaac happily accepted.

Grasping one of Carter’s shoulders, Isaac said with a fantastic grin, “It would be an honor, my friend.”

They shared a quick man-hug and Isaac laughed as the two continued to chat. Isaac had a great sounding laugh. It was warm and friendly, not lyrical and addictive. Just normal and I realized that there was a small part of me that missed normal.

I noticed that Julz and Hayden were both sitting on the opposite end of the stage, legs dangling over the side. They were watching us and the crowd that was beginning to swarm around the members of
Bitten
once again. Wanting to avoid that mess, I took Kiera by the arm and pulled her along with me as I made my way to Hayden and Julz.

Kiera had already met Hayden when she and Isaac had attended my surprise party but she’d never met Julz, nor did she know any of the not-so-wonderful-history Julz and I shared. I introduced Kiera to Julz, telling Kiera that Julz was Oliver’s sister while at the same time mentally battering myself with “Liar liar pants on fire!” Julz was polite and Kiera was none the wiser to what a crazy bitch Julz really was.

Carter joined us a moment later as the crowd was pushed back once again and the members of
Bitten
took the stage, warming up their instruments. Julz and Hayden hopped down from the edge of the stage and I watched as Isaac’s eyes flickered to Julz for a brief moment—a moment that Julz missed. I knew he was still harboring the pain of her betrayal.

He always would.

He strummed a few notes, and then placing the guitar pick between his teeth, he crouched down and began to flip through a binder at his feet. Julz longingly watched his every move and my heart actually ached for her.

We still had some time before the show started and Kiera invited Hayden and Julz to walk the street fair with us while the band warmed up. Although I felt for Julz, I was still leery of her and I think she knew.

“Thanks, but I’ll stay here,” Julz replied, but Kiera would not take no for an answer and insisted that Julz join us. Julz was still reluctant. It wasn’t until Hayden said, “Come on, mamma, come with us,” that she finally gave in. Hayden had said it in such a sweet, little girl type of way, with a smile to match, and I was sure that it was the same voice she often used to get her way with all of the members of her family. I also imagined that Oliver often had a hard time refusing her when she did turned on that particular innocent charm.

As the others walked on ahead, pushing through the crowd, I lingered behind and Julz fell in step beside me. I gave her a quick once over and was surprised to find her with a stainless steel water bottle. A container that I knew was full of a particular red liquid. A red liquid that I knew Julz had a hard time dealing with. I was also surprised to see her still sporting the baggy look. Her eyes flicked to mine for a brief second and I knew I’d been caught examining her. I looked away quickly which only made it more obvious and I mentally kicked myself.

“Where’s Oliver?” Julz asked, breaking our uncomfortable moment.

I returned my attention to her. “He’s on his way,” I responded and was hoping that I wasn’t lying again.

I hadn’t heard from him since that morning and I was getting rather anxious waiting for him to arrive.

Julz simply smiled slightly in response and we went back to following the others in uncomfortable silence. She had, after all, made an attempt on my life, even sank her teeth into me. So, I couldn’t help but wonder if attempting it again would eventually cross her mind, or if it already had. I also couldn’t help but wonder if she remembered what I tasted like. And if she had liked it…

I zipped my black, star covered hoodie a little higher in the hopes of protecting myself but I was positive it wouldn’t help if she decided she wanted another bite.

Julz, Hayden, and I were distracted by a small group of jugglers when I lost track of Kiera and Carter. I pulled my attention from the colorful balls flying between jugglers and scanned the fair. I searched in all directions with fear creeping into the pit of my stomach. Something didn’t feel right, and the fact that I still hadn’t heard from Oliver, and he wasn’t answering when I tried calling him, was weighing heavily on me.

I saw them in the distance, and panic consumed me when I discovered that they were at Madam Habitha’s tent. “Oh, no,” I said to myself very quietly, but Hayden and Julz had both heard me and responded.