HUNTER AND I walked back to the movie theater holding hands. As I already knew, Julian was there, waiting with Arianna and Trey. Arianna’s eyes were aglow as she watched me reappear with Hunter. I could tell she was dying to ask me if anything had happened. Hopefully, she’d wait until we were alone. Julian’s eyes were narrowed as he stared at Hunter. He already knew exactly what had happened. Or could correctly guess anyway, having felt my bliss, excitement, contentment…
Trey was sitting on his skateboard on the curb, skipping rocks across the street. He glanced up when he saw me. “Oh, hey. Where’d you guys go?”
Ignoring him, I turned to Hunter. “You should probably go before Arianna’s mom gets here. She doesn’t know this was really a date.”
Hunter frowned. “I should meet your parents, so we don’t have to hide.”
Stepping into him, I shook my head. “It’s just my mom…and she won’t let me see you.” Grinning, I whispered, “You’re too old.”
Hunter gave me an incredulous look. “You make me sound like a dirty old man.”
Under his breath Julian muttered, “If the shoe fits…”
I threw Julian a glare, and pulled Hunter to the side of the building where the bike rack was holding his BMX in place. “It’s just for right now. When the time is right…I’ll tell my mom, and we’ll be out in the open.” I grabbed his other hand and peeked around for witnesses. My friends were watching us. So much for privacy. Ignoring them, I locked gazes with Hunter. “Until then, it will be our little secret.”
Hunter grinned at me, then indicated my spying friends with his head. “And theirs?”
I pursed my lips, wishing we were back at the water curtain. Hunter chuckled at my expression, then lowered his lips to mine. I suddenly didn’t care where we were. I heard Arianna giggle, Trey whistle, and my brother sigh, but their presence didn’t matter to me any more than our location did. All that mattered was the perfect way Hunter and I fit together. Kissing was definitely one of my new favorite things.
Julian’s voice broke the moment for me. He hissed, “Nick,” and I knew that meant he’d spotted Arianna’s mom. I broke off from Hunter and backed away from him. When I returned to the street, Arianna giggled and wrapped her arms around me. I forcefully made myself turn my back on Hunter, pretend I didn’t know him. As a minivan pulled up to the curb, I risked a glance though. Bike in hand, Hunter was watching me, smiling. The confidence he exuded was crystal clear, even from the space between us.
As the side door on the van automatically opened, Hunter lifted his thumb to his ear, his pinky finger to his mouth, miming a phone. His face clearly asked, “Can I call you?”
I thought about it for a second. We’d exchanged numbers this afternoon, and the thought of talking to him this weekend made leaving him that much easier. I’d have to sneak off to have a real conversation, but that was all right. The ranch was a big place…and I could run really fast. I nodded at him, then quickly turned back to the parent who was dutifully picking us up from an innocent night at the movies.
Arianna cracked open the passenger door and asked, “Mom, can we give Trey and Julian a ride, so they don’t have to board back home?”
Trey held up his skateboard, pointing at it, so Arianna’s mom would know what her daughter was talking about. I was pretty sure she knew what a “board” was. As her eyes scanned Trey and my brother, Julian gave her a small wave. “Hey, Mrs. Bennett.”
Smiling, Arianna’s mom waved our group into the van. “Sure, why not. Trey, your place isn’t too far, and I’m already going to Nika and Julian’s house. How was the movie?”
Arianna told her mom that it was great, even though she’d only seen half of it. I smiled, watching the mother and daughter. Arianna’s mom was one of those really involved PTA moms who volunteered for just about every activity under the sun. As a result, she knew things about nearly every kid in class, including where most of them lived. She was the type of mom my mother wanted to be, but couldn’t. My real parents had to take a backseat to Starla in these matters, since she was our “stage” mom. The wife of my grandfather’s wife’s brother showing up to fundraiser committees would be…strange. That didn’t stop my mom from learning as much as she could about our lives and our friends, though. She stayed as involved as possible.
We all scrambled into the car. I peeked out the window as the door closed, but Hunter was gone. Sighing, I leaned back in my seat, disappointed that my impromptu date was over. Even though he didn’t approve of Hunter, Julian patted my arm in sympathy. Remembering how horrible his night had been, I put my hand over his for a second. We didn’t speak, but we didn’t need to. His emotions told me that he was hurting, but not as badly as before, and he knew I was sorry for his pain, but glad he was feeling better.
Trey’s stop was first. Grabbing his board, he pointed a finger at Arianna’s mom. “Thanks, Mrs. B.” As the door rolled open, he backed up to it. Faking like he was taking several shotgun blasts to the chest, Trey dramatically fell out of the van. He tried to catch himself, but missed and landed on his ass on the cement driveway. His skateboard clattered to the street and started rolling away. Scowling, Trey rubbed his injury while Julian chuckled at him.
“Idiot,” Arianna murmured.
Trey popped up and bowed as the van door closed. Julian waved at his friend while we pulled away. Once Trey was gone, I found where I’d stashed my T-shirt under the seat and discretely changed back into it. Mrs. Bennett was humming to herself as she drove along, and didn’t seem to notice I was removing clothing. Julian was staring out the side window, lost in thought. When I was done, I leaned forward and tapped Arianna’s elbow resting on the door. She glanced back, and I subtly handed her the silky blouse, mouthing, “Thank you.” Hunter had definitely appreciated the alluring outfit.
Moments later, Mrs. Bennett was dropping Julian and me off at home. The lights were on and my parents were still awake; I could feel them in the living room. Dad got up and started moving toward the front door right as the minivan’s door started sliding open on its motorized hinges.
Julian and I thanked Arianna’s mom simultaneously, which made her smile and comment on the wondrous nature of twins. I stopped myself from smirking at her as I stepped from the vehicle. People always commented on our twin connection when we did anything at the same time. A joint teacher we’d had last year had almost had an embolism when we’d sneezed together.
“Bye, Arianna.” A huge grin bursting out of me, I gushed, “Thank you…for going to the movies with me.”
Leaning out her open window, Arianna giggled conspiratorially. “Yeah, it was fun. We’ll have to do it again sometime.” She winked at me, then directed her gaze to Julian. Instantly, her face sobered. “Remember what I said, Julian. She’s not worth it.”
Her gaze as she stared at Julian was so full of longing it broke my heart. I wanted to slap my brother over the head and scream at him, You idiot! Look at what’s right in front of you!
Julian shoved his hands in his pockets and averted his eyes. His mood was both embarrassed and speculative. As the van door started closing, Julian finally met Arianna’s eyes. “Thank you for talking to me tonight, Arianna. I really appreciate it.”
The smile he gave her was small, but you’d think he’d just professed his undying love for her by the corresponding grin on her face. “Anytime, Julian. Anytime.” The door shut completely and Arianna closed her window and waved at us while the car backed out. When they were gone, I looked over at my brother.
Without returning my gaze, he told me, “Don’t say it,” and started heading for the door that Dad was opening. Knowing Julian had more to scold me about than I did him, I kept my mouth shut. I couldn’t make Julian like my best friend anyway.
Dad was frowning as we stepped up to him. Well, he was frowning at Julian. “What happened to giving your sister a girls’ night?”
A flash of guilt shot up my spine. Julian peeked at me as he stepped around Dad to get inside. “We got bored.�
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I knew it was more than that, though, and I kept my head down as I stepped around Dad, too. A chilly hand on my shoulder stopped me and I froze, terrified. Did Dad know that I’d really been out with a boy? That I’d had my first kiss tonight? Could he…smell Hunter on me? My heart started to pick up, and I willed everything in my body to slow down the telltale organ. Being alive was so inconvenient at times.
Dad was studying my body’s reaction as he asked, “Did you have fun?”
I nodded as I forced a smile. “Yep.” Hoping to dissuade his suspicion, I leaned up and kissed his frozen cheek. His face instantly lightened and relaxed. “Thanks for letting me go, Dad.”
“Sure.”
He was smiling as he closed the door and guilt poured into me. I hated omitting details from him, but he would flip out if he found out about Hunter. And…I was starting to really like Hunter. When Mom walked into the room, I decided I would come clean about him when things between us got more serious. Right now, it was casual, so it didn’t really matter. As my guilt began to lift, Julian raised an eyebrow in question. I ignored it, since I couldn’t answer him anyway.
Mom kissed Julian’s cheek, and I saw my brother shiver a little. She smirked at him, then asked, “Enjoy the movie?”
Julian looked away, but smiled. Regardless of how his night had ended, he was still happy that he’d gone. That he had, in his eyes, protected me. As Mom gave me a hug, Ben walked into the room. Grinning ear-to-ear, I let go of Mom and rushed over to him. Tossing my arms around his neck, I gave him as hard of a hug as his body could handle. “Uncle Ben! I’m glad you’re here.”
Ben chuckled and hugged me back. “I missed you too, kiddo.” His breath sounded a little strained, and I eased up on my grip. Even though I’d seen Ben over the summer, it felt like an eternity. In my excitement to hang out with Hunter tonight, I’d completely forgotten he was coming to Salt Lake; I instantly felt bad. “I’m sorry I went out. I forgot you were in town.”
Laughing, Ben released me. “Nika, I don’t expect you to pass up on time with your friends to hang out with an old man.”
His words oddly reminded me of Hunter’s, and my chest swelled with a warm, languid emotion as I thought of his dark, piercing eyes. I gave myself exactly three seconds to wonder what Hunter was doing at this precise moment in time, then I shoved him from my mind for the night. Playfully, I tossed out, “You’re not old, Uncle Ben.”
Ben’s blue eyes sparkled as he looked back at me. He was older, sure, but definitely not “old.” His face would still attract most girls, and I was sure Arianna would have a few colorful adjectives if she saw him. I was also sure she’d find a way to officially become a part of my “hot” family after that.
“Well, thank you, Nika. That’s the nicest thing I’ve been told in a while.” His face fell a little, and hushed conversations about his marital woes popped into my head. Disengaging from him, I hoped that Tracey wizened up to just how amazing her husband was. He was number two in my book, right below my dad.
“Is Liv here?”
Ben smiled and pointed upstairs, to where I could hear someone sleeping in one of the spare rooms. Julian sighed.
Julian and I were urged to go to bed after that, since we were leaving for the ranch bright and early in the morning. Mom and Dad stayed downstairs with Ben. They talked long into the night and I tried to stay up to listen, but sleep harkened, and I obeyed its call.
WE PILED INTO Mom and Dad’s cars in the morning, since we wouldn’t all fit in one. Somehow, Julian managed to get stuck in Mom’s sunshine-yellow Volkswagen Beetle with Olivia. As Ben and I hopped into Dad’s Prius, I couldn’t help but laugh at my brother. His expression was comically put-out when Olivia settled herself right beside him in the back seat.
I didn’t think Julian realized it, but he had a lot of dating options. If only he could wean himself off Raquel. Not that Liv was really an option for him, since she was way too young. Although, the age difference between Olivia and Julian wasn’t much greater than the age difference between Hunter and me. A fact I tried not to think too much about. But still, girls fell for my brother all the time. He had the good looks and the pensive, brooding demeanor to go with them. And, on top of that, he was a hopeless romantic, more so than me even. A deadly combination.
I heard Liv squeal in delight when we arrived at the ranch. Mom and Julian were cringing as Mom’s car pulled up beside Dad’s. A young girl’s scream was twice as loud in the confines of a small vehicle, especially to a vampire. Dad chuckled and looked over at a clueless Ben. “Your daughter wants to see some horses.”
Ben looked over at Olivia, who was incessantly chatting away to Julian. Julian was nodding, and opening his mouth to speak, but Liv wasn’t letting him get a word in edgewise. Amused, Ben returned his eyes to Dad. “Guess I’m going to have to break her heart about that one, since you guys don’t use horses. I know I’ve told her that before. She must have been too young the last time we were here.” He smirked as he added, “Horses are too tasty for Halina to leave alone.”
Dad grinned and looked back at me. “You can train animals, but you just can’t train a vampire.”
From beneath the house, I could just make out a tired voice responding with, “I heard that.”
Dad and I glanced over to where Halina’s underground rooms were and chuckled. Ben followed our gaze, then asked, “Is she still awake?”
Dad nodded as he popped open his door. “Yep, for a little bit.” His smile radiant, he told Ben, “You gotta see this. You’re not gonna believe it.”
Ben’s expression was naturally curious.
Minutes later, our group was in the sunlight-protected living room, hugging the vampiric and non-vampiric members of my family. Liv was in seventh heaven, jabbering nonstop as she bounced between all the new people in her midst. Granted, as Ben had mentioned, Olivia had met everyone here before, but it was so long ago to her young mind, it was as if it had never happened. Youth was sort of a natural mind-wipe.
Ben was shaking hands with Gabriel when Halina opened her hidey-hole and strolled into the room streaming with natural light. Ben’s mouth dropped to the floor. He kept glancing from the windows to Halina, and back again. Then he snapped his gaze to Gabriel. Face ashen, he whispered, “What did you do?” As comfortable as Ben was around vampires, he didn’t seem thrilled at the idea of them suddenly being able to roam freely during the day. I supposed that would make his stewardship of San Francisco all the more challenging if he had to be on his toes with full vampires twenty-four-seven.
Slinking up to Ben, Halina ran a hand seductively down his arm. Gabriel’s only reaction to her flirtation was to raise an eyebrow, then his face went neutral again. He was well-aware of Halina’s provocative nature.
Answering for Gabriel, Halina purred, “Relax, it’s temporary.” She sighed and leaned against Gabriel’s arm. “Fifteen minutes a day is about all I get.” Smiling up at the love of her life, she added, “But what a glorious fifteen minutes it is.”
As Ben was shaking his head, still dumbstruck by the implications of Gabriel’s latest invention, Olivia broke the short span of silence. “Why do you live in a wall?”
Halina’s cool gaze floated down to the one person in the room who had no idea just how spectacular this was. “Because I’m awesome,” she snipped. Julian snorted at hearing Halina say a word that was really out of place for someone her age, not that Olivia would know that. Not missing a beat, Halina asked Olivia, “Why do you never shut up?”
Mom, Dad, and Ben frowned, but none of them commented on the vampire’s blunt question. Gabriel cracked a smile, amused. Grandpa Jack and Alanna looked at each other while Julian and I tried to hold our laughter. Halina often asked the questions we all wanted to ask, but out of politeness, couldn’t. Halina didn’t really give a rat’s ass about etiquette.
As Liv blinked in surprise at the direct question, Imogen scolded her mother. “Halina…”
Halina glanced up at the daughter w
ho was really more of a best friend to her. “What? It’s a valid question.”
We all hung out with Halina in the living room for her fifteen minutes. Olivia seemed curious about why Halina had a time limit with us, but, out of politeness—or fear—she didn’t ask. I could tell when Halina’s free time was ending. She started flinching and pulling down her super-short dress, like she was trying to stretch the tiny piece of fabric so that it covered the long, lean thighs she was showing. Not too long after that she was twisting away from pools of light, finding darker areas in the sunny room to sit. Recognizing the signs of her body starting to reject whatever temporary shield he’d put up, Gabriel scooped up Halina and forcibly started to return her to her hideout. She clung to him in pain, but stubbornly asked for more time. He didn’t give it to her, and moments later the pair were deep below the earth, where Halina was safe from the toxic sunlight.
As soon as Halina was gone, Olivia turned to her dad and rapid-fire asked, “What’s wrong with her? Is she sick? Is she dying?” She paused a fraction of a second, then added, “Is she a vampire?”
The room was suddenly very quiet as everyone turned to look at her. Ben broke the silence with laughter. He scuffed up her hair as he jokingly told her, “You need to stop reading those scary stories. I’ve told you before, vampires aren’t real.” Pointing to where Halina had disappeared, Ben explained, “She has a rare sun allergy. It’s deadly to her, except in this room. Here she’s safe…if only for a little while.”
Olivia’s normally sparkling face saddened as she looked at Halina’s secret door. “Oh…that’s sad. I can’t imagine never being in the sunshine.” Ben put an arm around her while I shared her sentiments. I couldn’t imagine it either…and if I’d been born a few generations back, it would have been my fate. Looking up at her dad, Liv added, “Is that why she never does any fun stuff with us back home?”