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The moldy toast had nothing on Kates.
When I bolstered up the courage and opened my door, I wasn’t surprised to find Kates packing a bag. I didn’t even comment when I saw a pair of my jeans in her bag. Instead, I closed the door, sat by my desk, and heard the snores from Emily.
Kates clenched her jaw tighter and threw more clothes in the bag. After a minute of silence, she screamed. “Nothing? Really? Nothing?”
“Are you leaving town?” It was all I asked because I wanted her gone. I wanted her away from him. It didn’t bother me one bit if she was mad at me. This was for her own good.
Kates studied me as she twisted her hands in a sequined halter top. She loved that shirt and I knew she’d regret ripping it so I stood and gently took it away. She let me, which surprised me. “Are you doing what he says?”
“…yes…” She turned away as the admission slipped out.
I knew it, but hearing it was different. I already felt like I needed a time out. “Can you stop?”
“No.”
“Why not?”
“Because…” Kates turned back to face me. I saw the tears swimming in her eyes and I blinked back my own. “…because they killed my mother, because they’re trying to tell me that I can’t be who I am, because they’re my whole world. I know what’ll happen to me if I’m caught and he knows that I am. I finally know that he knows.”
“Leave town.” ‘Get away from him.’
“There are others like him. There are other hunters.”
“You can go to one of my meetings with me. It might do you good.”
“I’m not empathic.” She dipped her head and I heard a chuckle.
I nudged her toe with mine. “It doesn’t matter. The meetings are supposed to help anybody and everybody…Why do you do it? Do you know why, I mean, really why? It might help if you understand it.”
“Right. I’m going to go to a shrink and tell them that I can’t stop killing vampires. I won’t get thrown in an asylum at all.”
“What about Blue? She knows about this stuff. She makes me talk to her about my stuff all the time.”
“Oh, I can see that one. Your sponsor and me as roommates, because she doesn’t know how much I hate all that crap she makes you do.”
Blue did know. Blue knew a lot more, but I wasn’t going to voice it. “Try it.”
When I heard my phone peel, I already knew who was on the other end. “Hello, Blue. You know we were talking about you.”
“I’m not a damn mind reader. I felt a question. What’s the question?”
Blue would never cease to amaze me. “Can Kates come and stay with you for awhile? She’s got… some things to talk about.”
“I’m making breakfast. Have her pick up some coffee on the way. I like the pumpkin spice latte.”
“Blue says—”
“I heard.” Kates didn’t look too sure… “I go and talk to her and this is how I’m supposed to get help? It’s just like that? That’s too easy, Davy, even for you.”
It was all I could think of. “He won’t know where you are.”
“If he wants to know, he’ll know.”
“Kates…” I wasn’t sure if I should ask, but another question kept nagging me. “Why are all the vampires here?”
“Because they have fairy tales just like us. We have Santa Claus or the Easter Bunny, but they have the Immortal.”
So much of that statement made no sense. “They are immortal.”
