AllFreeNovel
Share Us
I nod, acknowledging his promise. This is as close to a truce as we’re going to get. All the same, I slam shut the passenger side door and instead climb in the back. Ethan lets out an irritated growl at my decision not to sit beside him. Checking the time on my phone, I notice that it’s not even midnight yet. We’ve got a long few hours of waiting ahead of us.
I lie down, taking up the length of the back seat, and throw my arm over my eyes. When I let it fall to my side a couple of minutes later I look up at Ethan to find him staring at me through his overhead mirror. He quickly looks away, however he doesn’t show any embarrassment at being caught.
The endless silence spreads out between us and eventually I fall asleep. I don’t know how I manage it, since being in such a small space with Ethan puts me on edge. The boredom of not talking probably drove me to nod off.
I wake up at around three to find Ethan with his eyes closed in the driver’s seat. I’ve only ever seen him sleep once before. He doesn’t sleep like a human would, all slouched back with their face hanging to one shoulder. Ethan sits up straight and is fascinatingly still. The only thing that’s different about him from when he’s awake is that his eyes are shut and his breathing is deeper.
I drag my gaze away from his perfect face and peer inside the cave, but it’s still empty like before. Only a couple more hours until morning. Only a couple more hours until I might have my dad back again.
Crossing my fingers in hope, I lie down and go back to sleep.
Chapter Ten
You’re Sure To Have Some Visitors
“Wake up,” says an attractive voice, a hand touching lightly on my shoulder. I open my eyes to find Ethan hovering over me and I jerk away in fright.
“What are you doing?”
“I was trying to wake you up,” he says, turning back around in his seat. “It’s morning and Edwards still hasn’t made an appearance.”
“Morning?” I ask, suddenly aware of the daylight streaming through the tinted windows of the car. Daylight that Ethan isn’t even squinting his eyes against. What’s he doing out here like this? He should be at home asleep in a light-free room.
“Ethan, you can’t be out in daylight,” I say, unable to hide my concern.
He gives me a look, seeming surprised to find I care about him getting hurt. Hell, I’m surprised myself.
“I will be fine. The windows in this car are made from a special material that filters out most of the effect daylight has on me.”
“That kind of technology actually exists?” I ask in amazement.
“It does if you have the money to pay for it.”
The fact that Ethan is out in the sun has momentarily distracted me from the real issue at hand. Edwards still hasn’t shown up. My gut sinks with despair. Pulling myself together, I rummage in my pocket and retrieve the copper coin he gave me.
“He said if he wasn’t back by morning that we could leave and he’d find me using this,” I say, holding up the coin.
“Yes, I remember,” says Ethan, starting up the engine.
“Wait!” I exclaim, reaching forward and gripping his upper arm to prevent him from driving away. “Shouldn’t I go inside and check the cave properly before we leave? They could be in the back somewhere.”
“They aren’t. I would sense Edwards’ demon blood if he were in there. The cave is empty.”
“Oh,” I say with disappointment.
Ethan resumes pulling away from the cave entrance. The ride back out of the beach is bumpy because of all the rocks. Ethan drops me off outside Finn’s house and then continues on to his own place. Unlike Finn’s, Ethan’s house has a garage to the side of it. I watch as the door opens automatically and he drives right in. I had been hoping he’d park in the driveway and then run from the car into the house so I could see what really happens when sunlight touches a vampire, but no such luck.
Just as I’m opening the front door, Finn pulls up. He and Ira are returning from their night of babysitting Rebecca.
“Where have you been, Petal?” Finn asks, approaching me and wrapping his arms around me. He gives me a peck on the cheek. I’m still unused to this new, affectionate way he treats me. Not to mention I feel strangely guilty for whatever the hell it was that happened between me and Ethan last night. A moment of hate passion, maybe? I lead Finn and Ira into the kitchen and make breakfast for the three of us, at the same time filling them in on last night’s events.
“I hope Cristescu behaved himself,” says Finn, hearing that I spent the night in Ethan’s company.
I swallow down a bite of toast, anxiety rushing through me. Do I tell Finn about Ethan’s strange, angry kiss? Nah, that won’t be leading anywhere good. I muster up a laugh. “Well, that depends on your definition of behaving. We spent half the time fighting and the other half ignoring one another.”
“Did he upset you?” Finn asks, all protective.
Ira sits with us at the table, silently tucking into his breakfast.
