Mia’s gaze traveled over the indigo bluesectional couch positioned to face the massive TV hanging on thewall. No one would miss anything that happened onthatTV.Dark wood beams ran across the ceiling above her, a ceiling only acouple inches over David’s head.
“How old is this house?” she inquired.
“This was the first house on the property.It was built in the late 1800s. Sera and Liam’s farmhouse was builtin the 1970s, and the other houses are all more recent.”
“I love old houses,” she said honestly. “Thehouse I lived in with my parents was from the 1800s. I alwayswondered about all of the people who had lived there before us. Canyou imagine all the laughter and tears these walls haveexperienced?”
David tilted his head to study her as shegave him another glimpse into herself. “I can. You will love thishouse, then. Come.”
He led her through the tiny kitchen with itsred brick fireplace. The stove had to be at least twenty years oldand was missing three of the four knobs on the front of it. Thegreen fridge had seen better days in the 80s. Those appliances wereboth things that didn’t matter much to vampires though, and shedoubted anyone spent much time in the room. She also had a feelingthe small orchid in the windowsill had been an Issy touch, and itwould be dead by the end of the month if left to the care of themen living here.
“You’re cheating!” someone shouted from theback of the house, and she recognized the angry voice asJack’s.
“How am I cheating?” someone elsedemanded.
“I don’t know, but I’ll figure it out, andthen I’ll kick your ass all the way back to your own house,” Jackthreatened.
“I’d like to see you try,” the man speakingwith Jack retorted.
“Don’t tempt me,” Jack said.
A harsh bark of laughter followed thedeclaration. Mia’s step faltered as David led her out of thekitchen and down a dimly lit hall. The door at the end was crackedopen enough to allow a glow to spill around its edges. The rest ofthe doors lining the hall were all closed, hiding whatever wasbehind them.
It became increasingly difficult to breathewith every step toward the door at the end, but she forced herselfto continue.
One, two, three…. There was nothingnearby for her to rhyme with, and staring at the floor while beingintroduced to David’s friends would be an awful first impression.You can do this. You will do this!She took another deepbreath and forced herself to continue putting one foot in front ofanother.
“We added this back room two years ago,”David said when they were a few feet away from the door.
The sound of his voice helped to ease someof the anxiety clawing at her chest.
“We all wanted a place that was off-limitsto anyone under eighteen,” he continued.
“The kids must hate that,” she muttered.
“Of course they do, but they have their owngame room, and as you can hear, this isn’t exactly a place theyshould be.”
“No, it doesn’t sound like it.”
“Easy, guys,” a woman said. “No reason tobeat each other up over poker.”
“Your husband is a cheater,” Jackreplied.
“I resent the fact you’d accuse me ofcheating my wife out of money,” the man said.
“It will bebothof your money onceyou leave here!” Jack shouted and laughter followed.
At the end of the hall, David rested hishand against the door. He stared expectantly at Mia, waiting forher to tell him she’d changed her mind and would meet everyonelater. She certainly looked as if she were contemplating it, as herskin had paled, her lips were compressed into a flat line, and herhands fidgeted nervously with the edge of her sweater. Her headturned toward him and her shadowed eyes met his.
“We can go back,” he offered.
Her lips flattened even more, and she gave asharp shake of her head. He hesitated, but her shoulders remainedresolutely thrust back.
“It will be okay,” he promised. “They reallyare all kidding with each other. Jack’s just a sore loser.”
“So am I,” she murmured, bracing herself ashe pushed the door the rest of the way open.
She hadn’t known what to expect, but hereyebrows shot into her hairline when the room beyond was revealed.Looking at the front of the house, she never would have guessedsomething such as this existed inside. Not even in an arcade hadshe ever seen so many video games. They lined the back wall of aroom easily the size of the entire first floor of the house.
