Page 13 of The Curse of Eternity
“Okay,” I stammered. “Tonight, then.”
“I look forward to it.” His tone returned to its normal, unfortunately attractive cadence—like he didn’t have a care in the world—a moment before the call ended.
The phone beeped while I pulled it away, and then stared down at my bright screen until it faded to black. What the hell had I just agreed to? Pulse beating fast, I ran a hand through my curly hair, and resumed my pacing. Suddenly, it was like the room didn’t have enough air in it. So I yanked on my boots, fastened my machete to my hip, and headed out.
One arm was through the sleeve of my gray jacket—a sad replacement for my lost denim one—when I stopped short in the doorway. The lingering smell of smoke wafted up the hall, from where the stained-glass window at the end was cracked open. Rolling my eyes, I walked down until I stood before Ethan’s closed door at the very end, nearly opposite Olivia’s.
While Olivia’s bedroom door had a flowery embroidered sign with her name on it, Ethan’s was plain except for the scratches across its front from when we practiced throwing knives as kids. A deep sniff confirmed my suspicions, and I pounded on Ethan’s door. The loud rock music playing inside cut off a moment before it opened.
“Yes?” His thick dirty blond hair stood on end, wet from a recent shower, and he pushed his square-framed glasses up his straight nose. Crystal blue-gray eyes stared back, innocent enough, but I knew better. My lips pursed when I leaned into his room, pointedly glancing at the smoking ashtray propped on his open window sill.
“You really should stop doing that, or at least take it outside,” I chided, and Ethan snorted. While he backed into his room, I hovered at the doorway.
“You sound like Liv,” he remarked, and I shrugged.
“Maybe you should kick the whole smoking thing altogether. You wouldn’t want to end up like me.” The comment was ridiculous in truth. It didn’t take cigarettes to get me into the harder stuff, since I’d never actually smoked—tobacco, anyway.
“Duly noted.” Nonchalant, Ethan lifted his smoking cigarette to his lips and took a drag. Staring me dead in the eye, he exhaled a cloud of smoke and said, “So what’s got you all riled up?”
My back straightened. “What?”
“That line between your eyebrows is going to permanently wrinkle if you don’t get over whatever’s bothering you.” He rocked back to sit in his desk chair, poised before three monitorsand a desktop computer thicker than my thigh—and I wasn’t skinny. Stifling a frown, I rubbed at the spot above the small bump in my nose ridge.
“What do you care?” I asked, diminished, and Ethan shrugged, turning to face his many screens.
“I don’t. It’ll only make me look better by association in our family photos.”
“Fine.” I sighed, racking my brain for a way to make any of this shit translatable without fessing up. “I just agreed to see a guy I met at the library.”Technically, all true.
“He must be pretty boring if he hangs around the library.” Ethan pulled up a game on his computer, his gaze focused.
“He’s pretty damn interesting, actually,” I piped up, and then blinked. Why the hell was I defending him? No, I was arguing for myobsessionwith getting payback from the vampire. That was it.
“You gonna go on your date dressed like that?” Ethan glanced over his shoulder, his stare disapproving, and then returned his attention to his first-person-shooter game.
“What’s wrong with it?” I looked down at myself. A white T-shirt and denim jeans was classic ‘me.’
“It’s a bit bland for meeting up with such an ‘interesting’ guy.” Ethan’s short laugh clued me into his teasing, and I rolled my eyes.
“Stop smoking in the house, or I’m telling Olivia,” I warned, and Ethan grinned over his shoulder, displaying a sliver of theMetallicaprint on his T-shirt.
“No, you won’t. Close the door, thanks, Maria.”
Before I had a chance to build up any steam for a good comeback, we both flinched at the sound of Aunt Susan’s voice calling down the hall.
“Ethan! The washing needs hanging up. I’m going out for groceries, have it done before I’m back!” Her words werefollowed by the kitchen door closing shut, the closest path to the little parking lot out back where we kept our cars. A grin spread across my lips when Ethan sulked, hurriedly putting out his cigarette so his mom wouldn’t see the smoke while she was outside.
Grumbling to himself, he passed me in the hall with a grimace. As he turned into the doorway for the kitchen, I couldn’t help but look down at my zipped-up jacket and jeans. The combat boots were a must, but if I was really going out on reconnaissance—to a bar, no less—maybe Ethan had a point and I should work harder to blend in.
What the hell did people who drank on Sunday nights usually wear? Car keys in hand, I ditched my idea to scope out the location ahead of time. Butterflies tumbled in my stomach for absolutely no reason.What the hell was I doing…
The Sun Pointe Apartments complex where my best friend lived wasn’t new, as evidenced by its faded beige exterior under the harsh Albuquerque sunshine. Heat hit my face first when I exited my Taurus, forcing me to shade my eyes with my palm. Squinting, I strode up to the light blue door on the ground level.
Identical windows rested on either side, the blinds drawn, but a black cat lounged on the sill to the right. Since it was still light out, I didn’t worry about banging on the door to make sure I’d be heard over the heavy music playing inside. I scoffed at myself while I stood, waiting.
Because I shouldn’t have let Ethan’s comment get to me. Especially since it wassofar from a ‘date’ that it wasn’t even funny. Who cared how I dressed? Oddly, my thoughts turned tothe vampire—Drake, if that was even his real name. What the hell did going to a bar have to do with proving his innocence?
If he thought he’d be able to slip a sedative into my glass, then he would be sorely disappointed—emphasis on the ‘sore.’
