Page 28 of The Second Sight
KASI
Iparked my car in the driveway and rushed into my apartment. I fell asleep right away and was out for more hours than I expected. I wished I would’ve taken a shower before my nap, but I was up now and headed straight into the bathroom to stand under the hot showerhead. I decided to wash my hair in the shower and that made everything take even longer. It was already past midnight, and I was going to be up for hours. Taming my hair wouldn’t be that much of an inconvenience. I did a mental breakdown of my future plans once I walked into my bedroom, lotion, wide-tooth comb, and the remote control to catch up on Love Island USA.
Steam followed me from my bathroom into my bedroom. The scent of strawberries and cream body wash clung to my skin. My damp hair left wet patches on my thin cotton pajamas as I strolled barefoot across the floor. I was already rehearsing the lies I’d tell Brooklyn tomorrow about why I hadn’t talked to the mysterious man from the club. I could just tell her he gave me stalker vibes. That part was true.
I grabbed my cocoa butter lotion off my dresser and turned to grab my remote control off the dresser. That’s when I sawhim, a shadow sitting calmly on the edge of my bed as if he belonged there.
I froze, one hand clutching the cotton t-shirt I’d been using to dry my hair, the other instinctively moving to cover my heart as if I could physically slow its sudden frantic beating. Seven’s tracked my movements with his piercing eyes.
“You stood me up,” he said, his voice was low and melodic, just the way I remembered it from my dream. His tone wasn’t accusatory. It was more like he was just stating a fact. “I waited for an hour.”
“How did you find me?” I whispered. My apartment was over the garage that was still connected to my daddy’s house. The last thing I wanted to do was alert him. I’d lost one parent I couldn’t risk losing another one.
“Does it matter?”
“How did you get in here?” I asked. I needed to know where the breach was located.
He smiled. The expression transformed his predatory features into something almost boyish. “Locks are merely suggestions to someone of my age and skill level.”
My bedroom suddenly felt impossibly small. The distance between us was shrinking with each shallow breath I took. I should have been terrified. There was a vampire in my bedroom, cutting off my escape route but strangely, a part of me had been expecting this. Maybe even waiting for it if my dreams mirrored my real life. And my dreams did mirror my real life.
“I’m sorry,” I said, surprising myself with the apology. “I got scared. I decided it was better to just... forget that any of it happened.”
Seven tilted his head, studying me with those dreamy eyes. “You wanted to forget me when all I can do is of think of you.”
Why did he seem genuinely hurt. “I, I, I didn’t mean it like that.”
“Kasi, you can’t un-see what those glasses showed you.”
He was right. Despite my best intentions, I hadn’t been able to unsee him chomping on the neck of that lady. I hadn’t been able to convince myself that last night was just alcohol and imagination. I’d seen a vampire feed. I’d been told I wasn’t entirely human. Some bells couldn’t be unrung.
“You shouldn’t be here,” I said, my voice steadier than I felt. “My dad is here and he’s innocent.”
“So, you’re saying that you’re not innocent.” He smarted.
“No, no, I’m very innocent.”
Seven chuckled. “Your father went to bed at ten. He’s fast asleep and snoring with his television on playing old episodes of Sanford and Son.”
“You’ve been watching me, watching my house?” I asked only thinking about my father’s safety.
“I’ve been watching you since the millisecond I laid eyes on you.” He admitted.
“Why? I haven’t told anyone who you are or what I saw you do.”
“We need to talk, and I think you know that.”
I remained rooted in place. The damp t-shirt I used as a towel was now twisted between my fingers. “About what?”
“About what you are. About your mother.” His voice relaxed on the last word. “May I see a picture of her?”
The request caught me off guard. “My mother? Why?”
“Please, Kasi, you know why.” There was no urgency beneath his controlled exterior. “It’s important.”
Against my better judgment, I moved cautiously across the room, keeping as much distance between us as possible until I reached my dresser. I pulled open the top drawer, pushing aside folded shirts until my fingers found the picture frame I kept hidden there. Hidden just because I didn’t want to see her face.
I hesitated, with the frame clutched in my hand. This was the last photo taken of my mother before she disappeared. Dad didn’t know I had it. I’d found it in her cell phone after she was gone. It was a simple snapshot of her sitting in the backyard. Her flawless face was turned toward the sun, her expression peaceful. As if she had already decided to leave us.
