I snorted. Vulnerablewas not a word I would use to describe Elle.
“Y’know what Imean.”
“I just came t’checkup on her. Told her she was tired.”
“Well, congrats,you were right. What d’ya want, a medal?”
“No, hearing you sayI’m right is reward enough.”
Without any effort,she slid off the bed and jumped to her feet. “You’ve checked onher. Now you need t’go away.”
I had come to wake herup as I had promised. She hadn’t wanted to go to sleep in the firstplace, so she was no doubt going to be groggy when she realizedshe’d nodded off, but I guess the crying had wiped out the last bitof energy she had.
“How do you knowshe was crying?”
I arched an eyebrow atthe teen. “Duh, Vampire hearing.”
Ignoring the fact thatI could hear her soft sobs from down the hallway and behind aclosed door, the fact that her perfect skin looked blotchy was abit of a clue. I couldn’t say I blamed her. It had been a long andvery weird night, and she seemed uncomfortable being in hercousin’s house.
She currently lookedpeaceful, relaxed for the first time since I had found her at thecemetery talking to her dead aunt.
“She’s as weird asyou.”
“It’s not weird t’talkto your deceased loved ones.”
“That explains whyshe’s talking t’you.”
I grabbed my waist.“Oh, my sides, they’re splitting. You should be a comedian.”
She stuck her tongueout at me.
I was torn betweenwaking Elle up and leaving her to rest. She clearly needed thesleep, and after watching her aunt’s insane beyond the gravemessage, well, she needed all the rest she could get because itsounded like we were going on a goose chase to find a needle in agigantic haystack.
Besides, the sooner Iwoke her meant we would be back to her being distant and snappy andconstantly looking at me as if she didn’t know who I was.
It was nice to justlook at her, take her in for a moment. Her auburn hair was fannedout on the pillow, her features softer, making the angry, guardedwoman I had met last night seem a million miles away.
Adult Elle. “She’scertainly aged well.”
“Is that your wayof saying that you find her pretty?”
“She’s not … notpretty.”
“Jeez. Full ofcompliments, aren’t you?” She climbed on to the bed, waving herhand in front of real Elle’s face. “Well, she’s definitely outof it because she can’t even hear you talking t’yourself.”
“I’m not talking tomyself. I’m talking t’you.”
“She doesn’t knowthat. Any minute now, she’s going t’open those big, beautiful,green eyes of hers and see you standing at the side of the bed,perving over her.”
“Is there a reasonyou’re still here?”
She shrugged. “Youtell me. I mean you’re with the real Elle now, so you don’t needt’keep dragging me out. Maybe it’s t’do with the fact that you knowshe doesn’t trust you, so, you want t’keep me around because it’ssafer.”
And didn’t that justsound extremely pathetic and sad?
“Well, you’re avery sad man.”
“You’re a lot meanerthan you use t’be.”
She gave me a widesmile before leaning over sleeping Elle to pull a succession ofstupid faces.
I knew I should wakeher up, because even though I didn’t want to admit it, the littlefigment of my imagination was right—Elle didn’t trust me, at all.And I had no idea how to change that, but watching her sleep wasprobably not the best way to go about it.
Uncrossing my arms, Iclosed the last couple of steps to the bed. Teen Elle sat back as Ireluctantly leaned forward.
“Elle?” I said gently,not wanting to startle her. My hands clenched by my sides inanticipation as I remembered that she had hidden knives on herperson. “Elle?”
No response.
I gave her arm agentle nudge. “Elle, you need t’wake up.”
“Maybe you shouldkiss her?”
I angled my head.Eyebrow arched. “What?”
“Maybe she willwake up if you kiss her.”
“You mean in like afairy-tale kinda way? What t’hell do you think this is?”
Young Elle shrugged.“Nothing about her life falls under being normal.”
“This isn’t afairy-tale.” I straightened and looked down at real Elle. She wasfar from being a princess, had never even wanted to be one when weuse to play make-believe in our haven. “Besides, I’m no prince. I’ma monster, remember?”
“You’re too daftt’be a monster.”
“I feel like that wassupposed to be a compliment?”
She hopped off the bedand walked over to the vanity table, skimming her fingers over theitems there. “You’re more Jester material, if you askme.”
“I didn’t.”
As tempting as theidea was, and part of me hated to admit that it was tempting, I’dnever really thought of her being the type of girl I wanted tokiss. Even though I had meant what I had said, Elle wasn’t ugly,but I mean, she was my friend. My best friend, once upon a time.Sure, she’d aged well. Like, really well, but …
“Do you want t’kissher?” Teen Elle appeared at the other side of the bed, palmsflat on the duvet cover, curiosity claiming her features.
My focus slid back toElle’s face, her mouth. They had been set in a firm line borderingon a frown for the entire duration I had spent with her. Now, theywere still, relaxed. The bow of her lip was soft, subtle … yetagain, words that didn’t fit her.
“You do! You wantt’kiss her!” Her comment came out in a lyrical fashion.
“It would be the worstidea in the world.” My focus slipped to sleeping Elle’s neck, tothe delicate hollow where her shoulder and throat met. “Y’think itscreepy me standing here while she sleeps?” Her skin looked soft …so exposed. “Well, it’s going t’be more so if she catches meleaning over her.”
Realization struck.“Oh. Aye, she may think you’re trying t’bite her?”
And I really hated toadmit that that idea was far more tempting than kissing her.“Exactly.”
“And she hasthreatened t’kill you if you try.”
“Multiple times.”
“Yeah, the kiss isa bad idea.” She straightened. “Don’t do it.”
“I wasn’t goin’ to.” Ipulled my focus away from the resting hunter. “It was youridea.”
She tapped her indexfinger against her chin. “Technically, it was yours since I’mjust your conscious talking.”
My head dropped to mychest. “God, I hope when I get this Vampire thing under control,you go away.”
“Only time willtell.”
Resigning myself tothe fact that I needed to
