Page 55 of Tempting the Dhampir

I close my eyes as I admit with a sad grimace, “He won’t.”

“Why not?” Cece asks in a sober tone.

“They never do. I’m the ‘fun’ girl. Guys grow bored of my ‘too much-ness.’ Everett says he’s interested now, but I know it’s just a matter of time before he reaches his limit and moves on to someone less… ‘me.’ I’m not trying to be insecure about it, but it’s happened before. More than once.” I’m ashamed to tell her all this, but I know my sister will understand me.

“Can I tell you what I saw on the island?” She moves to a new spot in the room she’s in, repositioning her phone so I can see more of her.

“Please.” My voice is small. I need all the reassurance I can get.

“That male was in a room with ten women, yet he never looked at anyone but you. His eyes were fixed on you the entire time. Like a magnet. I say you should be brave and give things a shot between you two.”

“Yeah?”

“Definitely. How long do you have until school starts back up again? Maybe give it a proper go until then, then you can decide if you can make things work long distance or find another way.”

My heart drops into my stomach, sinking to the lowly pit it deserves to live in. Cece is such a good sister, and I haven’t even shared the news with her.

“Oh, um… about school… There were some budget cuts… and I got pink-slipped,” I mutter.

Cece’s brows furrow. “Pink-slipped?”

“Oh, yeah. It means my position was cut. So I’m… um… technically unemployed. I sent my résumé out to a bunch of schools, but I’m still waiting to hear back,” I confess, and flinch back from the hurt on her face.

“Sadie! Why didn’t you tell me? I’m so sorry, it must be so stressful for you. Oh my goodness, what about our trip? If you told me, we could’ve canceled and saved that money.” Cece rants at me, concern pitching her voice high.

I shrug and explain gently, “That’s exactly why I didn’t tell you. I wanted to go on the trip with you. I wanted it to be something special for the two of us. We also booked our tickets while I still had a job. Besides that, there was just something about the trip that made me feel like I shouldn’t cancel it.” My words are slow with guilt at having kept this from her, but I’m confident now that it was the right decision.

Cece takes a deep breath in and releases it on a slow exhale. “I know what you mean, I had the same feeling about going on this trip. Do you think it has anything to do with the males and the whole situation we’ve found ourselves in now?”

I nod and admit, “I’m starting to think that way.”

“Just putting this out there, but if you ever want to consider trying something different, this could serve as a great opportunity to explore your options.”

Swallowing hard, I can’t quite keep eye contact with her as I say, “I’ve never enjoyed teaching as much as I should have. Don’t get me wrong, the kids are great, but it’s not something that brings me joy.”

Cece tilts her head and asks, “Why did you choose to study it? I honestly thought you wanted to be a teacher.”

I take a long breath in, readying myself to confess the biggest thing I’ve kept from my sister. In a voice barely above a whisper, I say, “It seemed like a stable job with a reliable income. I just wanted to have a safety net for us. Mom is off doing her own thing with Patrick, and as an adult, I don’t want to bother her. Cece, you’re such an incredible artist. I wanted to have that financial security so that you’ll have more freedom to freelance. That if there was a tough month, you could count on me to help you out.”

Tears fill Cece’s eyes, escaping over the brim, and run down her cheeks. With a quaking voice, Cece says, “I’d never ask you to do that. I’m supposed to be the one taking care of you.”

Wishing I could wipe her tears away, I ball my free hand into a fist. “I know you’d never ask, that’s why I did it,” I mutter, my voice choked with tears.

“Oh, you silly goose,” Cece chastises me lightly, wiping at the tears with the back of her hand. “You know I’d never accept your money.”

“I know.” I laugh wetly around the word. Sniffing, I add, “And your business is so successful, you don’t need anything from me. Don’t worry, the irony is not lost on me.”

“Well, now is the time to reassess what you want to do. You’re only twenty-four. Maybe the universe is conspiring to set you on a new course,” she says, ever the optimist.

All the tension I’ve been carrying with me for years seeps from my body, my limbs tingling with warm gratitude for my sister. “You’re the best sister, you know that?”

Eyes glassy, Cece steels her voice. “Sisters by blood.”

With a full heart, I reply, “Friends by choice.”

“By the way, have you talked to Mom at all?”

We’re not super close to our mom, but we see her every now and then. She got remarried after our father died and is currently living her best life with her new husband, Patrick.

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