Page 10 of Hot Vampire Next Door: Season Four

I hang my head and turn my ears to the lapping of the water against the shore, the sound of the wind in Jimmy’s hair. If I focus on something else, maybe I can forget how hard it is to let go when all I want to do is hold on tightly.

I know I have control issues. For fuck’s sake, I know I do and for good fucking reason.

I can still see the blood dried on Anna’s neck. I can still see the stillness in her body and the dead stare in her eyes.

Rage is a close cousin of heartbreak. I have disowned heartbreak. I will only let the rage remain.

“Like it or not,” Jimmy goes on, “Jessie is not so little anymore. And the more overbearing you are, the further away she’ll pull. I know you admire a woman in power. You always have.”

I snort and look over at her. She gives me one of her smug ass smiles.

“Shut up,” I say.

She leans into me, rests her head on the rise of my shoulder. She still smells like lavender, like home.

I do not like to give away any part of myself. I am fortified, just as Damien is. We gave everything we had to our sister and somedays I think we both thought there was nothing left to give after her death.

I don’t want to think about it.

I hate thinking about Anna.

And now Damien…

Fuck.

Fucking hell.

I can’t think about Damien either. Not right now.

If I must relent to Jessie in order to keep her, then I will relent.

“Stand beside Jessie,” Jimmy says. “Not in front. And you both will be unstoppable.”

The duck quacks loudly.

“Do you know what I hate above all else?”

“Oh, I can only imagine,” Jimmy says.

“When you bring up irrefutable truths.”

She laughs out loud again, head hung back, and the duck flaps its wings and flies away.

“That’s why you keep me around, I suspect. Because I am the only one who will tell you the truth.”

“I keep you around because you’re the only person I can stand for more than ten minutes.” I get up from the log and start back toward the house.

“Be gentle with her.”

“Fine. Yes. I will be gentle and kind. Not at all an asshole.”

“Promise me.” She jogs to catch up.

“Fine. I promise.”

“Thank you.” She gives my arm a squeeze. “Wanna race back?”

“As if you’ll ever beat me.”

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