“Let’s get this straight,” Dom said. “I loved my sister more than anything. She was my everything. She was the only good thing that came out of my parents’ shitty existence. And I’m always going to remember—” She stopped, staring back at the picture. “I’m gonna live with what I did forever.”
Maybe Brennan wasn’t the only one terrified of whatforevermeant for them now.
“You know I can’t even mourn her? Or mention her? Nellie and Sunny swept it under the rug like she never existed at all. You’re so high and mighty, but you havenoidea—”
Dom broke off with a shaky sigh, gripping the frame so hard he thought she might break it further.
“But I can’t change that she’s dead, and hating myself won’t bring her back or change the fact that I’m a vampire,” said Dom. She set the photo face down on the coffee table among a pile of old magazines. “I’mpowerful for the first time in my life. And she would want that for me. That’s what Travis says. If vampirism is the only thing that comes of her death, then it has to be a good thing. It has to. Otherwise it’s just…”
“A punishment,” Brennan finished the thought. His chest squeezed unpleasantly, so he shut it up with a long gulp of his drink.
Dom pursed her lips at him. Maybe Brennan was drunk, but this might have been the first time Dom looked at him with understanding instead of contempt. Like they could be on the same team, and not just in laser tag.
“Is that why…” Dom started, speaking carefully. “I mean, why do you hate it so much?”
It seemed so obvious, the question was absurd. It wasn’t in the fucking plans, for one, and it was an unfair, random wrench in what was supposed to be Brennan’s first normal semester. And who wouldwantto be technically dead, surviving on drinking human blood?
Not to mention, it seemed like another thing wrong with him. Another thing that made it feel impossible for him to relate to or communicate with his peers, another slew of symptoms to deal with and problems to solve. He’d always been afraid of being a monster, and now hewasone.
But he was afraid if he said that, Dom might not understand.
Or maybe he was afraid shewould.
“I guess I mostly miss Italian food,” Brennan said, and finished his drink.
11ONE EASY THING
BRENNAN’S PHONE
Dr. Mom
What do you mean? You always come home for Thanksgiving.
Brennan
Yeah, and we usuallyjust order Chinesefood. Do you reallyneed me for that?
I’m way behind on school things! I need to focus on that.
You know how it is.
Dr. Mom
How behind are you? Is it serious? Maybe youshould set up meetings with your academic advisor, and each of your teachers.
Brennan
I’ll be okay. I just need to stay on campus.
Library access and all that.
Dr. Mom
Okay. No repeats of last semester, promise?
Brennan
Yep.
