Page 29 of This Blood That Binds Us
“Uh, you didn’t want anyone to know, remember? If I don’t come back, it’s going to be pretty obvious I’m with you. I’ll get you some food, too.” I opened the window and moved my legs out first.
“You don’t have to do all that...” She shifted nervously, clothes still in hand.
“Well, considering you’re a guest, and I don’t want to listen to your stomach grumble all night, I’ll take one for the team.” I winked before shutting the window and dropping out of sight.
Within seconds, I was down the wall and through the front door. My mission was simple. Get Kimberly a sandwich from the leftover party platter without my brothers noticing. It seemed simple enough, but it wouldn’t be. Because my brothers were nosy.
Presley peaked his head around the corner. “Hey, how’d it go? Is she okay?”
I forgot I had mentioned to Presley that I was going to check on Kimberly before I left.
“Yeah, she’s fine. I walked her home. She got locked out of her car.”
I went for the kitchen but stopped my foot before it hit the ground. Luke and Zach were in the kitchen cleaning up. I stood still and moved behind the wall. As I turned my neck, I found myself face-to-face with Presley. I mouthed for him to be quiet, and he grinned. He clasped both of his hands together and pretended to shout for them. With the quietest motion I could, I hit him in the arm.
He mouthed a string of words slowly so I could understand. “What’s the big secret?”
“I need them out of the kitchen.” I mouthed.
Presley’s eyebrows raised, and a wide smile stretched across his face.
“I’m not telling you.”
He shrugged, and I knew what he was waiting for.
I got closer. “If you do this, I will write your English assignment.”
I constantly questioned Presley’s decision to major in Journalism, considering he hated anything that involved writing. I don’t think he fully understood that becoming immortal had axed his dream of becoming a TV talk show host. It was a nightmare trying to keep him off social media.
His eyes lit up, and he gave me a big thumbs up before heading to the stairs in the foyer. The party was winding down, with the occasional human straggler passing through to get to the living room. Presley grabbed an empty beer bottle on the way and stopped midway up. He winked at me before dropping himself off the side of the banister. The shattering bottle and theloud thump of his body weight hitting the hardwood floor was enough to make some girls rush into the foyer and scream for help.
Like clockwork, their cries brought Zach and Luke into the foyer, and I could already picture the annoyed look on their faces. I snagged the sandwich and watched them help Presley, who was faking a sprained ankle, to the couch.
“Hope you like turkey,” I said after softly knocking on the door.
To my surprise, she smiled upon seeing me, and her wet hair was perfectly combed away from her face. “Thanks. I found your hairbrush...and a semi-clean towel to dry off. Hope you don’t mind.”
“What’s mine is yours.” I casually walked over to my desk and plopped down in my spinny chair. It felt good to be dry. I’d snuck into Zach’s room and borrowed one of his band T-shirts and his favorite flannel pajama pants.
“So, I take it you don’t sleep...” She took a big bite of the sandwich, her eyelids still heavy.
“No, I wish. I don’t even get tired, so I’m up all night. It’s not as cool as it sounds. I mostly just play games all night to help me pass the time.”
“What kind of games do you play?” She motioned to my console. “I used to play before college.”
“I like anything I can get my hands on at the moment. It’s shocking how fast you burn through games when you’re up for twenty-four hours.” I leaned back, propping my feet up on the desk. “Why don’t you play anymore?”
“I can’t afford a console. The one I used to play wasn’t mine.” She took one last bite before scooting back into bed and getting more comfortable, but she didn’t relax. Her hands moved to her shoulder, and she winced.
“We should check that bite again.”
“Oh, no. I’m sure it’s fine.” She pulled the sheets up to her shin.
“I think we’re a little past being shy, aren’t we? I mean, this is as vulnerable as it gets.” I smirked. “You’re in my room. That’s a huge step for me. Clearly, I’m the one who is suffering the most.”
She smiled, and I was thankful she understood my humor.
I sat up a little straighter. “I want to help.”
