Page 5 of Cloak of the Vampire
I couldn’t read the expression on her face, nor the look in her eyes, when she asked, “If you were to never see me again, would you miss me?”
My spine stiffened in shock as I searched her face. But she looked away, fiddling with the hem of her dress as if she was embarrassed bythat question. Which she probably was; Cassidy had never been insecure when it came to me. In fact, if anything, she took me for granted.
I’d tried so hard to show Cassidy my support and loyalty. I’d done everything in my power to give her the sense that she was a huge part of my life, an inseparable part of my life, even. But it appeared I was wrong. Perhaps I was so broken that my attempts came out as nonchalant, or stoic.
But I cared about her. I cared about her so, so much. And it hurt that Cassidy was oblivious to my feelings.
Whatever she was thinking didn’t matter, though, because I chose to answer her with the utmost sincerity. “You’re my friend, Cassidy,” I said, which, despite everything, was the truth. “Of course I’d miss you.”
Our friendship might be a complicated one, but Cassidy was a part of my life. She was like a sister to me at this point. If she left and never returned, I would feel the loss.
She didn’t seem convinced, though, if her puckered brows were anything to go by. She turned her back to me and inserted the key. “Thank you,” she murmured, pushed the door open, and shut it behind her.
I stared ahead, completely baffled. Most of the time, I understood Cassidy. But this time, I was at a loss.
Shaking my head, I restarted my walk back to my place and decided to forget about it. Cassidy tended to get forlorn more often than not. All I could do during these tough times was be there for her.
She would’ve never done the same for you,a little voice whispered in my mind, but I ignored it. It didn’t matter what Cassidy would or wouldn’t have done for me. It wasn’t like she had any idea what I was going through, or who I truly was.
And I intended to keep it that way.
CHAPTER 2
It was the beginning of October and already relentlessly cold, as fall tended to get in New England.
Huddled in my comfy hoodie, I went to the local bar several streets away. Cassidy was probably already doing the sound check even though her show wouldn’t start for another few hours. I wondered if she was going to wear her usual skimpy attire, considering the Banner Bar wasn’t known for its good heating, but then again, it was Cassidy. She could wear a swimsuit in the middle of January if it meant it would bring bigger crowds to her shows.
Skye wasn’t there yet, so I chose a table close to the stage, settled in with a glass of orange juice, and watched the soccer game playing on the TV screen across the bar. So much for rushing my much-needed shower, thinking I was going to be late.
With nothing left to do, I was staring around the bar when I noticed a man walking in. He was tall and muscular with broad shoulders, and he was wearing faded jeans, combat boots, and a dark trench coat, with its hood up, concealing his face. He settled at the bar and discussed something with the barman. He didn’t take off his coat, which was a damned shame because from what I could see of his body, he seemed like a snack.
My ogling was cut short when Skye dropped her purse on the table and plopped her ass on the seat in front of me.
“Tyler almost didn’t let me hang out with you girls tonight,” she said in her own way of saying hello. “Stupid man. Wanted us to stay in and watch a movie.Again.As if I don’t have other things to do.”
You love it when he pulls shit like thatwas what I thought. What I said, however, was, “He really loves you.”
She smiled dreamily, as though she hadn’t just talked shit about him. “He does, doesn’t he?”
I was spared from responding when I saw Cassidy heading over to us. As I suspected, she wore jean shorts that showed half her butt, a black crop top, and thigh-high black boots with extremely high heels. It was a wonder she could walk as straight as if she was wearing flip-flops.
“Hey,” she greeted us with a surprisingly somber face. Usually before a show, Cassidy was high on nerves and excitement. This wasn’t like her.
Skye didn’t seem to notice. “Oh, my god,” she said, looking her up and down. “You lookgorge, Cass.”
“Do I?” she said, and there was something seriously aggressive about her tone that was so out of character, she seemed to realize it herself and put on a forced smile. “Thanks, Skye.”
Completely oblivious, Skye grinned back. “When’s the sound check?”
My eyes darted to Cassidy, and her eyes were no longer on us. She was holding her phone, staring at the screen with hard eyes. “In thirty,” she mumbled as she typed something on her phone and then bit her lip, as if waiting for a response.
“Then sit with us,” Skye prompted, and Cassidy reluctantly did so.
That’s when I felt the side of my face burning. Someone was watching us.Me.
I sipped my juice as I let my eyes roam over the room. They landed on the man I’d seen before. His face, still hooded, seemed to be turned in Cassidy’s direction, focused on her in a way that gave me pause. He wasn’t moving, and he seemed to be staring at her, but something told me it didn’t stem from interest or anything like that. He seemed to be ... waiting.
When I averted my gaze before he could catch me staring, I felt again as if someone was watchingme. But when I looked around, no one seemed to be looking my way. Why would they, with Cassidy and Skye around? No one ever looked at me, and if I was being honest, that was just fine.
