Page 38 of Heartbeat Girl

That would be a no for the sunlight. My guys went outside in broad daylight.

Since I barely slept, I was up early on Sunday morning. I slipped out of the hotel and bought myself a cross. My parents were firm believers in God and went to church every Sunday before they passed. I wasn’t much for religion, but I believed in God, Heaven, and Hell.

As I headed to the store, I couldn’t stop looking over my shoulder, wondering if they were following me. Thinking of that led me to recall all the times they heard me so perfectly when they shouldn’t have. My mouth dropped.Enhanced hearing.That meant they probably heard me tapping away on my cell phone all night.

And my heart…

I clutched my chest and stopped at the entrance of the store.Oh my God!No wonder Liam always mentioned my heart. I touched the necklace hanging between my breasts. Liam listened to my beats. Was that why he gave it to me?

No one familiar was around. Feeling ridiculous, I walked inside and continued thinking about all the clues right under my nose. Their hyper sense of smell. They weren’t speaking oddly when they mentioned I reeked of fear. They smelled emotions, too? I huffed, yanking a cross necklace off a display rack. How was that fair? Now I was angry and embarrassed. I fanned my warm face with my hand. No wonder I felt soexposedin front of them. I couldn’t hideanything. Before I left the store, I picked up a few more crosses and a handheld mirror.

Some folklore mentioned vampires had no reflections because they had no souls. I’d been in their dressing rooms. I’d admit I never paid attention to them around mirrors because they had no makeup artists. Since they were guys, I thought they simply didn’t care. They had no bodyguards either, so I had chalked it up as a need for privacy. The bathroom on the bus had a mirror, but I’d never been inside that tight space with any of them to see.

I was getting back on the Machine of Death with them that evening! My grip tightened on the bag I held.

I’d never entertained the idea I might be stuck with three vampires.

Okay, no. That was a lie. I would have assumed they were vampires, regardless. A minute against Liam’s chest and no beats. How could someone explain that? I wasn’t crazy… Right? But maybe I needed to seek professional help if I continued down this path. A few times during the night, I tried to think rationally and truly question my state of mind. Did I create this looking for something to fear from the band? Or was the Liam that both petrified me and made my clit pulse a walking corpse?

The biggest clue might have been the first concert with the woman and the odd state she was in. Most predators with giant fangs carried some sort of toxins from their bite to subdue their victims. Apparently, the substance wasn’t life threatening since she seemed fine the next day. I vividly remembered the furious gaze Liam gave me when I questioned her health and if they harmed or drugged her.

The more I remembered, the more confused I became. I didn’t know right or wrong. Perhaps I imagined the entire thing. Maybe I should quit, return to my apartment, and pull myself together. Could this be a mental breakdown brought on by losing Ruth? I didn’t think so.

Curiosity killed the cat, and it might kill me, too. My fear should have been heightened. Instead, I was so desperate to know the truth my body trembled. The Oppressors were far from normal. And now I might know why.

+++

As I stepped toward the hotel, chills caressed my skin, encasing my heart with fear at the sight of Liam propped against the brick wall. I stopped and stared. His ball cap hooded his features as he strummed the strings on his guitar.Why is standing there… like he’s waiting for something.My stomach knotted.Or someone.If I was right about The Oppressors being vampires, then they overheard me leave my room. A wild thought hit me as his fingers froze on his instrument.He knows I’ve returned.My gut told me it was me who Liam stood there for. A pulsating energy zinged through me.

Calm yourself,I told my heart. As if he heard the rapid fires of its beats, Liam raised his head and looked in my direction. As soon as our eyes met, it was like an energetic force field blew through me, causing my skin to heat and my limbs to fidget. He lowered his guitar and put it in the case.

With a deep breath, I resumed walking. I clutched the bags tighter.I can do this.Nothing like a little pep talk to prepare myself for the long week to come and what I planned to do later.I’m crazy, I’m so fucking crazy.

Liam slung his case over his shoulder and headed my way. Lingering nearby were a few girls. They whispered and pointed at Liam. Thankfully, the girls circled him. Since I was closer, I noticed his easy smile, revealing perfect white teeth as he nodded at something they said. I watched him interact with his fans a lot. Always friendly. Always patient. So un-vampire like. He took pictures with them. I didn’t approach until he said goodbye.

“What are you doing down here alone?” I asked him. “Enjoying the sun?”

I was proud of how calm I sounded.

“I knocked on your door earlier, and you weren’t there. Figured you’d gone to grab breakfast and came down to wait on you,” he answered.

Liar, liar!

He never knocked on my door because he likely heard me leave. Wait, did that mean Liam also overheard me use the bathroom?Great!Now I couldn’t look him in the eye as my face burned.

“It’s been hours. I was worried.”

My pulse kicked up a notch. “Why didn’t you call if you were so worried?”

“Would you have answered?” he countered. When I stiffened, he sighed and said gruffly, “I’m glad you came back.”

“Why wouldn’t I?”

You knew, didn’t you? That I heard your lack of a heartbeat and now I’m onto you.

I wanted to call him out. I hoped my glare conveyed all that I knew. The real Liam was buried beneath the guy he showed the world.

He adjusted his cap, shaking his head.

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