Part 7 (2/2)

I was still shaking. The heater in the car wasn't doing a very good job. It fact, cold air was blowing out instead. I glanced at the dash to make sure he hadn't put on the air conditioning by mistake.

”You're a pig, Jamie.” I glanced behind me at the back seat and took in the piles of c.r.a.p on the seat and floor-dirty gym clothes, stinky sneakers, empty CD jewel cases, PS2 game cases, and various other boy related items.

”I'm allergic to cleaning,” he said, as he turned down the music. ”So, are you going to tell me what the f.u.c.k you were doing at a motel?”

Still chewing my nail, I stared out the side window too wired to look at Jamie. I shrugged. ”I'm not sure really. Some strange things have been happening to me.”

”Does it have to do with those a.s.sholes from Malice?”

I whipped around to stare at him. ”Chloe told you?”

He nodded, and even in the green glow from the dashboard I could see the concern in his face.

”That b.i.t.c.h,” I mumbled.

”Hey, she's your friend, Sale. She told me because she thought maybe I could help.”

I arched a brow in mocking. ”And can you? Can you help me Jamie? Maybe you can wave your magic Harry Potter wand and un-rape me.”

”Don't be an a.s.shole.” He glared at me and I could see the hurt in his eyes.

I looked away from him, ashamed for being a jerk to him when he'd jumped in his car and came to pick up me without an explanation. ”I'm sorry. I'm just going through some weird s.h.i.+t, and I'm not sure what to do about it.”

”Maybe you could talk to one of the counselors at school. They have experience in dealing with stuff like this.”

I shook my head, thinking about my black eyes and sticking to the ceiling, and now my strange sleepwalking. ”No, I don't think they can help me much.”

Jamie pulled up to the front of my house, put it in park and then turned toward me. ”Are you going to be cool?”

I nodded glancing down at my thumb which I had chewed to s.h.i.+t. Blood dotted the sides of my nail bed.

”I'll see you tomorrow. No wait,” he laughed. ”I'll see you in a few hours since it's already like four thirty.”

Smiling, I leaned across the front seat to give him a hug. Despite his cleanliness issues, Jamie was a good friend. He patted my back as he hugged me in return, and a warm tingling sensation ran down my spine.

It felt good to be in his arms, safe, secure. He had a lanky frame but he was strong. I could feel the ripple of his muscles in his arms and down his back. I hadn't noticed it before. But now, I seemed to be noticing a h.e.l.l of a lot about Jamie.

He smelled good too. Which surprised me. Like a warm gooey cinnamon roll. Saliva actually pooled in my mouth as I drank more of his scent into me. I had a sudden urge to run my tongue along the side of his neck.

He s.h.i.+fted in his seat, his hands clenching on my back. ”Ah, Salem, what are you doing?”

”Mmm, hugging you.”

”It feels like you're kissing my neck.”

I pulled back, startled. ”What?”

Frowning, he rubbed at his throat just below his ear. ”You kissed my neck.”

”No, I didn't.” My heart was pounding hard in my chest, acting as if it was going to explode. But above my own beating heart I could hear the thump thump thump of Jamie's. It was loud. He was as revved up as I was. Did he want me to kiss him? Was he attracted to me?

I eyed him carefully. He was a good looking guy, I always thought so, but I'd just never considered him boyfriend material. We were friends, had been for the past two years, since grade ten when he fell off his skateboard in front of Chloe and I, and the board hit me in the s.h.i.+n. He chipped his front tooth that day.

I could see it now between his parted lips. I liked the look of his mouth right now. It was inviting. I wondered what it would feel like to kiss him. As I continued to study Jamie's face, something s.h.i.+fted. I could see past him to the aura that surrounded him. He had an alluring red tinge floating around his head, like a crimson halo. I liked the color red.

”Salem, what's wrong with your eyes?”

I didn't answer him. Instead, I cupped his face in my hands and slowly leaned toward his mouth. The need to kiss him nearly made my head swim. I could feel the rolling sensation start in my legs like someone was kneading my muscles. I had to kiss him. The urgency of it socked me right in my gut.

I brushed my lips against his. I kept my eyes open watching him. Seeing his reaction was all part of the sensation.

His eyes widened and he dug his fingers into my shoulders. ”What the f.u.c.k?” he grunted around my mouth.

He tried to push me away, but I held on to his face, my lips still molding his. I needed him. Without his kiss I would die. I just knew it. The thought kept spinning and twisting my head. It didn't make any sense, but I couldn't stop it from controlling my actions. The craving gripped me so tight I couldn't escape.

I was suddenly ravenous and only Jamie's kiss could satisfy me. His vigor, his energy, was the only thing that could fill me and stop the violent hunger from ripping apart my stomach.

Clamping my lips over his mouth, like a suction cup, and sucking the air from his lungs, I began to...

Feed.

He struggled against me, pus.h.i.+ng at my arms, trying to pull his head away. But I was strong. I could feel a force filling me, giving me everything I needed to survive-food, water, warmth, love, power. Everything. It was both exhilarating and frightening to experience.

”Salem! Stop!” Jamie yelled, his voice m.u.f.fled by my mouth, but still quivering with fear.

An image popped into my mind-Thane over top of me, sucking out my soul. It filled my head until pain exploded at my temples.

I pulled back from Jamie, releasing my hold on him, breathing hard, my heart pounding like a piston radiating pain throughout my chest. I couldn't believe what I'd just done.

Jamie blinked at me, a stunned look on his face. His lips were puffy and sore looking as if I'd bitten down on them again and again. He wiped a hand over his mouth then looked at it, probably expecting to see blood.

”What the f.u.c.k is wrong with you?”

Cowering against the pa.s.senger door, I just shook my head. I was scared. My whole body quaked. I didn't know what the h.e.l.l I'd done, or how it happened. I lost control of my thoughts and my body and it frightened me to the core. It was Jamie's pleas which had mirrored my own that finally stopped me. What would have happened if I hadn't heard them, recognized them as my own? I s.h.i.+vered at the morbid thought.

”I...I'm sorry, Jamie,” I stammered. ”I d...don't know why I did that.”

”You need some serious help, Salem.”

I scrambled to get out of the car. I pulled at the door handle, once, then twice, until finally it opened and I spilled out onto the curb. Without looking back, I slammed the door shut and ran up the lawn, nearly tripping over the stupid decorative rock inexplicably in the middle, to the front door. I dug into my jacket, found my keys, and quickly opened the door. When I was safely inside, I kicked off my sneakers careful not to make a huge ruckus. I padded down the hallway to my bedroom. Thankfully, no one woke up, and I was able to escape inside and shut the door behind me. After locking it, I shed my jacket and crawled under the covers on my bed.

My body was racked with intense s.h.i.+vers. No amount of heat could warm me. The cold crept through me from the inside out.

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