Part 17 (1/2)

”Yeah.”

”Oh my G.o.d, where are you? Are you okay?”

”I'm okay.” The tears came again.

”Where the h.e.l.l are you? Everyone is looking for you. Your mom is flipping out. She thinks you've been abducted.”

”I wasn't abducted.” I wiped at the tears. It was almost too much to bear thinking about what I was putting my mom though.

I looked at the shadow the booth made on the sidewalk. I could easily step on it and slide my way back home, back to my room. I could go home and see my mom. She'd hug me close and soothe away the pain. But I knew that wasn't possible. Not while Malice was around, not while I'd nearly killed Josh.

”But I had to leave.”

”Because of what happened to Josh?”

My heart leapt into my throat. ”Is he okay?”

”I heard he's in a coma. Everyone's talking about it.”

”What's everyone saying?”

”That he was drugged or something.”

I didn't say anything. I couldn't tell her the truth. I couldn't tell her much of anything that would make sense, that she would believe.

”Salem, you didn't...do something to him, did you?”

”Are people saying I did?”

”Well, you did go out with him. Then he ended up in the hospital. Dropped off anonymously by the way.”

”Look Chloe, I got to go.”

”Are you coming home?”

I traced a finger in the condensation on the booth window. ”I don't know.”

”It looks bad, Sale, that you took off. The police have been around asking questions.”

”Don't tell anyone I called.”

”But your mom...”

I had to swallow down the sob stuck in my throat. I squeezed my eyes shut. ”Tell her I'm okay. But don't tell anyone else you heard from me. Promise me, Chloe.”

Silence, then a sigh, ”I promise.”

”Thanks.”

”Be safe, Salem. Okay?”

I hung up the receiver and leaned my forehead on the cool Plexiglas. Except the cold couldn't stem the rising fury inside me. Rage that I couldn't go home. Couldn't even talk to my best friend and tell her the truth.

Thane had done more than transform me into a monster. He stole away my innocence, my home, and my life. Things I vowed I would get back no matter what.

Fisting my hand, I slammed it against the booth wall. The plastic box rattled. I slammed it again. And again. I kept hitting it until the skin on my knuckles split open. Blood dotted the Plexiglas.

After downing the rest of my coffee, I stepped out of the booth and stared down at the shadow on the asphalt. I could leave it all behind. I could go home and explain what happened to Josh. Maybe someone would believe me. Maybe I wouldn't be sent to jail or an asylum for mental testing.

Yeah right. Who was I kidding? I knew what I had to do.

I placed one foot into the shadow, then the other, and willed myself to dissolve into it.

A minute later, I was standing in the hotel room bathroom gripping the counter for balance. The mirror over the sink was foggy. This wouldn't be really weird if I hadn't noticed the sound of rus.h.i.+ng water and movement behind the closed shower curtain.

”Oh my G.o.d.” Except I was too stunned to move.

The curtain rustled and Trevor's head popped around the flimsy plastic barrier. ”What the h.e.l.l!?”

I closed my eyes and reached backwards for the door. ”I didn't see anything. I'm sorry I didn't think before riding the shadow here.”

”Obviously.”

Scrambling backwards, I groped for the door handle. It was getting hard to breathe. And it wasn't because of the steam billowing out from the hot shower. It was the fact that Trevor was wet and naked behind the simple sheet of almost see-through plastic.

I found the k.n.o.b, turned it and opened the door. But I fully admit to peeking before crossing the threshold. I didn't see anything though except for Trevor's wet frowning face glaring at me.

I slammed the door shut and leaned up against it, breathing hard. My heart pounded like a hammer on a tribal drum. Then a smile spread across my face. If only I'd slid through the shadow way when he was getting out.

Stifling a giggle, I pushed away from the door and went into the bedroom to change my clothes. I still had a chill from walking the night streets. But I didn't reach it before the bathroom door swung open and Trevor came out, clad only in a pair of black sweat pants.

I rooted to the spot and stared at him. His dark hair stood up in wet spikes. Water droplets beaded on the smooth pale skin of his chest. He was nicely constructed, not bulky but not scrawny either. He hovered in that perfect spot in between. I know I was blus.h.i.+ng but I couldn't tear my gaze from him. He made my pulse pound in my neck. I had to fight the urge to cover his mouth with mine, and suck him dry.

”Where the h.e.l.l did you go?”

”I...ah, had to get away for a while. To think.”

He searched my face. I wasn't sure what he was looking for, or if he found it when he moved toward me. All I knew was that I wanted, no needed, to lick the moisture off his lips.

”You need to control your emotions, Salem. Your aura is flaring pretty brightly right now.”

Licking my lips, I took a step toward him. ”Would it hurt you if I fed from you?”

His eyes widened at that. He'd obviously never considered that possibility. This surprised me, since that was all I could think about. How good he would taste in my mouth. Like golden French toast with strawberries and whipped cream and a large amount of maple syrup drizzled all over. Delicious. Saliva actually pooled in my mouth.

”You can control the hunger. Don't let it control you.” He kept saying it but he kept coming closer to me as well. Maybe he wasn't as much in control as he thought he was. Maybe he thought about tasting me as well, really tasting me, not just the flavor of my lip-gloss.