Part 14 (2/2)

”He's hurt, he didn't mean it.” I whispered softly.

”Like h.e.l.l I didn't.” Ken's voice was raspy.

I had to pull on Pallo's arm with my entire body weight to keep him from las.h.i.+ng out at Ken. I slid my body between the two of them. My towel came loose and I had to reach up and tighten it.

”Enough, boys,” I said, and put a hand on each of their chests. Pallo's was smooth and felt like a statue, Ken's was fuzzy and warm beneath my fingers. I pushed them both back slightly, and my towel gave way. I s.n.a.t.c.hed it up and wrapped it around me.

”Go!” I said to Ken, and pointed to my bedroom. He went, grinning at Pallo all the way.

I looked to Pallo. ”I need to get dressed. Are you okay now?”

His eyes widened. ”You're going in there with him?”

”Relax! I'm a big girl and can handle myself.”

”That is not what I am worried about. I can sense your feelings for him.” He hunched his shoulders slightly. ”He is the one you were to marry, is he not?”

”Pallo, what do you want me to say? Do you want me to lie and say I feel nothing for the man? Do you want me to confess some undying love for you, and run off into the sunset? I can't do that. It's not that easy.” I pushed my body into his. ”Real life doesn't work that way.”

He backed up slightly and handed the flowers to me. ”No, I suppose not.”

I felt like such a bully. He defended my honor, and I verbally abused him. I took the flowers to the kitchen, put them in water, and went straight to my room. When I opened the door, Ken was already wearing his navy Dockers and had pulled a white polo s.h.i.+rt over his body. I shut the door behind me and walked right up to him.

I struck his cheek. I went to hit him once more for good measure, but he grabbed my wrist.

”You son of a b.i.t.c.h! You come in here and accuse me of being a s.l.u.t? You're a fine one to talk.” I tried to keep my voice low, so Pallo would not hear.

”I didn't know you were that easy, Gwen, or I wouldn't have bothered dating you. I'd have just asked for a quickie.” He leaned down into my face.

I had to hand it to him. He wasn't one to back down from a fight. I gave up. ”What does it matter to you who I sleep with?”

”You mean what you sleep with, don't you?” The prosecutor in him showed through.

”What, are you mad at the fact that I slept with someone else? Or are you mad that he's a vampire?”

Ken moved closer to me. His lips were almost touching mine, now. ”Both,” he said.

”Why, if I remember correctly, you were the one who started f.u.c.king vampires first, not me,” I said, turning my face to the left to keep him from pressing his lips to mine. ”Turnabout is fair play.”

”Don't do this to us. Please, Gwen.” His voice was soft now.

The anger receded in me. ”You did this to us, Ken, not me.”

”Why the h.e.l.l did you go f.u.c.k the first thing that showed you some attention? How could you let some dead piece of s.h.i.+t demon touch you?”

I slapped him across the face hard. ”Don't! Don't you ever talk about them that way again, ever!”

”Them?” he asked, shock in his voice. ”You f.u.c.ked more than one?”

”Ken, it's none of your d.a.m.ned business who I choose to share my bed with!” I spat the words as I said them.

”You're right,” he said.

I pulled myself away from him and walked to over to my dresser.

”I don't want to fight with you anymore, Ken.”

”I don't want to fight either,” he said. He followed me. I put my hand up to stop him.

”That doesn't mean I want you back.” I turned and opened my top drawer to get out a pair of underwear. ”Go, I'll be out in a minute.”

”Did you really f.u.c.k him?” he asked quietly.

”No, I didn't have s.e.x with him,” I said. I wasn't lying. I hadn't had actual s.e.x with Pallo. I'd had s.e.x with Caleb. It was so very Clintonesque of me.

”Are you going to? I mean, he's, you know...?”

”I know what he is. And I know who he is.” I was still whispering to keep Pallo from overhearing us.

”Could you let something that should be rotting in the ground stick it's d.i.c.k in you? Could you honestly spend your life with that? There's no future with him.”

”Ken, you lost the right to plan my future six months ago, remember?” I tried to stay calm, but was having a hard time.

”You told me once that you wanted children someday. Is that still true?” His voice was getting louder.

”Quiet down,” I whispered. What Ken said made me think of Pallo's wish to give me what I wanted in life--a family, a husband, and a d.a.m.n house with a white picket fence. I was a sucker for the American dream.

”Do you still want a family?” Ken asked, smiling as he lowered his voice.

”Yes,” I said. My thoughts went to Caleb and being ripe for him. My chance at a family was dead now. I pushed the painful thoughts away. I couldn't cry now. I wanted to start getting dressed, but didn't want to give Ken the satisfaction of watching me.

Ken's chocolate brown eyes held no hate for me. He looked concerned. ”Can you settle for something that can't ever give you that?”

”He's not a something, he's someone!” I shouted in a low, hushed voice. It wasn't easy, but I think Ken got my point. ”What do you want from me, Ken? Do you want me to take you back? Forget it! Do you want me to say that I'm going to chain myself to someone who can offer me nothing but blood and death? Pallo's not like that, he's different. I have strong feelings for him. Oh h.e.l.l, let's face it--I'm infatuated with him. I don't know if I can spend the rest of my life with him...I never thought I would end up with a monster. Is that what you wanted to hear?” I just glared at him.

”No, I want you to admit that you miss me. Admit that you miss us.” He tucked his s.h.i.+rt in as he talked to me. ”I know that you miss the way we were, too. I can see it in your eyes. Admit it!”

”It doesn't matter anymore. Get out, I need to get dressed.”

He came up behind me. ”I've seen it all before.”

”I know. Go!” I pointed towards the door. I pulled a pair of black lace undies out of the drawer.

”Those were always my favorite,” he said walking towards the door.

I turned and flashed him a dirty look. ”Hey, Ken.” I called to him before he left. He turned. ”Play nice out there. You're in enough trouble with me as it is.”

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