“No sir. I would never do that.”
“Except for that hit on the joint you handed her the other day,” came a girl’s snotty voice.
Caleb turned and saw that blonde girl standing there, looking drunk, a sneer on her face.
“Hate to be the one to say it,” she added. “But it’s true.”
Caleb turned and glowered back at Blake. He could tell by his guilty expression that it was true.
“It wasn’t like that,” Blake said. “There was like a big group of us. Someone was passing around a joint. It wasn’t me.”
Caleb’s face turned red, as he felt himself fill with fury and rage. He had caught him in a lie. He was a drug addict. He had been pushing drugs on his daughter. Caleb had been right all along. If this boy was any older, Caleb would beat him to a pulp. It took every ounce of his will to contain himself.
“I’m only going to say this once,” Caleb sneered. “Stay away from my daughter. Do you hear me? I find you anywhere near here, and you’re dead. You understand?”
Slowly, Blake nodded, looking ashen.
Caleb turned and stormed back through the house, shoving his way through the party. He looked everywhere, but saw no signs of Scarlet. It looked like she’d left. But with who?
Caleb stormed out the house, down the walkway, and was trying to figure out where to go next, when suddenly there came a voice.
“OMG, Mr. Paine?”
Caleb turned, recognizing it. It was Maria. Scarlet’s best friend.
“Like what are you doing here?” she added
“Maria,” he said with urgency, heading towards her. “It’s important. I need to know where Scarlet is. Have you seen her here tonight?”
“Um…yeah,” she said. “Unfortunately.”
Caleb narrowed his eyes.
“What does that mean?”
“Last I saw her, she was like in the process of stealing my boyfriend,” she said.
Caleb narrowed his eyes further, trying to understand. Was Maria drunk, too?
“Is she here?” Caleb asked.
“No. She left a while ago.”
“Do you know where?”
“No clue. And glad I don’t.”
“She’s not responding to any of my calls or texts. Can you text her for me? I need to know where she is.”
Maria hesitated.
“I’m sorry Mr. Paine, I’d like to help you. But after tonight, Scarlet and me are no longer friends. Sorry. I wouldn’t text her if my life depended on it. In fact, I already deleted her from my contacts.”
She turned and stormed away, back into the house, leaving Caleb more puzzled than he was before. At least he knew that Scarlet had been here. And that she had left. Possibly with some boy. And not Blake.
He wracked his brain for where to go next, and the more he thought about it, the more he realized the best place to wait was at home. After all, he didn’t know where else to look, and eventually she had to come home.
Didn’t she?
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
Scarlet pulled up to her house in Sage’s growling Lamborghini, and parked it in the driveway. It had been the first time she had ever driven any car alone, and the whole ride had been terrifying, as she worried the whole way home that she’d get pulled over. She also felt especially funny driving this car, which was so expensive and which wasn’t even hers.
She saw the empty house, her mom and dad’s cars gone, and realized she was the only one home. She wondered where they could be at this late hour.
She glanced down at her phone as she turned off the car, and saw all the missed calls and texts from them. She felt guilty. She hadn’t wanted to avoid them, but she knew they’d be furious at her for sneaking out. They wouldn’t understand, and answering their calls would have just made everything much worse. There was no way she could explain it to them without their freaking out.
She worried that maybe they were out there looking for her. She felt bad about that. But at the same time, she was relieved the house was empty: at least she wouldn’t have to march in and face the fire. She could sneak back up to her room, close the door, and go to bed. Maybe, if she left early enough in the morning, she to get to school without having to deal with them either. Give them time to cool off.
As Scarlet entered the house she was immediately greeted by Ruth, who jumped on her as she walked in. She knelt down and hugged her, kissing her, as Ruth licked her all over her face.
“I know Ruth,” she said. “I missed you, too.”
Scarlet walked from room to room and realized all the lights were on, as if her mom and dad had left in a rush.
“Hello?” she called out, just in case one of them was home by some chance.
No response.
Scarlet took out her phone and stared, thinking. If her parents were out there looking for her, she figured she should at least let them know she was home, so that they would come back and stop worrying. She could still go to bed before they got back.
She typed a quick text to them both:
Am home. Sorry I didn’t text earlier. Going to bed now. See you tomorrow. Good night.
She sent it then powered it off so she wouldn’t feel it buzzing and vibrating with their angry responses, which she was sure would come instantaneously.
She felt too wound up to go right to bed, and needed something to help her relax. She figured she had a quick ten minutes before her parents got home, and decided to make herself a cup of tea. She headed into the kitchen, Ruth at her heels, and put a pot of boiling water on the stove. She reached into the cabinet for a cup and teabag, and while she was at it, grabbed a treat and threw it to Ruth.
Ruth snatched the bone in midair, then carried it to the corner and started to chew.
Scarlet took her tea and walked with it into the small reading room at the side of the house, her favorite room, Ruth following. It was small and quirky, lined with books from floor to ceiling
She sat in the comfortable, overstuffed chair in the corner, set down her cup of tea on the coffee table and leaned back and closed her eyes, breathing deeply. As she closed her eyes, she heard the piano music Sage had played; she quickly tried to push it from her mind.
It had been a crazy day and night. The party. All the drama with Blake, and Vivian, and Maria. And Sage…. She felt a knot in her stomach as she contemplated what tomorrow might bring.
Most of all, she thought of Sage, of their magical time together, of his beautiful home, of his patio, and the moonlight, and the river.
And, of course, their first kiss. It was the most magical kiss she’d ever had. She could not stop thinking about it.
But then her mind turned to thoughts of Sage’s asking her to leave. It had been so unexpected. She didn’t understand. She knew she should be more understanding, but she wasn’t. She really wanted answers. Was he rejecting her? Was there something wrong with her? With him? Why was he being so mysterious? Why couldn’t he just tell her?
Scarlet sighed as she opened her eyes and took another sip of tea. Boys. Her drama with them never seemed to end.
As Scarlet scanned the room, she noticed something, on the far end. It was a book she had never seen before, sitting on the end table, beside the other reading chair. It had unusual look to it, and it dew her in. It looked like one of her mom’s rare books, but it was smaller. Almost like…a journal.
Intrigued, she crossed the room, picked it up and examined it. She ran her hands along its worn edges, and as she turned the cover, the first page crinkled so loudly, she felt as if she were holding an ancient text. She had seen some of her mom’s rare books before—but never anything like this.
As she read the first page, she was puzzled. She looked closer, and read it again and again. She couldn’t understand. It looked like her mom’s handwriting. Was this hers?
As she was reading the text, suddenly, her heart stopped. She could not believe what she was reading. What was this? Some kind of journal?
Scarlet realized this was her
mom’s journal, and a part of her told her it was private and she should put it down. But another part of her had to know. She read and read, knowing that she shouldn’t.
It was definitely her mom’s. Caitlin’s journal. But this was not the Caitlin she knew. This was Caitlin as a young girl. As a teenager. She was mesmerized, turning the pages. It talked of falling in love with a man named Caleb. Having a daughter named Scarlet. Of becoming a vampire.
Her mom. A vampire. Changing. Transforming. Having hunger pangs. A sensitivity to light. Super strength. Wanting to feed on others. Just like her.
Scarlet’s heart was pounding in her throat as she thought of herself. She remembered the other day, with Blake, by the river. She had felt it. Was it real? Was this the reason? Had her mom known all along? Was that was she was not telling her?
Scarlet turned the final page and saw a handwritten note, on a new piece of paper, taped to the back. It read:
“Must stop Scarlet.”
Her heart pounded as she read it. What did that mean? Stop Scarlet? Stop her from doing what?
And that was when Scarlet realized: stop her from feeding. From transforming. From becoming a vampire.
There was only one way to do that: to kill her.
Scarlet felt her whole body go icy cold. She could not believe it: her own mom wanted to kill her.
Suddenly the front door banged open, and Scarlet jumped and dropped the book to the floor, knocking over her tea. She hurried into the living room and there, scowling down at her, was her dad.
“What the hell do you think you’re doing!?” he screamed at her.
She was taken aback: she had never heard him use that tone of voice before, and had never seen him look so angry.
“Whose car is that?” he demanded, before she could even answer. “In the driveway? Who? Is he here? In the house? Where is he?”
“No one’s here,” she shot back. “I drove it back myself.”
“You? What do you mean? You’re not even licensed? Do you realize that?”
“I had no choice,” she said, her mind reeling, feeling on the verge of tears.
“No choice? What are you talking about? Who owns that car?”
“A friend of mine,” she said. “He let me borrow it.”
“Let you borrow it? Who loans someone a Lamborghini? Is it one of your drug dealing friends?”
Drug dealing friends? What was he talking about? Scarlet wondered. Had he lost his mind?
“I don’t have any drug-dealing friends,” she said.
“Oh no?” he yelled. “Like Blake? He’s not a drug dealer?”
“I don’t even know what you’re talking about,” she yelled back, preparing in her mind to leave.
“How could you have lied to us? How could you have snuck out like that? Do you know how worried sick I was about you? I’ve been calling and texting you for hours. Why didn’t you respond? What’s gotten into you?”
“Because I knew you wouldn’t understand!” she yelled.
“I understand everything,” he snapped. “Too well. I know all about your pot smoking. Blake told me all about it.”
Scarlet narrowed her eyes, wondering what he was talking about.
“You saw Blake?” she asked, surprised.
“I did,” he said, “I went to the Wilsons. I saw him and I made it clear that he is never to see you again.”
Scarlet reeled at his words. She couldn’t believe it: her dad had gone to the party. He had shown up in front of everyone. He had confronted her ex-boyfriend. How humiliating. Now, she’d never be able to go back to school.
She was furious at her dad; she couldn’t stand the sight of him. She didn’t know who was worse—her mom, who wanted to kill her, or her dad, who wanted to humiliate her in front of everyone and who didn’t even trust her.
She’d had enough. She marched through the living room and grabbed her coat off the rack.
“And where do you think you’re going?” Caleb yelled, as he hurried over and grabbed her by the arm.
“Get off me!” she yelled.
But his grip was so strong, she wasn’t going anywhere.
Scarlet had had enough: in a flash, she was suddenly overwhelmed by a surge of rage. It rose up throughout her body, like a flash of heat, taking over. Without even meaning to, she turned and snarled at Caleb.
“I said get OFF of me!” she snarled.
She spun and shook her arm free with a strength she didn’t even know she had, then shoved him. She barely touched him, but as she did, he went flying across the room, crashing into the dining table and knocking it over.
He sat there, on the floor, looking up at her, blinking in stunned silence.
Scarlet knew that this was the moment that changed everything.
She was done with this house. Done with her parents. It was time for her to leave here—and to never come back.
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
Scarlet raced in the Lamborghini, speeding down the twisting and turning side streets, still trembling from her encounter with her dad. She had been shocked by his anger, and even more shocked at her own reaction. She hadn’t meant to hurt him like that; she’d only wanted to throw his arm off, to shove him away. She had barely touched him, and he’d gone flying across the room, like a cannonball. She had never seen anything like it, and her own strength terrified her.
Was it true? Was everything in her mom’s journal real?
Was she becoming a vampire?
Scarlet was finding it harder and harder to discount all of the strange things happening to her. Her super strength. The light sensitivity. Her speed. And most of all, her desire to feed. Too many things were adding up.
As she drove in the darkness, she felt there was only one place she could go, only one person she could turn to who might understand.
Sage.
She didn’t know why, especially after his having asked her to leave, but for some reason she felt he’d understand. She followed the streets back to River Road, past mansion after mansion, until she came to his.
Her heart was pounding as she pulled through the open gates, onto his driveway. Was coming here a mistake?
She didn’t know where else to go, and felt as if she had no one else left in the world. If all that drama hadn’t happened tonight, maybe she could crash with Maria. But after tonight, that wasn’t an option.
She sped down his driveway, pulled up before the door and killed the ignition, amazed she made it in his car in one piece.
She jumped out and marched to front door, her footsteps crunching on the gravel, and as she did, she was struck with a terrible thought: what if Sage didn’t want her here after all? What if he sent her away? She would be crushed. And then, where would she go? After all, just hours ago, he had told her to leave. Might her showing up here like this turn him off?
She just needed a place to stay. Even if he didn’t want to see her anymore, maybe he could just let her crash on a couch somewhere, just give her until the morning to figure things out. After all, his house was big enough.
She took a deep breath as she reached for the knocker.
But as she did, the door suddenly opened.
Standing there, facing her, was a boy she’d never met. He looked to be about Sage’s build, except he was taller, with sandy, long-ish hair, and blue eyes. He was very attractive, but there was something about him—something almost sinister—that Scarlet sensed right away. Her skin went cold in his presence.
“Well, you must be Scarlet,” he said, a smile on his face, as he extended his hand.
She shook it warily, and felt a dark energy emanating off of it as she did. Her hand had never felt so cold. His eyes seemed to gleam, to light up as he touched her. She didn’t understand how he knew her name—had Sage been talking about her?
“I’m Lore,” he said. “Sage’s cousin.”
“Nice to meet you,” she said.
He held onto her hand too long, and as he stared down at her, his eyes locking on hers, she began to
feel a little creeped out.
“I’ve heard so much about you,” he added.
“You have?” she asked, hearing the surprise in her own voice. Had Sage really been talking about her? She hoped that he had.
“All the time,” he said. “Seems our boy is smitten. Though he’d never admit it. But don’t flatter yourself just yet—he’s that way with every girl that comes around.”
Scarlet’s heart sank. Was he telling the truth? Somehow she doubted he was.
“Um…is Sage here?” she asked.
Suddenly Sage appeared in the door, reaching out with one arm and pushing Lore side. She sensed the tension between them.
“Well then,” Lore said with a smile, and disappeared into the house.
“Sorry about him,” Sage said.
“Who is he?” she asked. “Is that really your cousin?” She suddenly started to worry if his family was really creeped out.
“He is. It’s a long story,” Sage said.
He looked down at the car keys in her hand, and she realized, and reached out and handed them to him.
“I’m sorry to come back,” she said.
“I’m glad you did,” he said with a smile. His words warmed her heart. She knew it. She knew he’d understand. Finally, a place in the world where she was welcome.
“Sorry about before,” he added. “It wasn’t me. It was just…” He looked away. “I can’t really explain it.”
She could feel he was genuine, and didn’t want to bring it up again.
“Don’t worry,” she said. “I understand. Maybe it was all just a bit much at once.”
She sensed movement inside the house. Sage must’ve sensed it, too, because he stepped outside and closed the door behind them.
“It’s a nice night,” he said. “Let’s take a walk.”
She was happy as she reached out and placed her hand in his. It felt good to hold his hand again, and he led her for a walk on the grounds, around the side of the house.
They followed a winding trail that led them around the backyard, then twisted and turned off to the side of the house, underneath huge trees. It led them across the rolling grounds, up and down hills beneath the huge full moon.