by Tarisa Marie
She doesn’t.
“May we come in?” Damon asks politely and my aunt nods and gestures for us to come in.
“You have some explaining to do young lady!” she says in a hushed demand.
“I promise that I’ll explain everything. Is Geoff here?” I ask her praying that he hasn’t left for Philly yet.
“You can scream now, maybe call your son? Laytah is alive and well.” Damon says.
“GEOFF!! Get down here!” My aunt yells up the stairs, her voice shaking.
“What do you need, mom!?” Geoff calls back irritated. His voice makes a smile spread across my face. God I missed him even if it had only been a few days to me.
“Just get down here!” She replies shaking her head. “Hurry!” she adds.
While we wait for Geoff to come downstairs my aunt wraps me in a warm hug and kisses my cheek. “I’m so glad you’re okay Laytah. I saw your body. I saw you dead, and trust me you were dead. And then the hospital called to tell us that when they went to ship you off to the funeral home, they couldn’t find your body. I was furious thinking that they’d lost you somehow.” She added. “What happened?!” She grips me in a tight hug.
Then Geoff comes running down the stairs his suitcase in tow. When he sees me he drops it and his eyes widen.
“Oh my god, Laytah? You really are alive. What the fuck?!” He shouts and tears fill his eyes. “You idiot, where have you been?!”
My aunt scowls at him for cursing but doesn’t say anything about it. Instead she brushes it off and waits for me to answer Geoff’s question.
Geoff looks at Damon and nods in greeting but other than that he ignores him.
“I-I-“ I start but don’t know what to say.
Damon cuts me off, “Neither of you two seen her dead. The hospital somehow made a mistake. They mixed Laytah’s charts with another patient’s. Laytah has been in the hospital in a coma for a month. She was in an accident but she was not killed in it.”
“A coma? Oh you poor child! I’m going to be giving that hospital a call and I’m starting a law suit against them!” My aunt shouts angrily.
Damon’s voice is soft and smooth as he says, “There is no need to contact the hospital about this matter.”
Is he using mind control somehow? I feel like that’s intrusive somehow, like it’s unfair to Aunt Carol and Geoff but how else am I going to explain all this and have them believe me?
Geoff comes over and gives me a hug. Now he notices Damon more seriously. “Who are you?” He asks extending a hand for him to shake.
Damon grasps it firmly and gives it a shake. “My name is Damon Kingsley. I’m uh...” he hesitates.
“He’s my boyfriend,” I say quickly before his pause is found to be suspicious
“That you met while in a coma…” Geoff says dubiously while looking at me funny.
I never thought of that.
“We’ve been secretly dating for a while,” I tell them.
My aunt smiles, she believes me. Geoff on the other hand raises an eyebrow in disbelief. He knows I tell him everything.
“Yes, we’ve been dating for a few months I didn’t know you existed either or I would’ve called about Laytah.” Damon says staring into Geoff’s eyes. Suddenly Geoff’s skepticism disappears and he smiles. Thank god for Damon and his glamour or whatever you want to call it.
“Nice to meet you then Damon.” Geoff says. “Welcome to the family. Why didn’t you tell us about him sooner? It could’ve saved a LOT of grief.” Geoff says angrily.
“Don’t worry about that.” Damon says, again using mind control. God, where would I be without that right now?
“Yes, welcome. Why don’t you two come in for some tea?” My aunt encourages while walking into the kitchen.
We follow her.
“Why didn’t you tell me that you were on your way here? I was just about to head out to Philly like you told me to,” Geoff asks.
“Sorry I thought I’d surprise you.” I lie.
We all sit down at the table except my aunt who walks to the kettle on the stove and flicks on the burner.
Damon also doesn’t sit, instead he turns to Geoff and says, “May I use your washroom? It was a long ride.”
Geoff nods and points down the hall while shoving a cookie in his face.
Once Damon disappears into the bathroom Geoff’s eyes turn weary.
“Does that guy know that you’ve banged like ten other guys in the last month and a half? I mean obviously none while you were in a coma but the two weeks before then…?” He asks bluntly.
My face turns bright red and my aunt turns to face Geoff.
“Geoffrey Dawn! I did not need to hear that! But Laytah if what he said is true, I hope you’ve been using protection and I hope that you’ve been tested for STDs!”
“Oh my god, it was two guys, guys!” I correct.
I don’t think my face can get any redder when I notice that Damon has already came back into the room he definitely did not go to the washroom that fast. His face is absolutely blank.
“Geoff, may I have word with you.” I say through gritted teeth.
He smiles at me. “Of course.”
“Outside,” I demand.
He rolls his eyes but stands and I follow him out to the porch.
Once we’re outside and the door is shut I feel the redness slowly leave my face.
“What the hell?!” I ask him pointing a finger into his chest.
“Well seriously. You were with two guys that I know of during those two weeks,” he says playfully.
“Yeah, two. Not ten. And anyways, why is that your business or your mom’s!” I screech in a hushed voice. The door may be closed but you can never be too quiet.
“Look, I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have said that. At least not in front of my mom. I should’ve waited. But while we’re out here alone, tell me why you’re worried about your boyfriend hearing it. He doesn’t know then?”
I ponder his words. How do I reply? “We weren’t serious until yesterday when I woke up from my…er…coma.” I lie. God I suck at lying. “And no, he doesn’t know yet.”
“Now you tell me something,” I say. “Why are you more concerned about my love life than the fact that I’m alive?”
He hesitates. “Oh, that’s an easy one.” He says pulling something from his pocket. When I look closer I see it’s a pill bottle. “I’ve been self-medicating. I don’t feel nothin’, cousin. You should seriously try it.”
I gasp and take the bottle from him. I’m no expert with pills or fancy medical terminology so when I read the long name on the bottle indicating what type of drug it is, I don’t learn anything new. I look at the name on the bottle. The prescription does not belong to him. In fact the name Gloria Tadlon doesn’t even ring a bell.
“Where did you get these? Why are you taking these? Are you serious?” I demand getting angry again.
“Some kid from work.”
“Why are you taking them?” I ask again.
He laughs without humor. “Laytah, I thought you were fucking dead.”
My heart drops into my stomach. And I was questioning his emotional reactions? What about mine? I’m being just as ludicrous as he is. I mean to me, I didn’t ever die, and to me I was only gone three days. To him, I’d been dead for an entire month. I try to put myself in his shoes. What if roles had been reversed? I’d be a mess too, although I still don’t agree with his method of coping.
I shove the pill bottle into my jacket pocket and wrap my arms around him. “I’m so sorry,” I apologize through tears.
“It’s not your fault you were in a coma.” He says confused.
“I know but I’m still sorry.”
“So uh what’s with your boyfriend, why have I never met him?” He asks changing the subject.
I laugh. “Because I don’t tell you absolutely everything.”
“I tell you everything.” He says.
I apologize again and then open the front door and return
to my seat at the table in the kitchen.
After we have our tea and spend hours talking and catching up I am exhausted and as much as I would like stay and chat my aunt looks like she’s about to fall asleep at the table.
She claims she’s fine but I know she just doesn’t want me to leave her sight again. After some persuading and promising her that I’ll see her tomorrow, she finally agrees to go to bed and leaves the room.
Geoff is finally sobering up and I can tell that the day is wearing on him but I know that he will refuse to go to bed until I actually leave and go to bed. Even then, he might not let me leave his sight. He might insist on sleeping in my room with me.
Geoff excuses himself from the table to use the washroom and leaves Damon and me alone.
“So?” He asks.
“You tired?” I ask him.
“Laytah, I don’t sleep.”
I look at him as though he’s an alien. Well he sort of is, I suppose.
“At all?”
“I can’t,” he murmurs, bored.
I’m sure it’s been one boring day for him listening to stories about people he’s never met and hearing about things that he surely doesn’t care about. He barely said much all day.
“When I went to the washroom earlier, I don’t actually do that either, I popped over to my place and grabbed this for you,” he says and pulls a silver ring from his pocket, a huge rectangular sapphire rests on the band surrounded by diamonds.
“For me? I can’t accept that.”
“You have to. It will enable me to find you if we become separated so that I can protect you,” he explains and lifts my right hand up placing the ring on my middle finger.
“Oh…thanks then I guess.” I suppose that’s probably a good thing to have in case I get kidnapped by my evil uncle or something not that Damon can do much about that. My uncle is more likely to kill me and ask questions later anyhow.
Just then Geoff reenters the room with a grin on his face. A grin that I know all too well. He’s up to something.
“You guys up for something fun?” He asks pulling a flask from his pocket and sliding it across the table to us.
I open it and take a whiff. Vodka. I take a sip and hand it to Damon who smiles and takes a gulp. I remember his canister full of it back in the Amber Evers. I also remember his cocky attitude and carefree demeanor. Where’d that disappear to? Today he’s all serious and what not.
“Like what?” I ask replying to Geoff’s question.
“D10.” He says and I feel my face light up. Bout time for some normalcy.
“Sure.” I reply.
Geoff runs upstairs to change and I suddenly realize that I’m still in the baggy t-shirt and sweat pants I put on last night.
“What is D10?” Damon asks.
“It’s a nightclub downtown. The only one in the city that is 18+ not 21+. So Geoff can get in, he’s only 18.”
“Legal drinking age is 21. What fun is he going to have if he can’t drink?” He asks. I then realize that I don’t have my wallet, so I also don’t have my ID and I have no clue where to start searching for it.
Geoff returns then and Damon’s face brightens.
“Hey Geoff, can I see your ID for a minute?” he asks.
Geoff shrugs and pulls it from his pocket. “Why?”
“Well I have my brother’s ID on me because he left it in my car and he looks kinda like you, but he’s 21. I want to see if your height is close.” Damon said in an you know what I’m sayin’? kind of voice.
Geoff’s smile is huge as he hands Damon his ID. Suddenly Damon pulls an ID from his pocket and hands both to Geoff. Geoff looks at his, puts it on the table and then shoves the one Damon handed him into his pocket.
“Thanks man. I’m already starting to like you.”
“Not a problem,” Damon says and takes another chug of the vodka.
“I guess I’ll need some cash for drinks,” he says and runs upstairs again.
When he’s gone I turn to Damon and ask, “You have a brother?” I mean sure it made sense, that his brother would look like Geoff. They looked a lot alike of course Damon was hot and Geoff was well not. Maybe I just think of him like that because he is my cousin.
“No. Being fae has its advantages.” He says and holds out his hand, suddenly a rose sits upon it, a black rose.
“Is that real?” I ask him.
“As real as you and I.” he answers.
“I’ve never seen a black rose before,” I observe.
“Well that’s because they only grow in the Amber Evers,” he states.
Geoff comes back downstairs a moment later still grinning.
“Whoa Laytah, you sure changed fast. I like that look. Apparently being in a coma...uh...opened your mind?” he laughs.
I’m about to ask what the hell he’s talking about when I look down and realize I’m suddenly wearing a skimpy black dress. Just the kind that one would wear clubbing. Not I, I’m a more conservative person. I know exactly who to blame for my wardrobe selection, the culprit is the same man that had dressed me in skimpy clothes last time. Damon.
I turn and scowl at him and notice he’s chugging down the rest of the flask. God, is he an alcoholic?
“Got anymore vodka before we hit the road, mate?” Damon asks Geoff who lights up and opens the cupboard beneath the sink.
“Tons, which club are we headed to?” Geoff asks while handing Damon a bottle of vodka.
To my surprise Damon opens the bottle right up and takes a few good chugs as if its water and he’s dehydrated. Geoff looks as surprised as I do and sets the shot glass he’s pulled from the cupboard for Damon on the counter and says. “Guess you won’t be needing this.”
“How about Pulse? I’ve never been there.” I ask.
Geoff shrugs. “Me neither…obviously. I’m down. You good with that man?”
“Whatever you guys want.” Damon nods and finally puts the cap back on the bottle of vodka. I also notice him put his sunglasses back on. I hope he isn’t going to wear those to the club. He’ll look like an idiot wearing sunglasses in the dark.
“Sweet, I’ll drive. I can leave my car there overnight.” Geoff says and grabs his keys off the counter.
“I call shotgun!” I shout and race for the door.
Chapter 6
When we arrive at the club it’s dark, loud, and as usual chaotic. Thankfully Damon manages to glamour me up an ID since I didn’t bring mine. The colorful lights beam against the walls to the bass and the music blasts. People are screaming and rubbing up against each other. It’s a little more intense than D10 but nothing I haven’t seen before in the clubs in Philly.
As soon as we walk in Damon and Geoff both begin grinning. Men. I’m sure they were both in absolute awe over the hundreds of half-naked girls walking around.
I lead them over to the bar and order a round of vodka shots since that seems to be the drink of choice for both these guys. Only yesterday I was terrified of this strange man, actually I shot him, I’d tried to kill him. And it’s pretty screwed that I shot and tried to kill him and then only hours later I had sex with the same man. What is wrong with me? Had he glamoured me into it all along? Had he made it so it seemed like it was my choice but I actually had no say in it at all? Had I really wanted to have sex with him? Or had he made me feel like I wanted to? I look at him now and even at this moment, I would do it again. I mean what women wouldn’t want to have sex with him. I come to the explanation that I’d had such a terrible day yesterday, that I’d just needed something to make it a little better. It just had to come in the form of having sex with a guy that had just told me that I wasn’t human and I’d shot. I try and wrap my mind around the last few days but still can’t it still feels like I’m still dreaming though now I’m sure I’m not.
“Hey, I’m gonna go find a babe!” Geoff yells over the music to me and Damon.
I nod that I heard him and he disappears into the crowd.
Damon orders another shot and then
we get out of the way of the bar and go to find a better place to stand. I assume all the money he suddenly has is some sort of magic trick like the rose and the ID and my outfit. At least I hope so. I hope he didn’t find more of my money to spend.
We end up standing next to a stripper pole where a girl is grinding against it like she’s found her soulmate. I choke back a gag. Do we have to stand here and watch that?
“I like this place,” Damon says while removing his sunglasses. “I’ve never been to one.”
“Ever?” I ask him.
He shakes his head and nods to the huge dancing crowd in the middle of the room. “It’s like a buffet.”
At first I have no idea what he means but then realization hits. All of the people here are making out, grinding, and practically having sex on the dance floor. He lives off of sex. I nearly gag at his reference. What’s he gonna just pick one? Two? Ten?
He glances at me and must read my expression. He starts laughing. “You misunderstand. I can feed off this. Right here. As I stand. I don’t have to use glamour on anyone. It’s ideal. I just take it all in.”
Realization hits me. The atmosphere in this place is so sexually charged that he can basically just take it in.
“What?” he asks defensively. “Is there something on my face?”
I shake my head with a laugh. “No.”
“Does that freak you out?” he asks. It takes me minute to figure out what he means. He’s talking about the club and feeding off the vibe it gives off.
“Not at all,” I say not sure if I’m serious. Somehow the fact that he’s like 300 years old is far weirder. Well 300 fae years whatever that means. Maybe because I am so used to men’s lives revolving around sex but I’m not used to seeing 300 year old men in the bodies of a young men. Now that’s weird. Realistically, his body should be dust by now.
“Do you want to dance?” I ask him changing the subject.
He smiles. “I don’t do this sort of dancing.”
“We don’t have to dance like horny teenagers,” I assure him.
“Oh I wouldn’t mind that, I just mean that I only know…classic dances,” he says with the smirk I am getting accustomed to loving.