“So do I,” she smiled.
“Then why do you still look so sad?”
“I’m worried about Vanessa. She’s so upset that Pete’s flight is delayed, and you know how she gets when she’s around people that are so excited about our engagement, and us going to Georgetown.”
“She should be happy for us,” he said. “Kat, I know that being so close to the situation makes it hard for you to see—”
“Don’t. Please don’t tell me that you hate her and that she’s too much.”
“She is,” he kissed her. “It’s not to be ugly, she should be happy for you.”
“She is.”
“She’s not. She’s jealous and self-absorbed, why else would she—”
“Jason!”
“Kat, this is your night. It’s not fake, it’s not for the media or Council. The day I proposed to you, I meant it, with all of my heart. Not just because we’re lifemates and we have a mission to accomplish but because I love you. I want to spend the rest of my life with you, so forget about her, and everyone else for that matter. Tonight’s about me and you.”
“That’s seriously the most romantic thing I’ve ever heard,” she got the strangest yet nicest sensation in her stomach. “And I love you too, with all my heart.”
“Then stop worrying about her. She probably went up to the room to wait for Pete, so enjoy the night. Let’s not let anything ruin our night. We love each other and we get to go through all the human pomp and circumstance to celebrate our union, so I say we do just that.” He kissed her then leaned back. “What do you say?”
“Really?” She asked. “Can I say no when you put it that way?”
“I hope not,” he kissed her cheek. “I rehearsed that for hours, so I’m really hoping you bought—”
“Jerk,” she laughed and kissed him.
When the song ended they walked to their table. Waiters were serving dinner so they got a moment of peace to eat and chat with their friends. Lauren made fun of her guests’ outfits, which was her way of trying to take Kat’s mind off of Vanessa’s empty seat. It worked only marginally.
After being served dessert, Jason leaned toward her with a piece of chocolate cake on his fork. Not intending to make the guest tap their forks against their champagne glasses, but loving that it made her blush. She leaned over to take the bite and everyone applauded when they kissed.
“I’m just going to run to the ladies room to freshen up,” she placed a kiss on his cheek. “I’ll be right back.”
“Okay, just hurry. I think they’re going to put on the slideshow that we made,” he kissed her then turned to answer a question that his father asked.
She excused herself and headed for the bathroom. She was just about to enter when another door caught her attention. It was for staff only, and she wondered where it went. She powdered her nose then, knowing she shouldn’t because it would infuriate Jason and Brian, she decided to run up and check on Vanessa.
She pulled the door open to the ladies room, swept the hallway, and saw her bodyguard with his back to her at the end of the corridor, so she quickly made it to the staff entrance door. It led into the kitchen, so she followed it to the service elevator that the security guard had shown her so long ago. She took the service elevator to the next floor, where she then switched over to the guest elevator.
She made it up to their room and as she stepped inside she started to call out for Vanessa but stopped when she experienced the oddest sensation. She tried to place it, but it was foreign to her. Her hand went to her stomach and she wondered if she really did need the ladies room; she took a deep breath in, exhaled slowly, and felt better.
She scanned the room and headed in the direction of the bedrooms. As she passed the mini-bar, the odd sensation came back, an odd twisting feeling in her stomach. A sense of dread came over her as she stopped and looked at the bottles that lay empty on the floor and table. She pushed it aside because she didn’t have time to analyze this newest human emotion. She needed to make sure Vanessa was okay and get back to the party before Jason noticed that she was gone.
A sound caught her attention. It made her heart rate accelerate as the twisting in her stomach became a painful cramp. Ignoring it, she made her way to the bedroom. She was strangely winded for reasons unknown to her. She pushed the door open and flicked on the light. The room swayed beneath her feet, so she was glad she was close to the door because she needed to grip the doorknob to keep her balance. She struggled for air and pressed her hand against the odd and horrific sensation in her stomach.
Kat had always known that somewhere between ninth grade and her senior year of high school she had fallen in love with Roger. Yet she had somehow always doubted that love, especially after meeting Jason. But seeing Roger in bed with her sister cemented that fact in her heart. In that instant, her heart felt broken. A void filled its place. The betrayal of seeing Vanessa lying beside Roger was more than she could take and by far the most painful experience of her life.
Kat heard Vanessa call out to her, but she had already turned and was running. She got to the door and had to wipe away tears to find the doorknob. She ran to the elevator and repeatedly hit the down button.
Her breathing was coming in quick burst that she recognized as hyperventilation. Thankfully the elevator that she had taken was still there. It opened and she bolted inside and hit the lobby button.
She wiped her face and fresh tears drenched it. Her breathing was sporadic. The quickness and shallowness of it so painful to her lungs that she wanted to control it, breathe normally again, but that seemed beyond her control.
The acid in her stomach was churning in a painful manner. She held her hand against it and bent forward because the discomfort was overbearing. Every few seconds, the acid that caused the cramping pain in her abdomen traveled up her esophagus, and the burning acidity scorched the back of her throat, and left a horrible taste in her mouth.
Then, for the first time in her Hybrid existence, Kat bent over as her stomach lurched and spasmed in the most agonizing way. The ripples caused her to cough and gag. Nothing came forth but a horrific acidity that forced her to spit onto the elevator floor. Her body heaved forward several times and she was sure she was going to vomit, but didn’t.
The elevator chimed, indicating that it had reached the ground floor. As much as Kat knew she had to pull it together, she couldn’t, the pain and hollowness was so overbearing that she thought she would never be the same again.
“Hey, there’s the lady of the hour—” Pete started. “Jesus, Kat,” he dropped his luggage and wrapped his arms around her as she fell into them and cried. “What is it? What’s wrong?”
Pete took her head into his hands, but she pulled away from him because she couldn’t stop crying long enough to talk. And when she finally tried, the oddest tightness occurred in her chest, almost as if it was squeezing the life out of her. And there was a build-up of emotion. One that swelled into what she knew was a sob after hearing it escape her lips. Her body shook from it, the convulsion more painful than she had ever imagined.
“Miss Bloomfield,” the one bodyguard called as he pulled her away from Pete. “Has someone hurt you? Are you injured,” He asked. The bodyguard pulled his left wrist to his mouth and said, “I’ve got her, we’re in the lobby.”
Kat pulled herself free of him and buried her face into Pete’s chest.
“Kat,” Pete’s grip tightened around her when her body shook from the sobs that ripped through her. “Sweetie, did someone hurt you?”
“Babe,” Jason ran toward them and pulled her away from Pete. “Kat, honey, what happened?”
“Take me home,” she pressed against him. “Please, Jason, just take me home. Get me out of here.”
“Kit Kat,” Brian called as he and her mother ran toward them. He lifted her chin so she could look at him. “Did someone hurt you?”
“Honey,” her mother said. “Are you okay? Do we need to call an ambulance?”
“I j
ust wanna go home,” she nuzzled her face farther into Jason’s neck.
“Send someone to pull the limo around.” Jason ordered as he pulled her against his body.
The elevator chimed.
“Kit Kat,” Vanessa called as she stepped from it. She stopped short upon seeing Pete, the blood draining from her face. “Pete! When did you—”
“Babe,” Pete said as he walked toward her.
“Home, Jason. Please,” a sob ripped through Kat, the sight of her sister causing the void in her chest to grow monumentally.
“Please, Kit Kat,” Vanessa said pushing Pete away and reaching out for Kat. She rubbed her back. “Please, I’m so sorry, I don’t know what happened. I just—”
“Is she okay?” Jason asked grabbing Vanessa’s wrist and pulling her so close that she pressed against Kat. “Did someone hurt her?”
“No,” Vanessa sobbed. “Kit Kat, please,” she ripped her arm from Jason and grabbed Kat’s forearm and turned her around.
Kat pulled her arm away from Vanessa and stepped back. She nearly knocked Jason over in the process, but he thankfully caught both of their footings and saved them from tumbling over. Oblivious to his struggle, she wanted only to get Vanessa’s hand off of her, the feel of it nauseating her.
“Don’t touch me!” an odd trembling sensation overtook Kat’s body, a surge of energy forming at the hollow spot that had erupted in the center of her chest.
“Kit Kat, no, please, no, I’m so sorry—”
“You’re sorry!” Kat sobbed and Jason had to hold her up because she doubled over as a spasm shook through her. It was the oddest and most painful sensation. “How could you?”
“Don’t,” Vanessa cried. “Please,” she begged. “Please don’t be mad. I just drank too much and I didn’t mean to, Kit Kat, please believe—”
The elevator chimed.
“Kat,” Roger called. He stepped off the elevator and walked toward her. Everyone’s attention instantly went to him, so no one noticed Kat’s body begin to tremble.
“Roger,” Pete said. “What the hell are you doing here?”
“I came to see you,” Roger said ignoring everyone and focusing on Kat. “I just wanted to see if you were really happy, if it was all true. Then Vanessa came out of the ballroom," Roger looked at Vanessa then back at Kat. “So I followed her up to the room and we had a few shots and one thing just kinda led to another.” He stepped toward her. “Kat, I didn’t want to…” he exhaled loudly. “That’s not true. I really did wanna hurt you…but not like this…this all just kinda happened.”
The energy level within Kat intensified as she listened, which caused a burning sensation that coursed through her body. It had an electric feeling that made her break out into a sweat and breathe in shallow gulps of air. She balled her hands into a fist and took a step toward him.
Julianne took a step forward and punched Roger in the face. Everyone looked on in utter disbelief as Roger slid across the floor, “You son of a bitch!” Julianne shouted.
“Mother!” Vanessa grabbed Julianne’s arm to halt her progress toward Roger, which only succeeded in giving Pete the opportunity to get to him first. He grabbed Roger by the neck and pulled him onto his feet.
“Please, take me home,” Kat turned away from the scene unfolding before her. She sobbed against Jason’s neck when he scooped her into his arms and headed for the main entrance.
Brian stepped out with them and whistled for the taxi that was parked by the bellhop station. “Get her home, I’ll call soon,” Brian paid the driver before disappearing back inside.
Jason pulled her onto his lap and she sobbed for several minutes. The whole situation was so upsetting that she couldn’t wrap her mind around it. She took the handkerchief he offered and wiped her face. After another few moments of leaning her cheek against his shoulder, the tears subsided, but the heavy sobs that shook her body and caused her sides to ache continued sporadically.
“It’s okay,” Jason stroked her hair.
“How could she?” She whispered.
“You really cared about him?” He asked after a moment, which she nodded too. “Do you still?” He asked turning in such a way that he could look at her.
“No,” she looked at him. “Yes.” She dropped her head onto his shoulder. “I don’t know…” She buried her face against his neck. “But Vanessa…” fresh tears fell onto her cheeks. “How could she, Jason?”
“It doesn’t surprise—” He sighed loudly, then wiped her face. “I don’t know how or why she did what she did, but I do know that you don’t ever have to worry about that again.” He kissed her on the forehead. “You never have to feel the way you do right now because I love you and I promise I will never hurt you.” He kissed her cheek, then after wiping away fresh tears, kissed her lips gently.
“I love you, too.” She sniffled.
“So no more tears over this or anything else.” He wiped her cheeks and smiled, “Especially over those cheesy chick flicks.”
“I’ve never cried during a chick flick—”
“Oh, I beg to differ, dear. You did...” He laughed while wiping her face again, “Remember? On the flight back from Florida…”
“For your information,” she wiped her nose. “I was choking on my drink so my eyes just got a little watery—”
“You are so full of it.”
“That my eyes are brown?” She asked.
“Nah, they’re still the most beautiful green I’ve ever seen and…” He kissed her softly, “The most beautiful smile. Can you promise me something?”
“Anything,” she nodded.
“You’ll always smile, will never be sad again?”
“Um, that’s a tall order,” she whispered. “But,” she looked out the window at their house. “I can try and not think about what just happened. Maybe—”
“Excuse me, sir,” the driver handed Jason money over the seat. “Here’s your change.”
“Keep it, we’re good. Thanks for everything.” Jason pushed the door open.
He helped Kat out of the taxi and guided her to their bedroom. She sat at her vanity after he unzipped the back of her dress then disappeared mumbling something about getting her a drink. She pulled the dress off and let it drop on to the floor, then pushed the shoes off of her feet and slipped on her bathrobe. She reached for a tissue and her hand stopped midair as she caught a glimpse of one of the many pictures she had around the house of her and Vanessa.
The surge of energy that had dissipated earlier returned suddenly. The thought of Roger seemed to intensify the already powerful feeling and caused her hands to tremble. The energy flowed into her body from the hollowed spot in her chest.
She lifted the picture and threw it across the room. The energy decreased slightly as the picture left her hand with a force she didn’t know she possessed. It shattered the frame into tiny fragments before crumbling to the floor amidst wall plaster that had been displaced by the impact.
“Are you okay?" Jason ran in from the hallway. Wine was sloshing everywhere.
“I just…” She started. “There’s something wrong…” She bent forward holding her hands over her stomach.
“What’s wrong? What can I do?” He dropped the glass of wine on the vanity.
“I don’t know,” she cried. The sensation was so overwhelming.
He pulled her into his embrace. She gasped in the same moment that he cried out. The energy surge that flowed throughout her body somehow became concentrated in every part of her that he touched. It was an amazing feeling, but apparently just for her, because he pulled away from her and stumbled over the bench. He crashed against the vanity, his wide-eyed stare a testament to how shocked he was over the exchange.
As the energy reversed direction and began to flow through her body, she closed the distance between them and pulled him against her once again. The feeling of the energy they shared was the most exhilarating experience of her life. She needed to feel it again, even though it was so obviously un
pleasant for him.
He cried out when she pressed against him and tried to pull her off of him, but she held him against the vanity despite his large size. Then she kissed him. After another moment of struggling he relaxed against her, then pulled her closer. It was almost as if his body started to absorb her energy in a way that caused him to finally embrace the odd sensation.
She felt a change in the energy level and somehow knew that the increase in the flow came from him. Her energy flowed from the hollow spot that had formed in her chest. His was different. His came from his heart. It generated soft pulses that matched the rhythm of his heartbeat. And each pulse added an amazing intensity to the waves that flowed into her.
When Kat was ripped out of Jason’s embrace, the flow of energy halted, then reversed direction. She spun and lashed out in anger at whoever had intruded upon them. Her mother grabbed the hand that she swung blindly. Kat was grateful she did. Even in the midst of her fury she would never want to hurt her mother, accidently or not. Kat had no time to apologize because her mother gripped her arm painfully, pulled her against her, and plunged a hypodermic needle into her neck.
Kat cried out as she dropped to the floor. Her mother caught most of her weight, and then lowered her to the ground. She heard Jason scream out and turned in time to see him collapse onto the floor. Her body had the strangest reaction to the sound of his anguish. She wanted to get to him. She needed to make sure he was okay. But she couldn’t move. Her mother pulled the needle from her neck and tossed it aside. Kat’s vision was blurry and the room was swaying. She closed her eyes against the waves of nausea.
“Mother, there’s something wrong…” She tried to look up and focus on her.
“Shh,” Julianne grabbed her hands. The energy flowed again, this time in a powerful surge that caused Kat to cry out in pain. “It’s okay,” her mother repeated several times as the last of the energy flowed from Kat’s body into her mother’s. Kat lay panting on the floor, sweat drenching her and making her cold. She shivered.
“Don’t,” her mother shouted at Jason as he stumbled toward them. “Sit on the bed,” Julianne ordered.
Sleeper Cells Page 10