by Tish Thawer
As everyone headed off to start opening the club, I pulled Rose close. "Are you going to be okay to go home and face your dad? He's probably pretty worried about you by now."
"Yes. I should be fine. I'm going to call him on my way and make sure that the demon bitch isn't going to be there, and then maybe once we're alone I can talk some sense into him." She rose up onto her tippy toes and kissed me goodbye."Thanks for an amazing night. I love you."
"I love you too. Call me if you need anything. I can literally be there in flash." I was so reluctant to let her go, but I knew it was necessary.
* * * * *
CHAPTER FORTY-ONE
Father-Daughter Moment
(Jeremy/Dad)
Once five o'clock ticked by, I realized that Rose wasn't coming straight home after school. I had tried her phone, but there was no answer. I called Jillian's house, and as expected, everyone was out. I hoped that maybe Rose was with them and not somewhere on her own, but honestly, I knew better. I didn't think that she was doing anything bad, but just taking more time to wrap her head around everything that had happened. But damn it...if she'd only come home or pick up her phone then I could tell her that there was nothing to be upset about, and that Meredith and I were over.
I literally sat there stewing, pacing, cussing and almost crying for another two hours before she called.
"I'll be home soon." she said. She was safe and sounded fine, but it was obvious by the tone in her voice that she was nervous. It made my heart tighten.
Throughout our entire lives, Rose and I had been extremely close. She wasn't exactly a daddy's girl, because she had been just as close to her mother, but that was the beauty of it. We had had the perfect family. Then Loraine was murdered, and even though Rose and I remained close, there was a distance that Loraine's death had put between us, and I was coming to realize that it was probably all my fault.
I didn't know how else to behave. Protecting my daughter was an almost primal instinct. But I had to admit, I shouldn't have been so overbearing. I just hope I hadn't realized it too late.
"Okay, honey. I'll be waiting. See you soon." I tried to keep it light and not indicate just how upset I was.
By the time I heard a car pull up in the driveway, I had practically worn a path into the carpet between the living room and the front door. When the car didn't pull off again, I realized that this wasn't Jillian dropping her off, but was in fact Rose herself. That must have been where she went after school...to buy her new car.
I tried not to let it hurt, but it was something that I really had wanted to do with her, and now her anger had robbed us of that father daughter moment. But since there was nothing I could do about it now, I supposed as long as it was a dependable car then I was just going to have to let it go.
When I peeked out the window and saw a suped-up muscle car instead, I almost passed out. This was so unlike Rose. I suddenly wasn't too sure that our conversation was going to go so well after all.
* * * * *
(Rose)
The entire time I was driving towards home, I kept trying to think of a reasonable excuse for my dad not to see Meredith. But honestly, besides the fact that I thought she was a demon, everything else I came up with just made me sound like a spoiled brat who was upset that her daddy had moved on with his life. Which, when I think about it is pretty damn ironic, since that's exactly what I'd been complaining about for months.
The moment I pulled up into our driveway, I stopped thinking about what to say about Meredith, and instead wondered what the hell I was going to say about Christian's car. Then again, I was so over this whole "sweet innocent Rose" persona that everyone had always put upon me, that I was actually looking forward to telling the truth. Coming out to Christian and his clan had been a truly freeing experience. Now, I just had to see how well I could pull it off with my dad.
As soon as I opened the front door, I saw him sitting on the living room couch. "Hey Dad," I said. I really didn't know how to start, or what I was supposed to say to convince him to not see that bitch ever again, but I had to start somewhere.
"I'm sorry that I ran off after our fight about Meredith. But Dad, you have to see how upsetting it was to realize that not only were you seeing someone and keeping it from me, but that the woman you were seeing looks almost exactly like Mom. How did you think I would react?" I flopped down into the chair opposite him.
"Rose, I understand why you were upset, but I cannot excuse the way that you reacted. We will talk about my relationship with Meredith. But first, we're going to discuss where you've been and why there's a hot-rod sitting in my driveway." Dad was stern but not mad, so I guess it was time for the truth.
"It's my boyfriend's car. Remember, Christian? He was the boy that I was seeing before you tried to turn me into a nun." I guess the truth was going to come with a bite as well.
"I guess I hadn't realized that you were still seeing him. I'm sorry."
Dad really did look sorry, and like he hadn't slept very well. I could also tell there was something on his mind and I really wasn't in the mood to drag this out.
"Why don't we just get this over with? I'm tired and I have to study for an exam."
"Okay. Well, first of all I'd like to let you know that I've broken things off with Meredith. I know that doesn't excuse that I kept our relationship hidden in the first place, but I just wanted you to know that before I tried to explain anything."
I couldn't believe that this had happened. How perfect. Now I didn't have to play games in order to convince him to dump that bitch.
As I sat back in the chair feeling better than I had only moments before, Dad continued. "I met Meredith over a year ago, and while she does have traits similar to your mother's, the two of them are nothing alike. Besides, you know how much I loved your mom. But when she passed, I didn't think it was fair to bombard you with the pain I was feeling, so I turned to Meredith since we were already close friends. She was understanding, and really helped me process some of the emotions I was feeling as a man who had lost his spouse. Only after I realized that she had developed feelings for me did things turn intimate." He took a deep breath and scooted to the edge of the couch. "I know that it doesn't excuse what I did, but Rose, I'm an adult, and to be honest, I don't have to justify my actions to you. But I want you to understand that at that time I did not think that I was using Meredith to fill the hole your Mother's death left within me. But now, looking back, I think that is exactly what happened."
Dad sat back on the couch and I watched all the air leave his lungs in a big rush. That must have been what he wanted to get off his chest. I was just so happy that he had called things off with that demon whore that I really didn't need to hear any more. "Dad, I'm sorry for overreacting. You're right. You're an adult and you don't have to justify anything to me. I guess that I just felt hurt by the fact that you thought you needed to keep it a secret in the first place. But with how much Meredith looked like Mom, I guess I can understand that it was a difficult position for you to be in." I walked over and sat down on the couch next to him and gave him a hug. "I love you. And I do want you to be happy, just not with a woman that looks like Mom. I just don't think it's good for you, or for me."
"I love you too, Rose. And thank you for understanding that even adults can make mistakes, especially when our hearts are involved." Dad kissed the top of my head and then guided us up off the couch. "Let's head to bed. All this worrying and fretting has left me exhausted, and you said you have a test to study for, right?"
"I do. But one last thing. Are we okay with me having my freedom back? I really don't want to fight with you anymore." I tried to say it jokingly, but I was dead serious.
"Yes, honey. I am okay with you having your freedom back. I'll let Dennis know tomorrow morning that he will no longer be driving for you. But...I really do think we need to get you a car of your own, because the thought of you zooming around in that thing out there completely terrifies me."
I laughed as I hugg
ed him again. "Okay. Sounds good. Can we plan on car shopping after you get off work tomorrow? I'll meet you back here and then we can head out."
"Sounds good to me."
I didn't know what was going to happen with Meredith or with Christian and me, but it made me feel good that me and my dad were on good terms again. Too bad that it couldn't last.
* * * * *
CHAPTER FORTY-TWO
Better Plan
(Meredith)
It's about damn time. The moment that I saw Jeremy's light go off and Rose's go on, I knew it was finally time to move. I had been waiting in my car for them to finish their little father daughter talk. I'm sure that he told her that he broke things off with me, but that was going to change very soon.
Once I made my way inside, breaking in the same way as I had the last time, I silently snuck up the stairs and headed straight for Rose's door. I could hear her on the phone talking to someone, so I waited. I didn't want anyone to know something was wrong once I entered her room. Maybe I should have waited until Jeremy left for work tomorrow morning to confront Rose. I didn't want her to scream or put up a fight and wake him.
With my head on straight and a better plan in place, I started to make my way back down the stairs. Unfortunately, right then is when Rose's bedroom door opened. Shit...I was so busted, and I didn't have a clue as to how I was going to explain myself.
* * * * *
(Rose)
The moment I opened my door I regretted it. I had just got off the phone with Jillian and thought that I had heard my dad coming up the stairs, but after listening a little more, I couldn't quite make out the noises I was hearing. What I found was a complete shock.
I stood there face-to-face with Meredith, not Dad. I was literally frozen with terror. I couldn't move, which really sucked, because all my instincts screamed at me to run. What made it worse, was that when she looked at me, I swore I saw her eyes flash red.
"Don't panic," she whispered.
"Are you fucking kidding me? You break into my house and you're going to go with, 'don't panic'? You're crazy!" I started to race back into my room and prepared to scream, but then I didn't have any idea what this demon bitch was capable of and I didn't want to risk her hurting my dad. She caught me by the elbow just as I reached the doorjamb.
"We need to talk. Let's go downstairs so we don't wake Jeremy." She nodded her head towards the stairs as she tightened her grip on my arm.
"Fine. But one wrong move and I'm screaming my head off." I jerked my arm out of her grasp and pushed past her to make my way down the stairs. She was a demon, but she didn't know that I was onto her just yet. And there was no way that I was giving her the satisfaction of scaring me in my own home.
Once we reached my dad's study, I ushered her in and shut the door behind us. "What are you doing in my house in the middle of the night? I should call the cops right now you crazy bitch." I wasn't sure how long I could keep up the tough girl act, but I hoped she would buy it long enough for me to dial Christian on my cell phone.
"I would watch your mouth if I was you, little girl." She took a step towards me, just as I hit send. "You have no idea who you're dealing with or what I'm capable of."
We continued to circle each other as I watched her eyes take on the red tint again. "Who are you? And why are you so interested in my dad?" I was hoping that I could trap her into revealing that she was in fact the demon while Christian was listening on the phone. And it worked.
"From the look on your face and from the company that you keep, I think you know exactly who I am. Or should I say...what I am." She must have felt like she had the upper hand because she calmly sat down behind my dad's desk. "I'm a demon Rose; the very one in fact that infected your friend and killed your mother."
* * * * *
(Christian)
It was barely 8 p.m. when my cell phone vibrated in my pocket. It was Rose's number. I smiled as I made my way to somewhere quiet so that we could talk. I hoped that everything had gone all right with her father.
The moment that I clicked send, I heard Rose's voice. "Who are you and why are you so interested in my dad?"
Damn, something was wrong. I obviously knew she was confronting Meredith, but I had no idea where they were.
The next thing I heard was Meredith's voice. "From the look on your face and from the company that you keep, I think you know exactly who I am. Or should I say...what I am. I'm a demon Rose; the very one in fact that infected your friend and killed your mother."
Oh no. This was not good, but apparently my psychic ability paid off again. By having Rose return to her dad, we now knew exactly who the demon was. Rose had been right, and now it sounded like she might just end up paying for it with her life.
I listened to the "whoosh" of air leave Rose's lungs. She must have fallen onto the floor in shock from Meredith's confession. "Why? Why did you kill my mom? And, is that why you're here? Did you break into my house again so you could kill me, too?"
Good girl Rose. In a flash I was racing towards her house. With my preternatural vampire speed, I would be there in minutes. Hang in there, baby.
Once I arrived at Rose's house, the only two lights on were the one upstairs and the other down. It only took a moment for me to focus my hearing and pinpoint Rose and Meredith's voices coming from the back part of the main floor.
I raced around the back of the house and found the backdoor open. This must have been where Meredith had broken in. I silently made my way towards the room that contained the love of my life and the demon who was threatening her.
As I started to open the door, I heard Meredith say, "You will help me win back your father, or I'll tell him that you and your vampire friends were responsible for your mother's death."
How did she think that would work? I'm sure Mr. Reynolds would believe his daughter over his girlfriend. And talking about vampires would only cause him to think she was crazy. But then she continued.
"Don't you remember that I can control a vampire once they bite me? All I would have to do is have another vampire bite me and then force them to reveal themselves to your dad. He would have no choice but to believe me if he came face to face with a vampire, now would he?"
Damn, I guess she had a point. How in the hell was I supposed to protect Rose when I couldn't bite Meredith without becoming infected. I knew nothing about how to defend against a demon. Oh well...I guess it was time to learn.
The moment I opened the door and flew to Rose's side, Meredith's eyes began to glow red. "How dare you interfere? This has nothing to do with your kind."
"You involved my kind the second you infected Terrance. And there is no way in hell that I'm letting you hurt Rose. I may not be able to bite you in order to kill you, but I can certainly rip you limb-from-limb. And trust me, now that we know your kind exists, my clan will make sure we destroy every single one of you. You're never going to use us or hurt anyone we love again."
As I watched the red light radiate from Meredith's eyes, I considered just grabbing Rose and speeding away from the house. But since we had no idea why she was so interested in Rose's dad, I just couldn't leave him alone without knowing if she would kill him.
"I may not be as strong as you, but after I killed Rose's mom I became a lot stronger than your average human. I'm sure it came from drinking in her essence like my ancestors used to do, and now...I think you'll find me a lot harder to kill." It sounded like she wasn't sure of her abilities, but she certainly wasn't backing down either.
She launched herself across the room, grabbed Rose, and flew out the door. Damn, she definitely had some speed. I raced after her and caught up with them in the living room, but to my surprise, she wasn't hurting Rose, but instead was whispering something in her ear that left Rose completely limp with shock. I didn't have time to wonder what they were discussing because I was too worried that any moment Meredith would snap Rose's neck.
I sped around and grabbed Meredith from behind I was able to restrain her, but it w
as taking quite a bit of effort. "Rose, grab the poker from the fireplace. You're going to have to kill her. And hurry, I can't hold her for much longer."
* * * * *
(Meredith)
The moment that Rose's vampire arrived, an idea formed in my head. I knew that I wasn't going to be able to beat him in a fight or out race him if I tried to run, so instead I thought that I would take this opportunity to set both of them up.
I heard Jeremy start to stir upstairs, so I knew it would only be a matter of time before he came to find us all. So the moment I saw the opportunity, I grabbed Rose and sped towards the living room.
I hadn't lied to Christian. When I had drunk Loraine's blood, it definitely had an effect on me. I was so euphoric when I felt her essence flow into me, but what I failed to share was that in addition to the euphoric feeling, it had also infused me with her actual life force.