Love Bites

Cory awoke to a bright room, feeling hot, like he had pulled Kayla’s bedspread over him while he slept. He started to sit up and realized that there was a weight across his chest and legs. Turning his head, he saw the top of a brown-haired head and a diaphanous white haze.

Thinking he was still dreaming, he picked up the thing laying across his chest, realizing it was an arm. The head laying on this shoulder turned upwards, and he looked down into the same deep blue eyes that he had, and a face that mirrored his own.

Okay, I’m still dreaming, he thought. He heard, “Good morning sleepy head. I was having nightmares at the hospital and the drugs were out of my system enough that I forced them to let me come home. Well, mom did I mean. I needed my big brother to… to chase away the evil vampires.”

She hugged him using the one arm and one leg that was over him. “I hope you don’t mind, but you are in my bed – for a change. And after yesterday, I needed the security you give me.”

He hugged her back and kissed the top of her head, then said, “Why are you still wearing that see through thing?” Everyone can see your undies.”

She giggled and told him, “Well, it was either this over my undies, my undies alone, or a hospital gown with my ass hanging out. This was by best, worst choice. Plus, I think I look good in it. I’m gonna keep it for over my swimsuit.”

“Hum, I guess you’re right. About all of that. You’ve even grown into a very pretty woman and I’m proud of you,” he told her, recalling his conversation with Lily the night before. “And you look beautiful in it.”

She looked up at him again and started into the reflection of his eyes and she said, “You’ve grown up to be a pretty good catch yourself. And if I wasn’t your sister, I might be jealous of Lily. I think she’s special.”

Cory laughed at that. “What?” she asked.

“You don’t know the half of it. Well, actually you do know half of it. Get comfy and I’ll tell you the other half.”

Kayla snuggled up to her brother after he shifted and put his arm under his sister’s head. After both were settles, Cory began the story with Lily’s statement of smelling her blood, Lily’s revelation to Cory in the closet, her downtown loft and BMW that was parked out front, their race to the vacant building and to the fight with Dallas.

When he got to the end, Kayla interrupted him saying, “I guess that explains it.” Cory gave her a puzzled look. She continued, “While I was drugged and laying there, in my head I heard Lily talking to me, telling me I was going to be okay. That the two of you where there, and that you were going to take me home. After a few minutes, Lily told me I had to wake up, that you needed my help, and you would be hurt or even killed if I didn’t.

“I opened my eyes and she told me that above my head was a knife and to grab it, but to wait to get up. She said she would tell me when to get up and when I did, I’d have to be quick, but I’d only get one chance. I had to do it right the first time or you’d get hurt and so would I. I had one chance to kill him before he killed you, me and her and I’d have to put the blade right through his back, into his heart.

“She told me to visualize him and where his heart would be, then when she told me to, I sat up… If I had missed…” she shrugged.

“Well, it’s a good thing you didn’t miss then, huh?”

She put a hand over his heart and said, “Yes, for all of our sakes. He would have killed all of us.”

“Actually, he had other plans for you…” He decided to tell her about Dallas’ threats of what he was planning for her, and she blanched and shuddered.

“Then I guess I really am glad I killed him.”

“You sure you’re going to be okay with that? With what you had to do?” he asked her. He wanted to know if the reality of what she did had sunken in yet, and if it had, how she was going to handle it in the future.

“He was evil. I’m okay with what I did. I did it to protect us. All of us.”

“I’m glad to hear that. How’s your arm?” he asked, raising it up and looking at the bandage that was wrapped around it.”

“Okay, I guess. It doesn’t hurt so…”

“Let’s take a look, shall we? Hold your arm up.”

She held her arm up, the light gown sliding down her arm, and Cory used his free hand to pull the tape off so he could unwind the gauze from her arm. He rolled it with his hand as he went around her arm, the expression on his face unreadable.

“Cory, what’s wrong?” she asked, knowing something was wrong.

He finished unwrapping her arm and dropped the gauze and ran his finger over the faint red line that was barely visible. “Do you feel any different?” he asked her.

“Tired. A little fuzzy, but other than that, no.”

He laid her arm down, and since she was on his right side, he took ahold of her chin and gently pushed it right and said, “Tip your head to the right for me.”

She did as he asked, turning her head to the right, exposing the left side of her neck. Looking down at her neck, he had a good view in the bright morning light. He ran his fingers lightly down the side of her neck, causing her to shiver.

“Hey now…” she said. “You’re not supposed to make me do that. Especially when I’m laying here next to you, wearing next to nothing,” she teased.

Not saying anything, he tipped her head up further, looking more closely at her neck. “Shit,” he said.

“What, Cory? You’re scaring me.”

“The other night and the cut on your neck. It was there and then it was gone, just like the cut on your arm. Now it’s a scar, and barely even noticeable. Looking closer in this light, I can see what looks like two tiny scars on your neck, not just one. They look like you’ve had them for years, not a little over 24 hours. I imagine by this time tomorrow you won’t even be able to see the line on your arm.”

He frowned.

“What does it mean Cory?” she said, starting to panic.

“Calm down,” he said, turning her head back to look him in the eyes.

Looking into his eyes helped calm Kayla down, but Cory used it to also study her eyes, looking for any hint of golden flash. Once she had calmed down and Cory saw no indication of gold in her eyes, he said, “I need to go talk to Lily if she’s awake.”

“WE,” she corrected him.

“Okay, we, but if you plan to go, you should know why I need to ask… well, what I need to ask. It shouldn’t be a surprise.”

“Okay.”

“Lily made me… well, an offer. Actually, the offer applies to you and mom as well. You see, she says that she’s 360 years old. She said she loved me and wanted me to be with her forever. In order to do that, she could make me, no us, vampires too. I’m worried that Dallas did that to you without your knowledge or acceptance.”

The room was silent for a long time after he stopped talking. He thought of a portion of a song by Taylor Swift that was the perfect oxymoron for this occasion. He hadn’t ’…heard silence quite this loud…’ before.

Finally, she spoke, breaking the silence. “Are you sure?”

“No. That’s why I need to talk to Lily. She said it would be painful and would take time, but you were sedated and gone for some time. I’m thinking you would know, but… Since you don’t, then I think you’re okay, but I want to be sure.”

“Okay.”

“So… get up and put on some proper hospital visiting clothes, a long sleeve shirt please, so we won’t have to answer any questions, and let’s go see sleeping beauty,” Cory said to her.

Still laying on him, she rolled on her side and put her arm around him and squeezed, saying, “Thank you again for everything you did for me. You really are a special big brother.”

“What’s a big brother for, if not to save his little sister from an evil vampire death? Now hurry up. We need to go check on our good fairy vampire.”

Kayla got up and shed the gown she was wearing and went to her dresser and started digging for clean clothes. Finding fresh clothes, she told Cory, “I so need a shower to wash off the Dallas cooties. Give me ten minutes and I’ll be ready,” and she walked off to the bathroom.

Cory got up and trudged to his room, ignoring the mess and changed his clothes. Kayla had told him their mom was home, so it was time to go explain it all to her now that he got Kayla squared away.

Walking to the stairs, he could hear Kayla singing over the shower, which was a good sign, and he smelled food, so he knew exactly where to find his mom. He went to the kitchen and found his mom busy putting the last of the kitchen things away. It was obvious that she had been up all-night cleaning.

“Morning mom,” he said to her.

Without turning around, she said, “Breakfast is done. It’s in the oven keeping warm.”

“Okay. Kayla will be down in a few minutes; she’s taking a shower.”

Finished putting away what she had, she turned around and looked at him. “So, you want to fill me in on all this?” she asked.

“Not really,” he said with a smile, “but sit down and I’ll tell you the whole thing. It’ll be up to you to believe me or not.”

They both sat down at the kitchen table and Cory told him mom everything that had happened.

She started crying when he told her about Lily and their father, but was quiet, only asking occasional questions to clarify things.

When he got to the hospital, he added, “I’m not sure how, but we’ll find a way to pay Kayla’s and my hospital bill,” knowing they didn’t have insurance.

“Um, it didn’t make any sense at the time, but it does now,” she told him. “Lily woke up and told me not to worry, it would be paid. I guess she intends on paying it.”

“So, what do I do about Lily’s offer?” he asked.

“Are you asking me, really?” she asked.

He nodded.

“Personally, I’m too old to go on forever. And I wouldn’t want to without your father. As for you, sweetheart, you should follow your heart. The choice is yours and no one else’s. Not even your sister, no matter how much you love her. She’s your sister, not your wife or lover, right?”

Cory turned red but noticed that his mother was looking past him. Turning around, he saw Kayla standing at the entrance to the kitchen. She too was red.

Both of them understood their mother’s implication was about how much they loved each other, not that she actually thought they were lovers. She knew how close they were.

“Mom’s right, Cory. Your decision is yours to make, just as mine is to me. No matter what you want for me, or I want for you. Let’s just hope my choice hasn’t been taken from me,” she said sitting down.

“Breakfast,” their mom said, getting up.

“You get plates and forks, I’ll get the food,” Cory told her as he too stood. Getting everything, they sat down and ate, then cleaned up like they normally did.

“I’ll stay, and pickup here. You two go do what you need at the hospital,” their mom said.