Vicious Romantic

“What did you say to her?” Ian demanded to know as he paced in his best friend’s den.

“I don’t know what you mean.” he mumbled over his book.

“Bullshit!” Ian shouted. “She won’t eat, she won’t talk, she won’t drink anything, she won’t play the piano, she just lays on her bed! What did you do?”

“Maybe she’s just sick.” Tucker suggested trying desperately to forget about the previous night. He lost his temper and said things he shouldn’t have. He lost his temper and killed one of his own kind in order to protect Bailey. It was confusing to him still, how could he explain it to someone else?

“Oh yes, she has the bruised wrist virus, huh?” Ian asked sarcastically.

“I lost my temper.” Tucker tried to defend himself. Ian shook his head. He was sick of Tucker’s excuses. He never took responsibility for anything he did.

“Maybe you should go apologize.” Ian suggested. Not likely to happen, but it’s happened before. Tucker scoffed at the idea. How could he possibly apologize for everything he did wrong last night? He hurt Bailey physically and emotionally. She wouldn’t be exactly jumping to accept his poorly worded apology.

“Not gonna happen.” Tucker spoke reading his book.

“Why not, Tuck? She’s the first one you’ve apologized to in what...a hundred and sixteen years?” Ian asked spinning the globe absently. Tucker sucked in his breath.

“Don’t start.” Tucker muttered angrily. It was a sore spot, still.

“No, you don’t start!” Ian yelled, shocking Tucker. “Stop being a bitch. Go apologize to her.”

“Me? I’m the bitch?” Tucker asked in shock. “You. You’re the bitch, Ian. You fucking love my sister so much and for the past century all you’ve done about it was flirt. If anyone’s the bitch, it’s you.” Tucker fumed and threw his book down. Ian was grateful that Clara was out shopping for something to that Bailey might eat. Otherwise, she would have heard. Liam was probably in his room listening to the entire argument.

Tucker stormed out of his den and to his room. He laid on his bed and stared at the white ceiling. He didn’t want to think about anything, espeacially the effect he had on Bailey. It was impossible, he could hear her heart beating loud and clear, he heard hear steady breathing, he heard her sigh, worst of all he smelled her.

The scent that burned his sibling’s noses smelled sweet to him. Bailey’s blood was tempting to him, where as it disgusted all the others. Tucker wondered if he was a defective vampire. The lack of meat in her diet should make her blood smell awful. It had that effect on all the other vampires. Yet all he wanted to do was to taste Bailey’s blood.

A sharp intake of air was heard from Bailey, Tucker knew the bruises had to be bad. He heard the garage door open and Clara’s car door slamming. Clara was upstairs in an instant. “Bailey, hun.” Clara spoke softly. “I brought you something.” Tucker’s curiosity got the best of him and he walked across the hall to Bailey’s room. Everyone was gathered in there.

“Nice going, Tuck.” Liam said sarcastically so Bailey couldn’t hear.

“Krispy Kreme doughnuts.” Clara said. The only response from Bailey was a shifting from under the comforter she had herself buried under. “Come on, babe.” Clara cooed. “They’re hot.” she tried persuading Bailey. Clara wanted to kill Tucker, it was hurting Clara to see her friend like this.

A hand popped out from under the comforter followed by a bruised wrist. Tucker mentally stabbed a stake through his own heart when he saw the deep blue and black marks on Bailey’s arm and wrist. Everyone in the room was still as the waited for Bailey to take a doughnut from the open box that Clara was holding.

Bailey had other plans, she balled her hand into a fist and knocked the box of doughnuts to the floor then pulled her arm back under. Clara sent Tucker a terrifying glare.

“She can’t go out like this.” Clara spoke to Liam in a voice not audible to Bailey.

“I know.” Liam responded in the same voice. Liam was pissed off. The whole idea of the plan was for Bailey not to know the potential dangers. They never wanted to Bailey to worry.

Soundlessly, Tucker escaped from the tension in Bailey’s room. He found himself walking aimlessly through the thick woods surrounding the house. Tucker knew every tree in the woods, he spent a lot of time out there thinking.

Bailey was restless, she didn’t feel like laying in bed any longer. She waited until everyone cleared out of her room. She didn’t know what other to do than take a shower. Bailey sighed feeling better after her shower, she imagined the water and soap washing away all the events that took place the night before.

Bailey examined her eyes while she brushed her teeth. They were an unusual shade a green, they almost looked yellow. Had Tucker really meant what he said, were they that ugly that they would scare people off? Bailey never thought about it before. She walked aimlessly through the house, no one seemed to be around. Bailey decided to go to the kitchen to look for any sign of activity, she found a note stuck to the refrigerator with a childish vampire magnet that meant for a Halloween decoration.

“Out for dinner.” Bailey read Clara’s swirly script aloud. She sighed and looked out the sliding doors of the kitchen. The sun was setting and it painted shades of orange, purple, and blue across the November sky. Bailey had never ventured into the backyard. She took this time to explore it.

Sliding the heavy glass door open, Bailey stepped onto a wooden deck. The boards where like ice under her feet but it relieved some of the pain that her heeled shoes had caused. She sat herself down on the edge of the deck and stared out over the vast clearing of land that was surrounded with thick trees.

Bailey was in awe at the beauty of the setting sun, the colors were astonishing. The cold wind blew biting at Bailey’s nose and bare arms. She didn’t care though, she wanted to watch the sunset.

Tucker ran with only half an effort after a deer. He wasn’t in the mood for hunting, but it occupied his time and got his mind off things. It wasn’t bad drinking from a deer from time to time, it was actually a nice change. Tucker sniffed the air for the trail of the deer that slipped out of view. The normal musky smell of a deer was replaced with a sugary sweet scent. Tucker allowed his animal side to take over his body, he followed the intoxicating smell to the edge of the woods.

He found Bailey sitting peacefully on the deck. Her body shuddered against the icy wind. Tucker tried to push the burning thirst out of his mind. He couldn’t go after Bailey, she was the key to the plan. Tucker watched more closely, every breath Bailey exhaled turned into a cloud of steam as her hot breath hit the cold air. Tucker’s instincts overruled all his entire being and he charged at Bailey in hunting mode.

Bailey’s back hit the wooden planks of the deck as Tucker threw himself at her body. Tucker listened hungrily as her heartbeat stopped then began beating at an increased speed. “Tucker.” Bailey’s voice shook due to the way the vampire was scraping his deadly teeth against the delicate skin of her neck. Tucker was consumed with thirst, all her heart was the soaring heartbeat of his victim.

Tucker kissed the skin where he found Bailey’s pulse. Her skin left a sweet taste lingering on his lips. His thirst increased once he tasted her skin. “Please stop.” Bailey cried nervously. Tucker’s face was buried into her neck, he couldn’t hear her pleas. The points of Tucker’s canine teeth scrapped against Bailey’s neck. Tucker was preparing to sink his teething into Bailey’s neck. The loud slam of a car door snapped him out of his murderous state of mind.

Realizing what he almost had done, Tucker jumped away from Bailey in horror. Bailey blinked a few tears back and stood on shaking legs. Tucker stared in terror at Bailey as she backed slowly toward the house with four small beads of blood stuck to her neck. Tucker stood shock still until Bailey was inside, he vanished into the woods and took let out his frustration with himself by wreaking havoc on the trees and boulders.