Blood Isn't Always Thicker Than Water

“Hey, Cas?” Samantha asked maybe five minutes later.

“Hmm?” I glanced at her then looked back at Jeremy—or his feet, to be exact. He was teaching himself to do a handstand underwater while extremely powerful, salty, cold, wet waves pounded into him.

“Um, I sorta gotta…um…go?” It came out as a question, and both of us blushed as the obvious meaning became apparent.

“Oh…”

“Could you unlock us? I swear to God I won’t try to escape.”

“To God? The heavenly Father? Your creator?”

She nodded solemnly.

I narrowed my eyes at her, then reached into my pocket and said, “I’ll be waiting. Right here. You have five minutes.”

The handcuff around her wrist fell away, and she rubbed her wrist, thanked me and hurried away.

I used my five minutes to stare off into space and think about how dangerous it must be to ride a boat out there on the ocean during a storm, how Jeremy said Fallen has powers, the fact that I don’t, how pretty Samantha is, how I wish I could meet my brother at a plastic surgery place and instruct the person working on him exactly how crooked his nose should be and how having one ear would totally add to his hotness, Samantha’s hair, ice cream, Reese’s peanut butter cups, Logan’s manor, how I would stare out the windows there for hours on end just watching the wildlife in the overgrown fields, how an ant must feel, living in tunnels—tiny ones, at that—under the ground, how I had no flippin’ idea as to how many eyes a dragonfly has, how I’d never been stung by a bee, that Pepto-Bismol pink made me feel like puking was a holy act, the way that marshmallow fluff—

“I’m back.”

Samantha smiled half-heartedly at me.

“Hallelujah. You didn’t run away. What a miracle.” Well, it almost was, even though I said it sarcastically.

She sat next to me, then held out her wrist. “Chain me up, baby.”

That gave me a that hot feeling in my cheeks again, except it was so light I almost didn’t recognize it.

I didn’t lock her up, which sort of surprised me. “Y’know what? You had your chance to run away.” I looked carefully away from her making sure I didn’t show any weird accidental emotions or something. “I…I trust that you won’t…go away now.” I finalized it by taking my side of the handcuffs off and stuffing them in one of Jeremy’s bags that were left, safely not looking at her the whole time.

After I was finished and had been sitting down again for a few seconds, I sneaked a glance at her. She was blinking rapidly, mouth open slightly, staring straight at me.

“Daayum, I didn’t know I was that hot,” I said on the spur of the moment. I just randomly came up with it and spat it out.

She regained her composure. “You are such and ass, Cas.” She softened into a smile. “A very honest and trusting one. Thanks.”

Then, she kissed me. Right on the cheek. As in my face. Access to my butt was utterly impossibly at the moment, considering it was planted firmly in the sand.

I swallowed, but that didn’t help. My eyes were about to fall out of their sockets. My heart had missed several beats and was probably going to fail me in my greatest time of need.

I would like to say that I randomly rose above this roiling mess I became, but I can’t without blatantly lying. So, truth be told, I sat there, dumbstruck, staring at…nothing in particular…feeling the scorching remnants of when her lips had been pressed against my cheek. Want to hear how my thoughts were? Here’s a sample: Uhhh… Ummm… Errr… Yeah…Okay, take it slow, um…Cat? Cod? Bass? Ass? Uh, yeah, that’s it… I’m Ass… I’ve got a cast… I’m having a blast… Doing my task… Wait… What’s my task?

I know. It’s not even funny. I was just overly disoriented. So much that I couldn’t even remember why I was so out of it, even with my cheek still burning from contact.

Jeremy was right. I am the strangest “vampire” you’ll ever meet.

So. You’d think this would be like every other story and that after the trip to the beach everyone would return home safe and happy and any chemistry between people would continue. Not only that, bit it would intensify.

You wish. Samantha and I had spent the rest of the morning then afternoon together, flirting on and off. Yes, I admit, we flirted a ton. It was fun.

*Flashback*

Samantha and I hiked up yet another dune, glancing at each other continually. Whenever our eyes met, our cheeks would flood and burn with color. It never got old.

The seagulls at the top scattered as we approached, leaving disgusting remainders of food they had stolen there for us to try and ignore. But as we began our descent, Sam’s foot landed smack-dab on an empty beer can. In desperation, she flung out her arms and tried to grab onto me to keep from falling. I easily could have held her up, but that would have given me away as a “vampire”. Instead, I allowed myself to be dragged into the sand.

Then, I tumbled head over heels (heels over head makes more sense; who was dumb enough to think that phrase up?) somersaulting and rolling the whole way down.

Just like how I was undeniably falling for her. I know it's cheesy, but it's true.

We ended up with Samantha lying stomach-to-stomach on top of me, our faces inches apart. We were breathing heavily, eyeing each other’s lips without shame.

I almost blew up from the intensity of it all.

Then, she smirked. “You wish, Cas.”

She was then gone, leaving me to fantasize for the next couple seconds as to what would’ve happened if she hadn’t extricated herself from the moment.

*End flashback*

“Fallen!” I shouted, returning to where I had left him and Jeremy. “Can you sense her?” I asked him once I reached him, and said it quietly so no one would hear.

People were packing up. Only a sliver of the sun was left, and I had been searching for Samantha for about half an hour. One moment, she was next to me, next second, I turn around and she’s gone.

Fallen shook his head.

“FUCK!” I exclaimed loudly.

Several parents with kids turned to look at me, then ushered their kids a safe distance away, muttering and glaring at me all the while.

It’s the language of the future. Get used to it.

“Jeremy?” I asked hopefully. Maybe the guy could pull a miracle out of his ass. And pronto.

He shook his head.

“I smell a rat named Wentz…”

“Reeaally Cas?” Jeremy asked sarcastically.

But I knew it. After I turned around and found Sam gone, I could sense his presence. It was weird but true. Like how more children in the U.S. can recognize Ronald McDonald than a picture of Jesus.

I watched Supersize Me. Excuse me for being curious. And for your information, I haven’t been to McDonald’s since.

“Okay, guys. There’s no use staying here. Let’s go.” I trudged through the sand, holding one of the three bags of Jeremy’s that were left.
I hate you, Wentz. I hate you, Wentz. I hate you, Peter Lewis Kingston Wentz III. I hate you with a BURNING PASSION, I thought angrily as I swept past the leisurely moving humans. There were so many, it was like the Exodus all over again. The thing was, this wasn’t the Red Sea… Whatever.

“Dude!” Jeremy whisper-hissed in my ear. “You’re speeding!”

I stopped dead, trying with all my might to hold in my anger. Jeremy couldn’t stop fast enough and hit my back and left shoulder with an “oomph”.

“Great,” I spat out between my gritted teeth. I took a great shuddering breath and let it out after a couple seconds.

“Oh no…” I dimly heard Jeremy murmur. Then I felt a weird pressure on my neck and I passed out.