Children Of The Damned

Eliana

Matt was not happy. And frankly, I didn’t blame him.

“I was going to make you dinner when we got back to my house.”

“I’m sorry, Matt. My mom completely sprung this on me. Just like she does with all of her other plans. I have learned to just go with it because confrontation never gets me anywhere with her. But next time, I am just going to say no. I am so, so sorry that she did this. Really, I am.”

Matt just smiled wryly at me and gave me a soft, warm kiss on the mouth that sent my cheeks flushing in response.

“Wait, did you just say you wanted to make dinner for me?”

“Yeah. I can cook, you know.”

“Well, seeing as they just released you from the hospital, I don’t think I could you do that in good conscience.”

“Oh, please. I’m not crippled. And the bite is already starting to heal anyway.”

I reached up on tip toes and kissed his neck right neck to the bandage. He made an audible noise under his breath. At first I thought I might have hurt him, but he just put his hands on my waist and pulled me closer.

“If you want to make it to dinner on time, I wouldn’t do that again.”

“Oh, so that’s a good spot for you then? I’ll keep that in mind.” I grinned mischievously up at him with that knew knowledge.

“Hmmm,” he hummed as he dragged his nose along my neck, trying to see if he could get the same response out of me. I shivered.

“Nope. Sorry.” I kissed his cheek and rubbed my thumbs along his cheek bones, admiring the clear blue of his eyes before I left his house, walking out the door without a backward glance. As much as I didn’t want to go out to dinner with my mother, I didn’t want to face the repercussions if I were to be late.

I knew if I was going to be seen in public with my mother that she would want me to look nice. I chose to go with something both casual and dressy. I wore plain black flats and a gray cocktail dress with black teardrop earrings. I painted my nails a sheer silver.

Then I was back out the door again by six thirty and heading to the Mystic Bar & Grill.

_____________________________________________

Damon

I sat at the bar, enjoying a cheeseburger and fries as I waited for her to show up. Stefan may have caught me listening, but he wasn’t going to stop me from enjoying myself.

I saw someone who may have been her mother enter the bar. She looked new in town, not really fitting in with the rest of the crowd, and she had the same blonde hair as her daughter, along with the basic facial structure, although the mother’s nose looked too big to fit her face. She looked like she was trying too hard to look nice with her red low cut top and matching lip stick.

But when Ana made her way through the entrance, the sight of her was enough to make some mortal males in the vicinity stop breathing for a moment or two. I knew the bartender noticed. And the group of guys playing pool.

Her hair had been pulled up in a very basic ponytail to showcase the graceful curve of her long neck, and the prominence of her high cheek bones. She was beautiful with minimal makeup and a plain gray cocktail dress and flats. Her eyes flashed briefly over to where I sat at the bar, and she made an annoyed little noise under her breath before she joined her mother at the high table where she was sitting. She picked up a menu without looking at her mother and began to scan it without acknowledging her.

“Eliana…Eliana?”

“Yeah, mom,” she said without raising her eyes from the menu I knew she wasn’t really reading.

“What’s the matter?”

“I don’t know, mom. Maybe it’s the fact that you didn’t even know this morning that Matt Donovan is my boyfriend, and that I was there when they called 911 when he was attacked by that animal.”

“You were at a party?”

“Oh my God, mom! You Don’t even get the point, do you? You are so oblivious that you can’t even think to ask me who took me to the Masquerade Dance, or who I have been going out with for the past two weeks. Really, mom? And you’re going to lecture me about going to a party?”

“You are being very unreasonable, Eliana. How am I supposed to know these things if you never tell me?”

“I don’t know, mom. Maybe you could take enough time away from your precious stocks to ask? Ever thought about that one?”

“Eliana!” her mother said in a very surprised, hurt tone, as if Ana was being ridiculous. I didn’t like this woman already.

Ana seemed to be bracing herself for punishment. I had a feeling she didn’t speak out much about the way her mother treated her, and she wasn’t looking forward to the repercussions of her outburst.

“We will talk about this later, Eliana. But right now you are embarrassing me in front of all these people, and I would like to enjoy our dinner while it lasts.”

Who was this lady? She obviously had issues understanding people in general, much less her own daughter.

“I’m going to go use the restroom,” Ana said, her voice think with the tears that I knew were about to surface.

“You do that,” her mother said, but now she was the one not looking up from her menu.

Ana took her purse with her and nearly raced to the hallway where the bathrooms were located.

I followed. I wasn’t sure why I did, but I had a feeling she needed someone right now. I found her leaning against the wall, tears welling in her eyes.

“Sweetheart,” I said, and was taken aback as the words left my mouth. Since when did I refer to anyone as “sweetheart”?

“Not now, Damon. Please, just don’t,” she said, and her voice sounded pathetically broken.

“Shhh,” I said, pulling her to me and wrapping my arms around her, stroking her hair. I was surprised when she let her head drop on my shoulder and her hands balled up on the fabric of my shirt. She cried onto my leather jacket, but I didn’t care. “It’s going to be ok. I promise.”

After a few seconds she pulled away and wiped at her eyes. “I really can’t be doing this right now. I have to get cleaned up and get back out there.”

“I’m sorry,” I said. I don’t know why I said it.

She disappeared into the ladies room and returned a minute later, eye makeup fixed, all traces of crying gone.

“You know, I’m here anytime you want to talk. You can call me,” I said, handing her a piece of paper with my number on it. And then that was the end of it. I didn’t wait to see her reaction or try to take control of the situation. I just walked away, leaving everything up to her.