Bliss and Bloodlust

Sunday morning was strange. I woke up and realized for the first time in a week I hadn't dreamed. At least if I had I don't remember it.

Daniel had dropped me off after dinner but didn't stay. But he had promised to see me today. I didn't know what to make of our strange relationship. We were doing everything out of order but it somehow fit. He wasn't human after all, so why would I expect things to be orthodox.

I climbed out of bed and had breakfast. I was sitting at the table when there was a knock at the front door. I suddenly got a bad feeling. I crept to the door and cautiously opened it.

Maybe I shouldn't have.

I stare at my ex Jayson's battered face in disbelief. My first instinct is to flee but I held myself still, maybe out of stubbornness but mostly out of fear.

I waited for him to speak but he just stared at me.

“What do you want, Jayson?” I asked an eternity later. My voice wasn't as steady as I'd have liked but I stood tall. Still he doesn't say a word.

The silence wore on and just as I'm thinking of slamming the door he said, “I just can't believe it. The girl who lived. Bravo.” he clapped, “I applaud you on your survival. Tell me how did you do it?” He sounded strange and slightly mad. Not angry, just insane.

“What are you doing here?”

“I just have to know how you did it. How come you're not dead or at least in intensive care at a hospital.”

“I'm a fast healer.” after another pause I said “I think you should to leave.”

“You look weird.” he muttered. “Did you do it?”

I was confused. “Do what?” I asked.

“This.” His hand gestured down his body, indicating his injuries.

“How could I have done that?”

“You could have gotten someone to beat me up, you know as pay back.”

“You came all the way over here to accuse me of harming you, when you tried to kill me. This shit is hilarious.”

“I'm not laughing.” he said, looking behind me, inside the house.

“Clearly.” I paused, “Jayson you need to go. I don't know what you expected to get out of this.”

Jayson's hands are balled into fist, but I was not afraid. Not anymore. I survived being shot. He was more afraid than I.

“You aren't even sorry.” he said in a low voice

“I have nothing to feel sorry about. Karma's a bitch ain't she.”

“You'll pay.” he said, first meeting me eye then looked behind me again.

“Is that a threat?” I felt anger rising inside of me.

“You tell me.” Then off he went, limping down the porch stairs to his car. “Oh, and Tourie,” he called out once he was inside his car, “Watch yourself.” He drove away like a bat out of hell.

I shut the door and felt myself shaking. I crumbled to the floor and felt like crying .But I fought the tears and after a long time of sitting there, rocking and trying to regain some composure, I stood.

“Pull it together.” I said out loud, “You're fine. You're alive.”

Then I thought, he could have killed me if he wanted to, and there would have been nothing and no one to stop him. He might have had the gun with him. Maybe he was afraid. Maybe he just couldn't do it again.

I sank back down to the floor as my mind went a million different ways. Maybe it was because it was broad daylight. Maybe he figured someone would see him leaving and put two and two together. Maybe he thought I wasn't alone. He was looking behind me a lot. Whatever the reason, I was alive, but I needed to be more careful from now on.

After I made it upstairs it was noon and I got dressed quickly and just to distract myself I ran some errands. Once I was back I cleaned the house a bit. The phone rang as I put the last load of laundry in the wash. I ran up from the basement, wiped my hands dry to answer it, and couldn't help but feel fearful. “Hello?” I said meekly, what if it was Jayson or Stephanie.

“You up?” Cass asked me.

I let out a relived breath. “Yeah, it's two. Of course I'm up.”

“So what were you up to last night?” hse asked inquiringly, “I had called you.”

“Nothing.” I lied.

“Uh-huh.” she said, suspicious. “I'll be over soon.”

“Okay.”

“What's wrong?”

“Nothing. See ya soon.” then I hung up before she could interrogate me over the phone.

I finished cleaning up by the time Cass drove up. She had Aaron with her. And they had some take out.

“Hey.” I said softly once they came inside.

“Hey.” they both said at the same time. They looked at each other shyly and laughed. We headed into the kitchen.

“We brought you some food.” Aaron said.

“Thanks.” I said.

As Cassie sat down across from me at the table she noticed the vase of flowers, then she studied my face but said nothing. If Aaron wasn't here I know she would have grilled me. “Nice flowers.” she said softly as she touched the petals of one. By the look she gave me I knew she knew they were mine, and not aunt Bren's.

But Aaron was clueless. He knew my aunt had a boyfriend and that the flowers could have been hers. “We should go out tonight.” Aaron said suddenly. Cass rolled her eyes at him. “Where were you last night?” he asked. “We were going to pick you up.”

“Yeah.” Cass said, “Where were you?” she took a bit out of her chicken sandwich, eying me.

“We were at Mika's party.” Aaron went on, not waiting for me to answer. “You missed a lot of shit.”

Oh no. “Is that right?” I said, my food forgotten.

They exchanged a knowing look.

“Jayson and Steph were there.” Cass said low.

“Wh-wh-what happened?” I stammered.

Aaron was the one to answer, “Jayson was-” Cass hit him hard on the arm. “Ow! What?” She looked at him hard. “Oh... right.” he said, looking at me.

“I'm a big girl, I can handle it.” I told them.

After along pause Cass said quickly, “Jayson was getting head from this girl, right in front of Stephanie. After they were done, Stephanie tried to fight the girl. Jayson thought it was funny and somehow convinced the girls to behave.”

“Then she Jayson saw us.” Aaron added.

“And Aaron confronted him about you.”

I turned to him. “You didn't have to do that.”

He shrugged and Cassie went on, “Well, then Stephanie had to join in, some word were exchanged and someone might or might not have blackened her eye.”

I was shocked, but impressed. “Cass, you didn't?”

“I didn't say it was me.” she said innocently but looked proud.

I had the most amazing friends in the whole entire world.

“What did Jayson do about it?” I asked curiously.

“Nothing. They just left. Him, Stephanie and the blowjob girl.”

“That's it?”

“Yup.”

I thought that over for a minute or two. I suppose that was why he came to see me. “He's a coward.” I muttered to no one in particular.

“I'm sorry T.” Aaron said, putting his hand on top of mine.

“I'm good.” I said but was anything but. “He came by today.” I said softly. I'm not even sure why I mentioned it, it would only worry them.

“Why?” they both asked.

I shrugged and said, “He told me to watch my back.”

“He's threatening you now?” Aaron said angrily.

Cass asked, “What's his problem? I mean, why can't he just leave you alone? He has what he wanted.” Not everything.

The door bell rang and we all turned our heads. “I'll get it.” Aaron said as he stood and walked out the kitchen.

“So who are those from?” Cass asked in a urgent whisper, pointing to the vase of flowers.

“No one.” I mutter not looking at her,

“Who is he?” I said nothing, “Tourie, why are you lying to me?”

“Tourie.” Aaron called.

I retreated from the room before Cassie could stop me, only to find Daniel standing outside of the open front door, aviators on. “He said he's a friend of yours.” Aaron said bitterly.

“He is.” I told him and turned to Daniel, “Hey. Come in.”

“I didn't know you had company.” Daniel said as he stepped inside, he and Aaron were having some staring contest, both refusing to look away from the other.

“Aaron?” he finally looked at me, his brow furrowed, “Aaron, this is my friend Daniel, Daniel, Aaron.” Neither of then spoke. Cass came into the hallway and I introduced them too. “Cass, this is Daniel, Dan, Cassie.”

“Pleasure.” Cass said, smiling brightly at me. “I wish I could say I've heard a lot about you, but...”

“Well that feeling's mutual.” Daniel said to her.

Then they all eyed me.

I felt uncomfortable to say the least.

“We'll leave you two alone.” Aaron said, taking Cassie's arm and leading her into the den.

“Bad time?” Daniel asked.

“No.”

He motioned for me to follow him and we went out onto the porch. The sun was shining brightly, but there was still a chill in the air.

“So I finally get to met your friends.” he said in a whisper.

“What was up with you and Aaron?” I asked veering away from the topic. “Is that some sort of guy thing I wasn't aware of?”

“What do you mean?” His face was stoic.

“Never mind.”

“You've been crying.” Daniel said suddenly.

“How can you tell I've been crying?”I said defensively.

He said, “Your eyes are swollen a little.”

“It's just be my allergies.” he didn't look convinced. “Jayson stopped by earlier.”

“So I heard.” he muttered.

“How did you... oh right.” I pointed to my ear. My own super hearing was all but gone now.

“I didn't mean to listen in.”

“It's fine.”

He asked to hear more about what Jayson had said and when I was done, Daniel sighed heavily, a little mad. “You shouldn't have even answered the door for that bastard. He could have-”

“I know.” I said, annoyed. “I know the risk I took.”

“Tourie, you have to be more careful.”

“For how long? The rest of my life?” I leaned against the wall. “I just feel so drained.”

Dan stepped in front of me and touched me cheek. “It'll be okay. I could take care of it for-”

“No.” I said firmly. “No.”

He just stared at me for a few heartbeats. “Fair enough.” he whispered. He took my hand and pulled me towards the door. “I'm staying, if you don't mind.” he said softly as we entered the house, before letting my hand go.

Cassie and Aaron were seated close together on the couch and their hushed conversation ended abruptly once we entered the room.

Before Daniel had taken a seat Cass asked, “So how long have you two been... friends?”

“Not long.” Daniel answered.

Aaron scoffed and looked at me, “How came you never mentioned him to us? Or us to him?”

I shrugged and couldn't think of a good excuse, “I was getting to it.”

“Uh-huh.” Cass and Aaron both said in unison.

Cass eyed me. She had a suspicious look in her eye. I went over to one of the two arm chair's and Dan sat in the other which was across for mine.

Aaron's face was hard mask as he turned to face Daniel and said, “You're the one who beat up Jayson.”