Ethan leans back against the trunk of a tree on the edge of the footpath. His posture is rigid as he listens to what’s being said on the other end of the line. Then he says, “And they have all been apprehended?” There is a beat of quiet. “This is very good news Jeremy, it takes away the requirement for any further action. I understand your anger at the move, but they will receive due punishment.”
What the hell is going on? He’s talking to Whitfield? Who is going to be punished? My temperature runs cold, and the colour drains from my face. A moment later Ethan hangs up and turns to me.
“There has been a development that requires my attention. I am sorry but we will have to leave your father where he is for now. But don’t worry, I intend to find him for you, my love.”
I swallow and nod. This place is too big, and I have no chance of getting anywhere without Ethan’s help. We walk back to his car and get in.
“I’m truly sorry about this,” says Ethan, his eyes looking from the road to me. “I had hoped to spend the night with you again,” he continues wistfully. “But we always have tomorrow after the celebration.”
“Sure,” I say, not at all looking forward to a party that will consist mainly of vampires. Especially since Whitfield is going to be the guest of honour.
“I will drop you off at the club, will you be okay to get a taxi home from there?” Ethan asks. Again, I nod my assent. I’m too consumed with what I had heard of Ethan’s phone conversation, and I want to know if it had anything to do with Pamphrock and the slayers. I need to call Finn the moment I can get away from Ethan.
Ethan stops his car on the road beside the club. He takes my hand and kisses the inside of my wrist. I feel it all the way down to my toes.
“Until next time,” he grins, clearly observing the affect his kiss has on me.
Feeling brave, and perhaps because this could be the very last time I see him if somehow Pamphrock manages to rescue Rebecca before Whitfield’s party, I grab hold of Ethan’s sh
irt and pull him into me, before kissing him on the lips. I can feel him smiling against my mouth, and I can’t helping smiling too at my boldness.
When I pull away Ethan still hasn’t stopped smiling. “We’re going to have a lot of fun together, you and I.”
My heart pounds as I think that it might never happen. But I steel myself, plaster a fake grin on my face, and reply, “I hope so, Ethan.”
I slam shut the car door and he pulls away. I glance over my shoulder and watch as he swiftly turns a corner and disappears from sight. A shaky breath leaves me. I walk to the front of the club, where the usual queue of people wait to get in.
There’s some sort of a commotion going on by the door, and when I get closer I see Amanda’s recognisable pink hair. Lucas is there, dressed all in black in his work mode garb. Amanda grabs a hold of his upper arm, she seems to be pleading with him about something but he pushes her away. A little too forcefully for my liking.
Quickly I run toward them. “What’s going on?” I ask through a tight jaw, as I glance between Lucas and Amanda.
“Bring your friend home, Tegan, I have had enough of her for one night.” Lucas replies coldly.
“Please, Lucas, don’t do this,” Amanda slurs, she looks drunk, she wobbles on her feet, but is it from alcohol or blood loss?
I hold onto Amanda to prevent her from falling onto the ground and hurting herself.
I glare at Lucas. “What have you done to her?”
He returns my glare, and makes a show of eyeing the onlookers in the queue who seem all too interested in the drama that’s unfolding. “Nothing,” he grits out.
Amanda tries to pull away from me, but she’s so weak that even I’m too strong for her to get away from. He’s completely ruined her, I think sadly. Is this what would happen to me if I ever allowed Ethan to drink from me? It makes me sick and ever more determined never to let it happen. Amanda continues to struggle, so I let her go.
She stumbles toward Lucas, falling into him and placing both hands against his hard chest. “I need you,” she whispers. Oh God. My heart is breaking for her right now, and I hate myself for ever having brought her into this world with me. Lucas may be the one who turned her into the weak, grovelling addict she is right now, but I was the one who introduced her to him in the first place. I need to undo this somehow, make her better. Fix her.
I take a hold of her arm, and gently tug her toward me. “Come on, Mandy, you look tired, let’s get you home to bed.”
Lucas seems grateful that I’m taking responsibility for her. The fucking coward. I pull Amanda to the side of the road and wave my hand for the taxi driving by to stop for us. I turn back to Lucas after I’ve helped her into the car.
“Don’t you ever go near her again, do you hear me?” I spit.
“It’s not me you need to worry about, I tried to get her to leave, but she just keeps coming back,” his voice seems sad, and it makes me angry, he has no right to be sad. This is his fault for being a careless bastard in the first place.
“Oh poor you,” I reply, heavy on the sarcasm, my words laced with hate. Then I turn away from him and get into the back of the taxi with Amanda.
“Where to?” the driver asks, eyeing Amanda, who’s slumped in the seat beside me. I turn to look at her and notice that she’s now unconscious, her chest rising and falling slowly. I’m about to tell him her address before I realise that she might not still be living in the same place after all this time. She doesn’t even have a handbag on her, so I can’t search it for any clues as to where she’s staying. There are grey bags under her eyes, she looks terrible. Just like the heroin junkies you see wandering the city streets looking for their next fix. I’m going to have to take her with me back to Finn’s house. I tell the driver his address and he pulls away from the club.
When we get to Finn’s I pay the driver and put Amanda’s arm over my shoulder to help her out of the car. She moans, only half conscious of what’s going on, and it takes a great effort just to get her to the front door. Inside, I find the house oddly quiet and empty. I wonder where everybody is. I’m still helping Amanda along, and she smells terrible, like she hasn’t showered in a week. So I bring her upstairs, which takes forever in the semi-lucid state she’s currently in.