Vampire Babysitter (Camren)

Chapter 7

"Normani and Dinah seem to have hit it off," Camila observed.

We were cuddled on the couch at her house. The TV on in the background, but neither of us was paying much attention to it. We were absorbed in one another, enjoying the rare opportunity to be alone together.

Selena had dropped Justin off at preschool on her way to work, and Demi was at home with Ari for her single day off this week. Even Dinah was off doing something, probably with Normani.

"I don't know. Normani told me in so many words that she's not looking for a relationship. Dinah's never been the kind to settle down, so it seemed like a match made in heaven…"

"But?"

I struggled for the right way to describe my best friend's strange behavior.

"I've never seen Dinah act the way she acts around her… she's flustered and awkward. She can't seem to keep her off her mind. It's starting to get annoying. But Normani… she's so focused on their 'mutually beneficial arrangement,'" I scoffed at the horrible euphemism they'd come up with to describe their relationship. "I can't help but think it won't remain mutually beneficial for long."

Camila chuckled, tucking her head into the nook beneath my chin.

"Well Normani is really pretty. You can't blame Dinah for being a little awed by her. Maybe she's feeling inadequate."

I rolled my eyes. "I don't think Dinah has a modest bone in her body. Trust me when I say this is more than just self-consciousness."

Camila twined our hands together, her fingers playing with mine, comfort under the guise of fidgeting.

"Are you really that concerned? From what you've told me, Dinah's done more than her fair share of breaking hearts. She's an adult. If Normani's not as into her as it seems, she'll get over it."

I shrugged, unable to explain why Dinah falling for Normani could turn into disaster. I couldn't tell Camila that if Dinah fell in love with Normani, she'd never be able to fall in love with anyone else.

My human girlfriend wouldn't understand. She didn't know vampires had a very different set of rules when it comes to love, and that when they did fall in love, it was permanent. There were few cases where a vampire's love was unrequited, but it wasn't impossible. Most cases involved a vampire who had fallen for a human.

That was why I'd been so cautious with Camila. As much as I cared for her, I refused to let myself tread into the territory of love. Until I knew she would accept me as a vampire, I couldn't. I wasn't sure how much longer I'd be able to hold out. With each passing day, I was one step closer to being unable to turn back.

Following Andrew's advice had proven more difficult than I expected. Though Camila had witnessed numerous instances of odd behavior, she never seemed to question I was anything but human. As far as I was aware, anyway. I would have done almost anything for a peek into her mind to see what was going on in there. Was she even a little suspicious? I had no way of knowing.