Tall, Dark and Dead

Heads or Tails

CHAPTER FORTY-FIVE

N a t a l i a

When I opened my eyes, I expected to see the love of my life sleeping next to me, holding my hand, waiting for me to say her name. She'd be so happy to see me, she'll cup my face and tell me that I scared her to death after kissing me passionately. I was hoping for that, but fate has another thing in mind. I got Bree instead. Teddy is less scary. A lot nicer, too. This one is always glaring at me. Like she wants to hurt me or something. Blaming me for everything.

"Oh, thank goodness." She quickly stood up, checking my temperature. Mykee says she's a doctor, too. Bree checked on my wounds as well. As she was studying my arm, she blurted out, "I thought I'm going to lose Alek again." She placed the stethoscope with the blue tubing on top of my chest and on my back. "How's your heart?"

"Uh, broken?"

"Hah! Same here. Same diagnosis, too. I'd bet my immortality, it was caused by the same person as well." She pressed the apparatus harder this time like the diaphragm is gonna crush my rib anytime. "Although, yours is still beating. Wanna do something 'bout that?"

"You mean, turn me into a vampire?"

"Ooh, bold one. Unlike Cali, walang bayag, puro lang kaartehan sa buhay." Bree grinned, fangs slowly coming out. "Vampire, huh? I would love to make you one, mija, just lemme know."

I grunted, eyebrows furrowed. "About what you said earlier..." I forced myself to sit up. "What did you mean?" Mykee opened the door, nagulat siya nang makita akong gising na, ngunit nang makita niyang seryoso si Bree, isinara niya agad ang pinto. "What do you mean lose her again?"

"Look, Cali," The girl apologized to me when she realized what she has just done. "Natalia, Cali is alive. She came back."

"Prank ba 'to?"

"I wish it was, but no."

"Wait, what?!"

"It's not what you think." The vampire slid the window to the left, opening it. "At some point, I thought you were her reincarnation, but I was wrong." Pumalatak ito sabay tawa. "With Cali alive and you being the collateral damage-"

"Excuse me?"

"Hmm, that came out wrong. Or did it? Well," Sabrina motioned for me to let her finish, "...as I was saying, you and Cali are gonna make Alek do the hardest thing that even I couldn't do."

"Do what exactly?"

Without even blinking, she says, "Choose." Bree had gone back to where she was sitting earlier. "You two are gonna make her choose." The vampire tossed me a coin, telling me, "Heads, she'll choose Calista. Tails, she'll choose you." Pagbukas ko ng aking palad, natuwa ako sa aking nakita. "With that smile, I guess you won my little game." Ibinato ko sa kanya pabalik ang barya. "But you must know, my money's on Calista and not you."

"Nananadya ka ba?"

"I'm just trying to be real here, Natalia."

"Hindi ko kailangan ang awa mo."

"You must understand, human. Calista is the love of her life." Mabilis niyang hinawakan ang aking mga kamay ng mapansin niyang fidgety na ako. "This is a total bullshit, I know. I mean, can you imagine, both of you existing? My chances are zero to nothing." Hahaplusin sana ni Bree ang mukha ko pero tinapik ko ang kamay nito. "See? You're so much like her that I really thought you were the promise."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"It means that you're the backlash and not the promise." It's not a secret that Bree is rude and straightforward, but she's gone overboard. Teddy was knocking, and I can hear her. "Don't worry about her. She just thinks I'll kill you and shit. Skin you alive, drain your blood, poison you. Things like that. No biggie."