Three is company

3 - Love is Resentful

Nine months after the breakup

I had made the choice to put myself first and move on with my life. I would be the bigger person; just like Adam suggested.  Sophia was not that way... She was a petty bitch. And she played dirty. To do this she had told her coven I was a cheating whore who had left her broken-hearted. And vampires are not quick to move on. 

I sat on a bench outside of the hospital eating burgers with Johnny. Johnny had finally decided that yes he did like me. So occasionally he would bring me food and ask for ideas for dates and things he could do with Adam. He also enjoyed talking about magic and witches - he was oddly knowledgeable about dark magic. 

"Have you two gone to the new exhibit at the museum?" I took a big bite of my burger. 

"No."

"Take him. He loves art and the traveling exhibit is supposed to be worth it." I heard someone scoff from behind me. 

Johnny and I turned to see my least favorite being on the planet. Dr. Aidrien Skelton. He was very close to Sophia and held every word she said as gospel. He worshiped her. And since the breakup, he had taken every chance to give me horrible tasks and make snide remarks towards me. He was a jackass. "Like you would know what's worth it."

I rolled my eyes and glared up at him. "I wasn't the one who was caught with another woman in our bed." I took a sip of my super sugary tea. Good southern sweet tea.

He sneered down at me. "Sometimes you just have to accept that you're not good enough." Dr. Jackoff wiped away fake tears. "I feel sorry for her having to waste her time with a slut like you. Running off to that twinks bed."

Johnny stood up suddenly making me jump. I had never seen such a murderous look on his face. "Shut your blood-sucking trap." He was huge. Towering over the skeletal like a vampire. "I don't take kindly to people spewing shit about my people." I could feel the hatred radiating off Johnny. Inhuman pure vitriol. It made me shrink back instinctively.

Skelton's face was pure terror. He looked as if he had seen the face of death. I had never seen someone scared a vampire so much. But the hatred of Johnny was something else. It wasn't directed at me and it made me shake with fear. 

"If I ever hear you've been going after my boyfriend or Alizon again, I'll come for you and make you wish for the wrath of God." Johnny spit on Skelton before turning to come back and sit with me. He sat beside me and took an aggressive bite out of his burger. "I don't make idle threats." His last statement was a whisper as Skelton turned and hurried back into the hospital.

"I'm sorry." I looked down at my hand. "I didn't want you or Adam to be pulled into this shit show."

Johnny patted me on the back and sighed. His hand was so hard. But it was comforting. "When I met you, I didn't know what to make of you. A stupid powerful witch who was my boyfriend's best friend. I worried you'd hurt him. Because magic tends to do that..." He squeezed my shoulder. "Then, I saw you with him. You care so completely about him I knew you'd never let anything happen to him." He laughed. "I also found the two dozen charms you've given him over the years."

He pulled out a little glass bead I had given Adam when we were seven and he scraped his knee. It was a comfort and healing charm. It was a deep red shiny marbel thing that Adam thought was pretty. I had given him so many small charms for healing and protection over the years. The most recent was a little wooden dog on a key chain. Inside was a crystal with a protection charm carved in it.

"I like you because you love him. You're his person. His people are my people." Johnny stopped half hugging me and went back to eating his food. 

I felt tears spilling out of my eyes. I didn't know why his acceptance impacted me so much. "Thank you." I managed to choke out.