Bad Luck, Baby

18 - Bad Problem

Ro released me, and I stepped back, trying to gather the thoughts he'd scattered with a kiss. They swirled thick and fast as the metaphorical butterflies in my stomach, but Ro spoke before I could fix on one.

"Did it work?" he asked, arching his brows.

I blinked and forced my tingling lips to form words. "Did what work?"

"The kiss. A vampire's spell is one of fatal attraction," he said, sounding much more like his usual self. "Like the moth to the flame. A sudden shock usually breaks the victim out of it. I figured a kiss would do the trick. So, did it? Or do you still have an irresistible urge to donate blood?"

A cold wave of understanding washed through me, and the metaphorical butterflies dropped dead.

Of course he hadn't kissed me because he'd wanted to; it was just a means to an end.

The next wave that hit me was one of self-loathing, as I realized what a terrible disappointment this was, and I turned away so he wouldn't see the stupid hurt on my face.

"Yes, it worked," I said, and took an unsteady step towards the bed. Suddenly exhausted, all I wanted was to change into my night clothes and go to sleep. "Thanks for the rescue."

"What were you doing down there, anyway?" he asked, following closely at my back, as if afraid I might still bolt for the club the first chance I got. "Did you think I was joking when I said you'd be eaten alive?"

A bitter laugh rose to my lips. "Yes, actually. I didn't think the warning was meant to be literal."

I kicked off my shoes and shrugged off my shirt; then I grabbed the soft tee I'd slept in the night before and pulled it over my head. I'd have to ask Janelle if there was a washing machine I could use, or if I'd have to beg some quarters off Tobin or Luke and look for a laundromat. With all the supernatural shit in my life, I'd almost forgotten about the mundane; but it was still there, staring back at me in the fact I had almost no clean clothes left to wear.

"Tobin invited me to watch him DJ," I continued. "I just wanted to get to know my options, is all."

"Options?"

I turned and found Ro standing very close. His nearness prodded my heart back to unhealthy speeds and resurrected the dead butterflies in my stomach.

Zombie butterflies. Wonderful.

I snorted at my internal joke and fell to sit on the edge of the bed, running a shaking hand through my hair and keeping my eyes on the floor.

"Yeah. I need a familiar, remember?"

A handful of seconds passed in silence, and then Ro spoke in a soft, curiously low voice.

"You have a familiar," he said. "I'm right here."

I glanced up to find him watching me intently. Tired of his games, I got to my feet again and pushed past him, headed for the door. I wanted to brush my teeth, go to bed, and forget the entire evening had ever happened. There was a reason my default answer to social invitations was "no."

"You know what I mean," I said, my mouth twisting as if I'd bitten into something sour. "I need a permanent, bonded familiar. One who actually wants to be with me."

Ro followed me again, and as I grasped the knob, he reached past me and held the door shut.

"Maybe you didn't hear me before," he said, still in that strange, low voice. "I said I didn't hate you, Ellie."

I rounded on him, glaring and feeling very small beneath his yellow-eyed stare.

"Great. I'm glad you don't hate me," I snapped. "You also said, 'that's the problem.' I'm not like my father, Ro. I don't care about power. I'd rather bond with the weakest familiar who actually likes me than spend my life bound to someone who barely tolerates my existence. I barely tolerate my existence," I added and bit my lip.