Vampire Princess

Chapter Eighteen: Traitor

The ride back to Springfield was quiet. I sat there on the passenger’s seat, watching the houses go by. Jerome didn’t even turn on the radio, making everything awkward. I glanced at him but he didn’t look back at me. His right hand was on the wheel while the other was leaning on the car door. He knew I was staring at him but he didn’t care. I sighed and looked away.

After a few minutes, I had enough of the silence. I turned to look at him and then glared. “Talk, Jerome.”

This time he glanced at me, raising an eyebrow. “Talk? Why would we talk? What’s there to talk about?” he said sarcastically.

“I know you’re angry. I’m sorry, okay? I know what I did was wrong… I should have called you and tell you I’m with Garret. It wasn’t… it wasn’t in my mind.”

“Oh so what was inside your mind?”

I pursed my lips and looked down at my feet. Jerome gets angry like a lion. Trust me, you don’t want to mess with him. “I’m sorry,” I whispered.

Jerome sighed. “I told you, if you don’t want me anymore, you could break up with me any time.”

“Jerome—”

“We can break up now if you want.”

“No!” I protested. “I’m sorry with everything that I have done. I know I still have feelings for Garret, but I want us to… try.”

“Try? You don’t even try!” he snapped, shooting me daggers with his eyes. If looks could kill, I’d be toasted right now. “You said you want us to try, you said you want us to work out, but it’s only you who don’t try, and it’s only you who don’t want us to work out!”

I swallowed the lump in my throat. My eyes were starting to water. “I-I’m sorry.”

Jerome sighed once again. “I can’t drive when I’m this angry,” he muttered. And so, he parked in front of a diner. It was already open and about five or six costumers were eating breakfast. “Come on, let’s go get breakfast.”

I unfastened my seatbelt and opened the car door. I swung my legs outside and then went in the diner with Jerome. We picked the farthest seat and I wondered if he wants us to argue where no one could hear us.

“What’s your order?” a smiling blonde girl asked us, holding up a pen poised on her notebook that she was holding.

“I’m going to have pancakes and a hot chocolate,” Jerome replied then he passed me a cool stare. “And yours, Melanie?”

I forced up a smile to the girl. “I’ll have the same.”

Blondie smiled at me sympathetically, as if she knew what I was going through. “Coming right up.” And with that, she left.

“I thought you have already eaten?” I asked conversationally.

Jerome leaned back on his seat and started playing with his fork and knife. “Yeah, well, I decided to eat again.”

“Listen—”

“Melanie, I don’t want to argue with you in public,” he interrupted, still not looking at me right in the eyes. “Please. Can we just talk about anything else?”

“Fine,” I sighed. “How was your afternoon yesterday with Roxanne?”

He looked up at me, his eyes narrowed. “I told you I don’t want to argue.”

I shrugged my shoulders innocently. “I was just asking. Plus, it’s okay if you hang out with my best friend. She’s an awesome girl and I trust her completely.”