He's ... in LOVE with me?

Chapter Fifteen

Vascaria's P.O.V.

Driving home was quiet...or so I had thought when my vamp senses finally kicked in and I had to keep the car from going off the road. Then I noticed Joey holding the wheel and yelling at me...

"Vascaria! Vascaria!! What the hell is going on Vasci?! You can't zone out at the wheel!"

"I- I'm sorry Joey....I don't know what happened..." I kept losing my concentration. Putting Joey in incredible danger. I just could not escape the thoughts circling in my mind. My scared impending thoughts of doom. I was completely worried about what or who was coming for me. Joey had is fingers pressed to his temples and was sighing.

"Vascaria, I'm really starting to worry about you. Can you please try to stay focused? I don't want anything to happen to you. I'd never forgive myself."

"Joey I'm sorry, and yes, I will keep focus. Nothing is going to happen to me. It's you I'm worried about, I'm supposed to be the one protecting you."

I mumbled the last part so that there would be no bickering. I didn't want him to have anything else that would stress him out. We made it to my house then, but as I got out of the car something felt.....off. Like there was someone or something that shouldn't be around. I got out of the car hesitantly, eyeing my house. Joey and I walked up towards the door. I put my arm in front of him before he could reach the doorknob.

"Joey, either stay so close to me that we're like one person, or go and wait in the car with the doors and windows locked."

"Vascaria what's goin-"

"Joey, something is wrong here. And if something goes wrong I will not have you get hurt because of me. Don't speak, and breath steadily. Don't give any sign that we are here. I'm here to protect you."

I moved forward to open the door. I wasn't necessarily shocked, per say at what I saw, but some of it was unexpected. The first thing to come to my mind was that no other person or vampire, any magical being, was there. Joey was safe... for the moment. I breathed a sigh of relief, but it was cut short when I saw the portrait of my family was slightly torn, and the frame was ruined; it lay on the floor limply. The glass was shattered and strewn across the hardwood. The rest of the downstairs was just a mess, chairs flipped over, tables broken, things were toppled over, here and there. Things scattered across the carpet hither and thither. The kitchen was just bent up. No, literally, bent up. Anything metal had a visible dent in it. I knew how bad the downstairs was, but I was dreading seeing the upstairs. Slowly and very aware of Joey breathing on the back of my neck, I climbed the stairs with him very close behind me. Nothing looked bad from the hallway. The pictures were just crooked, all the doors closed. I ventured towards my parents room first. Nothing looked off....to untrained eyes, that is. Everything had been searched, but the intruder was careful enough to just make it look as though nothing was out of place. I closed the door quietly.

 Pivoting on the spot I slowly moved towards my room with extreme caution. I wondered if my room had been searched like my parents, I still didn't understand why even their room had been searched, they had nothing of interest to trespassers, they were just my boring parents even if they are mythological. I stopped in front of my door, resting my forehead on the wood. I breathed in deeply, exhaling till no more air would exit my lungs. Slowly, ever so slowly, I turned the knob. Gently, I pushed open the door, letting it swing open the rest of the way. Opening my eyes, without realizing I had closed them, I looked at my room in bewilderment. Nothing, and I mean absolutely positively nothing, was different. I scanned my room over and over. Top to bottom side to side. Looking for the one thing that should be out of place. Only that did nothing. I didn't see anything out of place. I thought about every interaction with Lucky, every moment, every possible thing that could hint about what he was up to. Only a few words of Luke's popped into my head: "The game is only over when someone says check mate." I turned abruptly towards my desk and heaved open the drawer. Inside it was my antique chessboard and hand crafted pieces. I absolutely adored chess, and Luke knew it. Something about thinking three steps ahead of my opponent really made me feel the control; I loved to win, something Luke loved to take away from me. I opened the wooden case that I kept it in and took everything out. On the side where all the pieces were tucked into velveteen niches, was a little piece of paper tucked behind the black queen. I pulled it out and stared at it for a moment. Upon opening it, I held my breath.