Chomp

Chapter 14

CHAPTER 14: 

For a whole two days Rayna Belvoir stayed in my bedroom, healing on the floor where no one could see her. For the duration of that time I was hounded with questions and just wasn't in the mood to answer any of them. Now, word was that I had murdered Ray which was why she was gone for two days and no one had seen her since she had run off after me. Even some of the teachers were giving me looks. Theo appeared at my locker after school on the second day. 

"Hey, bro," he said leaning against the locker beside mine, his hands stuffed into his pockets, "You haven't seemed yourself these last couple of days."

I slammed my locker shut and rested my forehead against it. "Can I . . . There's something that's been bothering me lately. It's about Ray . . ." 

Theo's expression grew serious and he straightened up quickly. "Yeah, what the hell was up with the whole outburst and then taking off like that? And you skipped school." He pointed out. Mom looked about ready to bash my head in when the school had called to inform her that I'd ditched. 

"Well, Ray said some things and I kinda just lost my cool. But we're fine now, I guess. It's just that she's so . . .," I struggled to find the right words. If I told him that she was a vampire then he'd ask mom about checking me into the psych ward. 

"Hot? Sexy, alluring, hypnotizing, charming? I mean the list goes on," he said with a sly grin. 

"It's more than that. It's her . . . life style? I mean, it's just completely against everything that I believe and yet two days ago I was . . . 'helping her out'," I rambled reliving the feeling of her sinking fangs into my palm and how sinfully good it had felt. 

Theo's hazel eyes widened, his eyebrows shooting up. "Whoa, she's not a vegan, is she? I mean, she ate the dinner you cooked," he said shaking his head, "Wait, it's worse isn't it. Let me guess. She's super religious and has taken one of those chastity vows? That would be terrible when she looks so good."

"No," I sighed, "The exact opposite actually. If I told you, you wouldn't believe me." 

>>>>>

I stared in disbelief at Ray when I entered my bedroom. She had clearly taken a shower, a towel still wrapped around her head and my Captain America T-shirt slipped over her head along with a pair of blue basketball shorts. When I had left her that morning she was still gross and too weak to move much, but now she had helped herself to my things and was propped up on the bed as though it were the norm. My cheeks flared knowing that she'd gone through my drawers and I found myself wondering what else she might have found- not that I have dirty magazines or anything. 

She flipped through channels, the TV at its lowest volume which only she could probably hear. I dropped my backpack onto the floor and kicked off my shoes, eyes still staring at her. The color had returned to her skin and her face no longer appeared gaunt, the dark circles ringing her eyes nowhere to be found. Had she really healed that quickly? 

"How was school?" she finally said acknowledging my presence. I quirked a brow.

"Did you really just ask me that?" I chuckled before moving around to see that the pallet of blankets was folded neatly into a pile. "So I guess you're all healed up now?"

Ray stopped her channel surfing and gave me one of those mischievous smiles. "I had a little snack." My stomach sank when she said it and I silently wondered if she'd bitten my mom or Uncle Hector. 

"You didn't . . ."

"Probably not whatever you're thinking. Garbage men don't taste all that bad," she laughed lightly before returning her attention to the television. 

It took me a minute to figure out that it was Wednesday- our garbage day. I pinched the bridge of my nose and shook my head. She really was unbelievable. A knock at the door sounded and I was in motion in half a second flat, moving around the bed and lifting Ray up despite her leg and shoulder, dumping her onto the pile of blankets on the floor. My mom poked her head in once I gave her the cue to come in, a smile lighting up her eyes. 

"I just wanted to talk to you for a sec," she said like I really had much of a choice. She sat on the other side of my bed and I continued to stand awkwardly beside a brooding Ray who clutched at her leg. 

"What's up?" I asked trying to be calm and cool. I had never snuck a girl into my room, let alone a wounded vampire. Theo had had a couple of them over without mom knowing and sometimes even Uncle Hector didn't know. I was so not smooth. 

"Well, I just wanted you to know that I'm proud of you and I really should look at all the good you do," she began, "You know that you boys are the world to me, and I only want you to be happy and safe." Her eyes started to get all watery and I hated seeing her cry. Actually, I don't think I can recall her ever really crying unless it involved laughter. She hadn't even shed a tear when dad died. Not in front of Theo and me anyhow. 

I took the initiative to hop onto my bed and sling an arm around her shoulders. "Hey, I've kind of been acting like a jerk so it's not your fault. I should probably work on my temper, too." She smiled, ruffling my hair. 

"Now that, you definitely got from Hector.  But speaking of tempers . . .," she said bumping my shoulder, "I hear you're having girl troubles. You know that I'm hear to listen because I know women better than anyone in this household."

"Mom," I groaned feeling my face heat up. Ray was sitting on the floor with an amused smirk on her face. "I told you that you're kinda late to be giving 'the talk'. And those issues are resolved, okay?" 

"Alright," she said holding her hands up, "I just thought that maybe you'd like some advice since you've been seeing that Rayna Belvoir girl. She's so gorgeous and charming."

"Yeah mom, real pretty," I said sarcastically, "Can we seriously not talk about this?"

"Hey, I'm just saying that if you're going to go sneak off to hook up with whoever, at least be safe about it. You've used condoms, right?" she asked me narrowing her eyes. 

My jaw dropped and I burried my face into my hands, the humiliation washing over me like a tsunami. "No!"

"No? What do you mean 'no'?!" she asked raising her voice a little.

"I mean I haven't used one because I haven't done anything with Ray. It's not even like that!" I defended waving my arms around frantically. 

"So you normally just ride off into the sunset with leather clad girls on motorcycles and disappear for twenty-four hours then?" I opened my mouth and closed it, not knowing exactly what to say. There wasn't a really good excuse that made sense no matter how I thought to put it. "Yeah, I didn't think so. I'll see about getting you some condoms from work. They're free."

With that she gave my shoulder a pat before standing up and leaving out of the room. My jaw was still hanging open even after she left the room, her footstep receeding down the hall. Rayna'a hand was clasped over her mouth in an attempt to keep from laughing out loud snd I shot her a look deadly enough to kill. Her shoulders were trembling and my face felt like it would melt if it grew any hotter. I was mortified, wondering if she'd ever given Theo the same speech or badgered him with the same questions. Not likely. 

"Not. A. Word." I ground out when Rayna fell over shaking with silent laughter. I buried my face into my pillows and tried to disappear into them. 

A/N: Another update as promised this week. Good thing most of the book is finished, otherwise these finals would have me swamped. :p