Crimson {COMPLETED}

CHAPTER XIV

EMILY'S POV

OCTOBER 28
8:37 a.m

JACKSON AND I walk into the dining room, and Alice turns in her chair to smile at me. She stops smiling when she sees the look I'm giving her.

I sit down next to her and Jackson sits on the other side of me.

"Hi Emily." Alice smiles wearily.

"Alice."

She leans closer. "Look, I know you're mad I stayed here but I can explain later, alright?"

She goes back to talking to Christos and Jackson taps my shoulder.

"You need to drink." He pushes my goblet closer to me. Ugh, right.

Jackson stopped by this morning because today is the last day of my transformation. He said I looked 'sickly' and insisted I needed blood pronto.

Once I drink this crap, I really am one of them now.

"Do I have to?" I whisper.

"I know Em, but you have to, yes."

I sigh and chug a quick sip, hoping I won't be able to taste it.

But I do taste it.

It tastes like I have a magnet in my mouth.

I overhear Alice talking to Christos. "I've already stayed here a pretty long time. I should go home with Emily after breakfast."

I look over and see Christos frown, his face creasing. "But you like it here, don't you?"

"I do. Really. But I should go home today. I shouldn't keep putting it off, you know?"

He sighs and leans his head on his hands, beginning to pick at his food.

I force another sip from my goblet, the taste a little more normal. Almost like water.

"So Emily," Christos starts, "as a vampire, what's your plan now?"

"Um, the same thing it's always been. Graduate college and get a good job."

Jackson stops mid-bite and stares at me.

"Why do you still want to go to college? You could live a great life without having to lift a finger-"

"Because my parents raised me to work hard for what I want. How did yours raise you, Mr Jackson Reed?"

Alice and Christos gets dead silent and Jackson purses his lips.

Christos' eyes go wide and he leans on the edge of his seat. "Jackson-"

Jackson damn near slams his goblet on the table.

"You think I'm a spoiled brat, don't you?" He chuckles. "Hate to break it to you but my parents raised me the same way."

There's a long drag of silence.

"So, what are you majoring in? At your school I mean." Christos starts conversation back up. If there's one thing I'm grateful for, it's Christos' sheer skill in conversation.

"Well I'm on my last year taking my undergraduate courses. After I finish I'll be taking three years of law school."

"She's going to be one hell of a lawyer one day." Alice beams.

After a second, I see Alice frown.

She whispers something to Christos and sighs.

"Lawyer, huh?" Jackson runs his finger over the rim of his goblet. "You could be a lawyer here you know-"

I chuckle. "This place has a justice system?"

"Of course." Christos shrugs. "It was created by my great great grandparents."

"It's very similar to the justice system from where you're from it's just a little more extreme sometimes. Then again, there isn't too much crime here and that's what causes all the extreme penalties." Jackson shoves a large chunk of flapjack into his mouth.

"Why are you so insistent on me living here?"

"Well you're going to have to start living in this realm sooner or later. You need blood and that's not exactly something you can find in a mortal supermarket." He smiles.

I look down, knowing he's right.

"And well we are going to settle down one day after all."

"Don't push your luck." I drink from my goblet and grimace.

"Well, however it is you want to go about your studies Em, you know I'll support you."

That's the only thing I can think of that makes Jackson better than Christos. He isn't controlling. During the short time Christos and I were together, he was bossy and possessive.

Which is why I have a sick feeling in my stomach that prying Alice from him isn't going to be a walk in the park.

After breakfast, I sit on Alice's guest bed as she gets dressed in her normal clothes.

"Why did you tell Christos you wanted to stay?"

"Have you seen this place? It's amazing, truly. And the way they all behave, Emily it's extraordinary. Vampires have been living under our noses for centuries. Doesn't that amaze you?"

"Alice, has this all just been some big opportunity for you, huh?" I sigh. "This whole time you've just wanted insight haven't you?"

"Maybe. One would think you'd be happy that's the only reason I stayed."

"Yeah, well you've been playing with Christos feelings." I frown. "You've been here like, a week and that man is tripping over himself for you."

"Yeah well look at you Emily. You drank blood this morning. Blood. You have fangs for Christ's sake."

"I didn't ask for this." I scoff.

"And yet that Jackson guy could barely keep his eyes off you for the entirety of breakfast. I saw you two Emily, you like him."

"He's like every other arrogant vampire prick in this damn place. Don't get me started on him."

"Uh huh." Alice rolls her eyes. "Heaven forbid I have a little fun here for a week but you get to juggle your career and dreams with getting to be a vampire and run around with your little bloodsucking boyfriend."

"What is your problem?"

She whips her head around. "For some reason you get everything Emily. Everything. You've got your whole damn life figured out. You're going to be some millionaire lawyer with a fancy husband and what am I, huh? Your baby sister who is going to be working the drive thru of McDonalds until she retires?"

"Is this what this is about? The fact that I have a plan and you don't? No ones stopping you Alice."

"Oh yeah, only the fact that mom and Dad practically spent all our fucking money on your education. You wonder why Dad is working so much and why mom has several jobs. It's not just because the divorce Emily. It's because you're their darling eldest daughter and they couldn't bring themselves to say no."

What the hell has gotten into her?

I should be able to read thoughts now, shouldn't I? How the hell do I do this?

It makes my head hurt trying.

Once I finally figure it out, I'm searching her thoughts for what feels like ages.

Then I find it. When Alice had frowned at breakfast. Christos had said something to her telepathically.

"And what about you Alice? What's in your future? Living in Emily's shadow I'm assuming?"

That son of a bitch.

"C'mon, hurry up so we can get the hell out of here." I stand. "He didn't bite you, did he?" I turn her head so I can see her neck.

"No." She mumbles.

"Good." I sigh, nodding.

She'll be mad at me for now, but later she'll realize I'm just trying to help her.