Taking What's His

Chapter Eleven

{ Delilah's POV }

My savaged soul was calmed slightly as I sipped my tea. I was nestled on the white, plush leather couch in the living room, staring blankly at a picture of my family. My father was in the picture. Although it pained my mom everytime she looked at it, she didn't have the heart to throw it out or pack it away. It was a reminder of what our family used to be, at least before...I shook my head, biting my lip to keep in a mourning cry that threatened to spill out. I didn't want him to hear me. I was positive he could hear me. I vaguely wondered what powers and attributes real life vampires had compared to fictional ones. It was obvious to me that they didn't burst into flames in the sunlight, or sparkle--Ruby and Ashton came to school regardless of whether the sun shone or0 not.

I was curious, and a part of me wanted to inquire about it, but I was too frightened to go anywhere near them. They, the vampires, were creatures that were only suppose to exist in fictional worlds. Not the real world. And especially not in my life. I tipped my cup back, draining the remaining drops of my peppermint tea before getting up and going to the kitchen. I disposed of my dish before dragging myself upstairs to my room, intent on taking a shower and then possibly getting some rest. If what Ruby said was true, Ashton wouldn't be able to enter my house unless I invited him in, so I would be safe to sleep for a few hours.

I realized then that that was my mistake. The first time I had met Ruby, I had invited her in my home, not knowing she was a vampire. And all those other times she had easily walked into my house after that, and I was completely unaware of the fact that I had let a--a monster in. 'But if they were such monsters, would they have let you live up until now?' a tiny voice in my head spoke out, stumping me for a good minute. It was right. They've had so many chances to kill me--yet they haven't. Ruby could have easily drained me during any of our sleepovers, but she didn't. She was a friend, someone I could confine in.

Ashton could have probably done the same, yet instead he took to pestering me all throughout the school day; the worst ('best!' the voice chimed) thing he had ever done to me was kiss me...he had never physically harmed me. And what about the time Ruby protected me from Blaire when she went on a rampage and tried to slap me? Or when Ashton rescued me from the awkward scene of finding my English teacher and the secretary having sex in the storage room? They had been nothing but kind to me; they had been my friends. Even Ashton, although he basically forced his friendship on me.

My mind was reeling as I stripped and entered the shower, letting the hot water cascade over me as I continued to ponder. 'What if it was all a facade? What if they were just being nice so that they could get close to me and then end my life? But no--Ruby had plenty of chances to do that. There have been many times when I've turned my back to her...' This was so aggravating! What the hell was I supposed to do?! I couldn't stay locked up in my house forever--I needed to face them. In anger, I slammed my balled fist against the shower wall, cursing as my face screwing up in pain at the contact.

I cradled it close to my body and let out a sigh, still unsure of what I was going to do. I turned the shower off and got out after scrubbing the dirt from my skin and wrapped myself in a fluffy towel, enjoying the warmth and comfort it provided me. I opened my bedroom door and stepped in, letting out a shriek at seeing Ashton perched on the outside of my window. His eyes widened, and briefly he checked me out, but his face held no emotion when his eyes flickered back to mine. "Are you okay? I heard something." he asked, keeping his gaze trained on me. I realized he had probably heard me hit the wall, and flushing I muttered in reply that I was.

He merely gave me a curt nod before hastily dropping from my window and disappearing faster then I could see back into the forest. I frowned slightly, a part of me feeling off at his reaction. 'Usually he'd have some lewd comment if I wore anything he considered a "bit too revealing", so wearing nothing but a towel I expected something vulgar.' I thought to myself, wondering why I felt a bit disappointed. I shut my curtains before changing into my pajamas and crawling into my bed, my body shutting down instantly. I was asleep before my head hit the pillow.