Mirror, Mirror (Book 2)

Chapter 23: Jonah Cross Part 1

After their encounter with Jake, Amelia and Oliver walked home from the forest, retracing their former footsteps to the creek.

The sky was bright, yet cloudy, the trees shivered against the cool wind, and animals were busy digging the ground for any signs of food.

They must have walked thirty miles away from the shed, as sounds of crunching leaves filled the silence between the two young wanderers.

Until Oliver complimented, "that was pretty badass back there."

Amelia smiles as she looked at the boy. "That hypocrite had it coming."

"Yeah, he did." he agreed, pushing his hand against the thick brush. "but we need to keep our distance from him."

The vampire looked at him strangely.

"How come?"

"Like you said before," Oliver says. "Jake is hiding something. He overheard our conversation the other night and followed us to the tool shed."

"I did find that a bit odd," Amelia agreed, leaping over a collapsed tree trunk. "how did he know where to find us?"

"I have no idea," he replied. "but I do know that those ghosts need our help, and we have the map, all thanks to you."

Amelia blushes at the compliment.

"It was nothing," she says. "anyway, do you need some help dealing with your classmates? I'm sure Max and his thugs will bother you."

Oliver smiled, "thank you for your concern, but I am sure Max won't harm me. Besides, he's probably inside reading porn magazines."

Strolling along beside him, Amelia puts her fingers into her hair then forms a ponytail, which covers her vampire bite marks on the left side of her pale neck.

"Asshole," Amelia grunted. "it's no wonder you hate him."

Oliver shakes his head. "I don't hate him that much. I mean, sure he's a dick, but Max is pretty decent once you avoid him."

Amelia rolls his eyes in disbelief. "I don't know what annoys me the most: Max's cockiness or Jonah's immaturity."

Oliver frowned at her. "Who's Jonah?"

The minute he asked that question, Amelia's pale face went bright red. Her delicate finger twirled a lock of her dirty blond hair as she shrugs her shoulders and said nothing.

"Amelia, who's Jonah?" he implied again.

"Nobody." the vampire grumbled.

The human boy released a loud groan then said, "come on, Amelia. I told you about my embarrassing crush; at least you could do is tell me yours."

"Jonah is not my crush," Amelia retorted. "I would rather die than date some arrogant prick-"

"So you do know him." Oliver teased.

The breathtaking model sighed, but this time, she reluctantly nodded.

"Yeah," the vampire answered. "he was my ex-boyfriend."

Oliver's green eyes grew wide as acorns as she mentioned the word boyfriend. Of all the years he had spent with Amelia, she had never shown one interest in dating.

Presumably because of the fact that boys stalked her wherever she goes.

"You had a boyfriend?" he implied.

Amelia nodded solemnly, maneuvering around a dead squirrel.

"Yeah, he was my first lover since Richard died."