ꜱᴡᴇᴇᴛ ʜᴏᴍᴇ ⇴ ᴛᴠᴅ ² ✓

twenty six

"Listen Dracula, I don't owe you shit. Just leave me alone."

Billie tried to push past Ricky, who had ambushed her almost as soon as she stepped out of the building. 

"You don't even know what I'm offering yet." He chuckled at her standoffish behaviour, but did not let up.

"Don't need to. I'm clairvoyant, remember?" She smiled sarcastically, not even turning to face him as she walked briskly.

Harper wanted more than anything to find a quiet, dark corner to just curl up in and cry. This trip had been a horrible idea and she just wished she could go back to Mystic Falls and forget it ever happened.

Only, once she got back, there was a whole other set of problems for her to deal with. There was really no way she could win.

"No need to be a smartass, Willa." He teased with a playful smile, but Billie was nowhere in the mood for it and stopped walking so suddenly, the people behind her on the street swerved away in their late afternoon rush. So he'd heard.

"Firstly, never call me that again. Secondly, I was dumb enough to leave the rosé up there so I am not drunk enough to have... whatever the hell you think this is." She gestured between them tiredly, fishing through her pockets to find her sunglasses seeing as it was actually quite a sunny day and her eyes hurt from squinting.

Ricky's smile turned a little more genuine. "I can fix that."

⇴

"You sure know the way to a woman's heart Ricky. Although gin is a little sweet for my taste, I appreciate the effort all the same."

They clinked glasses as Billie slouched comfortably in the large chair in the VIP section. She was feeling much more civil, now that her stomach was a little warmer. But the crushing depression was always there, unwilling to make an appearance in front of company. She wished he could hurry this up a bit.

He beamed happily at her words, sipping at his manly whiskey while Billie secretly wished they could swap drinks. But alcohol was alcohol, she'd take what she could.

Billie smacked her lips together as a thought swirled around her foggy mind.

"So... out of curiosity, what do they sell? My parents." Billie added, cinching her lips to the side, trying not to come across eager, not that she was in the first place. She just didn't trust anything her parents had ever told her anymore. They had said always told her they were jewellers, among other things.

"Well, the one thing vampires want more than anything... aside from the obvious, of course."

He brandished the back of his hand, her eyes landing on the ring around Ricky's middle finger. Thick band, intricate decorations, but most importantly, a blue gem in the middle, presumably enchanted. Billie slowly recognised the piece.

"Daylight rings."

Ricky nodded. "New York is a big place, a lot of customers. Vampires come in from around the world to buy these. Summer is always a good time, lots of new love, holiday flings, weddings... It's cliché, but business is business."

Billie frowned as she thought. She had no idea vampirism had become so... commercialised. She smiled in irony. It really did remind her of Twilight.

"So, what's the offer?" Billie sighed tiredly as she cut straight to the chase and Ricky bowed his head, understanding she wasn't in the mood for pleasantries.

He beckoned to the side and out of seemingly nowhere, an assistant appeared, handing Ricky a thick folder, scurrying away again instantly. Billie began to feel a little uncomfortable in the VIP section. She didn't belong here.