My name is Annabelle James, and this is the story of me, my life, and the vampires that are trying to kill me.
New here? You’re gonna wanna get the whole story.
The Aftermath
“Clouds will rage
And storms will race in
But you will be safe in my arms
Rains will pour down
Waves will crash all around
But you will be safe in my arms”
“In My Arms”, Plumb
You might be asking yourself how I’m able to write so nonchalantly about my psychotic boyfriend trying to kill me and then me witnessing him getting his throat ripped out by a blood-crazed vampire.
The answer? Well, for one thing, I think I’m still partially in shock about the whole thing. Second, I think enough time has passed since the incident that I’m able to recount the events accurately and rationally. I want the world to know this story, and fully understand it. So I need to be clear-headed and again, rational,when I tell you what’s happening here. Third… Jude. Thank God for Jude.
I was a complete and total wreck by the time I got to his apartment. I couldn’t even call to tell him I was coming because I’d left the apartment to talk to Ethan with nothing but a sweatshirt and my keys. I didn’t bring my phone. I hadn’t even put on shoes, for christ’s sake.
What little clothing I had on was completely soaked from the rain. My hair was dripping. My legs, feet and hands were cut up and bleeding from falling/crawling/running on the pavement. My cheek stung where Ethan had hit me, and my throat hurt from him choking me. I was sure that bruises were forming all over my body (especially my neck) even as I drove. My body shook from the cold, fear, and convulsive tears as I ran up to the buzzer and rang it over and over as many times as it would let me.
Finally, Jude’s sleep-laced voice sounded over the intercom.
“…Hello?”
“Jude!” I tried to cry out, but my voice was raspy and I choked on a sob.
“Annabelle?” He immediately sounded more alert. “Is that you?”
“Please help me! Open the door!”
The buzzer unlocked the door and I flung it open, racing up the stairs to his third floor apartment.
His door was just opening as I reached the landing.
“Jesus christ, what happened to you?” he said, alarmed, as he took in my appearance. I couldn’t say anything, just threw myself into his arms and wept.
“Annabelle?” he asked, sounding more worried.
I couldn’t get any words past my frantic wailing. Jude picked me up and carried me inside, shutting the door behind him with his foot. He sat down on the couch with me gathered in his lap, wrapping a blanket around me. I clung to him like he was the last stable thing on Earth and buried my face in his shoulder while I cried. His strong arms held me tightly, and I knew that he would take care of me.
Vaguely I registered that Jude was talking to someone who wasn’t me, so I tried to calm down enough to listen to what he was saying.
“Well why the fuck is she in her underwear?” I heard Jess say, obviously unhappy that I was there. Too fucking bad. I didn’t care what kind of shit she was about to pull. My boyfriend tried to kill me and then I watched him get ripped apart by a monster. I fucking win.
“I don’t know, Jess,” Jude said, sounding irritated. “She’s been in such a state I haven’t gotten her to say a word.”
“So, what, is she gonna spend the night or something?” I wasn’t looking at her, but I could practically hear the pout in her voice.
“Of course she’s going to spend the night. Clearly she’s been through something awful and traumatic. She can stay as long as she needs to.” I felt his hand begin rubbing my back.
“No! Absolutely not! I put up with a lot of shit from you where she’s concerned, but I will not tolerate this!”
“Try to be a decent human being for once, Jess,” Jude spat. I’d never heard him be this cross with her before. Any other time I’d have been cheering him on, but at that moment I just wanted him to keep holding me.
“I’ve had enough of this, Jude. You have to choose. It’s either her or me. Take your pick.”
“Her,” he said without a moment’s pause. I felt his lips press against the top of my head.
“WHAT?!” she screeched.
“I choose her. Pack some clothes and get out. I’ll arrange to get the rest of your shit to you later.”
I forced myself to take deeper breaths. Was this really happening?
Jess packed some clothes and left a few minutes later without another word.
+++
After what seemed like hours, I finally stopped crying and got my breathing under control. I was still in Jude’s lap with the blanket and his arms wrapped around me. I was warm enough that I stopped shaking. I just laid still with my head resting against his chest, listening to him breathing.
“Who did this to you?” he finally said. He hadn’t spoken since Jess left.
“Ethan,” I answered, my voice raspy.
“That son of a bitch. I’ll kill him. I’ll fucking kill that limey bastard.”
“Too late…” I whispered.
“What?!” He pulled away enough to look me in my bloodshot eyes. “Annabelle… you didn’t. Please tell me he started it and it was self defense.”
“I didn’t. It wasn’t me. But I really can’t talk about it right now I just… I can’t…”
I trailed off because I felt the tears welling up in my eyes and I really didn’t want to start crying again.
“No, no, it’s okay. As long as you’re safe. Tell me what you want.”
I took another deep breath to fight off the crying jag. “I think… a shower. And some dry clothes. Is that okay?”
“Of course.”
I slid off his lap and made my way to the bathroom. He brought me a pair of his pajama pants and one of his t-shirts, as well as a clean towel. I turned on the water as hot as I could stand it and began peeling off my wet clothes.
I showered quickly because I was tired of being wet, washing off all the dirt and dried blood. Once I was done I emerged from the bathroom almost feeling like a normal person again.
Jude was waiting for me in the living room. He’d changed clothes as well.
“Feel better?” he asked.
I nodded. “I’m exhausted though. I’m just gonna crash on the couch.”
“Nonsense. Take the bed. I’ll sleep on the couch.”
“Jude, you are way too big to sleep on this tiny-ass loveseat.”
“Then I’ll sleep on the floor,” he argued.
“You know what, why don’t we just share the bed? It’s big enough and we’ve shared plenty of times before and… well, I’m not really ready to be alone yet anyway,” I said sheepishly.
He hesitated for a moment, then nodded and reluctantly followed me into the bedroom.
Without even discussing it, we each got into our respective sides (him on the left, me on the right).
“Some things never change, huh?” I said, pulling the covers over me.
“Guess not. Jess slept on that side, too.” He paused for a moment before continuing. “I can’t believe she made me choose.”
I can. Bitch. I hope she gets eaten by a vampire.
I turned on my side to face away from him. His hand rested on my shoulder, running up and down my arm. If we were about six inches closer, we’d have been spooning.
“You didn’t have to do that, you know… I mean, choose me,” I said quietly.
“Yes I did. It’s always been you, Annabelle.”
I didn’t know what to say to that, so I said nothing. Instead I scooted backwards, closing that six-inch distance and pulled his arm tight around me. As I laid there pressed up against him, I felt relaxed and safe for the first time that night.
A Breakup to End All Breakups
In the week following our disastrous double date, several things happened.
1) I decided to break up with Ethan.
2.) Three more attack victims ended up in the hospital.
3.) The first victim who was attacked on Halloween night, though still exhibiting signs of “rabies” after several treatments involving blood products, grew strong enough that he overpowered the nurses, orderlies, and security guards and escaped from the hospital. And is currently still at large.
Awesome.
So not only do I have to deal with figuring out how to break up with my apparent lunatic boyfriend, but the longer I hold my tongue about the existence of vampires in this town, the more people are getting hurt/bitten/infected. I can’t keep those people’s deaths on my conscience. And now there are at least two of them on the loose, so who knows how many MORE people will get hurt. So I need to figure out a way to prove they’re real. If I can convince even one person (preferably some high ranking town official, but at this point I’d settle for just Jude), then at least I’ll have some help.
One thing at a time.
After the restaurant incident, I avoided Ethan at all costs until I could decide for sure what to do about him. I still didn’t fully understand how after almost an entire month of dating, I hadn’t seen this side of him before. And I don’t just mean sex. We had actual, romantic dates as well. How had he hidden it so well?
But he had seriously fucked Jude up, completely unprovoked. If he had had a couple more minutes, Jude would be in the hospital. I didn’t care that he as gorgeous with an amazing accent and dressed like a British Invasion rock star. I couldn’t be with someone so psychotic they could be triggered like that. What if one day I said or did the wrong thing and next thing I know it’s my face he’s pounding? Uh uh. Fuck that. It’s over.
Jude had been hanging around more than usual after the incident. Trying to protect me, I suppose. To be honest, I think the only reason Ethan was able to fuck him up as much as he did was because Jude was completely unprepared and Ethan got the drop on him. Jude is very lean and muscled, without being too bulky. Ethan is thin and a bit scrawny. If they ever went at it again, I’m certain Jude would wipe the floor with him.
So I’d been trying to avoid Ethan and his incessant phone calls/texts/letters/etc. He sent me flowers, which I put down my garbage disposal. He sent me chocolate, which I let Jude eat. It was the night that I woke up at 2am to hear him screaming for me outside my window that I finally gave in and decided to talk to him. I’d been sleeping in panties and a tank top, but I was half-asleep and exhausted and didn’t feel like getting completely dressed, despite that I could hear rain pounding outside. So I threw on a hooded sweatshirt, grabbed my keys, and headed outside (because I sure as hell didn’t want him in my apartment).
The minute I felt the rain on my face, I became fully alert and wished I’d put on more clothes. I ignored the cold and put my hood up as I walked over to Ethan, who apparently didn’t see me.
“ANNABELLE!” He screamed in the general direction of my window.
“What do you want Ethan?” I said, hugging myself to try to stay warm.
He jumped, startled. “Bloody hell, Annabelle! You scared me half to death.”
I snorted. “I scared you? That’s a laugh.”
“What are you doing out here in your knickers?”
I rolled my eyes. “What do you want, Ethan?” I said again, exasperated.
“You haven’t returned my calls. I’ve been trying to talk to you for almost a week!”
I tapped my chin and pretended to think. “Hmm. Maybe it’s because you beat the shit out of my best friend for no reason a all and then gave me a black eye?” I pointed to my fading shiner.
“Annabelle,that was an accident. And that thing with Jude was… a mistake. I overreacted.”
I arched an eyebrow. “You think?”
“I’m so sorry. I just want things to go back to normal. I want us to be together again. I need you.”
“Did you not hear what I said?” I started, now furious. “You beat up my best friend, and you hit me. You hit me, Ethan. I’m sorry, but I can’t see you anymore. I don’t date guys that hit.”
I turned and started to walk back to the door when he grabbed my arm.
“Annabelle, please–”
“Get OFF me!” I shouted, prying free.
There was a moment of silence and stillness between us before his face contorted in rage. His palm connected with my cheek so hard that it sent me flying down to the pavement.
“Bitch,” he spat.
I tried to crawl away, but I was half-stunned and he was too fast. He had me pinned, and his fingers wrapped around my throat.
“You think you can just walk away from me?!” he screamed.
I’d never been more terrified in my life. The pressure around my neck was increasing and it was getting harder to breathe. I tried to fight, tried to scream, but he was too strong and there was no one around.
I felt myself getting lightheaded and knew I was going to pass out soon. I was about to give in to the overpowering blackness when something knocked Ethan off of me and I felt the air rush back into my lungs.
Ethan’s screams echoes in the night, but I could still hear the growls. His blood mixed with the rain on the pavement in red puddles, and suddenly I knew what was happening. My eyes widened in fear and I stifled a gasp, not wanting to draw the vampire’s attention to me. It was blocking the entrance to my building, so I got up and ran as quickly as I could to the next safest place I could think of: my car. Crying and shivering, I fumbled with the keys until I got the door open and crawled safely inside.
I sobbed the entire way to Jude’s apartment.
Jealous Enemies
“Are you happy at last?
Are you lashing out?
You’re lashing out, violently
We should be on the same team
And we won’t get caught if we move around silently”
“Jealous Enemies”, Dark Captain Light Captain
Wow. I know it’s been a while since I’ve updated. But hey, in my defense, it’s really not my fault. My personal life has been nothing but drama, work has been crazy, and oh yeah, fucking vampires have invaded my town.
So I’ll start getting you caught up. Where was I?
Oh yes. Our double date was a complete and utter catastrophe.
It started off nice enough. I wanted to stay in and cook for everyone (well, try to), but Jess wanted to go to a nice restaurant. Since I was trying as best I could to have a drama-free evening, I conceded. Which meant I had to put on a dress. Not something I usually feel comfortable with. However, when I dress up, I do it right. And I look good.
I was wearing a cute little cocktail dress and was just putting the finishing touches on my makeup when Ethan arrived. He was looking delicious in his dress shirt and slacks. I wanted to pounce on him. But I didn’t have to. I looked up and saw the same heat and desire reflected in his gaze as he looked me over, and he pounced first.
Needless to say, we were late.
Thankfully, Jude and Jess were running late as well. When we all finally sat down, the tension was thick enough to cut with a knife. Jude and Ethan were polite, but extremely curt with each other. Jess was shooting me daggers and probably wishing my head would explode. Ethan kept trying to feel me up underneath the table, and Jude looked vaguely nauseous. We made small talk and polite conversation, but it was stilted with awkward silences.
“I’m going out for a smoke,” Ethan announced as he finished his dinner. “Order me some dessert, love,” he added, planting a kiss on my forehead.
“I’ll come with you,” Jude said standing suddenly. I arched an eyebrow quizically.
“Eww, Jude you don’t smoke!” Jess screeched.
“No, but it’ll give you girls a chance to talk. And me and Ethan a chance also.”
I rolled my eyes. Great. My best friend and my boyfriend were both abandoning me and leaving me alone with She-Devil.
The minute they were gone, Jess turned to me.
“Annabelle.”
“Jess,” I said, not even bothering to look up from my paper napkin sculpture.
“I know what you’re doing. You started dating David Bowie over there to make Jude jealous so he’d leave me and be with you. I know you want to fuck him.”
“Wow… really?” I said, my voice dripping with sarcasm. “That’s the best you could come up with? If I wanted to fuck Jude, I would have done it when the opportunity presented itself countless times over the course of our friendship. There is nothing between us except almost two decades of friendship.”
“Maybe not for you,” she grumbled, stabbing her knife into what was left of her steak.
“What the hell is that supposed to mean?”
“God, you really are thick, aren’t you?”
Before I had a chance to repeat my last question, a loud crash sounded across the restaurant. I turned my head to see Ethan straddling Jude on the floor, punching his face repeatedly. They were beside an overturned table, surrounded by broken glass and shocked bystanders.
“Oh my god!” Jess and I said in unison as we ran over to the fight.
“Ethan! ETHAN! What the fuck are you doing?!” I said as I struggled to pull him off of Jude before he broke his skull. Ethan’s arm swung to push me away, but his elbow connected with my face instead. The sharp pain radiated in my cheek bone and I cried out.
That made him stop.
“Bloody hell, Annabelle, I’m so sorry!” he said, releasing Jude and scrambling over to me. He gingerly tried to touch the spot where he’d hit me but I slapped his hand away.
“What the FUCK is the matter with you?!” I shouted angrily through the now silent restaurant.
“Sir, I’m going to have to ask you and the rest of your party to leave before I call the police,” a man (presumably the manager or owner) said, standing behind me.
“Call INS while you’re at it,” I said hotly, glaring at Ethan as I got to my feet. I walked over to where Jess and Jude were standing, trying to get Jude’s nose to stop bleeding. “Can you two please give me a ride home?” I asked them.
Jess looked like she was about to say no, but Jude cut her off. “Of course. Are you alright?”
“Fine, let’s just go.”
He nodded and the three of us left, leaving Ethan with the bill.
“Are you sure you’re alright?” Jude asked me again when we were out in the parking lot.
“I’ll probably have a shiner, but I’m fine. What about you? You’re the one with the swollen face.”
“I’m fine… a little dizzy…” he said, stumbling a little.
I wrapped my arm around his waist and draped his arm over my shoulders, supporting some of his weight to help him walk.
“We should take him to the hospital,” Jess said.
“No!” I said, a little too quickly. I didn’t want Jude anywhere near those vampire victims if I could possibly help it.
“I don’t need a hospital, Jess. I just want to go home. Here,” Jude said, fishing the keys from his pocket and handing them to Jess. “You drive.”
“What? Why not Annabelle?” she pouted.
“Jess, please. Annabelle is helping me walk. Just do it, okay?”
Jess grumbled and took the keys.
“I could help you walk…” I heard her mutter, and I had to suppress a smile.
I tried to help Jude into the front passenger seat but he resisted.
“Sit in the back with me, will you, Bells?” he asked.
So I helped him into the backseat and climbed in beside him, Jess’ face turning redder and redder by the minute.
“What the hell started that fight anyway?” Jess said through clenched teeth.
“I told him that Annabelle and I have been friends for a long time and that I would always look out for her,” Jude said, holding a tissue to his nose. “Ugh, I think I need to lie down. My head is spinning.”
He laid down with his head in my lap, looking up at the roof of the car.
“Wait, hold on… That’s it? That’s what happened?” I said, willing my jaw not to drop.
“He just went berserk, Bells. I don’t think he’s very stable.”
I absently ran my fingers through his hair as gazed out the window. Jude was right. Clearly Ethan had a few screws loose if he just attacked him like that, totally unprovoked. Not to mention that fact that he hit me as well, however indirectly.
I would take almost an entire week to get up the courage to act on this decision, but in that moment, I knew what I had to do.
I had to break up with Ethan.
Invasion
So… yeah.
I’m 99% certain vampires have invaded my town. My tiny-ass middle of nowhere mountain town.
Believe me, I know how this sounds.
But it all fits. Human bite marks. Sensitivity to sunlight. Extreme aggression and violence.
Jude texted me earlier today to tell me that the doctors decided to give the first victim blood products because his body was rejecting the IV, causing a fluid deficit. Now he’s not dehydrated but he’s stronger. And more aggressive.
See? I’m not crazy. It all fits. So now that I have this information, what do I do with it?
I’ll tell you… Nothing.
It’s not enough. I need more proof if I’m going to convince anyone. I mean, you don’t even believe me, I’m sure. I wouldn’t believe me either. But I know I’m right.
I’m not even sure how to go about getting more proof. I’m not stupid enough to go out and get my vigilante on. I’m not Buffy, or Anita Blake, or whatever other supergirl vampire hunter you can think of. Sure, I know all the vampire lore and all the various weaknesses and methods of killing them, but this is… unprecedented. Vampires are real. Who even knows which of these myths apply to real vampires? What if I shove a stake through its heart and it doesn’t even slow it down? What if I hold up a cross and instead of cowering it laughs and rips out my jugular?
So until I figure something out, I just have to sit tight. Act like nothing’s wrong. Fuck.
Yesterday before my little revelation I set up a double date for Ethan and I with Jude and Jess. That’s going to happen tonight. Trust me, if I’d known I was going to be faced with the task of proving the existence of vampires in this town, I would have scheduled it for another day.
But I’m not going to reschedule. Things have been going really well with Ethan, except where Jude is concerned, and vice versa. And assuming I figure out what to do and we live through this ordeal, I’d like for them to get along. Neither of them are quite comfortable with my relationship with the other. This dinner was supposed to get them to chillax a little and get used to the idea of one another and the roles they play in my life.
So I’m putting on a brave face (and some makeup) and going to dinner with the two most important men in my life and a crazy bitch who probably wants my head on her mantle.
Damn. When I put it like that, hunting vampires doesn’t sound so scary after all.
Wish me luck.
Epiphany
Yesterday I was on my way home from meeting with a potential client when Jude called me. We chatted for a few minutes, then I said goodbye, hung up, and placed my phone in the cup holder beside me.
I should preface the rest of this part of the story by saying that one of my favorite things to do is sing while I’m driving. Especially when I’m alone in the car because I can be completely uninhibited.
Now, I have pretty eclectic taste in music. I listen to pretty much everything. I mean, literally, my iTunes library would make your head spin– Linda Blair style– then explode. But yesterday after I hung up with Jude, I happened to be rockin’ out to some David Archuleta. About 3/4 of the way through the song, my phone rang. I turned down the volume and answered it. It was Jude again.
“You have a lovely singing voice. If you wanted to serenade me, you didn’t have to be so sneaky about it,” he said.
“Huh? The fuck are you on about?”
“You didn’t hang up the phone. And was that David Archuleta? I thought I taught you better than that. Well, me and Kurt Cobain.”
Oh. Fuck. Me.
All I can say is thank god it was Jude and not Ethan. At least with Jude I have no shame and really can’t embarrass myself any more than I already have since we’ve been friends.
“I’m glad you liked it,” I said. “You interrupted before I could start taking requests.”
“I’m serious, though. You sound really good, even if the song is lame.”
“Thanks, I guess.”
“Hey, I remembered what I was going to tell you earlier. I can’t believe I forgot this, I’ve just been so sleep deprived, and Jess is PMSing… Well, anyway. Did you hear that there was another attack last night? Closer to the center of town this time. They found the victim just before sunrise and brought him in.”
Jude is a security guard at our local hospital. Remember that attack that happened on Halloween night? I also mentioned that the bites appear to be human (WTF?). Anyway, Jude must have been on duty when the second victim was brought in last night.
“Any new information about the first victim?” I asked him.
“You know, it’s the strangest thing. I was in his room yesterday while the nurses were bathing him. I don’t usually do that but they wanted me there for extra protection since he’s so violent. If he gets loose, he tries to bite anyone who comes near him. And when I was in his room last night, they had special curtains on his window. I asked the nurse about it and she said it was just a temporary solution until they could find him a windowless room. Apparently he’s really sensitive to the sunlight. He screams and thrashes whenever the room is bright so they just keep it dark all the time.”
My chest was suddenly very heavy. I felt like I was trying to breathe through a pillowcase. This was too familiar. But it couldn’t be… could it?
“What?” I said, just above a whisper.
“You know what else is really weird?” Jude continued, oblivious to my tone of voice. “I overheard the nurses talking a little bit later, and they can’t keep him hydrated. They have him hooked up to an IV but it’s almost like his body is rejecting it. The doctors are totally stumped.”
No. Fucking. Way.
There’s no fucking way.
But it’s all so familiar. It all fits. I know what’s happening. Of course I do. There’s no better authority on this subject for hundreds of miles.
The doctors are all stumped, but I know what it is.
I can’t believe I’m about to say this.
Vampire.
R for Reconciliation
Yesterday was the 5th of November. Guy Fawkes Day. Over the last several years, Jude and I had made it a tradition to celebrate with a screening of “V For Vendetta”. But after our little spat we had the other day, I wasn’t planning on it this year. Ethan was working, and I just wasn’t in a mood to hang out with anyone else.
So, there I was, sitting on the couch, working. (I work from home, doing freelance graphic design work, BTW). I’d spent the entire day doing various chores and trying to get motivated to exercise. As the sun was setting, I finally come to terms with the fact that I needed to get a little work done. I was sketching out an idea for a potential client, listening to the local news.
A break in the investigation of the attack that happened on Halloween night. The police are now disclosing that the bite marks found on the victim appear to be human. So this person may have gotten rabies from another person who had rabies. Come on. That’s fucked up, right? That shit is only supposed to be transmitted through animals. And even if it is rabies, that’s supposed to take more time to kick in, right? The fact that this victim is already having to be restrained and trying to attack people is doubly weird. To top it all off, this crazy infected person is still on the loose in this town. Police are advising that we not be out after dark if we can avoid it, and to go out in groups if we are, even in the day. Like a group of people is going to scare off a swollen-brained lunatic who wants to bite your flesh off.
The news story had just changed to some fluff piece when there was a knock at my door.
It was Jude, holding up a copy of “V for Vendetta” and a bag of microwaveable popcorn. I crossed my arms across my chest and leaned against the doorframe, looking up at him.
A moment of silence passed as we looked at each other, before he finally broke the silence.
“I’m sorry.”
I considered that for a moment before responding. “Dumbass.”
“I know. I’m sorry.”
I met his eyes, which were a brilliant green, and all of our history weighed down on me. I was ready to let this go. It just wasn’t worth being mad about anymore, and I missed my friend. I held the door open wider so he could come in. He slipped past me and tossed the movie onto the couch.
“I’ll make the popcorn,” he said.
And we’re back.
Avoidance and Confrontation
I avoided Jude’s persistent phone calls on Sunday after I disappeared from Rodolfo and Gabriel’s Halloween party and went home with a complete stranger. I sent him a text to tell him that I was fine, but not ready to talk just so he didn’t think that Ethan had killed me and hid my body. That just made him call more.
Why was I ignoring his calls? Because I wasn’t in the mood to be lectured.
I finally answered the phone on Monday night.
“Took you long enough,” he snapped. “I’ve been worried about you.”
“Why?” I shot back, muting the werewolf documentary I’d been watching. “I texted you to tell you I was fine.”
“Annabelle, if something happened to you, anyone could have sent a text from your phone.”
I sighed. He had a point, I supposed.
His voice was softer when he spoke again. “Who was that guy, Bells?”
Dammit. Jude only pulls that nickname shit when he’s in super best friend-mode. He gave it to me when we were kids.
“Ethan. He said he was a friend of Gabriel’s so if you want to do a background check, talk to him.”
“You don’t even know anything about him.”
“Sure I do. He’s beautiful, a good dancer, rides a motorcycle, and is from England… somewhere.” Even I knew I was grasping at straws here. “Look, I don’t need a bodyguard. I can take care of myself. And you’ve never been like this with any of the other guys I’ve dated. What gives?”
He snorted. “Is that what you’re doing? Dating?”
“Among other things.”
“I don’t like this. I don’t trust him.”
This was getting old real fast. Still, I tried to smooth things over. “You don’t even know him, Jude.”
“Neither do you.”
“I know him better than you do.”
“Yeah, I’ll bet you do.”
I paused and let that sink in for a moment. Now I was furious. “Could you stop acting like my father and maybe try being my best friend right now?”
“I’m not one of your girlfriends, Annabelle. If you want to dish about how great the sex was, call one of them.”
I tried to ignore how much that stung. “You know what? Fine. Call me when you’re done being an asshole.”
I hit the “End” button on my phone growled as I threw it across the room. It hit the wall and I heard the sound of plastic cracking.
I closed my eyes, took a deep breath, and sighed. The last thing I needed was to replace my phone again. I got up to survey the damage.
The battery had sprung out, but nothing seemed to be broken. Sweet. I have indestructible super-phone. I replaced the battery and turned the phone back on. Three texts from Jude already. I deleted them without reading them.
I returned to the couch where I’d fully intended on drowning my sorrows in a bowl of popcorn and the rest of my werewolf documentary when my phone rang. I glanced at the ID screen and smiled. It was Ethan.
I think I just found a better way to forget about my problems for a little while.
Ethan
Now, where was I?
Oh yes. Ethan. Not-Gay Ethan.
So, I followed him out on the dance floor and he pulled me close. The music (LMFAO’s “Shots”) was pulsing all around us, and he turned me around so my back was to him. The alcohol and the feel of his hands on my hips made me lose my head a little. I closed my eyes and ground my ass into his crotch as he ran his lips down my neck and the fog from the machine swirled around us.
“Has anyone ever told you how sexy you are?” he whispered in my ear.
Was this really happening? I mean, I knew nothing about the man except his name and his apparent country of origin. Now, as his fingers trailed up my bare legs beneath the hem of my skirt, we were up close and about to get real personal in the middle of a very public place.
I opened my eyes and saw Jude standing across the room staring at us, holding a crushed beer can and looking absolutely furious. I ignored him. He was not my father, and I didn’t need policing. I was sure he was just jealous because I was going to get some tonight and he was going to go home with his withholding bitch of a girlfriend. Too fucking bad.
I turned back around to face Ethan, who’s eyes were glazed over with lust. I ran my hands down his chest and felt, even through the t-shirt that he had a body that would even give Jude a run for his money.
I got up on my toes put my lips beside his ear.
“Are you drunk?” I said in a low voice.
“Not even a little bit.”
“Good. I’m in no shape to drive. Let’s get out of here.”
He grinned and led me through the crowd toward the door. I grabbed my jacket on the way out.
He’d ridden a motorcycle to the party. Not that I was complaining. It added to the bad boy image I was so desperately attracted to. Years of drooling over sexy, brooding vampires has ruined my idea of men. And since they don’t actually exist, it’s guys like Ethan that are about as close as I can get. Intense, sexy and dangerous.
We barely got the door to his apartment open before his lips connected with mine. He picked me up so I could wrap my legs around his waist and carried me into his bedroom.
I’m sure you can guess what happened after that.
I ended up staying the night.
***
The next morning I awoke alone and naked in a strange bed. Then it all came rushing back in one big, hungover blur. I wrapped the sheet around me and wandered around looking for Ethan.
I found him in the kitchen, making breakfast. Awesome.
“Good morning, beautiful,” he said with a big smile as he buttered some toast. “Breakfast?”
“Mmm, and some aspirin?” I pulled the sheet tighter around me and sat down at the table.”
“No need to be modest, love. I’ve seen you a lot more naked than that.” He chuckled and set a plate of breakfast food in front of me.
“Yeahhh… about that…” I was tremendously embarrassed at my behavior last night. I am not the type of girl who just randomly goes home with strange men.
“Look, Annabelle…” he started, cutting me off. He sat down beside me and took my hand. “I had a really good time last night. I like you a lot. If you’re up for it, I’d like to see you again. Perhaps a proper date next time. I want to get to know you.”
Whoa. I wasn’t sure how this conversation was going to go, but this sure as hell wasn’t it. Did I have a good time? Hell yes. Did I want to see him again? Hell fucking yes.
I smiled at him and squeezed his hand as I nodded. “Yeah, I’d love to.”
“Good. I have some business to attend to today, so after you’re done eating I’ll take you back to get your car.”
We made plans to see each other the following weekend, and he flipped on the television while we ate. The the voice of the morning newscaster filled the kitchen.
Remember when I said some strange things were happening in this town? The newscaster talked about an incident that had happened the night before, on Halloween. Someone was attacked on the very outskirts of town. Someone nearby heard the screams and other sounds of trouble and called the police. The victim was brought into the hospital because he suffered from what looked liked bites and lacerations and displayed signs of “rabies infection”. He had to be sedated and restrained in the hospital bed because he kept trying to bite the police and hospital staff and wasn’t responding to rabies treatments. No word yet on what kind of animal caused the attack.
Rabies? In humans? In this town? I mean, come on, that’s bizarre, right? When’s the last time you heard about an actual person getting rabies and not a wild animal?
As weird as it was, in that moment as Ethan and I ate breakfast together in a comfortable silence… I didn’t care. I was on cloud nine, and nothing was going to bring me down.
Halloween Fun
It’s been a little while since I’ve posted. I ended up getting the flu. Not H1N1. Just regular flu.
I don’t think I’ve mentioned this before, but I live in a medium sized, semi-isolated town up in the mountains of Colorado. And apparently some weird shit has been happening here. But I’ll get to that in a little while.
Jude and I (and Jess, his girlfriend who I’m none too fond of) went to an awesome Halloween party at a mutual friend’s house. This friend, Rodolfo, and his boyfriend throw some pretty kickass parties. Best of all, Jude is generally the only straight male there, so it’s a totally fun, pressure-free environment for the handful of girls that are there as well.
I dressed up as a flapper for the party. I found out later that this was a popular costume choice nationwide, but again, our town is pretty isolated. Regardless, I had the whole shebang; Sexy black flapper dress, long black gloves, short black flapper wig with silver headband, long string of pearls, red feather boa, black sequined cigarette holder, and (since I don’t smoke) a fake cigarette. I looked pretty damn good if I do say so myself.
Jude was Tarzan. Not his choice, naturally. Jess was Jane. She got to wear a cute little sexed-up safari outfit and being the bitch she is, made Jude don a loincloth, wig, and flip-flops. I think she just wanted an excuse to see him mostly naked all night. Now, I’ve explained before what the dynamic of mine and Jude’s relationship is. So I can say this without you getting the wrong idea.
Jude has got a very nice body. He’s a bit of an exercise fiend, and it shows. He’s fit, lean and sculpted, so he certainly was able to pull off wearing the loincloth. And it’s a good thing he’s comfortable with his sexuality because it turns out he was getting hit on all night. And not just by the small little group of girls that were there, but by pretty much the entire male population as well.
The three of us didn’t drive together, but we ended up arriving at the same time. When he saw me, Jude grinned and gave me two thumbs up. Jess shot me a sour look before grabbing Jude’s hand and pulling him toward the door behind her. I rolled my eyes and followed.
Inside, the house was completely decked out in Halloween decorations, complete with fog and dark, sexy lighting. There were at least 50 people there already. I figured I wouldn’t have too tough a time avoiding Jess in a crowd this big, But I also wanted to hang with Jude and she’d be attached to him like a leech. Solution? Jello shots.
Two hours later I had an awesome buzz and I didn’t give two shits about Jess. I was getting my groove on on the dance floor, sandwiched between Rodolfo in his cabana boy outfit and his boyfriend Gabriel dressed as a gladiator. I was grinding up on both of them and eventually I started to sweat my makeup off. I wriggled from between them and made my way to the bathroom to touch up.
When I emerged, the door was being blocked by the most beautiful man I’d ever seen. The epitome of tall, dark and handsome, and his eyes were piercing blue. Thanks to all the jello shots, I was only able to stand there and stare stupidly.
“Are you finished?” he said with a slow grin.
“Uh… hmm.” I said, quickly looking away and squeezing past him.
I stumbled into the kitchen and went straight to the bar. I needed to drown away the disappointment. I would not have sex with this man, because being at this party… he was probably gay.
What felt like moments later, he materialized beside me, just as I was helping myself to another shot.
“Having fun?” he said.
I jumped and almost dropped the little plastic cup of jello.
“Uh, after a few more of these,” I said with a nervous laugh. Looking at him, I finally noticed what he was wearing. Dark jeans, white t-shirt, and black leather motorcycle jacket.
“I like your costume,” he said, and I suddenly realized that he had an English accent. Kill me now.
“Likewise.”
“I’m not actually wearing one. I’m… not really a costume guy.”
How embarrassing. I felt my face flush. “Oh.”
I’ve never taken a shot so fast in my life.
“I’m Ethan,” he said, extending his hand. I took it with my own gloved one.
“Annabelle.”
“I have to say… it’s refreshing it see someone of the female persuasion here. Gabriel is my friend and all, but I honestly didn’t think I’d meet anyone here tonight.”
Hold up. What was that again?
“I’m sorry?” I said, feeling my brow furrow in confusion.
“Would you like to dance?”
I nodded slowly. So, not gay after all.
Hell motherfucking yes.
