Between

“Um. Yeah, okay. You feeling all right?” asks Lizzie.

 

Now, that’s an interesting question. I watch them both for hints of their true relationship. Interestingly, they regard each other silently, and Lizzie’s brow knits. She takes a brief look at me, and then back to Alek.

 

“Why? ‘Cause I’m asking you to go out?”

 

“Not working?” she asks.

 

“Nope, got other things on my mind.” He keeps his look fixed on Lizzie.

 

“Sure, why not?”

 

“Cool. Right, I’m going for a shower.”

 

Alek leaves.

 

Without one damn word to me.

 

“That was a bit rude,” she observes.

 

“Yeah.”

 

“He could’ve asked if you wanted to come along.” She sips from her mug of coffee.

 

Her voicing my thought causes a sinking feeling inside. “Maybe he wants to be alone with you.”

 

Lizzie chokes and wipes her mouth. “Definitely not my type.”

 

“Or mine.” My phone vibrates and I fumble in my pocket for my phone. Another text from Finn. “Excuse me.”

 

I straighten my shoulders and leave the kitchen. How dare Alek tell me a load of crap like last night then ignore me. I should’ve gone straight back to Finn last night. I dial Finn’s number.

 

“Rose! Are you okay?” I’m touched by the genuine panic in his voice. “What happened last night? What was Alek doing there? I’m worried about you, there’s something strange about him.”

 

“I’m fine. It’s complicated. Sorry about disappearing.” What do I say to him? I can’t give him answers when I’m as confused as he sounds.

 

I tread slowly upstairs.

 

There’s silence; I can hear background traffic, but not Finn. “I need to talk to you,” he says finally. “I mean, to see if you’re okay.”

 

My foot hovers over the worn carpet of the step in front of me. I’m almost at the top of the first flight of stairs. Close to Alek’s room.

 

“Maybe another day. I’m fine, I just don’t feel too well.” The truth is I’m worried what Alek might do in his current mental state.

 

“ I should come over.”

 

“Finn, I don’t think that’s a good idea.”

 

The bathroom door clicks. “What’s not a good idea?”

 

I don’t turn when I hear Alek’s voice. “Nothing.” I continue onto the stairs to my part of the house.

 

“Rose? Who are you talking to?” asks Alek.

 

“I’m coming over.” The phone goes dead as Finn hangs up.

 

I curl my hand around it and stare. Crap.

 

“Rose!”

 

You know why I don’t want to turn and look at Alek? Because he just got out of the shower, and my mind is imagining every scenario of how much or little he might have on. Plus, I’m pretty pissed off at him for blanking me five minutes ago. Drawing a deep breath, I turn.

 

Alek has a towel over his arm but is fully-dressed.

 

“What?” I snap.

 

“Was that Finn?”

 

“Why?”

 

“Is he coming here?”

 

I consider my answer then decide not to give one and continue my walk upstairs instead.

 

“Rose!”

 

“Okay, you’ve finally learnt to call me by my real name, but that doesn’t mean you need to keep repeating it. Go and get your shower.” Heart pounding, I jump upstairs two steps at a time and run into my tiny room.

 

***

 

 

After a few minutes of confusion and fuming in my bedroom, I decide to wait downstairs for when Finn arrives and field the inevitable something that will happen when Alek sees him. The events of the night before are greying into the weird fog which follows me so much these days. Did I dream some of this? I touch my mouth, remembering Alek’s lips on mine. I’m certain I didn’t dream that, or the crazy way my body reacted.

 

Outside my room, Alek sits on the top step of the stairs, waiting. “Excuse me,” I say icily.

 

He leans his head on the wall and looks up at me. I never noticed in the kitchen, but Alek looks like crap; deep, dark circles rim his eyes and his mouth is pale.

 

“Are you okay?” I ask.

 

“Yeah. I’ll be fine. But don’t see Finn and definitely don’t go with him.”

 

“Why?”

 

Alek huffs out a breath. “I told you we needed to talk about him. Have you taken in everything I told you last night?”

 

I fix him with a ‘you have to be kidding’ stare. “Why did you blank me in the kitchen?”

 

“Because I don’t want Lizzie to know.”

 

He’s still delusional. I have to humour him. “Is she one? A Between, like you?”

 

“She’s a witch,” he says quietly.

 

I laugh, a choked sound, which doesn’t sound like me; then I remember my words when I came to look around the house. “Right. And what’s Grace? A vampire?”

 

His eyebrows pull together. “No, I’m the vampire.”

 

“Oh, for fuck’s sake.” I try and step over him. “You’re really not funny.”

 

“Don’t make me grab you again, please. This time I can’t control what I’ll do because I don’t feel well.” His voice is low but not threatening, and I shiver remembering his touch last night.

 

Turning, I prop myself against the wall one step below him. “A vampire?”

 

“I guess.”

 

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