“So, now what? Your dad’s just going to leave the body in the lake?”
She shrugged. “I’m not sure what dad’s planning on doing. He mentioned trying to blame the recent murders on your dad.”
I shook my head bitterly. “How convenient.”
“It is, actually.”
“That’s not going to fly with me,” I said, sitting up straighter. “Tell your dad that if he frames mine for murder, I’ll make waves.”
She smiled. “You certainly have balls, I like that. You know what? I’ll just let him know you’re not tickled by the idea.”
“I’m serious. My dad may have been a jerk, but he didn’t murder any girls and shouldn’t be blamed for it.”
“Fine. Well,” said Celeste. “I’ve got to get going. I haven’t fed for a while and even you’re starting to look interesting.”
I gave her a murderous look. “Goodbye, Celeste.”
“Goodbye… Miranda,” she answered with a funny smile.
I raised my eyebrows. “Miranda? That’s what Ethan called me last summer. What’s that all about, anyway?”
She laughed. “You still haven’t figured it out yet? He never told you?”
“No. I still don’t know anything about Ethan other than he’s one of you.”
She smiled. “Miranda was his wife, Nikki; the love of his life. He’s been searching for her for centuries. Now, he thinks he’s finally found her.”
I raised my eyebrows. “Seriously? Me?”
She nodded. “He’s always been obsessed with finding her. All because this old gypsy lady once told him that Miranda would someday return to him.”
“And he fell for it? Why?”
“This woman had a knack for telling the future, I guess. I’d never met her but Ethan respected and believed in her so-called … prophecies.”
“So, that’s why he’s so obsessed with me,” I muttered. He wasn’t in love with me at all. He was haunted by Miranda and consumed with finding her.
“So you see, Nikki, Ethan will do anything for you, only because he believes you’re Miranda. If I were you, however,” she said, getting ready to jump over the balcony, “I’d stay away from him.”
“Why?”
She swung her leg over the railing and looked at me. “Remember the girls who were murdered last summer?”
I nodded.
“Ethan thought they were his dead wife, too. Until he realized they weren’t, then he murdered them.”
All the blood rushed to my ears as she leaped off the balcony to the side of her truck. I couldn’t believe that Ethan was responsible for killing Tina and Amy. How close had I come to being murdered myself?
Chapter Fourteen
It was sometime after four in the morning by the time I’d finally fallen asleep. When Nathan tried waking me for school, I gazed at him with bleary eyes and mumbled that I wasn’t going.
He raised his eyebrows. “You’re not going? Jesus, I was the one who was up most of the night.”
I yawned and slowly sat up. “Actually, Duncan paid me a visit.”
His eyes widened. “Duncan? Are you serious?”
“Yes, and there’s something I need to tell you.”
Just then my mom came up behind Nathan and flashed us a radiant smile. “Hey, kids, you’d better get ready for school, you’re going to be late.”
“Nikki says she’s staying home,” said Nathan.
“Oh,” she said, walking towards me. She put her hand on my forehead. “Well, you don’t seem to have a temperature or anything. You’re really not feeling very good?”
I shook my head. “Not really. I think it’d be better if I stayed home, today.”
She squeezed my shoulder. “Okay. Well, get some rest and drink some of that orange juice in the fridge.”
“Thanks, mom.”
“I’ve got to get ready for work,” she said, walking back towards the doorway, her voice a little too bubbly for six-thirty in the morning.
Even Nathan seemed to notice it. “Mom, you’re in a very chipper mood this morning,” he remarked.
She looked back at us, her eyes sparkling. “Well, I didn’t want to tell you this now, I was actually going to wait for dinner tonight, but… what the hell, I’m just so excited I can hardly stand it! Caleb and I are getting married!” she cried and then held out her ring finger to show us the big rock Caleb had apparently given her.
“Wow,” smiled Nathan as he grabbed her hand. “Looks like Caleb’s doing pretty well as a Sherriff.”
She nodded vehemently. “I know, it’s a little big, but I’m certainly not going to complain!”
I felt dizzy and sick to my stomach. My mom was marrying a vampire. The only thing worse was her becoming one, and I knew that was next on his agenda.
“Are you okay, Nikki?” asked my mom.
“How can you do this?” I exploded. “You don’t even know the real Caleb!”
My mom’s face paled. “Nikki, of course I do. He’s a wonderful man.”