I patted my friend's arm as a thank-you.
"But don't feel guilty," she told me. "You are way cooler than Luna."
"Aww, thanks," I said. "But I don't think Stormy sees it that way."
"Well, she will."
I glanced over at the pink- and black-haired girls dancing as if no one else was in the club. They seemed to be having so much fun, I wasn't sure how I'd be able to fit into the mix.
"Alexander said we'd spend some girl-time together," I went on. "Just Stormy and me. I'm looking forward to getting to know her one-on-one."
"Well, just relax," she said. "Alexander is the one you really want to like you. And by the looks of it, I know he feels he's made the right decision." I turned and caught Alexander staring at me. He must have been watching me while I talked to Becky. I ran over to him and squeezed him with all my might. If he hadn't followed his heart that night in Romania, I'd never have mine filled with love the way I did today.
Alexander handed me a soda, and eventually Stormy joined us. She was hot and sticky, her bangs stuck to her forehead, her charcoal eyeliner bleeding.
Alexander flagged Romeo, and he handed Alexander a drink. The liquid was red, so I assumed it was blood. Alexander gave the drink to his sister and she quickly gulped in down.
"Can I sleep here after sunrise?" she asked. "Luna asked me to."
"Yes, she can sleep with us," Luna said excitedly. She stood behind Stormy and wrapped her lithe arms around her shoulders. "It'll be a blast." I turned to Alexander.
"Please?" Stormy whined.
"But you just got here," Alexander said. "You don't want to hang out with me?"
"Of course I do. But I haven't seen Luna in forever. It's just one sleepover."
"Well..." Alexander began, thinking.
"I'll take good care of her," Luna insisted.
"She babysat me for a million years," Stormy said. "It'll only be this one time." Alexander looked to me for an answer. I wasn't going to be the one to say no.
"Please, Alexander?" Stormy asked.
"Well ... all right," he said.
All right? I thought. Just like that? Becky and I would have felt we needed to observe the girl the whole time. But Alexander was a guy and since he knew she'd be okay, he just wanted her to be happy.
"I will pick you up tomorrow just after sunset," he said. "Not a minute later."
"Thank you!" She gave Alexander a hug and me a friendly wave. Luna shot me a devilish smile and a glance that meant she had won.
I sidled up close to Luna. "Stormy might know you longer than she knows me, but I'm the one going home with Alexander," I whispered to the Maxwell twin, and headed for the exit. When Alexander and I were outside the club, I stopped and turned to him. "Why did you let her stay?"
"This will give us a chance to have some time together," he said. He pulled me in to him, and his deep, dark eyes stared into mine. "I haven't been able to kiss
"This will give us a chance to have some time together," he said. He pulled me in to him, and his deep, dark eyes stared into mine. "I haven't been able to kiss you properly in nights."
Then he leaned in and kissed me with such tenderness and passion that I forgot all about the Maxwell and Sterling siblings.
Chapter 7 Ghoul's Time
The following night, Alexander had planned to take Stormy and me to the movies. Night of the Living Dead was showing at the downtown art theater, and it was one of my favorite movies. There wasn't much to do in Dullsville, and going to see a movie was a big deal for me. I'd get to sit next to Alexander and hold his hand in the darkness and pig out on popcorn while watching a scary movie. What more could a girl want?
I wandered around the upstairs hallway, waiting for Alexander to come down from the attic. I found Stormy waiting in her room, dressed in black jeans and a studded belt, with a ripped, dark blue shirt that had the word TRAGIC spelled out in red letters. She stood at the dresser and applied the final touches of stormy blue makeup to her eyes.
I watched in awe. What took most girls hours in front of the mirror took only a few minutes for Stormy to do without a reflection to look at. She even applied burgundy lip liner and eggplant-colored mascara without so much as a smudge or mistake. She got ready and adjusted her outfit with such ease, I was greatly impressed. I wondered if I were a vampire how I'd ever manage to do such simple tasks without a mirror. I was sure that to have makeup smeared around my face like a clown.