How to Elude a Vampire (VRC Vampire Related Crimes #2) - Alice Winters Page 0,112
makes me very happy. Maybe someday we can escape from him, but right now, it’s clear that it’s best for us to just do what he wants.”
While I know it’s hard for both of us to agree that he has to live like this, I know he’s right. I need to stop getting hung up on what I can’t do for him and focus on what I can do.
I hook my arm around him and pull him into me before kissing the top of his head. “I’m glad. I’m grateful that we can do things like this. Even if it’s not ideal, it’s more than I ever expected I’d have with someone else.”
As we float around on the calm water, I try to let everything negative go and focus only on the here and now. Right now, I have Finn beside me. He’s happy, he’s healthy, and he’s mine.
And that will have to be enough.
Chapter Twenty-Six
FINN
“Do you want to go to the mall with me?” Orin asks. “I need to get your sister something for her birthday.”
I stare at him.
He narrows his eyes. “What?”
“Shit. I forgot about her birthday! Imagine the hell I’d have to hear if I hadn’t gotten her anything!”
Orin starts laughing as he waves at me. “Come on, then. Let’s go suffer together. She’s so hard to shop for, and she likes ‘surprises.’ Why can’t she surprise me by telling me what she wants so I can just buy it for her without having to be tortured into spending hours hunting?”
“We could just get her like a vacuum. It’d be a surprise and I bet she’d tell you what she wants next year,” I say.
Orin snickers as I close my laptop and head toward the door to slip my shoes on. As I walk, I pull up my phone to text Marcus.
Me: I’m going to the mall with Orin to buy Aria something for her birthday.
Marcus: And I give a shit, why?
Clearly, this is not Marcus, and there’s only one other sassy asshole that works there.
Me: Alexei, I’ll hunt your ass down and tie you to a chair and invite Claude to watch you.
Marcus: Don’t worry, I got rid of him. But I showed him your message first. This is what I get for asking him to reply when my hands are full. Be careful. Get her something horribly annoying like she did for you.
Me: You don’t like the talking fish?
Marcus: You don’t either.
I get into the car and look over at Orin. “What are you thinking?”
He shrugs. “I don’t even know.”
“What about a blow-up boyfriend? I bet you couldn’t scare one of those off. Or you know, like the stuffed pillow boyfriend? Those would probably be able to handle you.”
“I didn’t mean to scare off the other! Do you get how it was supposed to be a joke? I thought he’d laugh! Aria raves about his sense of humor!”
“I thought it was hilarious when he passed out on the floor,” I say as my phone beeps. I look down, expecting it to be Marcus or Karsyn, but I’m ecstatic when I see it’s Watson. “My arm!”
Orin quickly looks at me. “Why are you shouting?”
“Watson’s done with my arm. We’re like a minute away, I need it now!”
“Fine,” he says as he takes the next left. “Just be agreeable. When he tells you not to abuse it, listen so I don’t have to wait while he wastes an hour explaining why you shouldn’t be reckless.”
I stare at Orin like I’ve never met the man and have no idea what he’s talking about. “Are you… are you talking about me? Surely, you’re not. I know nothing. I am innocent and perfect.”
He doesn’t seem convinced in the slightest. “I know when you were little you were cute and thought you could get away with things but you’re old now. It just doesn’t work anymore.”
I glare at him as he pulls into the driveway. “You’re old now too.”
“I was always old. I’m going to make a phone call while you run and grab your arm,” he says.
“You calling that sex line again? I thought we talked about this.”
“Get out. You’re all giddy because you’re getting your arm and it’s just obnoxious.”
I snort and slip through the door before rushing up to the front door. I knock once before I push the door open. I’m sure Watson’s already heard me with his supersonic hearing, but I still call out to him.