Chapter 36
The house was unnaturally quiet, the silence heavy without her. Kem. I'd called her over and over, each unanswered ring deepening the hollowness. It was hard to believe she could vanish—just like that—over an argument.
It wasn't even a serious one. We rarely fought, so the idea that a single argument could drive her away felt impossible. It was just one of those things that friends go through.
I stepped out of the shower, feeling refreshed after last night.
Wade and Jager knew how to make me forget everything, even if only briefly.
I cleared the fogged mirror, brushing my teeth as Kem slipped back into my mind.
Going to the police would be useless—half of them were vampires, and I knew they wouldn't help.
I couldn't shake the feeling I'd missed something; some clue that things weren't right.
I remembered her slamming her door that night. In the morning, I'd assumed she'd left for work and later thought she'd come back and gone straight to bed. But maybe I should have known. Maybe I should have sensed something was off.
I spit the toothpaste out, reaching for my phone, which I hadn't let out of sight since she left. There was only one more place to check: her parents. Maybe she told them something and forgot to tell me.
I kept telling myself that maybe Kem had just forgotten to tell me something, as though she and I hadn't been through everything together.
We weren't just friends—we were Pinky and the Brain, Jimmy Neutron and his robot dog.
We were a team, working side by side. If she wasn't answering, something terrible must have happened.
I called her again, though I didn't expect an answer. "Hey... calling again." I felt the sting of tears. "If you're out there, please just pick up." I ended the call and reached for the floss in the drawer, only to find the container empty.
I dialed her number once more, tossing the floss container aside as I rummaged through the cluttered drawer for a new pack.
Another voicemail. "I'm trying to stay positive and assume you're not.
.. gone. Maybe you're just ignoring me because of our argument.
" I sighed, voice breaking. "I'm sorry, okay?
" My fingers searched deeper into the mess of shared belongings, hoping for a miracle—or at least, a response.
"I just... I can't forgive the vamps for taking over and forcing us to live like this.
Just look at all this..." I muttered, pulling the clutter from the back of the drawer to the front, fingers sifting through random items. My eyes narrowed, catching sight of something unexpected—a pregnancy test, almost hidden like a tiny speck on the horizon.
"And... you know..." My voice faltered as I picked it up, slowly turning it over to read the results.
I brought it closer, a faint trace of urine lingering in the air.
The result was unmistakable. "Pregnant?
" I whispered, shock hitting me as though it were my own test and not my best friend's.
The phone beeped, ending the voicemail. I dropped it onto the counter, stepping out of the bathroom to pull back my bedroom curtains, letting in more light.
I held up the test, tilting it under the sunlight to see the results more clearly.
A bold line ran vertically, while a faint line crossed it horizontally. Pregnant.
It wasn't impossible, of course—I knew she was sexually active. But right now? She hadn't mentioned anything about a man in her life. She hadn't told me anything at all.
She would tell me... wouldn't she? Tears skewered at my eyes, surprising me. Somehow, the thought that she might be ignoring me stung even more than imagining her lying somewhere, drained dry by a vampire.
Everyone I asked mentioned seeing her with some man—over a year ago.
A year? She hadn't worked in that long.
Where had the money been coming from?
Was it him? Who was he, and where had he come from?
Had they met at the club? And if he was such a presence in her life, why hadn't she come told me?
I knew I sounded entitled, and maybe I was.
I had a right to know who she was seeing.
She'd know everything about Wade and Jager taking turns with me.
If she were here now, I'd be sharing all the details of how they filled me up, one after the other.
Instead, I was left facing a long, winding road of unanswered questions.
"Hey! Hey!" my landlord called after me. I sighed, quickening my pace toward the exit of the complex, but he was far faster. In an instant, he flashed in front of me, blocking my path with that priggish grin. The effortlessness in his tone made it clear—catching up with me was no challenge at all.
Every day, they reminded us that they held all the power, and we humans were little more than walking meals.
"I just wanted to inform you that tomorrow is—"
"The due date. Yes, I know." I forced myself to breathe slowly, steadying my pounding heart and gripping my side. "I have the money."
"Maybe for this one," he replied casually. "But I'm not so sure about next time."
"What's that supposed to mean?"
"Your best friend left you."
I scoffed. "She didn't." Technically, she hadn't left. She was either locked up in someone's basement, lying in a morgue, or worse. She hadn't just up and left. She wasn't ignoring me.
"Oh, really?" he said with a mocking smile. "Then why did she leave in such a hurry, with only a small suitcase?"
My eyes widened. "With who?"
He chuckled. "I thought you said she didn't leave you."
"She did," I conceded, hoping it would loosen his tongue. Everyone seemed to know more about Kem's life than I did.
"She snagged herself a rich guy. Fancy car, gold watch that glints in the sun. Handsome too. I'd switch teams for him, if you catch my drift."
I rolled my eyes. "You saw her with a suitcase?" I asked, doubting it. Kem didn't own a suitcase; we couldn't afford one. When we moved, we packed our things in cardboard boxes.
"Yeah, like she was running away. Running from you," he sneered. "The guy helped her with it. They shared a quick kiss; he seemed to be calming her down, and they got in the car and, guess what... never came back."
"Which direction did the car go?" I asked, even though I knew I wouldn't suddenly know where they went. He pointed up the road.
"How long do you think you'll survive on your own?" he asked, mocking me. "With inflation eating you humans alive?"
"It's your fault," I snapped.
"Our fault?" He smirked. "I'm not sure about that. We're not the government, Xanthe."
If he was telling the truth, then Kem had left with a man. She might actually be ignoring me. Or maybe she was in real danger, manipulated by some vampire. I glared at the one standing smugly in front of me.
"After this month, looks like you'll need to pack your things and go. You can't afford rent on your own."
"Kem's coming back," I growled.
"She's gone, Xanthe. Not coming back. She's got a vamp now." He laughed. "I heard once you go vamp, you don't go back."
"Goodbye, asshole. You'll get your rent tomorrow, and the next month, and the month after that."
"I'd like to see you try."
"Kem is coming back." My voice dropped to a whisper. She had to. I couldn't do this without her.
Kemesha's parents had to move from their cozy one-story home to a modest apartment on the rougher side of town. It was just a half-hour taxi ride from the apartment Kem and I shared.
I left the apartment feeling more confused than ever. Kem's parents had spoken to her just two days ago, which eased my fears that something terrible had happened. But I still couldn't shake the feeling that she might be ignoring me.
I dialed her number again. "Can you please talk to me?
We need to talk. I just came from your parents' place, and maybe you.
.. maybe you just forgot to tell me you were leaving.
" I paused, fighting the crack in my voice.
"I didn't tell them that you might be pregnant.
Just... let me know what's going on. And don't forget we had a plan. You can't just walk out on me. Bye."
Frustrated, I huffed as I slid into the taxi. Had she really walked out on me? The whole situation felt surreal. She wouldn't betray me like that... would she?