Chapter Fifteen #2
“It’s not like I don’t get it,” Luis said, sniffling.
“Like, even when she slammed the door last night, a little part of me was relieved. A little part of me was glad that it was finally over. I just feel so stupid because it hurts. It’s stupid that I care about what she thinks when she’s so–so awful. ”
He pushed himself up out of the sweaty sheets. A headache starting in his temples. He needed a shower.
“Hey, do you want me to come?” Cassie asked. “I could be there in like four hours.”
Luis glanced at the phone screen. It was almost dinner time. If she came, she’d be here just for part of Sunday before she had to drive back for classes. Eight hours of driving, and for what? Luis might be having a breakdown, but he wasn’t dying.
“No. No. I’m fine. Mostly,” Luis waved a hand. “I’ll–I’ll get over it.”
She gave him a look that said she didn’t at all believe him.
“Really,” Luis said, raking a hand over his unruly hair. “Look, I’m even getting up.”
“Wow, how impressive,” she said flatly.
Luis started toward the bathroom. He needed water and tissues and then maybe a hot shower.
“But seriously,” Cassie continued, “I can come. You shouldn’t have to be alone right now.”
“You were just telling me how packed your week is, the drive’s too far. I’m not dying,” Luis insisted.
“Yeah, well, you mean the fucking world to me, man. If you want me there, I’ll come.” He knew she meant it.
“I’m okay, Cass,” Luis was at his closet, digging through it in the poor light for fresh clothes. “I just need to stop wallowing. You’re already helping.”
Cassie blew out a loud breath. “Your mom’s a piece of shit. And she’s gotten worse, right? It’s not just me?”
Luis shrugged.
“I scrolled her page after I saw that post she made,” Cassie said. “She’s been posting a lot of anti-vampire shit.” There was a pause. “Is she still going to that culty-church?”
“I dunno,” Luis found a shirt, some soft shorts, and a pair of underwear.
“You know…” Cassie said slowly, “it wouldn’t surprise me if the church she was going to was Purist. I mean, some of those posts were… a lot.”
“Yeah,” Luis said non-committally. He tended not to look at her social media posts. It only pissed him off.
“I miss you so fucking much,” Cassie said. “We’re going to hang, just as soon as my labs let me breathe, okay? Beers and those Korean wings near my old place. At least three dozen. We’ll eat until we’re sick.”
“Sounds good,” Luis said, and now his throat was sticky again.
There was a pause, and then, “Hey Lou?”
“Yeah?” He took his bundle of clothes toward the bathroom.
“We don’t have to talk about it right now, but Karim and Julien, they treat you well?” She asked. “Are you safe with them?”
He paused, bruised by her concern. “Yeah. They do,” he said. “I’m safe with them.”
She nodded. “Good. You deserve good people in your life.”
Luis flicked the bathroom light on, setting his clothes on the counter.
And realized he’d forgotten about his cheek.
“Oh my god, what happened?!” Cassie shouted.
“I don’t want to talk about it,” Luis said immediately, turning that cheek away from the camera. Shame made his face hot.
“Luis,” she said so softly it almost broke his heart. “Did she…?”
“Please, just–could you talk? About anything that’s not this. I just need–I need to not be here right now,” Luis said.
Cassie stared at him through the phone and then nodded. God, he loved her. “Okay,” she said. “Okay.”
Luis grabbed his toothbrush as Cassie started talking.
She began by telling him about her new ‘mortal enemy’ in the lab–a woman doing similar research to Cassie, who continued to use her equipment and book all the same hours in the lab so Cassie couldn’t work in peace. It was a whole thing.
Luis listened as he brushed his teeth, washed his face, and detangled his curls. Her voice faded into a soothing background sound that kept his thoughts from wandering.
He was so, so grateful for her.
##
Julien: Do you have plans next weekend?
The text came Tuesday evening just after sundown.
Luis: I don’t.
Julien: We’d like to see you.
Luis: I’m taking you to the bar on Friday?
Julien: We were thinking of something additional.
Additional? A separate text came in, from Karim.
Karim: we’re asking you to hang out next weekend, Julien can’t just get to the point.
Luis snorted.
Luis: I’m free, what do you have in mind?
Julien: Karim and I thought we might invite you over for the whole weekend, if you were free. You could stay in one of our guest rooms.
The whole weekend? That… was different.
Luis’s heart was suddenly pounding.
Luis: All weekend?
Karim: like a sleepover except classier because Julien won’t let us have a naked pillow fight.
Luis choked.
Julien: Ignore him. But yes, an extended social call.
Luis shouldn’t. He shouldn’t get more involved with vampires. It would only make his mom angrier.
But–but his mother wasn’t talking to him currently. Maybe she never would again.
He doubted it. Knowing her, at some point she’d come back around to get another opportunity to make him feel bad. That was just who she was.
Which was exactly why he wasn’t going to make decisions considering her anymore. He and Cassie had had a long, long talk about it–her gently coaching him and Luis dragging his feet through the muck of guilt.
But he agreed with her. He’d lost too much time, too much of his life, and for what?
She was never going to be happy with him.
He had to make choices for himself now. For what he wanted.
Luis: Yeah, okay. That sounds fun. What time? And should I bring anything?
Julien: Come at the usual time on Friday, and stay over. And just bring whatever you need for staying over, a change of clothes.
His heart was still pounding ten minutes later when he opened a text to Cassie and relayed what had happened. His phone chimed immediately with a string of exclamation marks and emojis.
Cassie: “Oh Cassie, I’m not going to fuck the vampires”
Cassie: “They don’t like me like that”
Cassie: Dorian owes me $50
Luis: what do you mean Dorian owes you $50???
Cassie: so let’s reschedule our call to Sunday night then since you’ll be BUSY. And you better have all the juicy details for me, I think I can go for double or nothing.
Luis: why have you been betting on my love life!
Cassie: science is slow and boring, gotta find something to entertain us.
Cassie: love you! make me proud (and rich)
Luis: I hate you
Cassie sent back a bunch of kiss emojis and Luis rolled his eyes.
It was just a hang out, nothing else was going on.
He wasn’t sure he believed himself though.