Memories
A little while later I emerged from the steamy bathroom wrapped in a towel, all nice and refreshed. I ruffled my hair and crossed the hall.
“Hey, Emy.”
“Sean.” I stopped dead. “And Ari. Hi! How long have you guys been home?”
“A few minutes,” Ari said. “Why?”
“No reason.”
“Oh god, I don’t wanna know.”
I laughed and went to my room. Ari was right; she did not wanna know. I shut the door and turned to see Dennis laid across the bed. My chair was clean and so was he. His hair was damp and falling toward his eyes.
“I took a shower in your other bathroom. I hope you don’t mind.”
“That’s fine.” I draped my towel across the chair. “That one is Ari’s, but she always uses mine so we can hang out more.”
“You’re already constantly together. Why do you need to share a bathroom?” He gave me a weird look.
“So many reasons. You don’t understand.”
“I really don’t. Your uncle’s home. I heard him park a minute ago.”
“Crap, I need to get dressed.” I searched my drawers for pajamas.
“How do you feel about shackles?” Dennis asked, sitting up to watch me change.
“Like prison shackles?”
“Like dungeon shackles against a wall.”
“How freaky do you wanna get?” I was unnerved but surprisingly turned on by the idea. “Actually, I might like that. We can try it, as long as you’ll let me out if I don’t like it.”
“Of course. That’s a given. I was also thinking we could try a straight jacket. Maybe one with an open chest.” He walked over and touched my hair. “I might get a few other things, too.”
“What kind of things?” I shied away from him.
“Don’t worry about it, sweetheart. All I need is your consent and a safe word. The rest is up to me.”
“I feel like you wanna torture me or something,” I half joked. He smiled. “What the hell, Dennis! Do you wanna torture me?”
“I never said that.”
“No, but I can see it. I know you. I know what this face means.” I gestured toward his expression. “You can’t torture me. I don’t agree to that shit. I’m serious. We’re not doing that.”
“Whatever you want, Vixen.” He was still smiling. “Consider it off the list.”
“Good. I don’t know why torture was on the list in the first place.”
“Have you ever tried electric play?”
I gave him a ‘what the fuck’ look right as I heard Ari greeting Uncle Tom downstairs.
“Oh good, you’re home,” he said. “Is Emy here?”
“Yeah. She’s upstairs. Sean is, too.”
“That must be your bind. Of course you would have one too.”
I quit eavesdropping and motioned for Dennis to follow me downstairs. Sean joined us along the way. Uncle Tom stopped talking and pointed to Sean the second we arrived.
“You. You bound my daughter so you’re getting the same talk as… Dennis, right?”
Dennis nodded and sat on the larger couch. I hopped into Ari’s lap instead of following him. She grunted and shoved me to the floor, so I got comfortable on the soft carpet at her feet while Sean took a seat beside Dennis. Both were far from my uncle, who was seated and staring them down.
“Dad, stop. They’re both really nice.”
“We’ll see about that. I guess I’ll explain everything,” Uncle Tom started. I clapped and hopped up to sit on Dennis’ other side. “Before I explain, how old are you two?”
“We’re both twenty-three,” Sean said.
“Actually?”
“Actually,” Sean confirmed, much to my uncle’s relief.
“Where do you live?”
“On the other side of town. About ten minutes away,” Dennis answered this time. “We live together with one other roommate.”
“Why don’t either of you live alone?”
“We like having roommates.” Sean shrugged. “We’re all close friends from college.”
“What is your degree in?”
“Business Administration.”
“And yours?” Uncle Tom turned to Dennis.
“I have two. Psychology with a specialization in Abnormal Psychology, and Forensic Science. Plus a minor in Criminology.”
“Hm.” Uncle Tom couldn’t hide the fact that he was impressed. “What do you plan to do with those?”
“I haven’t decided yet.”
“And you?” He looked at Sean.
“I plan to open my own bar one day.”
“Okay. I like it.” Uncle Tom was nodding in approval. “Tell me why you bound my daughter.”
“Weren’t you gonna tell us how you know about vampires?” I played innocent, but really I was saving Dennis and Sean right now. It was time to derail this interrogation.
“Yeah,” Ari joined in on my plan. “Tell us? We’re dying of suspense.”
“I guess it’s about time I come clean.” Uncle Tom sighed. “Thing is, I can’t.” He laughed his boisterous laugh. “I’ll tell you right now, I know about vampires. But I can’t tell you why or how.”
“No fair,” Ari said. “You’re interrogating everyone and you won’t tell us anything? Like nothing at all?”
He sighed and rubbed his temples. “Fine. I’ll tell you this much: we live here for a reason, these murders aren’t a coincidence, I’m relieved Emy’s a vampire, and no, I won’t say why or what I do.
That’s all you get from me. I mean it.” He gave us a stern look.
“Back to you two,” he changed focus to the guys, “why did you each decide to bind my niece and my daughter? You first.” He waited for Sean to answer.
“It’s hard to explain.” Sean’s eyes fell on Ari. “I didn’t do it until I had her full permission. Which she didn’t give until it was for her safety. So safety, I guess.”
Uncle Tom thought long and hard before deciding it was acceptable. “I know what’s been going on here lately. I think safety is a good reason. What about you?” He turned to Dennis right as his phone began to ring. He glanced at the screen. “It’s your aunt,” he told Ari. My stomach lurched.
“My mom?” I asked.
“No,” he said quickly. “Not Debbie, it’s Helen. I was talking to both of you.” He slid a finger across the screen. “Hello?”
“Tommy! How are you? Can you talk for a while?” My aunt’s voice was loud, as always. Definitely not my mom.
“Give me a minute, Helen. Can I call you back?” He waited for her to agree before hanging up.
He placed the phone down and turned back to Dennis and Sean, his expression more serious than I’d ever seen.
“Alright. I’m done asking questions for now.
This should go without saying, but I’ll leave you two with this: if my daughter or my niece get hurt, you die.
” He raised his eyebrows, staring them both dead on.
“I don’t wanna hear about any shit from either of you. Understood?”
“Yes,” Sean answered right away.
I looked to Dennis, half expecting an awful reaction, but he wasn’t reacting at all. It felt like forever passed before he said, “Yeah. I know.”
“Good.” Uncle Tom stood. “You’re free to go.”
Ari and I exchanged a look but neither of us voiced our confusion. I didn’t even know where to start. This was the last thing I’d expected. She awkwardly cleared her throat and stood.
“I’m going to bed. I’m tired. I’ll see you later?” She directed the last part at Sean, who nodded.
“Can Dennis stay for a while?” I asked my uncle.
“Sure, niecy. No sleepovers here, but he’s welcome to stay longer.” He’d already redialed Aunt Helen’s number and was waiting for her to answer.
“Will you hang out for a while?” I hopped up and pulled Dennis with me.
He agreed and we said bye to Sean before going to my room. This time I left the door partially open out of respect for my uncle, who would appreciate the gesture if he came upstairs for anything. I sat on the bed and crossed my legs, patting the space beside me.
“What’s with the change of heart?” Dennis asked. “You’re usually tired of me by now.”
“I don’t want you to go home yet. I’m used to being around you now.”
“So you finally admit you want me to follow you.”
I scrunched my nose. “Don’t get excited. That’s not what I meant.” I smiled as he laughed. “I love this comforter.” I bounced on it and grabbed my new stuffed animal.
“Good.” He sat beside me. “How much do you know about your uncle?”
“What do you mean?”
“Actually, forget it. It doesn’t matter.” He was toying with his lip ring, seemingly lost in thought.
“He’s my uncle. Of course I know him well. I don’t get your question.”
“It’s nothing.” He started to add something else, then stared at me for a second before the expression turned to a calculated smile. “Don’t worry about it.”
“I hate when you do that,” I said. It felt like this conversation was sailing right over my head.
“Will you tell me why you went to prison now?” He leaned against the headboard, getting comfortable. “You mentioned being locked up again today. I wanna hear the story. Even if it’s long.”
“It’s long as fuck, but okay. I was twenty and working at the strip club.
Some guy got kicked out for trying to grope me early in the night and I thought he was gone, but turns out he waited until my shift was over to follow me home.
I didn’t want him to see where I lived so I pulled over to confront him.
I was covered up, by the way. I never dressed the way I normally do when I was coming home from that job. ”
“Your clothes don’t matter. Anyone who thinks otherwise is a shit person.”
“I love you.” I leaned forward and kissed him. And then I realized what the fuck I’d just said and pulled away. “I don’t love you! I mean, I love what you just said. I love that you’re a feminist. You never explicitly say it, but you obviously are. I love that about you.”
“Whatever you say, Vixen.” He was smiling and I wanted to crawl in a hole and never come out. “Finish your story before you die of embarrassment.”
“Shut up.” I shoved him as he snickered.
“Anyway. The guy tried to attack me with a bat but I somehow took it from him and beat him unconscious. Once he stopped moving, I called the police and told them everything and asked for someone to come out before the man woke up. I wasn’t gonna leave him to maybe die, but I wasn’t gonna wait around defenseless, either. ”
“This is the one you said wasn’t your fault?”
“What?”
“You mentioned it when you were arguing with Ari. This is the time you almost killed someone in self-defense?”
“You remember that?” I was surprised he’d remembered that detail of the argument.