Toxic

Chapter 5

AFTER SLADE HAD left my room, it had taken a while for me to fall asleep. All I could think about was him and the tenderness he’d shown me while we’d made love. Although, he hadn’t mentioned any kind of commitment or undying love toward me, I could tell from the look in his eyes that Slade really cared, which made the future seem so much less daunting.

When I finally was able to sleep, it was deep and filled with sensual dreams of us together and I didn’t wake up until almost eleven.

I yawned and stretched my arms, smiling at the memory of the amazing night we’d had together. Butterflies fluttered in my stomach as I imagined spending the entire day with him, some of it even back in my bed. Just thinking of the possibilities made me blush. Although I was no longer a virgin, I certainly felt like a little schoolgirl daydreaming about her first crush.

A loud knock on my door startled me. I quickly got out of bed and grabbed a robe. “Who is it?” I asked, pulling it over my shoulders.

“Melody.”

I unlocked the door and opened it. “Hi.”

She looked down at my robe. “You’re not ready yet? We’re going shopping today, remember?”

I smiled at her sheepishly. “Sorry, I forgot. No wonder you’re already dressed and ready to go.”

Her hair, which was pulled into a ponytail, was still damp and she was dressed in blue jeans and a pink T-shirt. “I woke up a few hours ago,” she said, sighing. “I just couldn’t sleep, thinking about Liam. I can’t believe he’s going to lunch with his friend’s mother. Is that twisted or is it just me?”

“You mean Bradan’s mother? She’s a vampire, too, isn’t she?” I asked, walking over to the dresser to find something to wear.

“Yes,” she said with a pouty expression. “Maybe I should ask Bradan to make me a vampire. Then Liam might want me.”

“Bad idea. Anyway, he sleeps with mortals, too, remember?”

“Yes, so what the heck is wrong with me?” she said, sitting down on my bed.

“Didn’t we just have this conversation?” I teased. “And we came to the conclusion that he doesn’t want to ruin your friendship.”

“I don’t want to be friends with him,” she said, lying down. She stared up at the ceiling. “At least not just friends.”

“You only want what you can’t have,” I replied. “If you did have s*x with Liam, you’d get bored with him. Like you do with most other guys.”

She turned on her side and looked at me. “Somehow I doubt that Liam will be boring in or out of bed.”

I sighed. “I’m going to take a quick shower and get ready. Have you seen Slade yet this morning?”

“Maybe he’s with Talia?” she said, a smirk on her face.

“I doubt it.”

“Really? You don’t think he wouldn’t be tempted to be with her, even after everything that I told you last night?”

“No and... what happened between them, all those years ago, was an accident,” I said.

She sat up quickly. “You talked to him about it?”

I nodded.

“When?”

“Last night,” I said, my cheeks turning pink. “After you left.”

She noticed me blushing and her eyes widened. “Did you two have s*x?”

I grinned, in spite of not wanting to tell her.

Her jaw dropped. “You did! Oh my God, what were you thinking?”

My smile fell. “What do you mean?”

“Don’t you get it?” she said, standing up. “He lied to you just to get down your pants.”

“No, he wasn’t lying,” I said. “He was being very sincere and honest about everything, including what had happened between him and Talia.”

“And you believe him?”

“I have no reason not to. He helped save our lives, Melody. Neither of us would be here right now if it wasn’t for him.”

She still wasn’t convinced. “Chelsey, I don’t want to sound like a b***h, but the truth is you’re gullible and naïve when it comes to men and this one is a friggin’ vampire. He’s going to make you believe whatever he wants.”

I almost had to laugh. The day before she’d been the one defending him and now she was issuing warnings? “I’m in control of my beliefs, Melody,” I said. “And why do you find it so hard to imagine that Talia didn’t trick Slade so that she could sleep with him? We’ve already figured out that she’s a bitch.”

“Yeah, but that would mean she intentionally deceived her own sister. Her twin sister.”

“I know, which means she’s even more despicable than either of us guessed.”

Melody sighed. “Maybe so. Enough about her. I’m going to go and find something to eat downstairs.”

I smirked. “Maybe you’ll run into Liam in the kitchen. He’s got quite the appetite.”

“Yeah, he does. Too bad it doesn’t include moi,” she mumbled.

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