Chapter 6. Guilty Pleasure

The house was silent when I got in. It seemed that Emiri’s suggestion worked better than expected. I glanced at the clock on the living room wall, noticing that it was only after 5:30 am. They wouldn’t be up until 8, so I had plenty of time to gather my thoughts. I climbed the stairs and headed to my room, hoping to catch a little sleep before everyone woke up for the day.

I lay on the bed and burrowed my head under the pillow. Emiri’s scent still lingered inside the room. My thoughts went back to her. It was funny how things ended up this way. She was a complete stranger at first. Sure she intrigued me, I mean who can say no to meeting a freaking vampire? But once I knew her personality more and more each time she visits, I just couldn’t help but feel something for her.

What was I feeling anyway? Was it lust, admiration, or God forbid- love? I’d never experienced it before, and I’m not good at dealing with emotions, but she seemed to know what buttons to push when it comes to me. A half-smile from her could instantly melt my heart. A touch sends my body to frenzy. And her lips. . . Oh, God! Her lips are heavenly. My body heated up just thinking about it. I let out a groan.

But she was right. No matter how much I adored her, or even if I was falling madly, deeply in love with her that my heart was about to burst, one fact still remained; I didn’t know her that well. I had no idea how she lived her life when she wasn’t inside my room. I didn’t know the whole story about her family and vampires. Heck I didn’t even know her last name.

Would I feel differently towards her once I already knew? Would my heart cease pounding like a drum? Would she not intrigue me anymore? More importantly, would I ever stop falling in love with her?

I slowly drifted off to sleep with those thoughts in my mind.

“My lover looks like a princess doesn’t she?” I could hear someone in the room with me.

“I’d be seriously grossed out if my brother said that,” someone whispered.

“You’ll wake her up with all the noise you’re making,” a guy with a sexy British accent chimed in.

I opened my eyes slowly and saw my brother Jack, my best friend Marley, and her boyfriend Max standing by the door. I didn’t get up and just stared at them dumbly thinking it was a dream.

“I told you she’d wake up,” Max said smugly before pulling Jack’s hand and dragging him outside the room, leaving me and my best friend alone, staring awkwardly at each other.

Marley has been my friend since elementary days. Though we didn’t look alike, strangers and new acquaintances would often think that we were sisters because of how close we were. She hadn’t changed at all since I last saw her. She still sported a pixie haircut which looked good on her small, beautiful face. In fact, she reminded me of that celebrity, Kristin Kreuk. Her petite frame was still the same, though I could see that she now had a fresh tan which she probably picked up from vacation. On her face was a worried expression. Uh oh!

“Hey Marley,” I heard myself say.

At the mention of her name, she marched to the bed and placed her hands on her hips. “Why didn’t you tell me?” she said with a raspy voice, like she was about to break down and cry- one I was very familiar with.

I raised myself to a sitting position and didn’t answer. How could I even begin to tell her? I was about to speak up when she hugged me fiercely, her pixie hair scratching softly against my cheek.

“You’re so stupid Clover!”

I heard her sniffling. “You should have called. I was so shocked when your mom told me once I arrived. Max and I are so worried. Best friends are supposed to tell everything to each other. I should have gone home sooner.” She removed her arms around me and stared at me with tear-stained eyes.

“I’m so sorry Mar. I didn’t want to ruin your vacation.”

“You’re more important than a silly vacation. You know that right?” She wiped her eyes with the back of her hands and sat on the bed beside me. She tried to calm herself by taking a deep breath before glancing in my direction, her shoulders still shaking.

“Can’t the doctors do anything about it?”

I shook my head in response. We stayed silent for a few minutes, not sure how to continue the conversation. No one dared mention the word dying which made me feel glad. My best friend knew I was bad when it came to these things. After a while, I patted her hand and she raised an eyebrow.

“So. . . How did the vacation go?” I said as lightly as I could to steer the topic away from me. She glanced at the door quickly before replying in a hushed voice.

“I met someone.”

I punched her arm lightly. “You player! What about dreamy Max?”

Max and Marley have been together since the 7th grade. When Max moved from London and became our classmate, Marley immediately fell for his British accent and sense of humor. As for Max, he admired her strong personality despite her small frame so he pursued her and they became a couple. I used to get jealous at seeing them together because I had no love life of my own. I took a deep breath. Used huh? I was so screwed.

Marley gave me a weird look. “Shhh! Listen, I didn’t fell in love with the guy so don’t worry. “ She blushed a little and glanced at the door once more before she continued. “You know I can’t cheat on Max. I love him too much to do that.” She cleared her throat. “The guy I met was really cool, and I chilled with him a couple of times, but nothing really happened. Besides. . .”

“What?”

“Uhmm. . . It turned out that we’re cousins.”

I stared at Marley’s serious face and began to laugh. “You’re so mean!” she said before she joined me. We continued laughing for a few more seconds, clutching our sides the whole time, until tears streamed down our faces. It made me feel much better. I wiped my eyes with the back of my hands, thinking how happy I was now that she was back.

“Hey, I think Max and the twins are playing their ps4 downstairs. Want to chill with them?”

I nodded in agreement, and we both made our way to the living room where Max and Jack were screaming at each other while glancing on the TV screen, controllers in their hands. Opposite them was Amanda, reading the book I lent her about fallen angels.

“By the way,” Marley started before sitting beside my sister. “I’m sleeping over tonight. I already told your mom and she said yes. We need some girl bonding time.”

I just stared at her before a thought hit me. Shit! Emiri. . .

That night, I fidget restlessly on the bed. Marley was beside me reading Vogue, having no idea about who or what was to come. I tried to convince her to go home, saying things like she didn’t have to sleep over because she just arrived, but she wouldn’t budge. In the end, she got her way, and here we are now.

What was I supposed to do? I couldn’t tell her about Emiri, and I couldn’t warn Emiri about her either since Marley was already here. I needed to think of a way, but how? I was already one bundle of nerves, ready to explode anytime.

I glanced at the clock on my bedside table. It was almost 11:30. Emiri usually shows up around this time. I needed to get Marley out of here so she wouldn’t see Emiri. I cleared my throat.

“Hey Mar. . .” She glanced at me. “I know that you had a long flight and I can imagine how you’re dying to use the tub. You can go ahead and do your business now. I don’t mind.” I gave her a wide smile and an innocent look, hoping she’d consider.

She raised an eyebrow. “Hmm… I do want to soak on the tub. Okay.” She got up and walked toward my bathroom door- the one inside my room. That wouldn’t do.

“Oh Mar!” I said in a hurry, making her stop in her tracks and look at me in surprise. “Uhmm. . . I forgot to tell you that my tub is uh, malfunctioning. It’s best if you use the bathroom in the hall.”

“If that’s the case, then I’ll do that.” She rummaged inside the bag that she brought for the sleepover and took a towel, a toothbrush, and her change of clothes. With one last glance at me, she left the room, closing the door as she went.

I let out a sigh of relief, thankful that I was able to make her leave. After a few minutes, the curtains in my room fluttered, and the next thing I knew, Emiri was lying beside me on the bed. I breathed deeply, in awe at the sight of her. This never gets old.

“Hey,” she said in a husky voice, clearly remembering our adventure last night.

“Hey yourself,” I replied back.

She closed her eyes. “I missed you. I know we only saw each other last night, but I can’t get enough of you. Is that wrong?”

I shook my head. “No.” Her statement made me feel warm and fuzzy inside.

“I missed you too.”

She opened her eyes and gave me one of those half-smile I’ve learned to love. “We need to talk about me, about us.”

My breath caught in my throat, the word ‘us’ toying in my mind. Was there such a thing as us? Did I want to? I run my eyes hungrily on her body. Hell yea!

“But first things first,” Emiri said.

I raised an eyebrow in response. She moved quickly and pinned me down on the bed, making me gasp. This time, she was the one who brought her full lips to mine. It was a needy kind of kiss- one that leads to something more, a point of no return.

I moaned in her mouth and tangled my fingers automatically in her hair. She deepened the kiss and I felt the familiar warmth of lust, spreading like wildfire through my body and straight between my legs.

“You’re so sexy Clover, I just couldn’t resist.” Emiri said between kisses.

I arched my body to her and she cupped my breast in her hands. I was so lost in the sea of sensation that I was receiving at the moment, that I almost didn’t hear the footsteps in the hall, approaching the room. I stared at Emiri in horror, completely forgetting about Marley. Oh. My. God. Emiri reflected the look of panic in my face. The door opened gently.

“Is someone with you Clover?” Marley said as she stepped inside the room. To my surprise, Emiri was nowhere to be seen. She probably used her vampire speed to get out fast. The breath I’d been holding slowly came out.

“What are you talking about Mar?” I feigned ignorance.

“Oh nothing, I thought I heard a noise,” she said while looking at me strangely.

“What kind of noise? Is it a robber?” My voice was clearly shaking.

“No, don’t mind me. I think I’m just hallucinating because of sleepiness.”

“Let’s go to sleep then,” I said hurriedly.

“Okay.”

I got the sleeping bag in the closet and handed it to Marley. She spread it on the floor and made herself comfortable. After a few minutes, she was fast asleep, her soft breathing gently lulling me to sleep. Before I closed my own eyes, I saw something silver flicker just outside the window.

“Goodnight Emiri,” I whispered, knowing full well she’d hear me.