Vampire Beach: Legacy (7 page)

Jason circled his hands in the air in a
come-on, come-on
gesture.

‘Well, basically, there’s a lot of tragic crap that goes down when vampires and humans hook up. Like the whole aging thing. I mean, I’m guessing Sienna and her crowd live a lot longer than we do, if not forever. Am I right?’ Adam asked.

‘Yeah. From what Sienna told me, they aren’t immortal, but they can live for centuries,’ Jason confirmed.

‘So at some point, you’ll be this old man, and Sienna will be . . .’ Adam let his sentence trail off.

‘Still young and hot,’ Jason finished for him.

‘So, hey, you could be like Michael Douglas to her Catherine Zeta-Jones. Not a bad way to go,’ Adam joked, but his eyes were solemn.

‘It’s really hard to worry about what’s going to happen years from now. I probably should, but right now all I can think about is how I’m going to see her
today
, you know?’ Jason took a bite of the energy bar. Stale.

Adam nodded. ‘And you’re already OK with her having to drink blood. That’s the other biggie.’

‘It doesn’t thrill me,’ Jason confessed. ‘I mean, I understand that she has to do it. But it’s a little weird when you stop and think about it.’

‘A
little
weird?’ Adam grinned. ‘You’ve been in Malibu too long, my man. Most people would consider the drinking of the blood a
lot
weird. But what about the bit where she has to make out with other guys to get it?’

‘That was hard at first,’ Jason confessed. ‘But I’m used to it now. Hey, look, I love Sienna. She needs blood to live. Therefore I want her to drink blood. It’s simple. I just have to accept that every few days she’s going to have to make out with another guy.’

‘Would it help if she drank exclusively from a friend – someone you like and admire? Say, Adam Turnball? Because your baby – she’s hot.’

‘Thanks. That was an image I really needed to have in my head,’ Jason sighed.

Adam laughed. ‘Sorry. Just pulling your chain.’

‘Somehow I don’t think Dani would be OK with her boyfriend making out with other girls, though,’ Jason said thoughtfully.

‘Whoa. Brain whiplash. Dani? Huh?’ Adam asked.

‘I think Dani might be into Ryan Patrick. They might even have gone out the other night,’ Jason explained. ‘If anyone should be cool with it, it’s me. But it kinda freaks me out. What if someone goes after Dani with a crossbow?’ He gave a groan of frustration. ‘I sound like Sienna’s parents.’

‘No, I can see why you’re worried about Dani,’ Adam said. ‘It’s better if they never get things started. That way they’ll never end up in the situation you and Sienna are in.’

‘But I wouldn’t want to go back and warn myself not to fall for Sienna. If time travel were possible and all that,’ Jason answered. ‘Whatever the risks, it’s worth it.
She’s
worth it.’

‘I think—’

Jason’s cell beeped, interrupting Adam. ‘That’s a text. Maybe it’s Sienna,’ he said, pulling his cell out of his pocket.

‘Is it?’ Adam asked.

‘Nope. It’s my mom, calling me home for dinner,’ Jason said, deflated.

‘Look on the bright side. You’re probably not having ten-alarm chili,’ Adam consoled him.

Jason took a bite of his peach cobbler and tried to focus on what his mother was saying, instead of thinking about Sienna.

‘I’ve left three messages for my sister in the last week and a half, and she still hasn’t called me back,’ Mrs Freeman was complaining.

‘Maybe she’s out of town,’ Mr Freeman suggested.

Yeah, out of town on vampire business
, Jason thought. Aunt Bianca was high up in the vampire . . . he wasn’t sure what to call it: the vampire political scene? He’d seen her take charge of the DeVere Heights Vampire Council.

She hadn’t seen him, though. Jason still wasn’t sure what would have happened to him if she had.

‘According to her assistant, she
is
away,’ Mrs Freeman agreed. ‘But how is that any excuse? You know she calls in to the office every day, which means she’s got my messages.’

‘Where’s Aunt Bianca this time?’ Dani asked eagerly. She was fascinated by her aunt. She’d already decided that she wanted to be a casting agent like Bianca someday. And have a house on each coast. And a huge walk-in closet on both coasts to hold all her fabulous designer wear.

‘Who knows?’ Mrs Freeman snapped. ‘Even her assistant isn’t sure. Bianca calls, barks out some orders to Jacinda, and hangs up.’

‘Maybe she’s in Paris,’ Dani suggested. ‘Paris is supposed to be awesome.’

According to Ryan Patrick, recently returned from a semester in Paris
, Jason thought.

‘Maybe,’ Mrs Freeman said. ‘Jacinda did say that on one of Bianca’s latest calls she insisted that from then on they always answer the phone at the office in French. I think even Jacinda’s becoming concerned about her erratic behavior.’

‘Your sister has never been exactly predictable, Tania,’ Mr Freeman reminded her.

‘True.’ Jason’s mom stared down at her dessert plate. ‘True, but predictable isn’t the same as weird. The French thing is just weird.’

‘I don’t think it’s so weird,’ Dani said. ‘Maybe Bianca wants them to speak French because it reminds her of Uncle Stefan.’

‘But why now?’ Mrs Freeman asked. ‘Stefan has been dead for almost two years.’

‘Delayed reaction, maybe,’ Dani suggested, but even she sounded doubtful. ‘Maybe it’s suddenly hit her that he’s gone forever and she just really misses him.’

‘Maybe.’ Mrs Freeman sighed, frowning. ‘But that doesn’t quite ring true to me. I can’t shake the feeling that something is wrong with Bianca. Really wrong.’

A quick triple knock sounded on the front door.

‘That could be Bianca now,’ Mr Freeman suggested. ‘She’s got all your messages, she’s in L.A., and she decided to drop by. She loves the drop by, your sister.’

‘I’ll get it,’ Jason volunteered. If it was his aunt, he wanted the chance to sound her out in private and find out if she was the one who had restocked his college account.

He swung the door open – and time seemed to stand still. Every thought about his Aunt Bianca, his money, everything . . . disappeared.

She stood there. In a strapless crimson dress. Her dark hair cascading over her bare shoulders.

Sienna.

‘
WOW
,’
JASON BREATHED
. ‘You look incredible.’

Sienna smiled, her lipstick the same crimson as her long dress. ‘Incredible enough for you to invite me in before someone sees me?’

‘Oh, yeah, of course.’ Jason stepped back to let her in. ‘My parents and Dani are finishing dinner. Let’s go upstairs where we can talk.’

Sienna nodded. Jason grabbed her hand and led her up to his bedroom. ‘Sienna’s here, you guys. Somebody finish my dessert,’ he called down the stairs, realizing he’d forgotten to say who was at the door.

‘I’ll handle that,’ his dad called back.

‘I can only stay for a minute,’ Sienna told him once he’d shut the door behind them. ‘Belle and I got permission to leave the auction early. I’m supposed to be over at her house studying. Her dad’s home, and he will definitely report in to my parents if I show up later than he thinks I should. I told Belle not to go straight inside, to buy us a little time.’

Sienna started to pace back and forth across the room. ‘I should have just called. Or texted. But I wanted to see your face. I wanted to tell you in person how sorry I am I stood you up today.’ Her eyes were bright with unshed tears.

‘It’s OK. I know you didn’t want to.’ Jason stepped in front of her to stop her agitated pacing. He put his hands on her shoulders. ‘It’s OK, Sienna.’

‘No, it’s not. My parents somehow found out I was planning on meeting you,’ Sienna burst out.

Brad?
Jason couldn’t help wondering.

‘That’s why my mom made me help her set up the auction,’ Sienna continued. ‘I don’t know how they found out, but they did. And they are so furious with me for going behind their backs.’ She gave a harsh laugh. ‘Or, at least, for
trying
to go behind their backs.’

Jason felt a tremor run through her body, and he tried to wrap his arms around her. Sienna pulled back, holding him away from her. ‘Jason . . .’ Her voice shook. ‘They told me since I can’t be trusted, they don’t want you and me to be alone together. At all. They realize that we have classes together, that we have the same friends and go to the same parties. They aren’t saying that we can’t be, like, in the same room. But if they hear that we’re alone together, anywhere, ever, then . . .’

‘Then?’ Jason prompted.

‘Then they’re sending me to boarding school. In France.’ Sienna’s lips tightened into a thin line. ‘I have an older cousin there. She and her husband will "keep an eye" on me apparently. And I’d stay at their place when school’s out.’

Jason was speechless. How had things gotten so insane so fast? Just a few days ago he’d been hanging at Sienna’s house, kissing her in her own room.

‘Say something,’ Sienna urged.

‘I – I can hardly believe this is happening. I keep trying to think of some way to fix it, but . . .’ Jason replied.

‘But there isn’t a way,’ Sienna sighed. ‘My parents aren’t kidding around. And they don’t give a lot of second chances. We get caught out one more time, and I’m going to France.’

‘No,’ Jason said firmly. ‘I couldn’t take that – not being able to see you at all. We just have to . . . we have to stay away from each other.’

Sienna shook her head. ‘No. I’m not letting them split us up. We’ll just be careful. Extra careful. I don’t know how they’re getting their info on us, so for now let’s just be as paranoid as we can possibly be.’ She glanced at the clock on his DVD player. ‘I’ve been here too long. I’ve got to get to Belle’s. We’ll talk tomorrow.’

‘In public,’ Jason reminded her.

‘In public,’ Sienna agreed. ‘We’ll figure this out.’

‘Definitely,’ Jason answered, although he had no clue how. They’d been pretty careful today, and Sienna’s parents had still found out about their plans.

He led her downstairs to the front door. ‘So, I’ll see you tomorrow,’ he said. He wanted to kiss her, but the front door had a long window that ran alongside it. Could someone be watching them even now?

‘Tomorrow,’ Sienna agreed. She slipped out the door and vanished into the darkness.

Jason stared into the night for a long moment, then shut the door. He headed for the kitchen on auto-pilot. He might as well see if there was any cobbler left. Though it was doubtful. His dad loved cobbler.

‘I don’t know what it is about that girl,’ he heard his mother saying, just as he was about to step inside the room. ‘Even though I’m sure she’s very nice, there’s just something about her that makes me uneasy.’

‘Overprotective much, Mom?’ Dani teased.

Mrs Freeman laughed. ‘I expect I am. That’s what happens when you love your kids.’

If she knew the truth about Sienna, she’d be acting just the way Sienna’s parents are
, Jason realized.
She’d build a dungeon in the basement, or whatever it took, to keep us apart. What are we going to do?
he asked himself.
What the hell are we going to do?

Suddenly, he couldn’t stand still. Every nerve and muscle in his body was begging for release. He didn’t bother to change. He was already wearing his sneakers – that was good enough. ‘I’m going out for a run,’ he announced, and was out the front door before either of his parents had time to answer.

As soon as he could, he cut off the quiet streets of DeVere Heights and scrambled down to the beach. He ran at the edge of the shore. Ran until his lungs were burning and his legs were aching. And then he kept on running. He welcomed the pain in his body. If it kept him from thinking, he’d keep running.

But a half an hour later, he had to stop. He dropped onto the cool sand, his chest heaving as he gasped for breath.

Slowly, as he stared up at the huge arc of sky above him, his breathing returned to normal, and he realized the exertion had cleared his head. There was no way he could deal with his life without Sienna in it. But there was obviously no way they could continue their relationship in the face of all the parental negativity.

He knew what he and Sienna had to do.

And tomorrow, he’d tell her.

‘No, turn a little more to the left,’ Adam told Belle at the cafeteria table the next day. ‘A little more . . . stop. Perfect.’

‘This is a little extreme, don’t you think?’ Belle laughed.

‘Not at all, and keep still!’ Adam instructed.

Belle sat absolutely still for all of about two seconds before collapsing into giggles again. Adam shook his head in despair and adjusted himself so that his body blocked Jason’s face from the door. ‘When you’ve stopped laughing,’ he said, frowning at Belle, ‘you’re blocking Sienna, and I’m blocking Jason. There will be no lip-reading on our watch.’

‘You’re too funny!’ Belle exclaimed, settling into position. ‘Nobody is here to lip-read anyway. We’re
inside.
No one sits inside for lunch. I didn’t even know there was an inside until today.’

‘Joke all you want,’ Adam replied. ‘Just don’t move.’ He shot a sideways glance at Jason. ‘OK. You’re clear.’

‘Good. Now tell me what’s going on,’ Sienna said. She started to lean toward Jason, but Adam
tsk-tsked
her back into place.

Jason swallowed hard, gazing at her gorgeous face. Adam and Belle could have been on another planet as far as he was concerned. They were there for camouflage, nothing else.

‘I know what we have to do,’ Jason said. He took a deep breath. ‘I think we have to . . . We have to go back . . .’

‘. . . to being just friends,’ Sienna finished for him. ‘I know. I was up all night thinking about it. I won’t be able to take it if I get sent away from you. At least this way, we can still see each other.’

‘And talk to each other,’ Jason said.
Just not ever touch each other
, he added silently.

‘It’s going to be so hard,’ Sienna breathed.

‘It’s going to be a killer,’ Jason agreed. ‘But we can do it. We
have
to do it. And you know that we can. We did it for most of last semester.’