Peter tugs at our connection, and I point.
“They're that way,” I say, getting up and tossing my trash. I'm itching to see Peter, and he's itching to see me. He was blocking me, but he's not anymore. I walk faster, Tex and Helena on my heels. Actually, I can see Helena gliding along behind me as if she was raised on a runway.
I walk faster, almost running to get to him. It's only when I reconnect with him that I realize that missing him is like missing one of my limbs. Or all of them.
I see him outside of Sears. We finally meet, and I throw my body upward and press my lips to his. He opens his mouth and lets me kiss and devour him, and he gives it right back to me. Everything else around us melts and it's just the two of us. We haven't kissed like this in public. I'm always too scared. I don't know what makes me do it, but I'm really glad once he starts kissing me back.
Finally, he pulls away. “What was that for?”
“I bought a new dress,” I blurt out.
Peter smiles, and I have to fight the urge to smother it with another kiss. I realize my feet aren't touching the ground. He's got me around the waist, and our faces are almost level.
“So this is what it's like to be tall,” I say as he slowly sets me on my feet again.
“Jesus, get a room,” Tex says, but her left side is glued to Viktor. Yeah, exactly.
“I think it's beautiful,” Helena says, with a dreamy sigh. “I'm jealous.” How is that possible? People are nearly running into walls trying to get a better look at her. I can’t tell if it's the hair or her bubbly energy, but there's something about her. She's like Prozac packaged in a cute girl. Noctalis. No wonder Di fell for her.
***
“How was your shopping trip?” Mom says as I walk through the door. I asked Peter to come in, but he doesn't want to wear out his welcome with Dad, even though Dad has been nice to him lately. I wasn't going to hold my breath or make any sudden movements to kill all the progress we already made.
“Got a new dress,” I say, because I can't really hide it. I ripped the tag off so she wouldn't see how much it was. There is no way my part-time job could pay for such an extravagance. I pull it out and hold it up. She gasps and touches the fabric.
“It's gorgeous. You'll look like something out of the movies. Wow, Ava-Claire. It doesn't look like something you'd pick out.”
“Peter picked it out,” I say because it's way easier than explaining the insanity that was today.
“He has good taste.”
“Who does?” Dad emerges from his office and he's looking tired again. I smell the residue from a cigarette he had a few hours ago.
“Peter. He picked out this dress.”
“Nice,” he says with a small smile. He's stressed out today, I can tell. “I'm going to pick up take-out. I got you eggplant parmesan, because I know you don't want the lasagna because it has meat in it. Is that okay?”
I give him a hug for remembering. “Yeah, that's fine.”
He gives me a tight smile and gives Mom a peck on the cheek. Mom holds the dress up to me, squinting as if trying to picture me in it.
“Go put it on,” she says, shoving it at me.
“How much did you spend on that?” Dad says as he's heading out the door. Great, I can't even buy a dress anymore.
“It was on sale.”
He grunts and shuts the door. So much for progress. I sigh and Mom gives me a look. I don't like that look. It's the Mom look. I clutch the dress to my chest, as if it can protect me.
“Baby, we need to talk.” Uh oh. I'm not trying the dress on anytime soon.
“Okay,” I say because I can't really say no to her. She has a limited amount of time to impart her wisdom. A lump forms in my throat as we walk to the couch. I fold the dress over the edge. So much for that.
“I'm not going to beat around the bush. You and your father need to start getting along.” I open my mouth to say something, but she puts up her hand to stop me. Shut up, Ava. “I'm not saying that it's your fault. Both of you are having a hard time and it shows, but I can't leave this world without knowing that the two of you will take care of each other and get along. I need to know that you can function without me.”
The truth is, we can't. We aren't going to function without her. She has to know that on some level. She can hope, but the truth is that things are going to go downhill. We may be okay right now, but we are walking on thin ice. Even if I become immortal and start a life with Peter, I can't abandon my dad. She's right. I could try harder. I could not fight with him so much. I wish I could blame it on the Claiming, my angry episodes and the fact that I want to suck his blood most of the time I'm around him, but I can't.
I'm a terrible daughter.
I start to cry, and Mom pulls me into her arms.
“It's okay, baby. There is always a new tomorrow. It's always darkest before the dawn, right?” I nod my head as she holds me. Her scent has changed again, and I can tell she is getting closer. I hold her as tight as I can.
“See? It'll be okay. The reason you and Sam butt heads is because you're so alike.” I don’t agree with her there, but I wasn't going to argue. “You're both very stubborn and have a hard time admitting you're wrong.”
Yes, those things are both true. Still, that doesn’t mean we can get along. I'll have to make a better effort on top of everything else, but I'm going to do it, because I can do it for her.
“Just remember that I love you, and even if I'm not here, my love is. Right here,” she says, touching my heart. I would carry her there. Even if my heart stops beating.
Fourteen
Peter
“Is she asleep?” Helena's voice says outside Ava's window that night.
“Yes,” I say. Ava's breathing has been regular for a while. It is easy to hear when a human is awake and when they are asleep.
“Good,” Helena says, coming in the window. She has a new outfit on that I assume she bought when the girls went shopping. I am not nervous about having her here. Ava is scared of her, but I am not. I don't have a reason to trust her; I just do. The incident with Cal taught me a lot about trust. I always had red flags with Cal. I just chose to ignore them.
“I'm not here to hurt you, I hope you know that.”
“I do,” I say, moving away from Ava. I replace my body with one of her numerous pillows and she grabs onto it. I will have to return quickly. I have tried this method before and it usually only takes her ten minutes before she realizes the pillow is not me and wakes up.
Even in sleep she needs me.
“I don't really know why I'm here. Di and I are ancient history. Literally.” She laughs so easily.