“He changed in 1912, and he's been alive ever since. He drinks blood, but he doesn't have to kill people. He also has wings. So he's kind of an angel, crossed with a vampire, but he's not dangerous.”
Tex sits in her chair, staring at me. I've never seen quite that expression on her face. If I were to put a description on it, I'd say it was a WTF face.
“Okay, sooo not what I was expecting.”
“What were you expecting?”
She throws up her hands. “I don't know! I thought he was really old and your dad would have had him arrested, I thought that maybe he had a kid or he was married or he was a criminal or you were doing drugs together. I could have dealt with all of those things. All of those things don't require me to believe in vampires.” She spins the chair around a bunch of times, like she's trying to make herself dizzy. She's making me dizzy. I reach out to stop the spinning.
“Technically he's a noctalis.”
“What?” She rolls her chair closer.
“He's called a noctalis. It's a mash-up of nocturnal and immortalis. It's Latin. I didn't make it up, I swear.”
There's a pause while I watch her think.
“Are you going to be okay?”
“I think I need a minute. Or an hour.” She looks up at the ceiling, as if it holds the answers.
“Take your time.”
“So, let me get this straight, okay?” She holds up one finger. “You're hanging out with a vampire.” She holds up another. “And you believed him, and now you expect me to absorb all of this. Do I have that right?”
“Pretty much.” She puffs out her cheeks and lets a breath out. “Well, shut the front door.”
“So you're good with this?”
“I wouldn't go that far.” I think it's time for reinforcements.
“Hold on just a sec.” I dash out the door before she can stop me. Suddenly, I feel like I can't do this alone. It's his secret too. I haven't even gotten into the Claiming part.
“Wait, what?” She calls after me.
Peter's sitting the car staring at me. It makes my stomach flutter and I have to stop myself from smiling.
“Can you come in with me and help explain this? I thought I could do it alone, but I need some help.” What I really need is him.
“Of course.” He slides out of the passenger side and takes my hand as we walk back into the bookstore. I freeze for a second, but he just keeps walking and I'm forced to move. He acts if we've done this hundreds of times, instead of this being the first. His thumb rubs against my knuckle and I forget for a second who I am and what I'm doing.
“Are you guys like, together?” Tex says as we walk in holding hands. I'm a little distracted by how nice his skin feels. Every time it's a surprise, as if I forget what it's like.
“Uh,” I stutter as I try to speak.
“Yes,” Peter says.
“You are?”
“We are?” Tex and I say at the same time.
“Yes.” He looks down at me. No blinking.
“Well, this is all different kinds of crazy.” Tex crosses her arms. I can see her out of the corner of my eye because I'm too busy staring at Peter. God, he's so beautiful. Why is this news?
“Where'd you come from?”
“I was born in New York City.”
Tex flaps her hands, dismissing that.
“No, I mean you, your race or whatever you want to call it. I'm sure you didn't fall from the sky or a comet or ascended from hell. Or did you? Because that would be cool too.”
“There is no one origin story agreed upon by noctali. Is there one for humans?”
“Depends on who you ask,” Tex says. Yeah, that's what I said.
“No, it was no comets or hell. At least, I don't think so.” I file that away.
“How do you go out in the sun?” She directs it to Peter. Of course that's the first thing she asks. I answer for him.
“That whole thing is a myth. He actually needs the sun. Like a plant.”
“He needs the sun.” She says it like she doesn't believe a word of it.
“Or those special lights,” I say.
“Or tanning beds,” he adds. I look at him, startled.
“Tanning beds, really?” I ask. He blinks. Tex clears her throat.
“He's okay with you telling me this?” She gives Peter an uneasy look.
“I am,” he says, finally looking at her. We both see her tremble a little. Of course she's afraid of him.
“Did you hurt her?”
“Yes. But I don't want to do it anymore.”
“So I'm supposed to be okay with this? What's done is done and we hug and hang out and I learn to live with this?” Neither of us respond. She starts pacing.
“What about the fangs?”
“No,” he answers.
“Crosses and garlic?” She fires them off like bullets. I'm pretty sure she wishes she had a gun.
“Fake.” This sets her tapping her chin and walking around the store. I hope she's not having some psychotic break.
“Huh. So Bram Stoker and Anne Rice had it wrong all along.” She turns back around and stares, as if she's remembered we're both there.
“Pretty much,” I say.
“And you don't just want her for her blood?”
“No,” he says. He's still holding my hand and it makes my heart jump and do funny things that make me feel like I'm having a heart attack. He gives it a squeeze, which only makes it worse.
“Okay, I'm in. I'll take a first class ticket on the crazy train.” She throws up her hands as if she's got no other choice.
“So you're okay with it?
“Ava, please. I read Interview with a Vampire when I was seven. I had a poster of Dracula in my room.” It was true. She'd gone through a vampire phase. I think I'd been in my unicorn phase at that time. The two things hadn't gone well together, but we'd stayed friends anyway.
“Um, there's more.”
“Dear God, don't tell me you're knocked up with a half-vampire baby.” That makes me giggle. I look at Peter. His mouth twitches. It's as good as a smile for me.
“What? How am I supposed to know?” Tex slumps back into her chair.
“I think I should explain this,” Peter says, letting go of my hand. It makes me want to take it back. He walks toward Tex. She freezes in her chair. He holds his hands in the air, palms facing out.
“I'm not going to hurt you.”
“Sure, whatever you say.” She pulls her knees up and wraps her arms around them like she's protecting herself. Her eyes are wide.