were nothing short of horrendous.
His face softened as he looked me. "Yeah, they can. Have you been bullied too?"
"You could say that."
A song started playing, and he pulled his cell phone from his jacket. "I need to get back home now," he said, looking disappointed.
"Let's get together tomorrow," I said. "If you want to."
His heart sped up. It was music to my ears. "Yeah, I do. I have to watch my brother after practice though. Do you want to join us for dinner? My treat this time."
"That sounds like an offer that I can't refuse."
CHAPTER FIVE
The next day, I was looking for a guy to use to get to Alexis, but my mind kept drifting to Tanner Monroe. I couldn't wait to have dinner with him again. I was glad that none of the vampires could see me, because I would never hear the end of it. Vince would be the worst, not that he would be jealous. I knew that he had girls on the side, which was why I had my share of guys of my own too. But Tanner wasn't like the others. I didn't want to use him. I actually wanted to get to know him.
Was this how my sister had felt? I had watched her have relationships with several humans, and it never ended well. As a result, I had sworn that I'd never let myself fall for one. I wasn't falling for Tanner. I just wanted to get to know him. What harm could possibly come from a dinner with his kid brother?
As the day wore on, and I was no closer to finding someone to work with, I decided to get my nails done. It wasn't because I was trying to impress Tanner. They just needed some work.
"How do you get your nails like this?" asked the manicurist.
"Like what?"
She held my hand up as though I'd never seen it before. "They're perfect. What's your secret?"
"It's probably my diet. I'm careful about what I eat."
"What?" she whispered, leaning close.
"I have a condition that requires me to have a special diet."
She begged with her eyes to know.
I leaned close and whispered, "I have to drink human blood."
"If you don't want to tell me your secret, then don't!" She slammed the clippers onto the tray.
Mortals never really want the truth. She didn't say anything else as she painted my nails. I watched her, amused, and then left her a hefty tip for her trouble.
When I got back to school, I could see people piling into the gym to watch the volleyball practice. They sure loved their volleyball team. I headed around back to the football field. The coach was yelling at the players and I could see Tanner standing off to the side, swinging his helmet back and forth.
The coach blew a whistle and Tanner put the helmet on. I stood back as I watched them play. I wasn't familiar with the sport, but I could tell that Tanner was good and that his teammates were clearly going out of their way to make things difficult on him. I felt like running onto the field and pushing them around, but I knew that wouldn't help his already hurting reputation.
I walked a little closer to the game, until I was near the bleachers. I took a seat, trying to be inconspicuous. It didn't work because Tanner looked up and saw me, and then ran into another player, who shoved him. Tanner looked back at me, and then to the other player and hit him. The other one hit Tanner back, and soon they were rolling around on the ground wrestling. Tanner's helmet had come off and the other guy was taking shots at his face.
The coach blew his whistle and several of the other players ran to them, trying to pull them apart. After they did, the coach ran over and yelled at them, pointing to a bench. The two of them argued as they walked off the field to the bench.
When the practice was over, I walked up to Tanner who looked thoroughly embarrassed.
"Sorry you had to see that. I'm surprised you stuck around after that."
"Why? It was obvious that the other players were being rude to you on purpose. I don't know how the coach couldn't see it."
"He chooses not to."
"If you'd rather, I
His face softened as he looked me. "Yeah, they can. Have you been bullied too?"
"You could say that."
A song started playing, and he pulled his cell phone from his jacket. "I need to get back home now," he said, looking disappointed.
"Let's get together tomorrow," I said. "If you want to."
His heart sped up. It was music to my ears. "Yeah, I do. I have to watch my brother after practice though. Do you want to join us for dinner? My treat this time."
"That sounds like an offer that I can't refuse."
CHAPTER FIVE
The next day, I was looking for a guy to use to get to Alexis, but my mind kept drifting to Tanner Monroe. I couldn't wait to have dinner with him again. I was glad that none of the vampires could see me, because I would never hear the end of it. Vince would be the worst, not that he would be jealous. I knew that he had girls on the side, which was why I had my share of guys of my own too. But Tanner wasn't like the others. I didn't want to use him. I actually wanted to get to know him.
Was this how my sister had felt? I had watched her have relationships with several humans, and it never ended well. As a result, I had sworn that I'd never let myself fall for one. I wasn't falling for Tanner. I just wanted to get to know him. What harm could possibly come from a dinner with his kid brother?
As the day wore on, and I was no closer to finding someone to work with, I decided to get my nails done. It wasn't because I was trying to impress Tanner. They just needed some work.
"How do you get your nails like this?" asked the manicurist.
"Like what?"
She held my hand up as though I'd never seen it before. "They're perfect. What's your secret?"
"It's probably my diet. I'm careful about what I eat."
"What?" she whispered, leaning close.
"I have a condition that requires me to have a special diet."
She begged with her eyes to know.
I leaned close and whispered, "I have to drink human blood."
"If you don't want to tell me your secret, then don't!" She slammed the clippers onto the tray.
Mortals never really want the truth. She didn't say anything else as she painted my nails. I watched her, amused, and then left her a hefty tip for her trouble.
When I got back to school, I could see people piling into the gym to watch the volleyball practice. They sure loved their volleyball team. I headed around back to the football field. The coach was yelling at the players and I could see Tanner standing off to the side, swinging his helmet back and forth.
The coach blew a whistle and Tanner put the helmet on. I stood back as I watched them play. I wasn't familiar with the sport, but I could tell that Tanner was good and that his teammates were clearly going out of their way to make things difficult on him. I felt like running onto the field and pushing them around, but I knew that wouldn't help his already hurting reputation.
I walked a little closer to the game, until I was near the bleachers. I took a seat, trying to be inconspicuous. It didn't work because Tanner looked up and saw me, and then ran into another player, who shoved him. Tanner looked back at me, and then to the other player and hit him. The other one hit Tanner back, and soon they were rolling around on the ground wrestling. Tanner's helmet had come off and the other guy was taking shots at his face.
The coach blew his whistle and several of the other players ran to them, trying to pull them apart. After they did, the coach ran over and yelled at them, pointing to a bench. The two of them argued as they walked off the field to the bench.
When the practice was over, I walked up to Tanner who looked thoroughly embarrassed.
"Sorry you had to see that. I'm surprised you stuck around after that."
"Why? It was obvious that the other players were being rude to you on purpose. I don't know how the coach couldn't see it."
"He chooses not to."
"If you'd rather, I
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