Blood and Snow Volumes 1-4: Blood and Snow, Revenant in Training, The Vampire Christopher, Blood Soaked Promises Read Free Page B

stop it. I clamped a hand over my mouth, realizing it was just Salvatore and Bart. That’s what my eyes told me, the rest of me was frozen in fear. I wanted to laugh with them. They’d only been teasing; it’s what they did. I’d done it to them on more than one occasion, snuck into their yard, and scared them.
    “You should see your face,” Salvatore said, rising and coming toward me. “I should’ve taken a picture.” Tears were streaming down his face from laughing so hard. Bart was in a similar state. But I still couldn’t move.
    In the dream Salvatore had been holding the bloody heart. The heart of my true love. The brothers had been tossing it around like a football. And I’d tasted it. The remembered feeling of pleasure washed through me. 
    “How-how could you?” I stammered, tears filling my eyes, and streaming down my cheeks. “You know I’m all alone. You could’ve been a psychotic murderer.” I rushed into the house, letting the screen door bang behind me.
    I’d seen their stricken faces, and knew they hadn’t meant to do any harm, but I couldn’t act rationally. Sobs wracked my body, and snot dripped from my nose. I ran up the stairs, past my parent’s unused bedroom, the bathroom, and finally stopped at my room. Flinging open the door, I launched myself onto the bed, and buried my head in my purple pillows.
    A gigantic meltdown was coming. The dream had started it, and the guys scaring me ignited it. Now there’d be no stopping it.
    All my sadness, my loneliness, my pent up hurts, and fears seemed to crash into me. Wave after horrible wave . . .
    Why had my mother died? Why had my father remarried such a cold, uncaring woman? Why did they have to leave me alone all the time? Why did my dad choose her over me? Why was I such a dork?
    The questions were unanswered, probably always would be. My life was what it was, and most of the time I accepted it, even enjoyed it. Right now was not one of those times. I’d fallen into my enormous chasm of hurt, and allowed myself to sink in.
    “Hey, is there a pity party going on in here?”
    At the sound of his soft voice I stiffened. There was a thud, and then I felt the bed give as four soft paws jumped up.
    “Gatsby invited me. I hope you don’t mind if I join you?”
    Two feelings swirled through my heart at once: relief, and embarrassment.
    Relief, because I was glad he’d come, and that he’d brought Gatsby so I wouldn’t be alone.
    Embarrassment because I was a blubbering mess, and he’d see me, and I’d never be able to look him in the face again.
    Casually wiping my eyes, and nose on my pillowcase, I said, “Gabe, what are you doing here?”
    The bed dipped as he sat. His warm skin so close to mine sent tingles through my belly. 
    “I told you, Gatsby invited me, and I never miss a pity party, especially not one thrown by my beautiful best friend, Snowflake.” There was laughter in his voice. He was trying to make me feel better, but that wasn’t the point of a pity party. You weren’t supposed feel better. It was about misery, and that’s what I wanted. Him saying I was beautiful just added to the many waves of hurt. It wasn’t true, and him rubbing that in didn’t help.
    “Go away,” I said.
    He answered by scooting closer, and I felt my body respond to his nearness. “I’ll go away when I know you’re feeling better. Professor Pops knows I’m here. He also has Salvatore and Bart on bathroom duty tomorrow. He wanted me to be sure to tell you that.”
    “Huh,” was all I could utter, though I had to smile. “Serves them right.” I sniffled.
    He shifted his weight, and pushed me over slightly, then I felt something fall over me. It was the quilt my mother had made. Tears filled my eyes again, and I squeezed them shut.
    “Now, I’m just going to lay down next to you until you fall asleep. I’ve already locked up the house, but I’ll lock the back door when I leave, okay.” I heard Gatsby growl, and the thud when Gabe