Thank god. Emily had told me to stay away from her, but she hadn't meant it. Not really.

I made to stand up, put Mom put a hand on my shoulder.

"I'll get it."

"No, it's okay, Mom. I'll get it."

But she made it to the door first. She opened it to reveal Emily on the porch, dressed head-to-toe in gray sweats, the costume of a much less attractive girl. But I didn't care. It wasn't her body that I wanted her for. It wasn't.

"Is Nathaniel here?" Emily said. She looked disgusted with herself for even asking.

"He's having dinner," Mom said.

"Would it be okay if I talked to him for a few minutes? It's about school."

"I suppose so. Come on in."

Emily's eyes found me, where I was standing in the living room. She said, "Could he just step outside with me real quick? I promise it won't take long."

"He's grounded, so he's not leaving the house. He'll have to talk to you in here."

"Oh," Emily said. "Okay."

She stepped into the house and Mom closed the door. Emily and I stared at each other while pretending we weren't staring at each other. She smelled so good. Not just safer than my mother, but correct. Emily's blood belonged to me. It took all my self-control not to push my mom out of the way so I could get to it.

"So," I said.

"So."

Mom watched us with a look of polite interest. I had to get Emily alone, but I couldn't figure out how.

"What did you want to talk about?" I said.

"I wasn't in school today, so I was hoping you could go over the stuff I missed. We have history and math together, right?"

"And chem."

"Yeah."

The classes we shared, even though Emily was a year older than me, were not because Emily was dumb. I'd been in an accelerated program most of my life. Supposedly it looks good on college transcripts.

I looked at Mom, as innocently as possible. "Is that okay?"

"It's okay."

"Good. Um . . ." I rubbed the back of my neck. "I can scan my notes and email them to you if you show me what you need."

"Yeah, that sounds good." Emily made a move toward the stairs. "Is your computer in your room?"

"Yeah, it is. Let's just go up, and---" I made to follow her, but Mom cleared her throat.

"I'm sorry," she said. "Nathaniel's not allowed to have girls in his room."

Of course I knew this rule, but I was hoping we'd steamrolled it. No chance.

"It'll only take a minute, Mom. That's where my stuff is."

"No. You help her downstairs or you don't help her at all."

I should point out right here that my mother is not normally suspicious and mistrustful to such a paranoid degree. This was all the result of me having a secret and her not knowing what it was. And she was right. If you think about it, she was right.

So I had to go up to my room and get my backpack, and then come back down and pretend to be going over notes with Emily in classes that neither of us cared about, all while my mother stood over us like the chaperone at a dance trying to make sure that we stayed a ruler length apart. I could practically feel the heat from Emily's skin, and it was all I could do to keep forming coherent sentences while she nodded and stared at my mouth. At my teeth. I could sort of keep them in, but it wasn't easy. I had to keep remembering Mom's chicken.

[https://img.wattpad.com/2669c9b86dce97953e51246048a8537df78c4286/68747470733a2f2f73332e616d617a6f6e6177732e636f6d2f776174747061642d6d656469612d736572766963652f53746f7279496d6167652f732d763472456c4a4f686f4679673d3d2d313336343833373439312e313737346137346238376662386561633230313239323936333138362e706e67]

"I can send you the rest later," I said. "Just let me know what you need."

"Thanks." She reached for my phone, which sat in front of me on the table. "Let me give you my number."

Her hand was so close, and I wanted to touch her so bad. But I didn't dare. This entire time, we hadn't come into physical contact with each other even once.

I took back my phone and walked her to the door. She thanked my mother and apologized for interrupting dinner. Mom softened a little. You had to give it to Emily, she knew how to be charming. Then Emily looked at me, and there was clear intent in her eyes.

"See you later."

I nodded. I watched her turn and walk deliberately away from my house. Every step she took felt like she was tearing away from my body. I had to get her back. I had to touch her. To feed from her. The dry burn in my fingers and toes promised that I didn't have much time.

"Who was that?" Mom said.

"Emily."

"Did she walk here?"

"She only lives two houses down."

"Oh, I know who she is! She's Joel and Grace Harding's oldest daughter, right?"

"Probably."

She went quiet, and it wasn't until Emily disappeared from sight that I realized I'd watched every single step she'd taken from our front door to hers. I turned to my mom, who looked satisfied, as though she'd solved a great mystery.

"You like that girl," she said.

"Huh? No."

"Come on, you can't fool your mother. She certainly has grown, hasn't she?" There was barely-veiled meaning in her voice; she was referring to Emily's chest.

"I don't like her. Seriously."

"Okay, sweetie."

* * *

Porter and Zero showed up after dinner and I escaped with them into my room [https://img.wattpad.com/bbbef30e5e53b278a91788ca7722464d278b81fd/68747470733a2f2f73332e616d617a6f6e6177732e636f6d2f776174747061642d6d656469612d736572766963652f53746f7279496d6167652f65456b2d366d4f416367543234673d3d2d313336343833373439312e313737336465313561656435306164363930323935333334383731362e706e67?s=fit&w=1280&h=1280]

Love this story? Find the genuine version on the author's preferred platform and support their work!

Porter and Zero showed up after dinner and I escaped with them into my room. I'd never been so happy to see them before, but that was just my hunger talking. It burned in my chest now, and my fingers trembled if I didn't keep my hands in my pockets. I found myself trying to think of ways to separate the guys. Or, maybe, ways to put them both to sleep so I could feed from them both. It wouldn't work, because they'd end up comparing stories and figuring everything out and I doubted they would take it as well as even Emily and Sidney had. But anything would be better than attacking my own mother. I'd go out and bite a cop in broad daylight before I did that.

Porter got comfortable at one of my desks and opened his laptop. Then he handed me a phone.

"First things first," he said. "Put your sim card in this so I'll have some way to call you. It's my old one."

I accepted the phone absentmindedly. It was still newer than the one I'd broken.

"Now, we work," said Porter. "And I don't want to hear any writer nonsense about inspiration or story cohesion or whatever. You produce a chapter and we'll worry about that stuff later."

He kept his eyes on me until I sat down at my computer and opened up the story file. I typed until Porter was satisfied and turned to his own computer. I barely noticed what I was writing. The guys smelled so good, and don't think I don't know how that sounds. Zero was sitting on my bed with his computer in his lap, the closest to me, the one least likely to fight if I made a move. Porter would have to be silenced first, though, until I was done with Zero. And afterward, what would I do? I might be stuck with both of them.

We'd have to get used to it. Once I had their blood, I could overlook the packaging. Then they'd be just like Emily. Sweet, delicious Emily.

I was broken out of my reverie by a tap on the window. The three of us looked toward the window, and then at each other. Then I heard the heartbeat, quiet but steady. Someone was throwing rocks in my backyard, and there was only one person it could be.

At that moment, I loved Emily for her tenacity and her resourcefulness. But I couldn't let her in. I couldn't even acknowledge her with my "loser friends" up here with me. She didn't know they were here or she wouldn't have risked getting caught with me.

We went back to work until a second tap made us stop again. Porter said, "What is that?"

"June bug," I said.

"In October?"

An entire shower of pebbles hit the window. They sounded angry. I cringed.

"What the hell?" Porter said, forgetting to censor himself. He stood up and stared out the window. I was thankful it was autumn and the sun had already gone down. "Who's down there?"

"Sit down for a second," I said. I put myself between the window and the interested eyes of my friends and slid the window open. Emily stood on the ground below.

"Nathaniel!" she whispered.

I held a finger up to my lips and pointed behind me.

Your mom? she said, in that lower-than-a-whisper voice. I shook my head slightly. She thought for a second. Then she frowned. Your loser friends?

I nodded once.

I could see a battle being waged behind her eyes. I understood the feeling. All I wanted was to jump out of the window and be with her, forget Mom, forget everybody. Finally, her face scrunched up like she smelled something bad. She pointed to a tree that grew outside my window.

I'm coming up.

I frowned and tried to communicate a big giant No with my face. Between you and me, though, I was thrilled. If she didn't care that Porter and Zero saw us together, why should I? But how would it work? I couldn't feed on Emily with them sitting right there, and I didn't have the power to get rid of Porter when he thought something interesting was going on.

I stepped back when she got to the window, but I couldn't stop myself from holding out a hand to help her in. She gripped my fingers like she was afraid she might fall, but I knew that wasn't it. Finally. Contact.

Then she stood, face-to-face, with Porter and Zero. They had jumped to their feet and were gaping at her as though the tree itself had crawled into the window. She just looked at them like she'd found a couple of rats that needed to be dealt with.

"Emily Harding?" said Porter.

"I need to talk to Nathaniel alone. For, like, five minutes." Then she saw the look on my face and made an amendment. "Ten minutes."

They just stood there, looking back and forth between the two of us. Emily growled.

"It's not what you think," she said, "so stop thinking it."

"What is it, then?" said Porter.

"None of your business!"

Porter looked at Zero. Then at me. "What are we supposed to---"

"Ugh, you guys are dumb. Listen, here's what you're going to do. You . . ." She pointed to Porter. ". . . are going to go downstairs and find Nathaniel's mother. You're going to tell her how her son keeps raving about how good her chicken tastes, and you're going to ask her for the recipe so your mom can try it."

"Not her chicken," I said. "Her meatballs."

"Meatballs. Whatever. You're going to be polite and charming and you're going to sound like you honestly want to try her delicious meatballs. Drag it out. Make conversation. But if you start to wonder if you're sounding like a creep, for god's sake, tone it down a little! We don't want her to get suspicious!"

Porter laughed slowly, like he was offended. "Why should I have to---"

"Do it or die!"

Porter shut up.

"What do I do?" Zero said.

"Stand outside the door and knock on it if you think his mom is coming. And no listening! Now get out of here!"

She followed them to the door. As soon as they were through it, she locked it behind them. Then she was in my arms.

“I can't believe you made me come to you,” she said.

The only bare skin I could find was on her face. I said, “I'm grounded, remember? Besides, you told me to stay the hell away from you.”

“Oh, shut up.”

“Why do you always wear so many clothes?”

“I don't want you getting any strange ideas.”

I put my hands along her throat. Her pulse was in both of my thumbs, strong and hypnotic.

“Don't worry,” I said. “I'm not.”

“Are we going to have to do this forever?”

“I think so.”

She put her face against my chest again. “I hate this. I feel like my life is over. What am I going to do when I go back to school? I have homework and cheerleader practice and games to go to. I can't be on call to get felt up for the rest of my life.”

“I'm sorry, Emily.” I pushed her hair away from her neck and leaned in to bite her, but she suddenly shoved me away.

“What are you doing?” she said.

“What?”

“Why do you think you can bite me whenever you want?”

The reversal shocked me. Angered me. After so many obstacles, so much prolonged hunger, this interruption was too much.

I said, “I thought you wanted me to.”

“You don't know that. You didn't ask. You just assumed . . .”

So cruel. It felt like math, sadistic math that I couldn't solve because I was too hungry to think. All I wanted was to take her and be done with it . . .

You know, normally I would just take you and be done with it, but I find myself wondering what strange thing you’re going to do or say next.

I shuddered. No. I would not end up like Parva. I would not bite Emily without her consent.

“Emily,” I said, humiliated, "can I please bite you?"

She looked suspicious. “How much do you need? A tiny bit, like last night?”

I shook my head.

“I don't want to go to the hospital again.”

“Not that much, either. I'll be careful.”

“Daddy's supposed to let me go to school tomorrow.”

“It'll be okay. I think.”

She sighed and pushed her hair off both shoulders. “I wish I knew how to tell you no. I don't even like you.”

At the first sign of consent, I almost abandoned the pretense of caring what she thought and jumped her right there. But I sat down on my bed and patted the space beside me. She sat down, wary and annoyed. I leaned into her neck and bit.

Not as deep as the first time, and the stream was more of a dribble than a spray. I wanted more, but I couldn't let myself hurt her again. I needed to learn how to do this right, even if it meant torturing myself in the process. Even if it meant that I had to wait for the blood to take its sweet time, instead of sucking it out like I wanted to.

Emily squirmed and pulled her shoulder in toward her ear. She said, “What are you doing?”

“Being careful,” I said. My voice was muffled against her throat.

“Feels like a snail is sliming around on my neck. No wonder you're so popular with girls.”

“Would you relax?”

“Stop talking so much. You're going to get it on my sweater.”

“Mm.”

Most of the conflicting personalities in Emily's blood were gone. To my relief, she tasted like herself. One of my hands got wrapped in hers, and she let me hold it while I drank.

I made myself pull away before I wanted to, but I figured it was better to experiment with taking too little than to accidentally take too much. Emily raised her free hand to her wound and probed it with two fingers.

“Why do you always have to touch it?” I said.

“Trying to see how much damage you did.”

I waited until she was done and then I inspected my handiwork. Not bad. Hardly bruised at all.

“Looks good,” I said. “Told you I was being careful.”

“Better not be any hickeys I can't explain to my dad.”

Then, as if we'd both had the same thought, we looked down at our entwined fingers. Emily pulled her hand away and wiped it on her shirt. Maybe I should have been insulted, but I felt great. My hunger had been satisfied. Emily was here. I missed Sid, but it helped having Emily with me. The only thing that bothered me was the way she looked. I'd done a good job with the bite, and I'd tried my best to take as little as I could. But even though she was nice and pink when she'd arrived, now she was getting that waxy look to her skin again.

“I've got to do something different,” I said.

“What do you mean?”

“I can't feed from you this often. My mom gives blood at the bank and they make her wait like two months before they'll let her come back.”

“Do you think you should be drinking that much?”

“More than I am, anyway.”

“You need to get blood from somewhere else, then. You can't come to me every time.”

“I know.”

She picked up on something in my voice, I guess, because she got all suspicious and said, “I am the only one, right?”

I cleared my throat.

“Technically, no.”