Mad Love

Chapter 12

Normani's POV

I close my eyes and try to block out all the heartbeats and running blood around me. I lean my hands on my knees and breathe deeply, trying to focus on the practice.

"Hamilton, pay attention or you're benched on Saturday!" The coach says after blowing her whistle. She looks at everyone and puts her hand on her hip, "The final game of the season is this Saturday, whoever is not focused or not giving a hundred percent will not play."

We all hum in acknowledgment and she sighs, "Take a ten minute break."

I go into the school and into the gym where Lauren was having volleyball practice. I see her getting ready to serve the ball and get to her as soon as she hits it.

I pull her to me and move my hand up to the back of her neck, bringing our lips together. Her pulse beats against my fingers and I have to stop my fangs from extending.

I let go of her, breathing slightly heavy, "Hi Lulu."

She smiles and pecks my lips, "Hey, practice is over?"

"No."

"Normani, off the court before I call your coach in here." The volleyball coach says from the other side.

"We're on a break, can you let them take one? Ten minutes," I try to persuade.

"Ten minutes," The coach says.

I go to the bleachers with Lauren and sit her on my lap, tracing little things onto her exposed thighs.

She skims through my curls and kisses me passionately, "You're too sexy in your lacrosse outfit."

"Ha! I could say the same for you, these shorts are short and fitted! Your thickness too much for me." I playfully grasp my chest and throw my head back, "Woo girl!"

She laughs and holds my hand tightly, looking at me with bright gleams in her eyes.

The rest of the afternoon flies by and I've been with Lauren since our practices ended. I've managed to keep everything under control but as time goes by it gets stronger and stronger.

We're on her bed watching a movie and my head is on her shoulder, talk about contemplation. I get a strong smell of her blood and I sigh, damn it smell so fucking good. Without thinking, my fangs extend and my eyes widen.

Thank God she can't see me. I quickly curtail them and clear my throat.

"I'll be back." I get up, going into the bathroom.

I sigh and look at myself in the mirror. Fangs sharp and on full display, eyes starting to glow, breathing getting heavier and heavier.

"Normani pull it the fuck together," I mumble.

I smooth everything out and walk out, as soon as she sees me she opens up her arms, this is gonna be difficult as fuck. I crawl onto the bed and lay my head between her neck and chest. The sound of her heartbeat drives me insane and I abruptly sit up.

"Uh, I gotta go."

I pull my phone out and text Joey.

Me: Come to Lauren's apartment and try to run without being caught

Bada$$ 😈🤑: Aight wussgood?

Me: I'm weak, I need to eat

Bada$$ 😈🤑: Aight I be there in 2

Lauren looks at me confused and frowns her face, "Why?" 

"My aunt needs to talk to me about something important," I can't stand lying to her.

"Everything okay?"

"Yea, it didn't sound like anything bad. Can I wait for Joey?"

She nods and gives me a smile, kissing my lips, "Yea, sure."

I sense Joey exiting the elevator in seconds and grab my phone off the bed.

I stand up and swing my bag over my shoulder, "He's here, I'll call you once everything's done."

"Okay, see you in the morning," She comes up to me and gives me a hug.

I stare at the ground as I hug her back and slightly nod my head, "Mhm." I pull back, kissing her lips then her forehead.

She walks me out and I let out a breath once the door closes, "Joey I'm fucked!"

"You gon explain how?" He asks, glancing at me.

"I just-I'm fucked from no blood, I'm fucked with Lauren, I'm just fucked!"

"Bring your moody ass here," He stretches his arms out and gestures for me to go to him.

I walk closer to his arms and he throws me onto his shoulder. I sigh and let him carry me out the building.

We walk down the street and he whispers to me, "When was the last time you had food?"

"Almost two months."

"What about Halloween?"

I groan and bite my lip, "I only put it on my mouth, I didn't really drink any of it."

He turns down an alley and puts me down, looking at me in disbelief. "That long? When we're supposed to eat at least once every two weeks?!"

I lean against the wall and run my hand down my face, "I didn't realize. With school, work, and Lauren, I got caught up."

"I know we don't feed on innocent people but you need to eat before you start shutting down."

"I know," I sigh and slide down the wall. "I'm just...feeling so many things. I'm tired of lying to Lauren, knowing all of this is going to end, knowing I might hurt her when she finds out about us, knowing I let myself forget to eat to the point I'm growing weaker and weaker. I'm mad my fangs extended and I couldn't stop smelling her blood. For the last two months I've been trying to ignore all the signs and senses but it keeps getting stronger, I'm about to hurt her but I don't know how or when."

He stares at me then pulls me up, "Well first of all, you're not gonna do that to her. Second, put all of those frustrations into your eating."

He's right. I go to the corner of the alley, near the sidewalk and wait for the next person to walk by.

A middle aged man walks pass and before he has time to process anything, I grab him, slamming him into the brick wall. My fangs extend as I tilt his head and I breathe heavily as I bite into his pulse point. The blood immediately touches my tongue and I shit my hands, one on the wall and the other gripping his neck.

A bunch of unwanted thoughts creep into my mind and it makes me squeeze the guy's neck harder.

Different scenarios of me losing Lauren play through my mind and I angrily bite deeper, sucking whatever I sense.

All my different abilities circle my memory and I clench my teeth, squeezing harder. The blood pushes out faster and I suck up everything till the guy runs dry.

I slowly let go and watch as he drops to the ground, I lean my back against the wall and slowly but quickly slide down it.