Love or Die

Disaster is for Dessert

Liz dropped Jade off at her house after classes and she hurriedly made her way inside and out of the rain. She closed the door behind her and dumped her bag on the floor as she pulled the wet hoodie over her head. With her back still turned to the rest of the house, she could smell her mother's cooking drifting out from the kitchen. It's warmth wrapped around her and seeped through her clothes, making her breathe out in contentment of being home. As she began to turn around and walk to the kitchen to greet her mother, Jade saw something move from the corner of her eye. She turned around quickly and almost stumbled backwards with surprise, until strong hands caught her arms and stabled her.

            “You know, for a vampire, your reflexes are terrible,” Travis smiled brightly at her. She smiled back at him, happy to have him around after a long day of classes.

            “And you are a terrible boyfriend,” she said jokingly. “I thought you said you were busy and that you couldn't come pick me up.”

                        “I was,” he said. “Your mom called me and said she wanted to talk to me. So I've been here talking with her and helping her cook dinner.”

            “And you couldn't tell me that?”

            “I could have,” he said as he pulled her towards him and wrapped his arms around her waist. “But if I told you then it wouldn't have been a surprise.” He kissed her softly and she felt more at home than she had before as she slowly melted against him.

            “Jade,” her mom called from the kitchen. “Dinner is almost ready. Why don't you go get cleaned up and leave Travis to help me.” Travis and Jade broke apart, Jade giggling as they looked down the hall to where her mother's voice originated. She was nowhere in view, but Jade knew better than to think her mom didn't know what they were up to.

            “Okay Mom,” Jade called back and smiled at Travis. “Looks like you're going to be held hostage a bit longer while I shower and change.”

            “Your mom isn't terrible,” he said with a shrug. “She just wants to make sure you get the best you deserve. The same goal I want for you.”

            “Well the goal is already achieved so neither one of you have to worry,” she said as she kissed him on the cheek and bounded up the stairs to her bedroom. Travis watched her go and smiled at her statement. She was the only girl in the three years since his change that could make his heartbeat faster, to what would be known as a normal human pace but was too fast for a vampire.

*          *          *          *          *

            The warm water from the shower had felt good on Jade's skin. Her damp hair rested on her shoulder's and back as she finished getting dressed and decided to let it curl rather than brush it out. Once she was satisfied with her long sleeve shirt, sweats and newly bought slippers, she stepped out into her room and found Travis sprawled across her bed with a book in front of him. He looked down at it intently and a smile slowly crept across his face.

            “Sometimes,” he said in a high voice, clearly trying to imitate a girl. “I look at Travis and think, God he is just so sexy. And those abs!” He fanned at his face comically and she couldn't help but laugh. Then she looked down at the book in front of him and realized it looked very much like an old diary she had.

            “You're reading my diary?” she demanded, feeling somewhat violated. She hadn't written a diary in years, too tired half the time to keep up with one, and she couldn't remember what she wrote in the ones she used to keep. For all she knew, they really could have entries on how hot she found him back in his NLT days.