A Certain Softness

Chapter 4

Your POV

I couldn't stop thinking about what Dwayne had said last night. I was so distracted by it that I ended hitting my legs multiple times on different surfaces. My legs are covered in bruises now, I couldn't focus on my job.

I rode my bike to work this morning despite the rain that was pouring down from the sky. My clothes were soaked and cold, my whole body was drenched. I didn't care though, I just organized the films.

It was 9:27 at night, and it was no longer raining. I've been coughing and sniffling all day, I know I'm getting sick but I don't care. I clock out and leave the store. I get on my bicycle and ride all the way home, I don't want to deal with anything or anyone tonight.

When I get home, I go to the kitchen and grab an apple before going upstairs to my room. I continue to think about what Dwayne had said the night before. He's a vampire, and I think that the worse part about me knowing is that... I still want to be with him. If it's true, then I'm not afraid. Because if he was going to hurt me then he would have done it by now. I don't think I could ever be scared of him, even if I tried.

I don't remember falling asleep that night.

(It's morning!)

I woke up with a sore throat, my body felt like it weighed a ton, but I got up and got dressed anyway. I went downstairs and ate breakfast with my family, holding in coughs the entire time. Mom and I went to work, I stayed in the back of the store for a few hours.

"Rachel, could you come and clean up some of the shelves?" Mom asked me from the front of the store.

"Yep." I say as loudly as I can, my voice scratchy and sore.

I go to the front and start cleaning up the shelves, my body is exhausted but I continue to push myself to keep working. I cough a few times and this captures my moms attention.

"Honey, are you okay?" She asks while putting her hand on my forehead.

"I'm fine mom, just a tickle in my throat." I lied while continuing cleaning.

"Okay, but if you feel any worse just tell me okay?" She suggests with a small on her face. I nod and she walks off to do her job.

(Time skip)

It was getting late, I could feel my body trying to shut down. Mom and Max left earlier for a date, I think it's sweet. Mom deserves a man like him, he's good for her.

"Hey sis!" I hear Michael shout from behind me.

"Hey Michael, you seem more awake then you did earlier on the phone." I say, referring to the phone call mom had with him at 2 in the afternoon.

"Yeah, I was up really late last night with some friends. I didn't get back until about an hour before sunrise. Oh yeah, and Dwayne was there too." My brother says with a laugh.

"That's nice." I say before I have a coughing fit. He left after that and I was left to close up shop.

When 8:30 came around I emptied the cash register and put money in Max's office in a drawer. I turned off the lights and locked the door before walking home.

I got home and I heard my brothers yelling at each other.

"My own brother, a goddam shit-sucking vampire. Wait till mom finds out!" Sam shouted.

"Sammy, wait! Sam!" Michael called out.

"Stay away from me Mike!" Sammy yelled before I heard a door close.

Mikey came downstairs, he jumped slightly when he saw me. He gave me a questioning look, probably wondering how much of that I heard.

"So-" "I heard enough to know that you're a vampire, I don't really care." I cut him off before walking past him to go to our shared room.