Chapter Twenty Seven: A Late Night Visit

When he turned, Lorraine’s face was only an inch away from his chest. He looked down at her, “I think you already know the answer to that, or you’d be scared.” He leaned his face closer to hers, “But you’re not afraid, not in the slightest.” Lorraine didn’t have anything to say. She wasn’t afraid of him; instead there was a different feeling moving through her body, going with the flow of her blood, under her skin. It was a feeling she couldn’t understand and she had never felt before. Her heart was racing in her chest, there was a sudden urge to touch him. Lorraine shook her head, and hurriedly moved away.

Cedric wouldn’t have it though, he followed her every move, refusing the distance she was trying to put between them. “When are you going to see Victoria?” She stuttered, in a desperate attempt to change the subject. However, he didn't want that, especially not with the distinctive yet faint aroma of her arousal; it was unlike anything he had ever smelled. His penetrating eyes pinned her in place; the room suddenly felt small, too small; there was nothing else but him.

Cedric gave a lopsided smile, “You’re trying to change the subject, you don't want to admit what you feel right now.”

“It’s not that I don’t want to admit it. I cannot even begin to comprehend it.” She thought as she put a hand on his chest, trying to push him away from her. She felt like she couldn’t breathe with his suffocating presence overwhelming her senses. “Can we focus on what matters?” Her quiet voice held the frustration she felt. Cedric only hummed again, tilted his head to the side, and shrugged. Deep down, he felt a certain kind of pride for making her feel that way. It wasn’t a fact he was unaware of, he had always known he was attractive, handsome, hot, and many other adjectives women used to describe his compelling presence. However, that feeling coming from her meant something for him, maybe even more than it should. Perhaps, because he was about ready to jump and capture her lips taking her breath away.

“We’re heading to Williamsburg first thing in the morning.” His eyes held a dazed look on them, his tongue gingerly liked his lower lip, in a gesture that she could only call alluring. She followed it with her eyes, and once again she found it hard to breathe. Lorraine tried to blink a couple of times, her mouth opened and closed in an attempt for anything to come out. “Want to come along?”

She shook her head, “Uhm… No. I think I better stay here with my mom. Aiden could hang around here in case anything happens.”

Cedric’s entire demeanor changed, and his sneer was seen for only a fraction of the second. “Let’s hope he won't freeze in his place until you’re killed.”

Lorraine gave him a scolding look, “Hey, it was his brother there. He hadn't seen him in years, so of course he would freeze in his place.”

He couldn’t believe she was defending him so passionately. “Let’s see what you’ll say when he leads you to your death.” He said tightly, then disappeared out of the room. She stared at the spot he occupied, with wide confused eyes. “What the hell did I do?” She couldn’t get where his anger came from, but she didn’t like it. There was this feeling that she wanted to reach out and talk to him, but she knew there was no way she could do that. Cedric Bloodworth was confusing her to no end.

➽───────────────❥

Lorraine had barely had any sleep when she woke up to the sound of her door opening. Suzan entered with a desolate look on her face. Lorraine pushed the covers away and sat straighter in her bed. She noticed that Suzan’s hair was still wet, and apparently, she had just taken a shower. “Can I sleep here?” Her broken tone tucked at Lorraine’s heart.

“Yeah, come here." She pushed the covers away and scooted over for her mom to join her on the bed. Suzan walked with lethargic steps towards the bed, laid next to Lorraine, and turned her back to her. Lorraine pulled the cover over them and wrapped an arm around her mother. She knew she couldn’t fall back asleep.

She waited until she could hear Suzan’s breath evening and stayed in bed for another hour. She had barely had any sleep, she turned softly to look at the small alarm clock on her nightstand and found it was still seven in the morning. "No more sleep for me then." She decided and softly got up.

➽───────────────❥

Around ten in the morning, she heard a knock on the door. She had spent the past few hours doing laundry, and tidying up the house. She needed to do something with herself. Her rising anxiety was getting the best of her. There were millions of things in her mind, and she wasn’t dealing with any of the things that had happened in the past few weeks. It wasn't only about vampires and witches anymore; the brief encounter with Cedric last night was very impactful. She needed a distraction from her erratic heart beats and the endless churning of her stomach,

She was standing in the kitchen making some coffee and trying to call Judy when she heard a knock on her door. She hung up the call and opened the door to find Cedric standing there with a tilted head and small smirk. Once he saw her he waved his hand in greeting and the look on his eyes changed in a way that captivated her. Her eyes raised ever so slightly when she heard Bates’ voice “Good morning.” She noticed Aiden there as well with a look of disapproval on his face.

She didn’t know why she was so surprised to find them; she didn’t understand how Cedric’s presence consumed her mind in that way. She gave a small smile, moved to the side, then said, “I was about to make some coffee, want some?”