Chapter 126
"See your mom?" Jorick froze like a deer in headlights. The smile plastered across his motionless face looked painted and stretched. He held it for several seconds before it slowly melted into something that resembled a grimace. His voice sounded as enthusiastic as his new smile looked, "We?"
The reaction wasn't as bad as she'd anticipated, so she plunged on. "Why not? I want my mother to meet you."
His laughter was mirthless and sarcastic. "Oh yes, she'll love it when you introduce your vampire lover! That's not how things are done."
"Says who?" She raised her chin a notch. "I'm not going to tell her you're a vampire! Do you think I'm nuts?" She softened her voice and tried another tactic. "I want to see her, Jorick."
He took a step backwards, as though trying to distance himself from the idea. "Why?"
"Because she's my mother. Maybe you forgot, but she thinks I was kidnapped, and the police probably think you did it. Do you want them looking for you forever?"
"No, of course not. I'd much rather they arrest me outright. Do you have any idea how annoying it is to get out of jail? Not so much hard to do, as hard to explain!" He shook his fist almost comically. "And they start taking your fingerprints! What right does any human have to another person's fingerprints?"
She tried to soothe him. "They won't arrest you. We won't stay long, just a night. Just long enough for her to see I'm all right." She could feel that she was losing, so she tried another approach. "I want to make sure they didn't hurt her. They got Sarah, after all."
Jorick gritted his teeth. "Yes, but checking to see that she's all right and introducing us are hardly the same thing!"
Katelina's hands went to her hips. "What? Would you rather just sit at her window like a vulture and peer in on her?"
He nodded encouragingly, a brief light of hope in his eyes. "Actually, yes." She glared at him and he snapped, "Katelina, I do not meet parents!"
"She isn't parents, she's one parent and besides, I'm sure she'll love you." She tried her best winning smile, but he refused to soften. She was running out of patience. The only alternative left was to shake him like a bobble headed action figure.
"I'll call her first," she added, as if that would make it better. "I'll explain everything."
"Will you really? I'd like to hear that." His voice rose a notch as he imitated her, "'Hello mother. No, I'm not kidnapped, only ran away with a vampire. Sorry I couldn't call sooner, but there were a few coven wars going on and I was just so busy!'-" he trailed off, disgusted. "That's the stupidest thing I've ever heard!"
"So now I'm stupid?" She crossed to him, prepared to use her last option.
He groaned and laid a hand to his head. "You know very well what I meant."
She did, and as far as she was concerned the conversation was over. "I'm going, Jorick, and that's that."
"Fine!" He threw his hands in the air. "Be impractical, if that's what you want! Meanwhile, I'm going to go find my dinner!"
"You do that." She stubbornly turned her back to him. He made no reply and when she turned around, he was gone. She swore under her breath and kicked the kitchen cupboards, though she wasn't sure who she was mad at. Was it Jorick, or herself?
She ate her lunch in the front room, surrounded by Jorick's ridiculous stacks of books. They were in the wing-backed chairs, on the stand, and in piles all over the floor. The dining room was no better. The kitchen and bathroom were only book free because she'd moved them.
When she finished eating, Jorick still wasn't back. She realized he wasn't just feeding; he was pouting. She decided to let him. It was no skin off her nose. She wasn't going to chase him down.
Then she heard something outside. She prepared a scathing comment, but the door didn't open. She narrowed her eyes at it and willed him to appear. It did no good. Finally, she stood and crossed to the window. She peered out through the blackness. There was no one there.
A shiver passed down her spine and she moved back to the rug. It was silly to be so paranoid. Though, after the last couple of months, maybe it was reasonable.
No.
She needed to relax. There wasn't a bloodthirsty vampire out there, waiting to kill them.
As minutes ticked past, her worries returned. Maybe something had happened to Jorick? Maybe she should go look for him? Maybe-
She heard his footsteps on the porch. In a flurry, she snatched up the nearest book and threw herself on the couch. She had no intention of letting him know she'd been concerned because he was pouting.
She flipped to the center of the book as Jorick walked in, and glanced up casually, as though she'd been engrossed in the story. "Back already?"
He came to stand next to the couch and gazed down at her with the same false carelessness. Melting snowflakes clung to his hair and black shirt. His eyes wandered to the book. "Haven't you read that before?"
She tried not to scowl. "Yes, but it never hurts to read it again." The twinkle in his eyes said he knew what she was up to, so she rushed on, "Where were you?"
"Walking." He studied her before he spoke again. "You really want to see her?"
"Yes, I do, and I want to get my stuff too." There, now she'd really done it.
Surprisingly, he didn't argue, only sighed resignedly and massaged his forehead. "You know it's a bad idea."
She faltered and stared at the book in her lap. "Maybe, but so was going to meet you. Look how well that turned out."
"Did it?" When she didn't reply, he sighed again. "Fine, we'll go. But," he added before she could exclaim her triumph. "I did warn you. Remember that."
She couldn't suppress her victorious grin as she tossed the book aside and leapt to her feet. She threw her arms around his neck and he returned the embrace. "I won't forget, but it's going to be all right. Trust me."
Though he laughed softly, there was no joy in it. "Why does that not fill me with confidence?"
