59
“Yep, I knew it, you look amazing in plaid,” I stated proudly, hooking Sebastian a thumbs up.
He frowned, pulling at the collar of his dark green and lime colored plaid shirt. “You said every guy looks good in plaid…”
“It’s true,” I responded, grinning. “But you look great! That shirt really brings out your eyes too. You look better than most guys anyway. Hmm. You are a vampire though…”
“Not all vampires are handsome,” he pointed out. “I told you that. And do I have to wear these jeans?”
I crossed my arms. “Yes you do.”
“They’re quite uncomfortable.”
“All guys wear jeans, Sebastian.”
He gave me a sarcastic look. “Yeah, but these are so stiff . I can barely walk. Why can’t I wear a pair of my other jeans?”
“Darker jeans look better with that outfit. Now stop complaining. You’re the one who asked me to help you choose an outfit for tonight.”
“Actually, I do believe I just asked you for advice,” he corrected, running a hand through his shaggy hair. “I think we’re done here.”
I nudged him in the ribs with my elbow. “You think you’re hot enough now?”
“I-I wasn’t trying to look hot-”
“Don’t lie,” I interjected, a smirk slipping onto my face. “You want to look great in front of Fiona tonight. That’s why you asked me.”
He crossed his arms. “I just figured you would know what girls like her liked to look at.”
I laughed. “Different girls have different types, Sebastian.”
“Am I your type?”
My face gave me away before I could answer, causing Sebastian to laugh. “I’m not interested though,” I snapped at him, feeling embarrassed. “You know I only like Vincent.”
“Oh I know.”
“I wish you were my brother,” I said with a sigh. “You’re so much cooler than Jake.”
He smiled gently at me. “If I was your brother you wouldn’t like me as much, I think. You might act the same way Vincent does.”
I frowned at him. “It’s not like he hates you.”
“It’s close.”
“Not even,” I disagreed, shaking my head. “He definitely cares about you, Sebastian. He just has a hard time showing it. That’s just his personality. Like, he calls me stupid all the time but I know he just continues saying it because it’s his own nickname for me. It’s not meant in an offensive way anymore… Well sometimes it is, but that’s also just his personality.”
Sebastian stared at me for a moment before ruffling my hair. “I’m glad he found someone like you. I’d hate to see him go on with life without someone who understands him like you do.”
I pulled his hand off my head, pursing my lips together. “I don’t understand him completely. I don’t even get the gist of him.”
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“You’re doing well,” Sebastian complimented me. “I’m impressed. I just wish that…”
“Just wish what?” I asked accusingly, narrowing my eyes.
“You know,” he replied, letting his shoulders sag. “I want you to really think about becoming one of… us.”
My stomach twisted uncomfortably. He was bringing this up again? We were having a good conversation until now! “Sebastian…”
He held up his finger. “I know, I know. You don’t want to.”
“It’s not that,” I protested. “It’s just…”
“You don’t think you belong here.”
“There was enough trouble with Fiona. Imagine if the same thing happened with me. I’ve already caused enough trouble for your family.”
He gave me an unhappy look. “We’re more than willing to welcome you in. Reputation isn’t as important as happiness.”
“I still have my family, Sebastian. I’m not willing to give them up.”
“You don’t have to,” he pressed. “You could still visit them as much as you would like!”
My eyes dropped down to his shirt and I noticed he’d buttoned it up incorrectly. Moving forward to fix it, I tried my best to keep my voice even. As much as I loved him, his constant imploring was driving me crazy. “You buttoned your shirt wrong. I’ll fix it for you.”
He allowed me to do so, but his body was tense. “It would work out fine, you know.”
“No, it wouldn’t, Sebastian,” I countered, my hands shaking as I undid the first few buttons. “Haven’t you read Twilight?”
He cocked his head to the side. “No…”
“Well you should be able to figure it out. While Bella was some stupid, heels-over-head-in-love-with-that-Edward-bloke-with-no-regard-to-anything-else-she-was-messing-up-and-not-taking-in-other-people’s-feelings girl, she at least knew her family wouldn’t notice that she wasn’t aging anymore.”
“Then just tell your family.”
I paused in my unbuttoning. “Yeah. I don’t think my family will take it as well as Bella’s dad. In fact, I’d be worried if anyone did take it as well as her dad.”
“Stop comparing everything to that embarrassing book,” Sebastian snapped.
“Did you know she had a baby in the end?”
He mocked an angry expression. “Thank you for spoiling it!”
“I guess it’s good vampires can’t get humans pregnant,” I mused out loud, dragging my hands down to the bottom of his shirt. “That would just be weird. It’d be like a dog getting a human pregnant.”Property of Nô)(velDr(a)ma.Org.
“Ouch, Emily.”
“Ah! That came out wrong. Maybe I shouldn’t have used dog… Okay, let’s say it’s the same as a panther getting a cheetah pregnant. They’re close, but they’re not the same.”
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Sebastian suddenly pulled away from me, an uncharacteristic smirk on his face. “Want to hear something interesting?”
Wary, I raised an eyebrow. “What?”
“There are some humans that can become pregnant by vampire. Want to know what ones?”
“I have wild guess,” I muttered. “Blue Bloods?”
“You’ve got it. It’s impossible for another Blue Blood to be born without some ancestral vampire blood.”
My eyes widened. “What? Does that mean my great grandma was a vampire?”
“Blue Blood,” he corrected. “Not a vampire. She probably mated with one. It could’ve been your great, great, great, great, great, great-”
“I get it,” I interjected. “I thought it was random.”
He blinked at me. “It is random.”
“But that’s… never mind,” I gave up. “Here’s another difference between Bella and I. I won’t ever, ever get pregnant before the age of twenty-three.”
“Why twenty-three?”
I shrugged. “It seems reasonable enough to me. Hopefully by that age I’ll be with someone I want to spend the rest of my life with.”
“Vincent?”
Flushing, I refocused my attention to accurately buttoning up his shirt. “Will you stop with that, please?”
He chuckled. “I’m sorry, Emily. I just love you. In a brotherly way.”
Involuntarily, my heart skipped a beat. It wasn’t every day an incredibly handsome guy told you he loved you. Even if he was a vampire. “I-I love you too. In a sisterly way.”
“I want you to be in my family. I’ve always wanted a little sister like you.”
“I’ve always wanted a brother like you too, like I said earlier,” I responded, slipping the next button through its slit.
The door suddenly burst open and Vincent appeared at my side in a flash, scowling. “Why is it always you with Emily, Sebastian?”
Sebastian faked an embarrassed expression. “Oh, did you hear my confession?”
“What confession?” Vincent snapped. He turned to me. “Emily?”
“He’s joking,” I told him, trying not to smile. “We’re just talking… Oh, and I’m fixing his shirt,” I added, holding up the last button. “Almost done.”
Vincent didn’t look satisfied. “I’ve been looking for you all over. Are you guys ready yet? We have to leave soon.”
“Where’s Fiona?” Sebastian inquired.
“Already in the car.”
“By herself?” he asked skeptically.
“Obviously, since I’m here.”
He frowned. “She doesn’t like being by herself, Vince. I’m going out there with her- Emily, thank you for the help.”
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“No problem,” I responded, waving him away. “Go save your princess.”
“Emily…” He shook his head at me before hastening toward the exit of the room. “I guess I’d like to be the Knight in Shining Armor once.”
Grinning, I turned back to Vincent, who was brooding. He frowned deeply at me. I cocked an eyebrow. “What?”
“Why do you act like that with him?”
“Like what?”
“Like… Like you guys are dating or something,” he muttered, crossing his arms. “You don’t act like that with me.”
I stared at him, a bit taken aback by his bluntness. “Um… well…”
Narrowing his eyes, he took a few steps closer to me. “You said you liked me, right?”
“I do!” I told him, stumbling back a few steps. “Sebastian is just… you know, less intimidating?”
Vincent stopped. “You think I’m intimidating?”
“Well, yeah,” I mumbled, dropping my gaze. “Have you seen yourself?”
“I’m Sebastian’s brother. We’re not that different.”
I kept my eyes glued to the floor. “It’s different with you…”
“Why?”
I stayed silent.
“Why?” Vincent repeated more forcefully, his cool finger forcing my chin up so that I was looking at him. “How am I different?”
“Y-you just are,” I stammered.
His eyes pierced into mine, smoldering. “Give me a reason.”
“I don’t think of you like my brother,” I admitted quietly. “I have to be more conscious about myself. I don’t want to act like a fool in front of you.”
“You do anyway.”
I scowled. “Vincent! God! You’re so annoying! See? I’m trying to be honest with you and you can’t see how hard it is for me to say the things I’m saying! It’s embarrassing!”
“You think it’s not for me?” he replied, removing his finger from my chin. “I’m not used to people saying this stuff to me, stupid. And you don’t have to call me God.”
“I wasn’t, you…” I trailed off, biting my tongue. He was definitely doing this on purpose.
A few moments of silence passed between us. I stared at him, trying to figure out what he was thinking. There was an unreadable expression on his face. Finally, he spoke. “We should go.”
He turned around and started walking, but I quickly grabbed his hand. “Wait, Vincent.”
“What?”
“You said Sebastian and I were acting like we were a couple.”
He set his jaw. “What about it?”
“Are you…? Are we…? Um, are you…?” A blush was threatening to spread across my cheeks. It was kind of embarrassing to say what I was about to ask out loud. “Are we a couple?” I burst finally. “I mean, we like each other, and we kiss… A-and…”
He gazed at me for a few moments, his face complete emotionless. Then he laughed. Surprised, I took a step back. “You’re stupid,” he said through his laughter.
I scowled at him. “You’re such a jerk! I was asking a serious question! I fail to see how you find it funny!”
“It’s because I said it to you.”
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