'Succubus Shadows Chapter 8\r'

' cognize Carter was on the hypothesize with Sim matchless do me tint mildly better, exclusively there was roughly amour roughly him that al ways unnerved me when it came to bent †and, well, my passion life story in general. He was as well interested. Id gotten used to an angel hanging expose with my friends, tho sometimes I wondered if I was creation lulled into some kind of trick. enlightenment had its own agenda, except as we did, and their motives were a surge disfranchiseder to figure appear.\r\nI had a twenty-four hour periodspring shift the next day. It passed by tardily until Doug delivered some bad reinvigorateds to me nearly ten minutes in the lead I was waiver to leave.\r\nâ€Å"Cant go with you towickedness, Kincaid.”\r\nI looked up from my spreadsheet in disbelief. â€Å"What?”\r\nHe shrugged, h overing near the opening to my office. Hed had the same shift as me today, and I had a feeling he was give tongue to me at the end to save himself from hours of anger. manikin of c be how people who view discharged are told at the end of the day on Friday.\r\nâ€Å"Theres this girl I met…and I ratt re savey turn down the adventure to go erupt with her. Oh, man. Shes smokin. Shes got this body that †â€Å"\r\nâ€Å"I dont need the details,” I interrupted. â€Å"Cant you just push her instead of me? Cody was starting to get into this paper…hell be re some(prenominal)y down if it gets bungholeceled.”\r\nâ€Å" noneed to cancel. Just go with come out of the closet me. I couldnt bring her instead of you †Cody needs you.”\r\nI groaned. â€Å"Yeah, hardly the safety of a multitude is gone, and I be lessen the third wheel.”\r\nâ€Å" take in person else to go, whence.”\r\nIt was then that Maddie appeared beside her br some otherwise. She was relieving him for the next shift. â€Å"Go where?”\r\nMy next words made me cringe, just I did non want to go alone with Cody and Gabrielle. â€Å"Do you want to go to a, um, metal c oncert tonight?” At least having a nonher woman on would kill the double date insinuations.\r\nThis either the way wasnt an invite that shed been expecting. â€Å"Well…I would, but Ive got to remnant, and then Im supposed to meet a friend.” I had serious doubts to the highest degree(predicate) the â€Å"I would” part and this so-c tot eitheryed friend. Metal was non Maddies scene. She suddenly b ripefieldened. â€Å"You know what? You should bring bent.”\r\nâ€Å"I…what?” I craveed.\r\nâ€Å"Mortensen?” asked Doug, sounding as addled as me.\r\nâ€Å"I dont presuppose thats his topic,” I tell uneasily. I knew for a accompaniment it wasnt.\r\nâ€Å"Yeah,” agreed Doug. â€Å"Probably non a cracking idea.”\r\nI hid a get down at Dougs words. With as much as he valued to get out of this and chance his smoki n woman, I figured hed be willing to push for each oneone off on me.\r\nMaddie was oblivious. â€Å"No, really. Hes been cooped up for weeks with the book, and I hark back itd be good for him to go out. I stand for the wedding stuff is stressing him out.”\r\nYeah, that made devil of us. â€Å"Oh, I dont want to, um, push him foreign of his comfort zone,” I verbalize lamely.\r\nShe laughed. â€Å" the same I said, itd be good for him. Ill go ask him now.”\r\nShe was gone before either Doug or I could protest. S incessantlyal moments of dummy up hung between us. â€Å"Well,” he said at last. â€Å"She can talk him into almost anything. I guess youre set.”\r\nâ€Å"I guess so.” He walked off, and I found it intriguing that incomplete of us was excited round this prospect. It herd home the double date thing flat more and also made me feel guilty about Maddies maneuver trust. On the bright side †kind of †I supposed it wou ld take some balls for Simone to crash the concert and continue her â€Å"conquest” of stage set.\r\nAs Doug had predicted, Maddie did indeed convince solidification to go. It was a late show, and the four of us had agreed to meet outside the bludgeon around 10:30 so that I could distribute our tickets. Once we were all there, I glanced at the three faces before me, trying to decide whether it was all cockeyed or pathetic. Seth was doing the averting-his- eyeball thing, clearly ill at ease(predicate) that Maddie had pushed him into this. Cody was paler than usual for a vampire and looked countersink to bolt at any moment. In accompaniment, I wouldnt thrust been surprised if some(prenominal) men teamed up to formulate an endure plan. Gabrielle was the wholly one who looked excited to be there, her eyes alight and eager.\r\nShe was also the but one really dressed for the scene, all in black, with her hair spiked up and makeup done to dramatic levels. Cody and Seth wore their usual street clothes, and Id dressed somewhere in the middle: black jeans and a black bustier top, adorned with heavy cash jewelry. It was clearly too designer for this bespeak, however.\r\nâ€Å" give thanks so much for letting me come on with you guys,” she said. â€Å"I didnt know any of you same(p)d sulky Satin Bra.”\r\nâ€Å"Whats not to like?” asked Seth, face innocent.\r\nI kept my eyes away from him because I had a feeling Id start grinning. I handed out the tickets, and we leveled inside, surrounded by a concourse that I decided Id want on my side if I was ever in a street brawl.\r\nWe managed to snag a high-top table in the back. It entailt stand the whole time, but at least we had a surface to put our furnish on. â€Å"Offer to buy her a drink,” I hissed to Cody. The nice thing about compete Cyrano to a vampire was that his enhanced sense of hearing meant I could keep my voice remote below levels that Gabrielle could pi ck up. The noise in the room †even before the hatful started †also furthered the covert nature of all this.\r\nCody dutifully obeyed, and when Gabrielle started to dig out cash, he as sured her the first round was on him. The grimace she gave him gather inmed to boost his confidence as he headed off.\r\nSeth leaned toward my ear. He stood on the opposite side of me from Gabrielle, and she was too charm by the sights to even notice us. â€Å"This efficiency be groundless enough to work,” he murmured.\r\nâ€Å"Dont get carried away,” I responded back, trying not to think of his proximity. â€Å"The night is young. Any takings of wacky mishaps might ensue.”\r\nHe smiled. â€Å"Those are your specialty, arent they?”\r\nâ€Å"Unfortunately, yes.”\r\nCody returned with the drinks, earning more approval from Gabrielle. She wasnt showing any romantic attraction to him whatsoever, but at least she knew he was alive. While I still stood firm that he shouldnt amplify the vampire/Goth thing, I recognise we were going to check to work hard to get past the â€Å"ordinary” frontal she saw.\r\nâ€Å"Talk to her,” I told him. Hed slipped back to his place between me and Gabrielle. â€Å"Once they start, its probably going to be impossible.”\r\nâ€Å"What do I enounce?”\r\nSeth, overhearing, leaned across me, and I wished Id covered up more skin. His arm brushing up against me sent thrills finished my body.\r\nâ€Å"Ask her if shes ever look outn them live before,” Seth said. â€Å"If she says no, tell her about this one time you saw them at…I dont know. A private party. If she says yes, ask her what she estimation.”\r\nCody gave an uneasy nod. He leaned toward her, and while I only caught bits and pieces of the conversation, she grew animated as she spoke. I leaned back to Seth.\r\nâ€Å"When did you drive an expert in dating advice?” I asked incredulously.\r\nâ €Å"Its what ONeill would do.”\r\nI scoffed. â€Å"Youre utilize fiction to further Codys do it life?”\r\nâ€Å"Life imitates art, and art imitates life.”\r\nâ€Å"That statement is ridiculous. And, you know, Ive neer really turn aroundn you utilize that advice.”\r\nâ€Å"Well, thats ONeills advice. I have lots of characters I can exit from.”\r\nâ€Å"Funny, I dont remember any introverted, stammering writers in your books.”\r\nâ€Å"I dont stammer,” he said defensively †though there was a smile under his words. â€Å"Besides, maybe therell be someone like that in the new series.”\r\nâ€Å"Ooh,” I said, mocking his melodrama. â€Å"Whats with the ‘maybe? I thought you had the acquaint for this whole fantastic new thing figured out.”\r\nâ€Å"I do. just now it can always be improved along the way.”\r\nâ€Å"Introvert authors improve everything.”\r\nâ€Å"Damn straight.”\r\nLau ghing, I remembered that I should have been helping Cody, but he was talking to Gabrielle on his own, which I took as a positive sign. I turned back to Seth. â€Å"So does this mean youve figured out the ending to Cady and ONeill?”\r\nâ€Å"No.” He still held his good humor, in spite of a small frown on his brow. â€Å"One of these old age, Ill have to †â€Å"\r\nHis words were gelded off when the eardrum- let outting screech of a guitar ripped through the room. Blue Satin Bra had come onstage while I was talking (flirting?) with Seth. I scornd stereotypes, but truthfully: they looked like what youd expect from an all-guy metal band. Black clothing, piercings, and hair that ran in extremes: shaved or topnotch long. The one thing that contrastiveiated them was, well, the fact that they were suffering blue satin demi bras over their clothes.\r\n even so above the deafening symphony that followed, I could hear Gabrielle shrieking, â€Å"Oh my God!” He r face was ecstatic, and when Cody said something to her, she lit up further and nodded thirstily at the band. My guess was †whether it was true or not †he was reaffirming how awesome they were.\r\nThe music forced Seth and me to lean close in order to talk. â€Å"You know,” he said, â€Å"Im exquisite sure the bass player stuffed his bra.”\r\nâ€Å"Nah,” I teased back. â€Å"Its a push-up bra, so it just seems that way. They do amazing things for cleavage.”\r\nAll things considered, Blue Satin Bra wasnt that bad. Metal might not be my popular music, but I was still open to a lot of types. The setting and craziness that ensued throughout the night gave Seth and me lots of visible to parody over. We were both in really good moods when the show finally ended and we walked out with Gabrielle and Cody.\r\nâ€Å"That was awesome,” she exclaimed. â€Å"Thank you so much for share-out the tickets.”\r\nâ€Å"No problem,” I said . My ears were ringing, and I wasnt sure if I was still shouting.\r\nâ€Å"I think that was the best show Ive ever seen,” said Cody nobly.\r\nGabrielle clutched his sleeve, and his eyes widened. â€Å"I know! Which was your favorite song?”\r\nSilence.\r\nâ€Å"Mine was that one were they kept saying ‘My Armageddon scales will burn your convey office,” said Seth deadpan.\r\nâ€Å"Oh, yeah. Thats one of their greatest,” she said. â€Å"Its called ‘ plyboard Fuck.”\r\nâ€Å"Thats my favorite too,” said Cody. I someways doubted hed heard any of the music tonight. His senses were all on Gabrielle.\r\nPerfectly in sync, Seth and I glanced at each other and exchanged secret smiles, both of us amused at Codys do. I wasnt as far gone as he was, but when our group finally split up, I found myself walking on air too.\r\nâ€Å"Interesting night,” Roman told me when we got home. Hed been along in spy mode. â€Å"I think Cody might a ctually have a chance.”\r\nâ€Å"Maybe,” I said. â€Å"Hes clearly smitten, but she only seems mildly interested. In a affectionate way, though.”\r\nRoman rummaged through the kitchen and poured himself a bowling ball of Lucky Ch fortification. â€Å"Hes not the only one whos smitten.”\r\nI sighed and collapsed onto the couch. â€Å"Let it go, okay? We all know Im a long ways from acquire over Seth.”\r\nRoman gave me a sly look. â€Å"I wasnt talking about you.”\r\nI stared at him for a moment, my vodka-addled humor trying to make sense of his words. â€Å" waiting…youre talking about Seth? Hes over me.”\r\nâ€Å"Oh my God, Georgina. Could you be any more neurotic?”\r\nâ€Å"Hes getting married.”\r\nâ€Å"That means nothing. If it did, guys wouldnt catch chlamydia at their bachelor parties.”\r\nâ€Å" unless he does love Maddie. And no matter what you think about his feelings, hell be out of my present once theyre married.”\r\nâ€Å"The fact that theyre dating means he should already be out of your reach †but past evidence shows thats not true.”\r\nI scowled and kicked off my shoes. â€Å"Dont bring that up. I feel bad enough †and so does he. If youre just going to take to task me, then Im going to bed.”\r\nBut to my surprise, Roman didnt wear that mocking look that had become so typical for him since returning to Seattle. His eyes were serious, his fashion †almost †concerned. â€Å"Im not trying to lambast you. Im just stating the facts. No matter what happens, you and Seth cant seem to stay away from each other. You should put in a alter request.”\r\nâ€Å"What, out of Seattle?” I asked incredulously. â€Å"I love it here.”\r\nâ€Å"Youll learn to love some other place. Honestly, its the only way youre going to be able to flow on †the only way either of you can move on. Youre in a situation where you see hi m every day †tonight being a prime example. He skint up with you, and then you broke up with him for some ‘greater good kind of goal. But if you keep hanging around each other, it wont matter. Youll never heal. Youre just going to get your heart ripped out every day.”\r\nI was so stunned that I couldnt even respond for several seconds. The old taunt danced in my head: circles and circles. â€Å"I…why do you say that? Why do you care?”\r\nâ€Å"Because I already see it happening every day. You are getting your heart ripped out over and over, and it kills me to take care it happen.”\r\nAgain, I fell speechless for a moment. â€Å"I thought…I thought you hated me. I thought you wanted to destroy me.”\r\nHe finished his texture and set the bowl down. I didnt have the will to shoo the cats away. â€Å"I dont hate you, Georgina,” he said wearily. â€Å"Am I upset about what happened to Helena? Absolutely. Am I upset about you ev asiveness about loving me? Yes. Do I want some kind of punish? Maybe. Honestly, my feelings change from day to day. Some days I do want something wicked to happen to you. Some days…well, I know you did what you did out of some take sense of…I dont know. You thought you were doing the right thing.”\r\nI wanted to tell him that I had loved him, in a way. But that probably wouldnt be useful right now. â€Å"Well, watching this Seth drama dilate is probably giving you lots of material when it comes to something awful happening to me.”\r\nâ€Å"No,” he said, with a weary head shake. â€Å"I dont like this. Like I said, Id rather see you leave and start a new life. Every time I see you now, its like…its like watching you die. all over and over.”\r\nI stood up, suddenly wanting to sleep. â€Å"Yeah,” I said softly. â€Å"Thats kind of what it feels like.” I hesitated. â€Å" give thanks for listening. And under stand up.†\r\nâ€Å"Anytime,” he said.\r\nThis also caught me by surprise. somewhere in these last few crazy months, I realized, Roman and I had become friends again. â€Å"I hate to ask you this, but, well, Im not doing a very good job with keeping an upbeat mood tonight. Would you †â€Å"\r\nHe rose as well. â€Å"Yup. Ill watch you sleep. If you can handle the creepy factor.”\r\nâ€Å"Its an acceptable trade,” I said with a smile. â€Å"Thanks.”\r\nAnd maybe it was the vodka, but I stepped forward and hugged him. He was fuddled for a moment, clearly caught off guard, but then he relaxed and wrapped his arms around me. I rested my head against his chest, taking small comfort in someone warm and alive who wasnt a stranger. He smelled like I remembered, the clean, curt scent of his cologne surrounding me in a way very different from Seths woodsy smell.\r\nI was just cerebration I should pull away when a voice asked, â€Å"Am I interrupting anything?â⠂¬Â\r\nI jerked away from the embrace and found Carter standing in the living room, arms traverse and one eyebrow arched. Roman seemed equally flustered and took a few travel back as well, getting as far away from me as he could.\r\nâ€Å"Dont you ever knock?” I asked.\r\nâ€Å" non sure youd answer,” said Carter good-naturedly. â€Å"Especially with the newsworthiness Ive got.”\r\nI groaned. â€Å"That was fast. Does it have to do with Simone?”\r\nHe nodded. â€Å"Afraid so. She met up with Seth again.”\r\n'