Neither (The Noctalis Chronicles 3)

“I don't,” he says in response to the second part. “I would never want to tame her.”

“Good. That's what I like to hear. So, who wants dinner?”

“We already ate at the hospital.”

“Really? Damn, I made a crap ton of mac and cheese. Granted, it's from a box, but it's organic.” Aj can't cook, so this is really something.

“Well, in that case.” I hear a loud truck about a mile away. “What's Jamie doing here?”

“Aw, I miss Jamie. I haven't seen him in forever,” Aj says, going to the stove to stir what I hope is the mac and cheese. She turns, snapping her fingers. “Damn, I forgot about your lactose intolerance. Sorry.”

“It's fine. I have already eaten.”

Jamie's truck finally pulls into the driveway and dies. Aj frowns, looking out the window at the pickup.

“Did you know he was coming?” she asks.

“No.” Where is she going with this?

Her eyes narrow. “Then how did you know he was coming?”

“I heard his truck.” Aj looks at me, puzzled. Damn, I shouldn't have said anything. “You know, it's really loud,” I say as I go to the door to let him in.

“Hey, James. How's it going?”

He still has his hands in his pockets. I go to give him a hug, but he lets go fast.

“Dude, what happened to your hand?” Aj says, pointing to a white bandage around Jamie's left hand.

“I was walking and I fell. Had a klutzy moment.” He won't meet my eyes.

“Jamie?”

He looks up and then glances at Peter. I look back and forth at them as they share a moment. Oh shit, she bit him. I want to go ballistic on him, but Aj is here, and I can't drag one more human into this mire.

“Bummer.”

“At least I don't need my hands to run,” he says. I open my mouth to ask him something, but shut it. His heart is already broken. Why drive the knife in deeper?

No wonder she left.

“No, but you need them to block a punch!” Aj fakes a punch at his stomach and he grabs her arm. They have a little struggle, but end up laughing, even though Jamie's dies quickly and his face goes back to sad Jamie. “Not bad. Remember when I used to kick your ass?”

He scoffs as we walk into the living room. “I'm pretty sure that never happened.”

“Oh, it did. I have pictorial evidence.” Jamie rolls his eyes and tugs on his ear, putting his hands in his pockets again.

“So there's a reason I came. I... heard your mom was in the hospital, so I brought these,” he says, going to the porch and retrieving a box. Instead of getting a bouquet, he has a box with a tulip bulb in it.

“I know you hate it when flowers die. This way you can plant it.” The flower on the cover of the box is pure white. “White is supposed to be for purity and healing. I think. I don't know, I think I read that somewhere.”

“Thank you,” I say, swallowing the ball of tears in my throat.

“I also have this.” He pulls a card out of his back pocket. “Don't open it now.”

“Okay.”

There's a pause. Aj fills it.

“So, are you hungry? I have enough mac and cheese for an army, or for a Jamie Barton.”

I think he's going to protest that he shouldn't intrude, but he doesn't.

“Thanks.”

Aj beams, happy to have someone to cook for.

“So how's Claire?” Aj asks. I give her the update as she fills a plate with mac and cheese, green beans and corn for Jamie.

They try to look upbeat, but they know as well as I do that pneumonia isn't good. Her immune system is so compromised that her body just doesn't have the will to fight. But I'm not thinking about that at this particular moment.

“So, Jamie, is there a special lady in your life? I thought I saw a twinkle in your eye.” Aj prods him with her finger, raising her eyebrows suggestively.

“Yeah, there is. But she's away right now.”

“Oh no. When is she coming back?” Aj asks.

“I'm not sure if she is.” He puts his fork down and absentmindedly rubs the gauze on his hand.

“What happened there?”

“Her mom keeps moving them around.”

“I'm sorry, that sucks.”

Jamie meets my eyes and I give him a sad smile. I go over and rest my head on his shoulder.

“Whatever will be, will be,” I say, altering Rasha's quote a little.

“Isn't that from a song?” Jamie says.

“It sounds like it, doesn't it?” I say. Maybe it is.

Jamie stays a little bit longer, talking about everything at school I've missed. It's nice to talk about stupid teenage things for a few minutes. Normally I don’t want to hear about how everyone else's lives are normal and mine isn’t, but I need it now.

“So then Macey walked up to Sarah and threw a bottle of Gatorade right in her face.”

“Seriously? What color was it?”

“Red. So she looked like she was covered in blood.” At the word blood, he flinches involuntarily.

“Jamie, I don't know if it's best that she comes back,” I say, glancing back at Aj to make sure she can't hear. She's busy in the kitchen with her iPod in her ears, jamming out to Mumford and Sons, probably.

“I know what she did was wrong, but can you say Peter's never done the same thing?”

No, I can't. I'm a hypocrite. The reasons he should stay away from Brooke are the same reasons I should stay away from Peter, but I don't. So I don't have a leg to stand on.

“Well, he never chewed on my hand, but he did leave me with this,” I say, showing my neck. There is the tiniest red mark. “And this,” I say, sliding off the wide bracelet I wear to cover up my wrist wound. “It's the price you pay for hanging out with a bloodsucker. It's like being in love with a giant mosquito.”

“Nice, Ave.”

I shrug one shoulder. “It's true.”

“I'm not mad at her. I've tried to tell her a million times that I don't care. It's not her fault that she can't control it. She is what she is, and I can't change that and neither can she. Did I tell you what she did to my dad?”

“No.” This is the first I'm hearing about it.

He shakes his head and tells me how his Dad got drunk one afternoon and Brooke beat him up. Well, she didn't exactly beat him up, but she gave him a good scare. I guess it worked. Jamie says he's been going to work every day and helping around the house. He even went out and bought a brand new crib for Cassie's baby.

“Brooke said he needed a wake-up call. I guess he did. I just hope it lasts.” He's been disappointed so many times in the past. “But at least he's still with me.” He doesn't say alive, but that's what he means. At least he still has a father. Even if he's an ass.