Аманда Хокинг - Wisdom

“It’s not something I would’ve chosen for you,” Leif said.

“What do you mean by that?” I cocked my head.

“It’s not something I would’ve chosen for anybody,” Leif amended quickly and looked away.

“Why are you here?” I asked, remembering that Leif hadn’t answered that question when Jack asked.

“I was with Milo, helping him with his French homework.” He took a step back, as if wanting to put distance between us. “He’s having problems with the dialect, and I’m fluent.

”

“You’re French?” I asked.

“Canadian,” he said. “I lived in Quebec for awhile.” He took another step back. “But the two of you seem busy now. I should be going.”

“Alright?” I asked, feeling a little confused.

“Tell Milo I’ll see him later.”

With that, Leif turned and disappeared into the darkness. I looked back in the house. Bobby had apparently convinced Milo nothing was going on, and they were hugging and kissing. I wasn’t sure where Jack was, but I was positive our reunion wouldn’t be quite so sweet.

“So what did Jack say?” Bobby asked, and I pushed the pedal down harder in the Audi as we whizzed through traffic.

Bobby didn’t look nervous about it all, the same way I hadn’t been nervous when Jack used to drive me around. He lived under the same fallacy as I had - that because we were immortal, we were infallible. But we weren’t.

“I don’t wanna talk about it,” I brushed Bobby off.

The long, long talk Jack and I had after our fight last night was not something I wanted to repeat. We’d hashed out so much stuff, about Jane, Peter, even me being a vampire, and it had been exhausting. The worst part was that in the end, I’m not sure if I felt any better about anything.

“That good, huh?” Bobby raised an eyebrow.

“Yep.”

“So… you’re not telling him what we’re doing today, are you?” Bobby asked nervously.

“Of course not. There’s enough going on with us without him finding out that I’m still trying to figure out who killed Jane,” I said.

“Why is he so worried anyway?”

“I have no idea.” I shrugged. “It’s not like I’m super fragile or anything.”

“How do you kill a vampire anyway?” Bobby looked over at me.

“Well, we’re not really immortal, per se,” I said, telling him what Ezra had explained to me. “Whatever makes us vampires, it’s basically just a virus that stops decomposition and promotes healing. Our bones are superior, but not unbreakable. In the end, we still come from a human body, and we can’t function without a brain or a heart.”

“So the old stake the heart thing, that works?” Bobby asked with a raised eyebrow.

“Sure, if you can get a piece of wood to break through our ribs, but I doubt that,” I said. “Stop the heart, sever the head, however you can manage it, and we’re dead.”

“Good to know,” Bobby said.

I pressed on the breaks, and the car skidded to a stop as I pulled over. I stared up at the luxurious apartment complex that towered above us and took a breath. “Well, here we are.”

An overcast sky had left the day dim and gloomy, and the sun had just started to set, making the streetlights blink on as I stepped out of the car. I stared up at the building I hadn’t been to in months and felt an odd sense of nostalgia.

“Where did she live?” Bobby stood next to me.

“Fifth floor.” I pointed to it, even though we couldn’t see anything from this angle and distance.

“What’s the plan?” He shoved his hands in his jacket pockets as an icy wind whipped over us.

“I guess we go inside.” I glanced over at the main door to the apartment building.

Bobby followed me over to the door, where the doorman let me in. I didn’t recognize him, but that was because it’d been too long since I’d visited Jane last. It’d been too long since I’d done anything real with Jane.

“Who should I tell Mr. Kress is calling?” The doorman had gone over to the desk to phone Jane’s dad. He had to check with him before he could buzz us up, and I really wasn’t sure if Mr. Kress would.

“Um, Alice Bonham. I’m a friend of Jane’s,” I said.

“I see.” The doorman gave me an odd look for a moment, then dialed up. “Mr. Kress, an Alice Bonham is here. She says she’s a-” He paused, apparently interrupted. “Very good, sir.” He hung up the phone and smiled. “Go on up. He’s been expecting you.”

“Thank you.” I smiled thinly at him and walked to the elevator.

“He’s been expecting you?” Bobby whispered as he hurried to keep up with me.

“Apparently.” I stepped inside the elevator and breathed deeply, trying to hide the nauseated feeling this was giving me. Going back to Jane’s apartment. Seeing her father.

“What does that mean?” Bobby asked, and I shrugged. “Does Jane’s dad like you?”

“I’m not really sure. Honestly, I don’t even know how much he liked Jane,” I said.

“Well, then, I’m sure this will go well.”

I’d been hoping that Jane’s father wouldn’t be home. That’d been part of the reason why I picked this time. Mr. Kress usually worked long hours at the office, so I figured he’d still be at work. I wanted to sneak out before Jack woke up and Milo came home from school, but avoiding Mr. Kress was part of it too.

I hadn’t even spoken to him or her stepmother at the funeral, and I kinda liked her stepmom Blythe. Even when we’d been close, I’d hated eating supper at Jane’s house.

Dinner conversation felt so forced and stilted. There was something strangely terrifying about her father.

The housekeeper opened the apartment door before I had a chance to knock. She was new from the last time I’d been here, and I struggled to remember exactly how long it had been since I’d hung out with Jane at her place.

The apartment looked as grand as ever. It wasn’t very large, but it had an opulence to it. Everything in it looked lux and expensive, and I’d hated playing here as a kid because it was like playing in a museum. If I touched anything, I’m sure it would shatter, and incur the wrath of her father.

The housekeeper had led us into the entryway, and I heard the click of Blythe’s high heels on the wood floors. Jane had gotten her high fashion sense from her stepmother.

Her real mother had died before Jane was even in kindergarten, and Blythe had done her best to raise her.

“Alice.” Blythe smiled when saw me, but it didn’t quite reach her eyes. She stopped several feet in front of me and folded her hands over her stomach, almost as if she was afraid to move forward.

“Hello, Mrs. Kress,” I said, unsure of what other greeting would be appropriate.

“You look very well.” She smoothed a golden strand of hair back, and her eyes were red-rimmed underneath her makeup.

“Thanks.” My cheeks reddened with shame. I know Blythe was only referring to the changes that being a vampire had brought on, but I hated thinking that I looked good right now. I should be a wreck, not looking better than ever before.

“It’s been so long since we’ve seen you.” Her smile grew more pained as she spoke. “I saw you at the … at Jane’s funeral, but you didn’t stay long.”

“No, I, uh…” I floundered and trailed off completely. I had no good reason for why I’d skipped out early, so I just let it hang in the air.

“I’m sure you had other things to do,” Blythe said, and I lowered my eyes.

“What’s going on out there?” Mr. Kress bellowed from another room, his voice filled with gravel.

“Nathaniel, why don’t you come out here and talk to Alice yourself?” Blythe turned her head back when she yelled for him, and she fidgeted with one of the gold earrings she wore.