Made of Glass Chapter 17

A little explanation of vampires and pointing out a couple of things I changed from the books.

“Where’s all your furniture?” Eddie asked stunned by the bareness of my apartment.

“That’s funny. That’s exactly what Jasper said,” I said collapsing onto my air mattress really the only substantial piece of furniture in the main room. That and a folding chair tucked under the island in the kitchen.

“Jasper was up here?”

“He was a lot easier to convince to come up than you were.”

“It’s easier for Jasper. You’re more like beer for an alcoholic to him.”

“Comforting.”

“So where’s all your stuff?”

I shrugged “Furniture’s expensive.”

“But your bed?” he said stunned.

“It serves its purpose just the same as an expensive one. Have a seat. I gestured to the folding chair,” he raised an eyebrow at me. “Do you want to go back down to the bar. They have much better seating. I just wanted to fix something to eat first. I’m starved.” I stood up and headed into the small kitchen.

Eddie sat down at the chair by the island facing the kitchen so he could see me as I prepared my meal. The chair was much too short for the island so Eddie’s chin only came several inches above the counter. I giggled at how ridiculous he looked sitting there.

“I’m sorry, I forget how often you guys have to eat.”

I didn’t particularly like being grouped with people apart from Eddie. I suppose that was the way of it though.

“You don’t have to eat?”

“No, never.”

“I’m sorry. That’s a bummer,” I popped my microwave dinner in and typed in the time. “But can you eat? If you wanted to?”

“I guess but it all tastes funny now. Not really very good,”

“So what is your diet like?” I said conversationally.

He grimaced. He didn’t like to talk about this subject.

“We have to have something every couple of weeks or so. Mostly we can just hunt wildlife in the area like deer and squirrels and stuff.”

“Squirrels?”

“Not really squirrels,” At least he was attempting to be good humored about it.

“It doesn’t sound very yummy.”

“It’s not,” he set himself in a position so he could observe my reaction easily at his next words, “Humans are really the only things that are ‘yummy’ but other big game animals are alright.”

I refused to display any disgust because of the fact he thought I was yummy.

“Big game like, buffalo?”

"Like tigers.”

“You’ve eaten a tiger?” I said letting the shock color my face. I couldn’t control that reaction.

He laughed. “No not me personally. But mountain lions are a favorite of mine.”

“Hm,” I chewed that one over.

“Anything else you want to know?”

“Hell yeah! We’ve only scratched the surface!” I retrieved my dinner from the microwave and one of my three forks. I set it down on the counter and took a scalding bit before deciding on my next question. “Can you turn into a bat?”

He chuckled while shaking his head.

“Too bad, I really wanted that one.”

“No wolves either or mist and I can walk over running water and crucifixes don’t affect me at all. Or garlic.”

“Lame! That’s why superman sucks you know. Because nothing can hurt him. Except kryptonite! You can't come out in the sun, right?”

“Well no, technically we can't but not because we’d burst into flames.”

“Then why?” I probed.

“It’s difficult to explain. Our skin, it . . . well everyone would know we weren’t human if we did.”

I wasn’t satisfied with that explanation but I thought I would see it eventually. I moved on to something else.

“Do you sleep in a coffin all day?”

“No, I don’t sleep at all.”

“Ever?”

“Nope, couldn’t if I wanted to.”

“Another bummer. Let’s move on to the cool stuff. Just how strong are you?”

“It’s difficult to gauge. It’s not like we can max out in a gym.”

“Well can you lift the gym itself?”

“No, we’re not that strong. But cars aren’t too difficult.”

“Very cool.”

Suddenly Eddie disappeared from his seat in front of me. I popped up in shock.

“Very fast too,” he said from behind me.

I jumped and turned around with a hand to my chest.

“Sorry did I frighten you?” he asked pretending to be concerned.

“That wasn’t your plan?”

He chuckled and leaned against the counter nonchalantly.

“Show off,” I mumbled under my breath.

“We have amazing hearing too,” he said clearly having fun with his superiority.

“So if I whispered something in the bathroom . . .” I pointed to the room farthest from the kitchen.

“If you whispered something across the street I could probably pick it up.”

“So super senses, strength, and speed. Any other super powers?”

“I guess you could say we’re . . . venomous”

“Like bite me and I die venomous?”

“No the venom won't kill you. It causes a great amount of pain. So great that you can't crawl away. You just writhe on the ground.”

Again he cautiously observed me wondering when all this was going to be too much for me.

I smirked “So being bit isn’t some great orgasmic even?”

“Well there’s that side too. I can control how my . . . victims respond,”

I didn’t need to be dwelling on that one.

“I think that covers all the clichés,” I said trying to think what my next line of questioning would be while I scraped up the last bite from my dinner. “Can you read minds?” I asked.

His eyebrows rose in surprise at that question. He wasn’t expecting that I would have figured that one out. “Not yours,” he said fixing me with his stare. I wondered if he was trying right now. A tingling sensation went down my spine.

“But other people’s? Like Professor X?”

“Well not exactly like Professor X but similar. Everyone else’s minds are a complete open book to me. But you . . . you’re a mental mute.”

“I do have thoughts,” I said slightly offended by his tone.

“I'm sure of that and what I wouldn’t give to know them. Of everyone I’ve ever met yours is the one mind I would most like to probe and yet I get nothing from you. It’s a conundrum,” he was still looking at me like he was trying to crack the puzzle of my brain just by boring into with his eyes. Then suddenly he resumed his nonchalant attitude. “Or maybe the only reason I like you is because I can't hear you. You always want what you can't have right?”

I gave him a disgruntled look.

“Or maybe it’s just because you’re so damn funny” He laughed at me. ”So how did you figure that one out?”

“I was just guessing. Sometimes you just know things that you shouldn’t. Sometimes when you’re around I just know things I shouldn’t. Does that happen to everyone?”

He shook his head, “No one else that knows has ever said anything like that. Maybe you’re also a mind reader,”

“Humans can have super powers?” I said excited about that.

“It’s difficult to say. Carlisle has a theory that we always had our ‘super powers'” Eddie grinned at my term “it’s just that as we turn they become more intense.”

“So the others can't hear others thoughts?”

“No, just me,” Eddie didn’t seem smug about that fact. He actually looked a little sad. But then he perked up. “And maybe you too?”

“It could just all be in my head. It’s not like I can actually hear what people think. Thank God.”

“Most people would like that opportunity.”

“Do you?”

“Not even remotely. It’s like living in a crowded bus station. It is never ever quiet. And people’s thoughts are so . . .”

“Disgusting?” I suggested.

"I was going to say unoriginal.”

“Yeah, I don’t have a lot of faith in people.”

“Yes, I know,” He grunted. “But answer me one question. The other night with those men . . .” the way his face clouded over as he thought back to what Damion and his friends were thinking told me exactly what night he was referring to. “Did you . . . do something?”

“Could you be a little more vague?” I said unwilling to think back to that night.

“It’s just I’ve never gotten a single word from your mind. I can't get the slightest read off of you no matter how hard I try but that night it’s like suddenly you were just screaming in my ear only I have to be close to people in order to pick up on their thoughts and you were clear across town but somehow I knew you were in trouble.”

“Does that ever happen? Like with other people when they’re in trouble?”

“No, I’ve never experienced anything like it. That’s why I think it must be something different about you."

“I was thinking about you but . . . I don’t know. It’s all very strange. You’re a very strange creature, you know.”

“At least I follow the rules of my kind. You on the other hand,” he shook his head.

“So you just dropped what you were doing and ran over to save me?”

“I didn’t really have any idea where you were or what was going on but somehow I was drawn to you I guess. Once I got close enough to hear those guys thoughts,” Eddie clenched his fist and stared away from me. “I guess I sort of lost it after that. Thank you . . . for stopping me,” he finished looking ashamed.

“I’m definitely the one that should be thanking you. I owe you my life twice over now.”

“I’d come every time,” he promised.

“I know.”

“So anything else?”

“You tell me. What else do I have to know about vampires?”

“You were a very thorough crossexaminer.”

“So tell me more about yourself. What was life like at the beginning of the twentieth century?”

“I don’t really remember being human. Those memories fade quickly. And then as a young vampire mainly all there is in life is the craving for more blood that consumes your every thought. Don’t worry I grew out of that stage.”

“So basically your entire family just goes to school year after year, century after century? Sounds incredibly dull.”

“There’s always something new to learn. A new major to get a degree in. The latest medical techniques. And I don’t really have to go to class because I’ve taken them all before.”

“Don’t you get tired of the company?” I would hate to spend all of eternity with the girls in the bar. I shuddered just thinking about it.

“Some centuries are better than others,” he smiled down at me.

I blushed as the silence grew.

“It also helps to have a partner. The rest of my family have all found their other halves. They all seemed infinitely more happy than I did.”

“So are you the youngest of them?”

“Actually Jasper and Carlisle are the only ones older than me if you judge by how many years we’ve been alive.”

“Then how come you haven't found anyone yet?” There were answers to this question I wanted to hear and answers that I definitely didn’t. I prayed that I wasn’t shooting myself in the foot with this one.

He shrugged. “She hasn’t come along yet,” That was an alright answer. The way he was looking at me made it even better.

There was another long intimate pause. I wondered what kissing a vampire would be like. Maybe he grew fangs. I giggled at the thought which brought Eddie out of his stupor.

“It’s getting late. I should be going,” he said roughly.

I suppressed my disappointed groan. It really wasn’t that late, but I couldn’t be too greedy. We had certainly made enough progress tonight.

He walked toward the door and gave me a backward glance over his shoulder.

“Good luck with your family,” I said disappointment flooding my voice.

He gave one last sweet departing smile “Sleep well, Dolly.”

Reviews

[Summer]

LOL! I wonder what it would be like kissing a vampire? He would probably bite you and not even mean to do it. LOL!