Read Online Cursed (The Brookehaven Vampires #4) by Joann I. Martin Sowles - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Joann I. Martin Sowles
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step back, away from his grandfather.
The look on his grandfather’s face made it clear that he was lucid, and it was obvious he was trying to figure out why his deceased grandson was standing before him.
I caught Oliver nodding to one of the orderlies, the one who had brought them the chess game. The orde rly made his way to Grandpa Sam so that we could escape before all the pieces of the puzzle were put back together.
As the orderly distracted Grandpa Sam, Oliver quickly tugged me from the room. He pulled me down the long, white hallway at such a quick pace, I had to jog to keep up with him. He gave a quick wave to the woman at the front desk and she buzzed us out.
Oliver stopped when we were out the front doors of the tall building that housed his grandfather.
I stopped beside him. “Why did you let him believe your sister would come by?” I questioned.
He looked at me, teary-eyed , and I felt my heart tighten.
“I can’t bear to tell him she’s dead every single year. It’s just easier on both of us if he thinks she’s still here, and that she ’ll come see him.” His voice hitched toward the end of his sentence.
I grabbed him and pulled him to me as quickly and as tightly as I could. It broke my heart to see him like this. —to see the pain of his past, the reason he was able to be mine, hurting him. His arms slipped around me and we stood there, holding each other for some time.
Finally, he kissed the top of my head and whispered, “Let’s go.”
We rode back to the house in silence. Just before the exit we would take to get back to the cottage, Oliver said, “Oh, would you like me to show you where I grew up?”
“Uh, sure,” I said, somewhat concerned it might be too hard for him.
He seemed to pick up on my emotions and my concern for him. “I’m fine, Laney,” he said, glancing over at me, the hint of a smile on his lips.
“Okay.” It didn’t matter what he said, I was still concerned. I felt very protective of him, more so than usual. I wondered if the feeling came from what was left of the lingering vampire qualities I had received with Oliver’s blood, or if it was related to us bonding. I was leaning toward the latter. My reason? Although it had only been a couple of days, I’d noticed a difference in myself. How I felt about him, about keeping him safe, about keeping him to myself… So yeah, the latter it was. However, I imagined the vampire blood was probably giving my newfound protectiveness a boost too.
We drove through the quaint streets of Willow Glen, a little town within the large city of San Jose, California, where Oliver and his siblings had grown up. Most of the houses in Willow Glen seemed like they were older—like the town had been established long ago. There were lots of trees, an older downtown area, and a couple of large parks. It reminded me of home, a little. The fact Willow Glen was missing the overabundance of bars downtown, and the houses didn’t have old furniture on their porches, made me figure it was a nicer area.
Oliver took me by his elementary school and his high school. He pointed out the ice cream shop his family used to walk to on the weekends when he was young, and the baseball field where his brother had played ball.
“You didn’t play?” I asked.
He shook his head and focused on the road as he pulled back out onto the street from in front of the baseball field.
“Why not?” I imagined Oliver would have been pretty good at sports. I mean, I got that he was more of the techy/nerdy type, which was hot, but I could just imagine that he would be good at sports, too.
He glanced over at me. It was late enough in the day that he didn’t need his sunglasses anymore, plus it was still pretty overcast out, so I actually saw his eyes as he glanced my way. When I could see his eyes, he was easier to read.
“Oliver, what is it?” The look he flashed caused me a bit of concern.
“It’s nothing. I just had some health issues as a kid,”
The look on his grandfather’s face made it clear that he was lucid, and it was obvious he was trying to figure out why his deceased grandson was standing before him.
I caught Oliver nodding to one of the orderlies, the one who had brought them the chess game. The orde rly made his way to Grandpa Sam so that we could escape before all the pieces of the puzzle were put back together.
As the orderly distracted Grandpa Sam, Oliver quickly tugged me from the room. He pulled me down the long, white hallway at such a quick pace, I had to jog to keep up with him. He gave a quick wave to the woman at the front desk and she buzzed us out.
Oliver stopped when we were out the front doors of the tall building that housed his grandfather.
I stopped beside him. “Why did you let him believe your sister would come by?” I questioned.
He looked at me, teary-eyed , and I felt my heart tighten.
“I can’t bear to tell him she’s dead every single year. It’s just easier on both of us if he thinks she’s still here, and that she ’ll come see him.” His voice hitched toward the end of his sentence.
I grabbed him and pulled him to me as quickly and as tightly as I could. It broke my heart to see him like this. —to see the pain of his past, the reason he was able to be mine, hurting him. His arms slipped around me and we stood there, holding each other for some time.
Finally, he kissed the top of my head and whispered, “Let’s go.”
We rode back to the house in silence. Just before the exit we would take to get back to the cottage, Oliver said, “Oh, would you like me to show you where I grew up?”
“Uh, sure,” I said, somewhat concerned it might be too hard for him.
He seemed to pick up on my emotions and my concern for him. “I’m fine, Laney,” he said, glancing over at me, the hint of a smile on his lips.
“Okay.” It didn’t matter what he said, I was still concerned. I felt very protective of him, more so than usual. I wondered if the feeling came from what was left of the lingering vampire qualities I had received with Oliver’s blood, or if it was related to us bonding. I was leaning toward the latter. My reason? Although it had only been a couple of days, I’d noticed a difference in myself. How I felt about him, about keeping him safe, about keeping him to myself… So yeah, the latter it was. However, I imagined the vampire blood was probably giving my newfound protectiveness a boost too.
We drove through the quaint streets of Willow Glen, a little town within the large city of San Jose, California, where Oliver and his siblings had grown up. Most of the houses in Willow Glen seemed like they were older—like the town had been established long ago. There were lots of trees, an older downtown area, and a couple of large parks. It reminded me of home, a little. The fact Willow Glen was missing the overabundance of bars downtown, and the houses didn’t have old furniture on their porches, made me figure it was a nicer area.
Oliver took me by his elementary school and his high school. He pointed out the ice cream shop his family used to walk to on the weekends when he was young, and the baseball field where his brother had played ball.
“You didn’t play?” I asked.
He shook his head and focused on the road as he pulled back out onto the street from in front of the baseball field.
“Why not?” I imagined Oliver would have been pretty good at sports. I mean, I got that he was more of the techy/nerdy type, which was hot, but I could just imagine that he would be good at sports, too.
He glanced over at me. It was late enough in the day that he didn’t need his sunglasses anymore, plus it was still pretty overcast out, so I actually saw his eyes as he glanced my way. When I could see his eyes, he was easier to read.
“Oliver, what is it?” The look he flashed caused me a bit of concern.
“It’s nothing. I just had some health issues as a kid,”
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