Read Online Tainted Blood by Joann I. Martin Sowles - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Joann I. Martin Sowles
Ads: Link
direction. Of course I wondered if I was in trouble, but I really couldn’t see how. I’d done nothing wrong.
I watched Kiera and Zoey chatting . It was obvious what about since Kiera was holding her hand up, and Zoey was examining the ring on Kiera’s finger. She sure seemed to be enjoying all the attention that ring was attracting.
Carter had found a spot on the couch next to Isaac, and they seemed to be really enjoying their conversation, laughing loudly and talking about who knows what. They’d become pretty close in the time we’d spent stuck at Julz’s house.
Oliver still sat absolutely motionless in the far corner of the room. Hayden had just come out of the bathroom and was perusing the food when Kiera broke away from her wedding talk with Zoey to announce that it was present time.
Zoey made her way to me then and leaned next to me at the counter. “Happy birthday, Laney,” she told me once again. “Are you having a nice time, hun?”
I nodded and smiled at her then returned my attention to Kiera. I watched as she shooed Oliver out of his seat and quietly ordered him to gather the gifts and move them near the chair he’d been booted from. He obediently did as she requested, then he leaned down and whispered something to her as she dutifully arranged the gifts around the chair. She nodded to him, and Oliver left right after that. Without a word to me, he was gone from my party, and I was left standing there confused and half listening to Zoey tell me about a recent date she’d been on.
Kiera took my arm, pulled me to the party chair, and got everyone’s attention. She sat on the floor beside me, started handing me gifts, and politely ordering me to open them. I shot her a dirty look that only she noticed, and she smiled up at me cheerfully. She may have been a little too bossy for her own good.
I’d never really cared for this part of the party—the part where you get put on display and have to open gifts and pretend each one is the greatest thing ever, then you act thankful while wondering what the hell half of your guests were thinking. Yeah, Lilly knew this about me all too well, and we’d always done the gifts together, after everyone had gone home. That way we could voice our opinions without hurting anyone’s feelings. Plus, we always had a great time, just the two of us. Kiera never agreed with the way my aunt had done the gift giving part of the party, and that was apparent at the moment.
My first gift was no surprise from Kiera. She’d gotten me a purse, and I found it ironic that she and Lilly had both given me pretty much the same gift. Granted, Kiera’s version was more practical, of course, but Lilly’s was more me, of course.
Oliver returned halfway through me opening my gifts, taking up a spot beside Hayden who was leaning against the wall by my bedroom door. I was relieved when he returned and found myself able to relax a bit as I finished opening my presents.
By the time I was done opening my gifts, I had a pretty good haul. Most items were impersonal but useful: a few gift cards and a couple of new tops . One top from Hayden and Isaac was funny because on the front of the black fabric, it read “I love vampires” with a big, red glittery heart in the place of the word love. Everybody laughed pretty hard when I opened it, even Kiera, but I could tell that she didn’t understand why it was so funny. The only gift that gave me that “what were they thinking” moment was a bracelet from Zoey. It was very, well, obnoxious. Not in a bad way, just in a “so not me” way. It was, however, very Zoey.
Actually, let me rephrase that, there was another gift that I questioned; the purse Kiera had given me. It was pink—so not me—and I was sure she’d end up “borrowing” it in the future, and I’d never see it again. That, or Hayden would probably sneak off with it before the party was over. I saw her eyeing it from across the room.
Felix had gotten me a rather large
I watched Kiera and Zoey chatting . It was obvious what about since Kiera was holding her hand up, and Zoey was examining the ring on Kiera’s finger. She sure seemed to be enjoying all the attention that ring was attracting.
Carter had found a spot on the couch next to Isaac, and they seemed to be really enjoying their conversation, laughing loudly and talking about who knows what. They’d become pretty close in the time we’d spent stuck at Julz’s house.
Oliver still sat absolutely motionless in the far corner of the room. Hayden had just come out of the bathroom and was perusing the food when Kiera broke away from her wedding talk with Zoey to announce that it was present time.
Zoey made her way to me then and leaned next to me at the counter. “Happy birthday, Laney,” she told me once again. “Are you having a nice time, hun?”
I nodded and smiled at her then returned my attention to Kiera. I watched as she shooed Oliver out of his seat and quietly ordered him to gather the gifts and move them near the chair he’d been booted from. He obediently did as she requested, then he leaned down and whispered something to her as she dutifully arranged the gifts around the chair. She nodded to him, and Oliver left right after that. Without a word to me, he was gone from my party, and I was left standing there confused and half listening to Zoey tell me about a recent date she’d been on.
Kiera took my arm, pulled me to the party chair, and got everyone’s attention. She sat on the floor beside me, started handing me gifts, and politely ordering me to open them. I shot her a dirty look that only she noticed, and she smiled up at me cheerfully. She may have been a little too bossy for her own good.
I’d never really cared for this part of the party—the part where you get put on display and have to open gifts and pretend each one is the greatest thing ever, then you act thankful while wondering what the hell half of your guests were thinking. Yeah, Lilly knew this about me all too well, and we’d always done the gifts together, after everyone had gone home. That way we could voice our opinions without hurting anyone’s feelings. Plus, we always had a great time, just the two of us. Kiera never agreed with the way my aunt had done the gift giving part of the party, and that was apparent at the moment.
My first gift was no surprise from Kiera. She’d gotten me a purse, and I found it ironic that she and Lilly had both given me pretty much the same gift. Granted, Kiera’s version was more practical, of course, but Lilly’s was more me, of course.
Oliver returned halfway through me opening my gifts, taking up a spot beside Hayden who was leaning against the wall by my bedroom door. I was relieved when he returned and found myself able to relax a bit as I finished opening my presents.
By the time I was done opening my gifts, I had a pretty good haul. Most items were impersonal but useful: a few gift cards and a couple of new tops . One top from Hayden and Isaac was funny because on the front of the black fabric, it read “I love vampires” with a big, red glittery heart in the place of the word love. Everybody laughed pretty hard when I opened it, even Kiera, but I could tell that she didn’t understand why it was so funny. The only gift that gave me that “what were they thinking” moment was a bracelet from Zoey. It was very, well, obnoxious. Not in a bad way, just in a “so not me” way. It was, however, very Zoey.
Actually, let me rephrase that, there was another gift that I questioned; the purse Kiera had given me. It was pink—so not me—and I was sure she’d end up “borrowing” it in the future, and I’d never see it again. That, or Hayden would probably sneak off with it before the party was over. I saw her eyeing it from across the room.
Felix had gotten me a rather large
Similar Books
