Covet (Clann)

descendant who’s ever tried to turn died.”
    She looked away. “Sounds like a cop-out to me.”
    “No, what it sounds like to me is that right here, right now, you’re still running away! Why face the harsh reality of your own mistakes when you can try to turn the tables and make your best friend feel bad about what she can’t have instead?” I grabbed my door handle, gave it a jerk, thrust open the door and slid out. “If I could be with Tristan without risking his life, you’d better believe I’d do it. But there isn’t a way. I can’t turn off what I am. You, on the other hand, are miserable simply because you’re acting like a spineless idiot!”
    Her jaw dropped. “I am not a spineless idiot!”
    “That’s right. You’re not. Which is why I said you’re acting like one. And now that you know it, and I know it, and Ron sure as heck knows it, would you please do us all a huge favor and pull your head out of your butt already? Call him. Tell him you made a mistake and you’re sorry. I swear to you, if he doesn’t take you back and forgive you immediately, I’ll…I’ll…” I was so mad I couldn’t even think of a good promise to offer. “I’ll go hog hunting with you!” There!
    I slammed the door, rocking the truck but thankfully not denting the metal, then gave in to the urge and did a vamp blur across the lawn up to the porch. Inside, it was all I could do not to slam the front door too and break its custom stained-glass design.
    Outside, Anne started her truck, cranked up the radio to blaring, and took off with a roar of the engine.
    “Have an educational outing in the woods with the Abernathy boy?” Dad greeted me from where he was reading the newspaper on the living room couch.
    “Oh yeah,” I snapped. “Very illuminating.”
    Stupid humans! Anne had a chance at love, maybe even true love, that I would never have again, and she was throwing it away! She had no idea what I would give to have Tristan back in my life.
    “I’m going to bed,” I said before blurring up the stairs and down the hall to my room.
    By my bed, I flipped on my MP3 player’s docking station, kicked off my shoes, then put on Kelly Clarkson’s “What Doesn’t Kill You.” I listened to the words for a minute, my feet tapping the hardwood floor to the beat. Then my head started bobbing along. The next thing I knew, my body was whirling and punching and jabbing to the rhythm, and it felt good . Good enough to stop me from calling Anne and giving her another piece of my mind.
    A minute later, something wet slid down the side of my nose. It wasn’t a tear. Vampires didn’t cry. Keeping my eyes closed, I brushed it away with the back of my hand.
    But then another rolled down my cheek, and another, and suddenly my lungs and throat were burning like they used to when I was still fully human and tried to run for more than thirty seconds.
    Even singing a song about feeling stronger felt like lying to myself.
    I slumped onto the edge of my bed and held my head in my hands. I had been such an idiot, trying to fix my best friend’s love life. How could I have possibly ever thought I could fix someone else’s problems when I couldn’t even fix myself?

CHAPTER 25
    TRISTAN
    The velvet cake wasn’t just a birthday present. It was also my peace offering. I didn’t want to fight with Savannah anymore, even if I was still hurt and frustrated that she wouldn’t fight for what we once had. She’d moved on. She had Ron now. It was time I found a way to move on, too.
    The Indians fought a good battle on our home turf Friday night. But even the hard workout on the field hadn’t managed to take the edge off my restlessness. I felt…off, like I couldn’t find my balance.
    And Bethany’s constant chatter with everyone in sight on the front lawn at the Tomato Bowl’s entrance after the game wasn’t calming me down any.
    A hand slapped my back, rocking me forward onto the balls of my feet. “Son, that was a fine game you played back there!”
    Dad and Mom. I forced a smile for them. “Thanks.”
    Silence grew within our group, contrasting sharply with the noise of everyone else’s talking and laughter.
    “It’s good to see you again,” Mom said to Bethany. She gave me a meaningful smile and a nod of approval, then looked up at Dad. “You know, I think I’m in the mood for a little ice cream. What do you think, hon? Did you save any room after those four hot dogs?”
    Dad grinned and stroked his beard,