Blood Rush (The Lost Witch Trilogy #2) (13 page)

Lash looked at her in complete shock. “You have got to be kidding me. I mean, are you serious?”

Sarah blushed but nodded her head. “I’ve been an outcast for a long time and so I’ve gotten really good at watching people. I’ve seen girls date a boy once or twice and then the whole school knows she’s gone to bed with him. And then the very next week, they’ll break up and she’ll start all over again with a different boy. They hop from boy to boy to boy giving that part of themselves to anybody who wants them until there’s nothing left to give and they’re empty and broken. Jill was like that Lash. I watched her and my heart broke for her. You took and took and took from her, everything she could give you. I can’t be like that. I don’t want to be.
I won’t be
.”

Lash looked as if she had slapped him. His face turned white and his eyes looked shuttered. “I’m not like that anymore Sarah. You know I’ve changed. Taking blood is completely different than sex. I would give you just as much as you gave me. I would never just take from you.”

Sarah sighed and pushed her hair behind her ear, knowing she had hurt him. “I know you’ve changed Lash, but you’re asking me to give you something that I’m not willing to give you right now. You’re irritated and impatient with me and you’re not willing to understand where I’m coming from. When I do share that part of myself with someone, it will be because I’m ready and because I want to. Not because I feel pressured to or coerced in to doing it. Please Lash, stop pushing me,” she pleaded, searching his face for any understanding. Instead, Lash stood up, furious.

“You’re turning this into a wedge between us Sarah. You’re just scared of the unknown. All of this talk about emptiness and taking? It’s crap Sarah. Sex is just sex. That’s all it is. You’re turning it into this huge deal and it’s not. Just relax and trust me.
Please
,” he said, holding his hand down to her.

Sarah stared sadly at his hand and then looked up into his blue eyes. She slowly shook her head back and forth. “Sex isn’t just sex Lash. It means more to me than that. I think you should leave now.”

Lash’s mouth fell open slightly in surprise, but he lowered his hand and closed his mouth before turning and walking out of the room quickly. Sarah stayed very still on the couch until she heard the loud slam of the front door signaling he was gone. She let out a breath she hadn’t known she’d been holding and closed her eyes, leaning her head against the leather.

Dating Lash was turning out to be a little more hazardous than she had expected. He always seemed to want more from her than she was willing to give. She opened her eyes and slowly stood up, and walked out of the room and up the stairs to her bedroom. She had promised Lash a month. If he was going to hound her day after day for a level of physical intimacy she wasn’t ready to give him, then maybe their month was already up.

Chapter 11 - Calling It

Sarah showed up to school the next day feeling wary and unsure of where she stood with Lash. She caught sight of him a few times in the hall, but just the back of his head. She got the feeling he was avoiding her. Sara began to relax and had to admit that she was fine with that. A day or two of space between her and Lash sounded like a good idea.

When lunch arrived, she took her lunch tray to Carter’s table and sat down as usual. Lash always arrived a few minutes after she did, so she would have a couple moments of peace before he came to sit down next to her. He’d probably be sulky and brooding and cold with her. She could handle that.

Sarah was pulled into a conversation about Halloween parties and lost track of time. When she looked at her watch, she realized that lunch was practically over and she hadn’t seen Lash once. She scanned the room and found Lash sitting at a table in a back corner with the cute girl with short black hair that she knew had a big crush on him. She blinked a few times at the implication of what that meant and sighed. Maybe this was Lash’s way of ending their month long trial period. Sarah picked up her chocolate milk and took the last sip, gauging her feelings on that. She looked away from Lash’s dark head bent close to the girl’s and breathed out slowly as she realized the strongest emotion she was feeling was relief. She closed her eyes with a small smile on her face. Things were starting to look much clearer.

She opened her eyes, still smiling and moved to stand up when she caught sight of Zane and Charlie. Charlie was busy texting as usual and Zane was just sitting there looking at her, not smiling. Sarah’s smile faded quickly. Some things might be clearer, but others were still very murky. Sarah leaned over to grab her back pack when she felt Zane speak into her mind

Did you break up with Lash?

Sarah glanced at Lash who was playing with the girl’s shirt collar flirtatiously. She shrugged and pretended to check her folders for homework while she answered Zane.

It’s complicated. But from where I’m standing it’s looking like our month long trial period is pretty much over.

Zane turned his head and glanced at Lash one more time before turning back to her. Sarah looked at him quickly before letting her hair fall to cover her face. Carter leaned over and massaged her shoulders in a friendly way before grabbing her tray for her. Sarah glanced up with a grin and a thanks.

Month long trial period, huh? So where does that leave you?

Sarah grimaced and stood up, turning her back on Lash and Zane as she walked towards the doors.

It leaves me exactly where I want to be. By myself.

Before she reached the doorway, she felt Zane speak one more time.

Liar.

Sarah gritted her teeth and pushed through the swinging doors with a little more force than necessary and hurried towards her next class. But as she walked through the commons area, she glanced out the front windows at the bright October sky and without thinking, she burst out the doors of the high school and stepped out into freedom. She lifted her face to the sky and grinned. She was going to skip and she wasn’t even going to care.

She slipped her other arm through her back pack and began to jog. She would go to her dad’s office first so she could dump her back pack. She needed to run, she needed to feel free and she wanted to be by the ocean. The sooner, the better.

“Not so fast Sarah.”

Sarah paused and turned around with a frown as she saw Lash standing on the front steps of the school looking at her darkly.

“Running away?”

Sarah grimaced but walked back towards Lash, stopping when she was four steps down from where he stood, looking down at her.

“What do you want Lash?”

Lash frowned, his eyes narrowing. “I think I made myself pretty clear last night what I wanted. Why didn’t you sit with me for lunch?”

Sarah snorted and crossed her arms over her chest, wishing this conversation was already over. “You were a little busy grooming your next conquest,” she said dryly.

Lash tilted his head and studied her up and down, making her feel slightly uncomfortable.

“For the record, your month is not up. You’re still mine for two more weeks. Don’t forget it.”

Sarah shook her head in irritation. “I think it’s pretty clear there’s no need for that. I’m not going to change my mind about sleeping with you and you don’t seem like you’re willing to let it go. So just go back to your countless girls who’ll give you anything you want and just . . . just leave me alone,” she said wearily.

Lash’s face contorted in pain and his hands clenched at his side. “I don’t
want
them, I want
you
. Let’s agree to a compromise. You agree to be with me in a physically close way, but we won’t have sex until you’re ready.”

Sarah lifted her head and stared up at the sky, wishing she had just run a little faster out the door. She lowered her head finally and stared at Lash sadly. “Your compromise is just another way of you getting what you want from me. I’m not going to compromise myself for you or anyone else. I’m going for a run Lash. See ya around,” she said and walked quickly down the stairs.

Lash moved faster than she thought he was capable of and ended up in front of her. He reached out and grasped her arms in his hands.

“Don’t walk away from me Sarah. Don’t you ever walk away from me,” he ground out, breathing hard.

Sarah swallowed and glanced around the parking lot, wishing they weren’t quite so alone. “I’m calling it Lash. This is over. It’s not working for me and it’s obviously not working for you. Now back off before I seriously hurt you,” she warned in a low voice.

Lash gripped her arms harder, shaking his head furiously. “I’m not letting you go Sarah. You promised me a month and I want my month.”

“I’m cancelling the contract as of right this second. You’ve got five seconds to back off or you’ll be missing a few brain cells,” she warned feeling her energy start to pound through her veins.

Lash growled low in his throat but before Sarah could do anything, Lash was lifting up and away from her. Sarah yelped as Lash’s grip on her arms tightened on her arms so painfully she could feel bruises forming instantly. She watched in awe as Lash was lifted in to the air and away from her. Lash’s eyes turned from furious to fearful as he went higher and higher until he was at least five feet in the air.

Sarah gasped and turned around as she realized Zane had to be nearby. She turned to see him leaning casually against the front doors of the school. He looked faintly bored with his hands shoved into his front pockets.

“If you don’t let me down right now Zane, I’ll kill you,” Lash threatened, staring frantically at the ground.

Zane pulled away from the door and walked slowly down the stairs to stand next to Sarah. He looked up at where Lash was hovering helplessly and smiled coldly.

“It looks like you have a hard time taking no for an answer.”

Lash glared and flipped Zane off. Sarah glanced around the empty parking lot and back at the school nervously. If anyone came out and saw what was happening there would be no way to explain it.

“Zane, you better let him down. Someone might see,” she said softly.

Zane ignored her completely and walked slowly around Lash, looking up at him. “You know I couldn’t help overhearing your conversation just now and it looks like Sarah doesn’t want to be with you. Seems to me like she doesn’t want to be just another notch on your bedpost.”

Lash sneered at Zane and tried to kick out at him with his foot, but was immediately seized in a stiff, stone like manner. Lash’s face looked strained as he realized he was powerless.

“I’m not the only one with notches. Charlie’s been spreading it around school how you guys sneak off every day to go back to Race’s house. Don’t pretend you’re innocent here. You had your chance with Sarah, now back off and leave us alone.”

Sarah felt a cold river of dread slip through her chest as she turned and looked at Zane’s hard, expressionless face. She quickly looked away and felt like throwing up.

“You’re changing the subject Lash. We’re talking about you. If I hadn’t wandered out here just now, what were you going to do to Sarah? Hurt her? Force her?”

Lash glanced at Sarah’s face and looked guilty as he tried to shake his head. “Mind your own business Zane. Let me down now or I promise you’ll regret it.”

Zane looked like he was considering it and then looked up at Lash who then twisted and screamed as if he were being tortured. Sarah gasped and stepped forward, grabbing on to Zane’s arm.

“No! Zane, please stop,” Sarah begged.

Zane continued to ignore her but Lash’s body relaxed.

“Here’s the deal Lash. Leave Sarah alone or I’ll make you suffer. I just gave you a taste so you understand what will happen to you if you threaten her, touch her against her will or try to force her to do anything she doesn’t want to do. I held back because Sarah is here, but if I even suspect you’ve done something, there will be no stopping me. Do you understand?” Zane asked in a hard, furious voice Sarah didn’t even recognize.

Lash stared down at Zane and nodded slowly as if he were still in pain. Zane smiled in satisfaction and nodded once. “A deal it is then.”

Sarah watched as Lash slowly descended to the ground until his feet touched. His knees almost buckled, but he caught himself and stood shakily. He stared at Zane, breathing hard as if he wanted to leap at him, but controlled himself. He turned and looked at Sarah with an expression filled with pain and regret before turning and walking away. Instead of going back into the school he walked to the parking lot and got in her grandmother’s car and then quickly drove away.

Sarah knew she was shaking, but didn’t know how to control it. Zane stood next to her, silent and impassive, not looking at her and not saying anything.

“Thank you,” she said softly, looking up at his strong tan face and wishing things had turned out differently.

Zane slowly turned to look down at her, but his eyes were like cold metal when they’d always been so warm before. “He had it coming,” he said and turned and walked away from her without another word.

Sarah watched as Zane walked back into the school leaving her completely alone. She stared up at the school and then out towards the ocean. She knew where she needed to go. She jumped down the steps and started running towards her dad’s office. She got there five minutes later and sighed in relief when she saw the OPEN sign and the lights on. She pushed the door open and blinked in surprise when she saw Gretchen sitting behind the desk talking on the phone.

“Okay, I have you down for Monday at nine in the morning. Okay . . . see you then Mrs. Browning.”

Gretchen looked at Sarah in surprise as she put the phone down. “What in the world are you doing here during the day Sarah? You’ve got two more hours of school,” she said worriedly.

Sarah nodded and knew she must look upset but Gretchen was the last person she wanted to talk to. She needed to talk to her dad.

“I need to talk to my dad. Is he free?” she asked, side stepping the issue of school.

Gretchen frowned but nodded and stood up. She walked to the back door and opened it, calling back. “Race? Sarah’s here to see you.”