Chapter Five
682 Words
Reid’s POV
That poor girl.
She wasn’t going to make it past a week. Shame, I actually thought she was cute.
I shook my head, thinking about how arrogant Jude had to be, and left the kitchen just as a couple slaves came in to clean. My views on having slaves around this castle was different than Jude’s, but in the long run didn’t matter because this was not my home. I had friends and family that were human. We didn’t believe in the whole slavery thing. How Jude and I ever became best friends was beyond me.
My curiosity had me following them out into the world. Out in public surrounded by other vampires. But Amabell didn’t seem scared. She didn’t shy away from the plump man that handed her a stone or the vendors selling different flavored blood packets. She even smiled a smile that seemed to brighten the world around her.
How could Jude hate her so much? How could he hate their race so much?
I trailed behind, stopping at a vendor and pretending to look at something when Jude and Amabell stopped. Jude was noticeably irritated with her every time she stopped to look in amazement that the trinkets sold there. He had his hands shoved in his pockets, a lot like he did at one of his father’s meetings when he was bored. After a while Jude seemed to relax a bit more. “Reid! How are you doing, boy?”
A familiar man jumped in front of me. Gregory, a college and a dear friend of my father’s, greeted me with his friendly smile. “Hey, Greg.”
I tried going around him but he stopped me.
“Your father told me how you were looking for work again. You know I always have a spot for you at the Café. I could use the help around there since Emilie went off to college.”
“Yeah, of course.” Jude and Amabell were almost out of sight.
“That great, son! You can start right away.”
“Great…” By the time I got passed Greg, I couldn’t see them anymore. I groaned to myself and turned on my heels.
“I’m sorry to hear about your mother as well.”
My eyes narrowed at him. “What are you talking about?”
“Your mother falling ill…”
I was confused, staring at him like he said something in a foreign language. I quickly pulled my phone from my back pocket. I hardly had this thing in my hands so I wasn’t surprised when I had dozens of missed calls and texts. They were mostly from my father. His frantic texts and voicemails were unusual.
“Reid, call me! Your mother is sick…she’s not doing so good. Please call me!” One voicemail said.
“Reid, mom was admitted into the hospital. Come as soon as you can!”
“Hey, son. I know we haven’t been on good terms in the last couple years but your will always be my son. They don’t know how much longer your mom has left. It would mean a lot if you could be here. If not I understand. We love you…”
My jaw clenched and my hand tightened around the phone until it cracked. Those voicemails were from three days ago. He quit calling after the last voicemail. He probably thought I was ignoring them. He probably thought I hated them and didn’t care.
How could I be so stupid?
How could I be such a terrible son?
I took off sprinting towards downtown. My mother was dying, or was already dead, and I let a stupid feud between my father and I keep me from being there for her.
She never left my mind as I raced towards the hospital, praying she was still alive.
- Writer
