The Vampire's Sweet Secret

Chapter 2: Getting Ready

-Ava-

Earlier that the day…

“Cassy, have you seen my heels?” I yelled as I looked through my closet, unable to find the only pair of heels I had. They were black, barely three inches, and I had rarely worn them, but I needed them for today. I had a very important meeting and a very powerful person to impress. I couldn’t just wear something casual if I wanted this job. One out of many I had tried to apply for, and my last chance. The rest had all refused me, and I needed this job so badly.

I knew Cassy was more than happy to help me and take care of me, but I couldn’t rely on her forever. I didn’t want to bring her into my situation, so I didn’t plan to stay here for long. However, I needed money if I wanted to go anywhere.

“Oh, there!” I exclaimed and found them at the bottom of my closet. I put them on and then walked downstairs. Cassy lived in a nice three-bedroom apartment in Brooklyn, and I had spent most of my time just lying around since I arrived here a little over a month ago, but I was not good at doing nothing. My thoughts were too dark, too scary when I had so much time to spend. I needed a distraction.

I found Cassy downstairs in her living room and quickly placed myself in front of her.

“Okay, so what do you think?” I asked.

Cassy looked me up and down, up and down, and I was starting to feel nervous.

“Well?”

“Is that really what you want to wear to a job interview?” she inquired.

“Why?”

“Well, the dress is more one you would wear to go out in,” she said and gestured to the sleeveless dress I was wearing.

“It is the only one I got,” I whispered and looked down.

I heard Cassy move, and then she quickly disappeared into her room before coming back to me, holding a blazer in front of me.

“Put this on,” she instructed and smiled.

I smiled back at her and quickly put it on before Cassy took a step back and looked me over, now nodding approvingly.

“That’s better,” she said.

“I’m ready?”

“Well, are you?” she inquired.

“What?”

“Do you really think you should do this?”

“What do you mean?” I questioned.

“Ava, I am happy to have you here, and you don’t need to work. I will take care of you,” she promised. “You only came here a month and a half ago, and I mean have you even told your employer that you are pregnant?”

“I was hoping to, um, wait with telling them,” I admitted.

“So, you will go work for them in a few months and then just go on maternal leave?” she pointed out.

“Well, I was not really planning on going on maternal leave,” I told her.

Cassy shook her head.

“You are going to work yourself to death,” she commented. “And now you got a second person to look after.”

She gestured to my flat stomach, and I reached up, placing my hand there, but quickly removed it again, not wanting to think about it. Cassy must have seen the look on my face and sighed.

“You know I will go with you if you have decided you don’t want to go through with it,” she said.

I just shook my head. “I haven’t decided…”

“I know it is a big decision,” she pointed out. “But if you don’t want this child, you shouldn’t have it.”

“Zachary will just force me to have another,” I said. “He wants his heir.”

“And if it is a girl?”

“Then he will force me to have another,” I whispered.

“Well, Zachary isn’t here, is he?” she inquired.

“No, but he will find me.”

“No, he won’t!” Cassy said. “Which is why I don’t think you should test fate and go out there!”

“I need money, Cassy. Should he find me, I need to know I can get away,” I explained.

“Which is why I have prepared a bag for you!”

“And what if I can’t get to that bag? Besides, you have already done so much for me,” I pointed out. “I need to do this for me. I need to be able to protect myself.”

Cassy sighed, clearly not agreeing with this, but she didn’t tell me what to do either. She had been so kind when I arrived, tending to me and checking in on me. She even prepared a meeting with a friend of hers, who was a therapist. I had not gone there yet, but I was happy about the offer. But I just couldn’t stay at home all the time. I needed something to do. I needed something to make me feel like I could actually be used for more than just being a vessel.

“I can’t say I agree, but I will support you no matter what,” she promised.

I smiled and nodded thankfully.

“How is Rina?” I asked. “Have you heard from her?”

Cassy nodded and I felt relieved. “They are staying with John’s uncle. They are safe there. Zachary won’t try to touch them.”

“You clearly don’t know Zachary. He doesn’t accept betrayal,” I revealed.

“Maybe not, but Rina and John aren’t alone. His uncle is part of a powerful pack down there in Texas. Zachary might be strong too, but he does not want a war,” she said.

“I am not so sure…”

“Hey, just worry about yourself, okay? I will keep track of my sister. You don’t need to worry,” she reminded me.

“But I do.”

Cassy walked closer and placed her hands on my shoulders, smiling at me. I was still not very happy about being touched, but it was easier to allow Cassy to do it because she had been so kind to me.

“Hey, keep your head in the game, you got an important interview today,” she reminded me, and I nodded.

“Last chance, right?” she questioned.

“Yeah, the others have already told me no, so now I will go down there and show my interest,” I told her.

“That’s the spirit!” she exclaimed. “An employer likes to see it.”

“That was what I thought,” I teased and smiled.

Cassy took a step back and looked me over again.

“You look good,” she complimented, yet I sensed it wasn’t completely true.

I was not used to wearing clothes like this. Normally, I liked to hide, in hopes Zachary would find me repulsive, but it never happened. He knew what was beneath the clothes, and so it had not stopped him from having me when he wanted me. Not that he didn’t find others to spend his time with as well, but sometimes he wanted me because he loved how much it disgusted me and how much he could dominate me. It was a power trip he went on every time he took me.

“I don’t feel so good though,” I admitted.

“Morning sickness?”

“More like afternoon sickness,” I said. “It always comes later in the day.”

“Well, I got all of these for you for a reason,” she remarked and gestured to the coffee table, where a lot of books were placed on top of each other, and one was opened.

“Um, books?” I asked.

“Books about being pregnant, becoming a mother, and taking care of the baby!” she said happily. “There is a lot to learn and buy. We need a crib, clothes, and, oh, when is your first scan?”

“Um, in two weeks,” I replied.

“Do you need me?” she inquired.

“I guess it couldn’t hurt,” I said.

“Then I will be there. Do you need a lift today?”

I shook my head.

“I will take a cab. I need to be able to find my way around on my own,” I pointed out.

“It is really brave of you,” she said. “I am very proud of you.”

I smiled and then told her I would take a look at the books later, but I was not sure I was going to. I was so scared about all of it, and I had still not been able to wrap my head around what was happening to me. However, I pushed it all away as I walked out of the door and went to my interview.