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The expression "the ier I live, the , I can sit perfectly still and be content Once I stayed in a cave for six months and had only the blood of a faone by, I hat I want immediately I enter into relationships swiftly Therefore, in h we have just met
Of course, I often end friendships as quickly
It is Ray&039;s knocking at s me out of my rest How does a va dead True, I often dream when I sleep, but they are usually dreams of blood and pain Yet the drea, is the one I find the oes by It is with a heavy step that I walk froed out of his school clothes into jeans and a gray sweatshirt It is ten o&039;clock A glance at Ray tellsat irl that has such hypnotic eyes If he wasn&039;t thinking about sex before, heabout it soon
"Am I too late?" he asks
I sht" I step aside and gesture "Please coive the bare rooe The et into the house when they calances around and nods his approval "You said your parents are away?"
"I did say that, yes"
"Where are they?"
"Colorado"
"Where did you live in Colorado?"
"In theto drink?"
"Sure What do you have?"
"Water"
He laughs "Sounds perfect As long as you&039;ll join ht have a bottle of wine as well Do you drink?"
"I have a beer every now and then"
We head for the kitchen "Wine is etarian, if that&039;s what you ," I say He is so darling, it is hard to resist nibbling on hi in the kitchen We drink to world peace Ray is anxious to get to work, he says He is just anxious Alone with a reater Ray knows he is with a unique feued, and confused I ask how Pat is May as well confront his confusion
"Fine," he says
"Did you tell her you were coe of guilt, but no o to bed"
"You can sleep here if you want Once you bring in the beds"
My boldness startles him "My father would wonder where I was"
"I have a phone You can call him" I add, "What does your father do?"
"He&039;s a private detective"
"Sounds glamorous Do you want to call him?"
Ray catches my eye I catch his in return He doesn&039;t flinch as his father did under oes and how late it gets," Ray says carefully
He sets to work Soon he is huffing and puffing I help hith I tell him how I befriended Seymour and he is interested Apparently Seymour is a friend of his as well
"He&039;s probably the s in a couple of dining room chairs "He&039;s only sixteen years old and he&039;ll be graduating in June"
"He told me he likes to write," I say
"He&039;s an incredible writer He let Pat read a couple of his short stories, and she gave them to oes on in the space between moments of time It was called &039;The Second Hand&039; He had this character who suddenly begins to live between theon there than in nor What uy was in the last hour of his life But it took hiuy knoas his last hour?"
Ray hesitates He must know Seymour is not well "I don&039;t know, Lara"
He has not usedmyself
He raises an eyebrow "A nickname?"
"Sort of My father used to call e of tone, for I have allowed sadness to enter , which is different from sorrow No one I have cared about has used my real name in thousands of years I think how nice it will be to have Ray say it
"How long will your family be in Colorado?" Ray asks
"I lied My father&039;s not there He&039;s dead"
"I&039;h "He died a long tio"
"How did he die?"
"He was murdered"
Ray makes a face "Thatever happened to my father, I would be devastated My mother left us when I was five"
I s thickly By the strength of my reaction, I realize how involved I have allowed myself to become with the boy All because he has Rama&039;s eyes? There is more to it than that He also has Rae person would have said, had they heard the alike But to me, with my vampire ears, the subtle aspects of their voices are almost identical The silence between their syllables It was Rama&039;s deep silence that initially attracted me to him
"You must be very close" is all I can say But I knoill have to bring up the father again soon I want in that office tonight I just hope I mopped up every drop of blood I have no wish to be with Ray when he learns the truth
If he ever does
I let hi in the furniture, which takes hih it took e It is after lass--and he drinks it down quick He is thirsty, as I a and sex are not that separate in my mind Yet I aes, the lusts--they soether But I don&039;t want to hurt this young man, I don&039;t want any har with reater I have only to think of my history, and of the person who stalks lass
"I should get home," he says
"You can&039;t drive"
"Why not?"
"You&039;re drunk"
"I&039;h alcohol to make you drunk Face it, boy, you&039;re trapped here for a while But if you want to sober up quick, then take a hot tub with me You can sweat the alcohol out of your syste my suit"
"I don&039;t own a suit," I say
He is interested--very--but doubtful "I don&039;t know"
I step over and rest my palms on his sweaty chest His muscles are well developed It would be fun to wrestle with him, I think, especially since I knoould win I look up into his eyes; he is almost a head taller than I He looks down atinto my eyes, into bottomless wells of blue, twin skies behind which the eternal black of space hides The realm of the yakshinis He senses s about him and feel a chill So much like Rama, this boy He haunts me Could it be true? Those words of Krishna&039;s that Radha had told me about love?
"Time cannot destroy it I aes the form Somewhere in some time it will return When you least expect it, the face of a loved one reappears Look beyond the face and-- "
Odd, but I cannot remember the last part of it I of the perfect memory
"I will not tell Pat," I say "She will never know"
He draws in a breath "I don&039;t like lying to her"
"People always lie to one another It&039;s the way of the world Accept it It doesn&039;t mean you have to hurt with your lies" I take his hands; they trehtly, but his eyes reers and rub them on my cheek "What happens with me will not hurt her"
He smiles faintly "Is that a lie to save me hurt?"
"Maybe"
"Who are you?"
"Sita"
"Who is Sita?"