Onward!
Rebecca tossed and turned for the rest of the short night, sweating through her clothes and the bed sheets. Everything around her was a distraction—from the shadows on the wall to the feeling of the comforter weighing her down. She huffed angrily as the sun filtered in through the window, striking at the ceiling, wall, and floor beside the bed. Then, she rolled from the bed and shuffled into the shower, stripping off clothes as she went.
It took her an hour and a half to finish cleaning herself up, as she couldn't help but to watch, mesmerized, as each individual drop rolled across her skin and dropped to the floor of the tub before swirling in a never ending vortex down the drain. Then, she couldn't get over the feeling of the loofa as it scraped away the visible dead skin cells along her body. She finally had to force herself to step out when the water went cold.
After toweling off for fifteen minutes, Rebecca dug through her souvenir bag, finding her underwear and spare bra along with a tank top and shorts that had definitely seen better days. The shorts were made of a coarse material that scratched against her thighs while she walked—but, seeing as she had no other alternative other than her Fangtasia wardrobe (it was too hot for jeans), she decided she would suck it up and deal.
Downstairs, she poured herself a bowl of cereal, but quickly disposed of it as she could taste the preservatives and the overabundance of sugar in the molecules of the grains. As a substitute, she grabbed an apple from the bowl in the center of the dining room table, munching on it as she made her way into the TV room. Flipping through the channels, she quickly grew restless and bored. There was nothing that could hold her attention for long—the colors, so much less vibrant than real life, the acting seeming forced, cheesy. Rebecca clicked off the television and slumped on the couch. She couldn't sleep, didn't want to eat, and wasn't entertained by the TV. What else was there to do?
Her eyes flicked to the books on the shelf, but she nixed the idea immediately. Her body was buzzing with restrained energy, and she knew that her focus would not hold onto the words. That left… not much. She could go for a run, but Rebecca had, had enough with interacting with people for the moment, and she highly doubted that the streets would be vacant now that the sun had fully risen. The summer air hung heavily as is moved through the room, coating her with an uncomfortable layer of heat. Rebecca stared at the dust as it passed by her. She sighed.
"Bored already?"
Rebecca jerked upwards to find Eric leaning against the banister of the stairs. She choked on her answer, eyes flicking to the patches of sunlight that filtered off his beatific face.
Suddenly, he was beside her on the couch, "You know, I could… relieve that boredom for a while." His hand slid up her thigh, fingers reaching beneath the hem of her boxers. Rebecca felt her heart jumpstart into a pounding rhythm as her mouth suddenly went dry. Those probing digits teased in slow circles, a smirk making its way across his face.
Rebecca blinked, and he was gone. She cursed, reminding herself that hallucinations were going to be a side effect of ingesting massive amounts of his blood since she'd met him. It had taken what seemed like forever for Brandon's ghost to quit following her around, and she had only taken from him the one time—right after the hospital. It had only been a mouthful to get her off the IV so he could take her home before the police came by. Eric… well, there was the parking lot, after he bit her, and then on the bar…. So, three transfusions of his blood. Rebecca groaned loudly, three times as much time of Eric popping up wherever she went with his damnable suggestive comments.
"Great," she breathed, flinging her arm over her eyes. "Just what I needed."
"What is just what you needed?" Sookie said, strolling down the stairs.
Rebecca looked up over the arm of the couch. Sookie was dressed in her waitressing uniform, pulling her hair into a bouncing ponytail on her head.
"Nothing," Rebecca replied, yanking her body to standing.
Sookie gave her a long, sympathetic look, and Rebecca knew that she was attempting to be patient and not to read her mind. As grateful as Rebecca was the Sookie had come to get her from Eric's grasp, she didn't necessarily think she wanted to share the details of her daydreams. She almost didn't want to share them with her own mind. He pissed her off, made her want to be every bit as violent with him as Brandon had been with her—he also made her want to have the first one night stand of her life while simultaneously committing adultery. She mentally shook her head; she was still a married woman, even though she despised her husband. And she was going to abide by those vows, even if she had to pass up an opportunity as tantalizing as Eric.
"So, work?" Rebecca quipped, changing the subject.
Sookie smiled, "Yeah. I'll be gone for a few hours, but I'll be back before sunset, and Bill will be here tonight so we can talk about Dallas."
Rebecca nodded. Sookie was going to use Bill as a bodyguard in case Eric decided to retaliate against the phone call she had made the previous night. She mentally smacked herself, not knowing what she had been thinking. The shock of being glamoured and the heat of Eric's blood had made her impulsive and angry. And she had no doubt he was devising many numerous ways for her to pay for it as he rested beneath the ground. The thought of Eric's morbid sense of humor and the possible repercussions made her shiver.
After seeing her friend off, Rebecca stood in the middle of the living room, turning in small circles. As she turned, Rebecca decided the place could use a little cleaning up, and, given the fact that she was nearly bursting with energy; she could clean the house as a thank you for Sookie taking her in off the street and giving her a place to stay.
Digging through the cupboards, Rebecca found the bucket she had used to clean to blood off the front of the house. It had been stained a dull pink color, but was still useable. Then, she filled it with water and soap, and got to work. The floors received a thorough scrubbing, and the walls, too. The ceiling fans were dusted and the stairs swept and mopped. The carpets were vacuumed and the windows wiped clean. Rebecca saved the bathroom for last, pulling on rubber gloves to tackle the massive amounts of porcelain.
By the time she heard Sookie calling up from the front door, Rebecca had cleaned the entire house, and felt only slightly fatigued. She looked up to the window and noted that there was still two or three hours of daylight left. Rebecca sighed, pulling off her gloves and calling down to her friend. She would need another shower, but she vowed that this one would be no more than ten minutes.
Discreetly, she crept downstairs and plucked the egg timer off the window sill shoved it into the folds of her shirt. Change of clothes at the ready, she set the timer and rushed through her shower routine. The water helped wash away the dust and grime from being on her knees scrubbing all day, and a fresh dousing of body wash left her feeling refreshed. Rebecca had just turned off the water when the timer dinged. She gave herself a mental pat on the back as she dressed, wringing out her dripping hair with the towel.
Barefoot and damp, Rebecca descended the stairs to something that smelled marvelous. She wandered into the kitchen as Sookie pulled out two foil-wrapped dinners from the oven.
"Courtesy of Lafayette," she said, unwrapping them. Inside were two corn cobs and an assortment of vegetables.
Rebecca salivated. "How is he?" She asked as she gathered some utensils.
Sookie shook her head, "Not well. He's pretty shaken up, and he won't tell me what they did to him."
Feeling her chest begin to ache with guilt, Rebecca suddenly lost her appetite. Sookie placed her hand on her arm, "He doesn't blame you. Rebecca, he got caught selling V. That's punishable by death for vampires. He's lucky to be alive."
Rebecca sneered, "I bet Eric thinks he was being lenient with him, the bastard."
Sookie looked away, "It was cruel, whatever he did. But I'm just glad Lafayette's alive."
Swallowing a lump in her throat, Rebecca made an extensive effort not to cry, "Me, too. I should go see him."
Sookie set down their plates, "Why don't you wait until tomorrow night. We have a lot of ground to cover tonight. And I have someone I would like for you to meet."
Rebecca raised a brow, "Sookie, I don't know if I can handle meeting any more of your friends."
She laughed, smiling widely, "Let's just say that this one is next to harmless."
Taking a bite, Rebecca rolled her eyes, "I'll believe that when I see it."
The sun hadn't set for more than a minute when a knock sounded at the door. Sookie hopped up from her position on the couch to answer it and Rebecca closed the book she had finally settled down enough to read. In walked Bill Compton and a young, fresh-faced teenager. Rebecca tensed, sensing unconsciously that she was a vampire.
"Relax," Bill said, holding up a hand, "She won't hurt you. Rebecca, this is my child, Jessica."
Rebecca stood, folding her hands in front of her and calling upon every piece of ingrained Southern Etiquette she had to offer. "It's very nice to meet you," she said simply.
Jessica smiled a very small smile, "Nice to meet you, too."
They stood there for a few minutes in awkward silence, until Sookie invited Bill and Jessica to sit down. Then, she filled the emptiness with asking Bill questions about what their trip to Dallas would be like. Bill answered each with concise, easy to swallow answers, while Rebecca and Jessica emitted similar sighs of boredom. Rebecca glanced up at the girl, raising a brow. Jessica looked exactly as she had a few years back, sitting on the couch of her parent's house, listening to them drone on and on about how things were going to be once she hit college, once she married, once she had kids. It was exhausting work, listening to one's whole life being planned out for you. And Jessica looked positively fatigued.
Standing, she jerked her head to the side, intimating that Jessica could follow. As she walked from the room, she shot Sookie a wink. They needed to talk, and Rebecca wanted some amusement—everyone was happy.
"So, Jessica, what do you like to do?" Rebecca asked as they climbed the stairs.
Jessica followed her eagerly, "I don't know, listen to music."
Rebecca glanced back at her with raised brows, "Really? What kind?"
The girl shrugged, "I don't know. I wasn't allowed to listen to secular music while with my parents, and all Bill listens to is old timey crap from, like, the twenties."
Chuckling, Rebecca led Jessica to her room and reached underneath the bed for her duffel. Then, she pulled out two CD's.
"Here, let's try these to see if you like them. I'll burn you a copy if you do."
Inserting the first CD into the stereo, Rebecca pressed play and the sounds of Lady Gaga's "Just Dance" filled the room. Jessica listened for a few minutes, bobbing her head along, smiling at one lyric or another. The song finished and 'Lovegame' followed. This pattern continued until they had listened to the entire CD, both of them flung back on the bed, toes bopping to the beat.
Rebecca rose to put in the next CD, Kesha, and then returned to her original spot. They rolled through the tracks on that CD, and when silence filled the room again, Jessica hopped up and switched them out.
"You got any more like this?" She asked.
Rebecca shook her head, "My husband got just about everything else when I left him. I didn't really have time to pack. Those were just the CD's that were in my car when I took off."
Jessica cocked her head to the side, "Was he a bad man?"
"Yes," Rebecca replied, nodding.
"I could kill him."
Rebecca barked out a laugh, "He's a vampire, Jessica. Not a very old one, but older than you. Besides, I want to divorce him before someone decides to take his head off."
"I had thought slow torture would be a better method."
Rebecca let out a shriek and Jessica hissed at the form hanging outside Rebecca's window.
"What, the fuck, Eric?" Rebecca called, grasping her chest to slow her heart.
Bill flew in, fangs out, body moving in front of Jessica to protect his child. Sookie ran in next, breathing hard. And still, Eric looked unmoved, patiently waiting for the tension to cool a bit as everyone calmed down.
"We have something to discuss," he said, giving Rebecca a pointed look.
Rebecca's eyes narrowed, "No, I don't think we do. I'd appreciate it if you left me alone until the trip to Dallas."
Eric's head cocked to the side, "Perhaps this would be better discussed away from prying eyes. I will meet you on the porch."
Rebecca stared at the empty window, jaw hanging loose in shock. And then her eyes narrowed to slits in undisguised anger. She turned, huffing, and stomped past the incredulous crowd at her back, down the stairs, and to the front door. Then, she counted to ten to calm her exasperation. It took two tries, but she eventually cooled down enough that she didn't slam open the door and repeat the running dialogue of insults aimed at Eric's dignity.
Instead, she calmly opened the door, holding it open. Leaning out onto the porch, Rebecca spotted Eric standing on the first stair, his back to her. She cleared her throat, letting go of the door to fold her arms across her chest.
"You wanted to talk?" She asked, her expression defensive and hard.
Eric turned, and the moonlight glinted off the blonde of his hair. Standing in the doorway, Rebecca had to remind herself that, despite his appearance, Eric had threatened, blackmailed, and rough-housed his way to where they were right now—she wanted none of that.
Holding out his hand, Eric smiled, "Let's take a walk."
Rebecca had to grip her biceps tightly to stop her instinctive forward motion. "No, I think we're fine talking right here."
With slow, cautious movements, Eric closed the space between them. "You don't trust me?"
"Not at all," Rebecca replied seriously.
His expression cooled, "Well, that's a problem."
"Really?" Rebecca countered, leaning her shoulder on the sill of the door. "Because I think it's a solution. Every time I've trusted you so far, I've been beat all to hell."
Eric shook his head marginally, "Ah, ah, ah. You got yourself into those messes. I just pulled you out, gracious host that I am."
Rebecca rolled her eyes, "You go on thinking that. You know, I'm beginning to think that this trip was a bad idea."
She flinched when a hiss escaped his lips before he could collect himself. He smoothed his features carefully, bracing his body on either side of the frame, pushing against the solid air between them. Rebecca swallowed at the sudden invasion of her space, but she refused to back down. She still had the doorway between them, and that would be enough to stop him.
"On the contrary," he said genially, "I think it's the best damn idea I've ever had." He blinked slowly, his pupils dilating. "Come outside and talk to me like a civilized person."
"Okay," Rebecca breathed, stepping from the doorway into the muggy night air. It clung to her skin like a heavy winter coat, leeching the energy from her body. Rebecca felt the weight of it pressing on her chest, making it hard to take full, cleansing breaths. Even worse, she couldn't take her eyes from Eric's haunting face. Somewhere in the back of her mind, she recognized the thrall, but couldn't—or wouldn't—fight it. Rebecca was tired of struggling against him, and it was a fight she was destined to lose.
Eric was a hundred times stronger than her—and far more experienced in getting what he wanted. The thought angered her, made her blood turn hot and race through her veins. She pushed angrily at her lethargy.
"You can't keep doing this just to get what you want," Rebecca bit out even as her feet strolled forward through the door.
"And you can't keep running from every situation that makes you uncomfortable," Eric replied lazily, leading her with gentle pushes down the stairs of the porch. "I have told you I wouldn't harm you, and I have kept that promise. Honestly, it is I who should be offended by your behavior."
Rebecca scoffed, "Really? Because a couple of my ribs would like to rebut that statement."
"I have healed those wounds, have I not? I have freely given of my blood, sacred blood, so that you would be safe. Is that not generous of me?"
Inhaling her frustrations, Rebecca rubbed at her head, "Let me out of the glamour, Eric." The fog of her mind lifted and her will of movement returned without a second thought. She noticed that they had made it to the edge of the woods, where the cover of darkness hid them from the lights of the street. She leaned heavily against a tree and looked at Eric.
"What is it that you want?" She asked.
He tilted his head to the side, studying her for a moment, "I want you to trust me. We cannot get through this trip to Dallas if you won't trust me."
Rebecca swallowed back an angry retort, "I don't even know why I'm going to Dallas anyways. I'll just be in the way."
"You're right, you will be in the way. However, I have told you that I will protect you, and I can't very well do that from another state."
"You're being serious." Rebecca said more than asked.
"Deathly," Eric replied without a hint of amusement. Rebecca nodded. "Then, we will start from the beginning. Come back with me and we'll get you ready and packed."
Rebecca shook her head, "I can't. I need to get my head straight."
Eric strode forward, leaning close, "And there is nothing I can do to change your mind?"
Not trusting her voice, Rebecca shook her head again, ducking his gaze. She couldn't take the risk of being glamoured again and then ending out right where she started.
"Well, then, good night," he whispered softly. Rebecca hazarded a glance at him, and immediately regretted it. The moonlight glinted off his pale skin and shimmered in his hair. He looked like a living statue, a masterpiece she'd seen once in a museum. Everything about him was perfect, down to the flush of his eyelashes against his cheek as he blinked. Nothing about him in this moment seemed real.
"Good night," she managed in a croak.
With slow, deliberate movements, Eric leaned down and pressed his lips to hers. The kiss was the softest she had ever received, his arms around her a gentle embrace. Rebecca allowed herself to enjoy it for what it was, a good night kiss. Even if she didn't necessarily like him, and he didn't necessarily have the best intentions, she was determined to enjoy this one kiss.
He left her on the porch, still not sure what the hell just happened, but feeling like something had changed. It was entirely possible that the change had only occurred within her body, but the alteration was irrevocable. She sat on the stairs of the porch, looking out into the night. It suddenly didn't feel quite as terrifying as it had before.
A little bit of the softer side of Eric. We'll see just a bit more of it in Dallas, right before the shit hits the fan.