There was something about Harry I couldn't quite put my finger on, but I wasn't a hundred percent ready to throw in the towelyet.
12
One month later
Workon the house was starting to speed up, though I'd been seeing less of Martin. It was almost like he was going out of his way to avoid me, but I hadn't done anything to him, so I couldn't imagine why. Harry was still coming around and I liked him, but I still couldn't seem to commit to him. He'd been pushing for a bigger commitment lately and I just wasn't ready to give it to him. The gobs of people hanging out at the house had mostly died down, though every once in awhile some stragglers came through trying to woo me. The letters were starting in earnest, though. It was almost like being a lottery winner. Cousins you supposedly have but never knew claimed their blood ties in long, earnest letters. All of them were liars. Then there were the ones who just came right out and asked for something, usually donations for their imaginary churches or liver transplants for their made up on the spot brothers. I'd taken to throwing all handwritten letters straight into the garbage bin. Flowers and gifts still continued to show up on a daily basis, which was a massive pain in the ass because I hated to waste things. So the house was still full of flowers. Houseplants and other living things were repotted and moved into a messy area of the house I hoped to turn into asunroom.
One particular vamp who'd come around a few times caught my eye and I'd given in to his requests for a date. He seemed genuine and sweet. I'd rarely met a vamp into books and video games, so speaking to Kristoff was genuinely enlightening. I liked him. Our first date ended kind of strange. I invited Kristoff inside while I was getting ready one afternoon and offered him a slice of chocolate cake. His reaction, while a little over enthusiastic, pleased me, and later that evening when we popped into Sam's Bakery, he convinced me to speak to Sam about placing it into his display. Sam was delighted and asked to try it before heagreed.
One week later, I had a special spot in the display case and Sam had contracted me to make a few more baked goods for him on a weekly basis. Kristoff was ecstatic for me. He wasn't as handsome as Harry, nor was he as sociable or involved in the town, he had more of a quiet personality, but his intellect managed to keep me astounded on a daily basis. So I continued to see him at least once a week. Harry pushed to see me daily, but I had taken a step back from him. At the most I saw him three times a weeknow.
I had my hands full of this week's bakery items and was trying to get the door open when a blonde woman came into my field of vision and held the door open for me. She was pretty in a bookish sort of way, with long blonde hair and bright green eyes. "There you go!" she said and let me sail through thedoor.
I breathed out mythanks.
"No problem. Got anything else you need helpwith?"
I stared at the woman for a moment trying to gauge any ulterior motives, but she seemed sincere. "I do," I said. "Give me aminute?"
She nodded and stood by the door waiting. Sam stood at the counter and took everything from me. "What do you have thisweek?"
"Cupcakes, chocolate crinkles, an Italian Cream cake, and somebrownies."
Sam's eyes sparkled. "Can't wait!" He reached inside his apron and counted out some cash for me. I shoved into my jean's pocket. "Let me get therest."
I motioned for the blonde woman to follow me and when we got to the car I handed her the tray of brownies. "Careful, I'd hate to remakethem."
The blonde woman grinned. "No worries. I got this." Then she promptly tripped over her own feet, but managed to right herself. "Ha!" she crowed. "Scaredyou."
I snorted with nervous laughter. I'd seen the woman around town before, though I'd never interacted with her. I was pretty sure she was married to one of the town gardeners, but I could have been mistaken. When we dropped everything off to Sam, the woman held out her hand, "HelenReaper."
I blinked in surprise. "Thenecromancer?"
Helen's lips twisted. "Or the woman,yes."
I cringed. "Sorry. I heard some stuff about you a few months ago. The story inside the courthouse was ariot."
Her green eyes gleamed. "Yeah. That family was totallywhacked."
We chatted for awhile and eventually agreed to meet for drinks later that week. I was ecstatic. I still considered Melody and Parker my best friends, but I was good at holding a grudge, so I was still pissed at them over the datingstuff.
Later that evening,I was sitting on my couch enjoying a bowl of homemade ice cream listening to Martin's music as he busied himself into the soon to be sunroom, when the doorbell rang. I groaned and set my bowl down, hoping it would be quick because I hated melted ice cream. When I opened the door, Harry stood there. We stared at each other for a minute before I asked him what he was doing at myhouse.
He ran a hand through his usually meticulous hair. "I heard you were with another guytoday."
One of my eyebrows rose and a weird feeling prickled down my spine. "Okay." I would neither confirm nor deny because I wasn't exactly comfortable with how this was startingout.
"Is ittrue?"
I sighed. "Does itmatter?"
"You're my girlfriend!" he said and took a step closer tome.
"Umm," I said as I studied him to see if he was serious or not. "No, I'm not. We never established anything likethat."
"We've been seeing each other for over amonth!"
"And?"
