“Yep. She probably just ate something bad. Perks of being human.” I grinned at him.
He nodded, gesturing with his arm to indicate that we should walk. I fell in step beside him and he reached out his hand.
“Please, allow me,” he said, and took my bag off my shoulder before I could stop him. I had to remind myself that Connor was from a different time, when men did this kind of thing and women were not insulted by being referred to as the weaker sex.
“Where’s Isabelle?” I asked.
“She is attending dance rehearsal. She is quite enjoying being a dancer again, I think, and uses every spare moment to perform.”
“That’s good,” I said, as we rounded the corner and headed to the Red Theater.
“Forgive my intrusion, Amy, but you are also ill as well, are you not?”
“Me?” I asked, surprised, and then realized he wasn’t just referring to a stomach bug. “Oh, yes. But it’s managed, and doesn’t really bother me yet.”
“What is it, exactly?”
“HIV. It, uh… can lead to AIDS… It’s a blood infection that can be passed on through bodily fluids. My mother had it, shortly before she found out she was pregnant with me.”
“I’m sorry to hear that,” he said, and he seemed truly sorry. “Is there anything I can do to help?”
“Sure,” I said dryly. “Turn me into a vampire and everything will be cured.”
He froze, holding the door open for me. “Have you discussed that with Liam? Your relationship seems quite serious.”
“Oh.” I shook my head. “We’re just taking it one day at a time. We don’t know where this is going. But we know that we love each other, and that’s all that really matters.”
He smiled as the door shut behind us. “Young love is such a beautiful thing.”
“Thanks?” I replied, as we neared the stage.
Sarah was already sitting on the edge of it, cross-legged in black spandex shorts and a black sports bra, looking much better than she had this morning. We were expected to come dressed to rehearse, but Sarah always took it to the extra level.
“Hey,” she said, as we both approached, giving Connor extra eye contact.
He dipped his head. “Sarah. I trust you are feeling better.”
“I am,” she replied, patting a spot beside her.
I hopped up on the stage before Connor could get there. If they were going to insist on having an affair, they could at least not be so obvious about it. Isabelle was tiny, but I got the feeling that she was deadly. Every inch of her small body was packed with muscle, and she reminded me of a cat, coiled and ready to pounce. Just as I was about to shoo Connor away, Isabelle entered the theater and he immediately melted away to be at her side.
I wondered if she knew what was happening right under her nose. I also wondered how a man could love his wife so much and yet give Sarah so much attention.
Sarah told me it happened all the time; that I had lived a sheltered life, and of course, she was right. Men cheated all the time, and she claimed it wasn’t her problem what Connor’s choices were. She wasn’t married. And although I saw her point, it still sent shivers down my spine. I didn’t think I could be that person, from either side of the relationship.
“Can we get into the first scene?” Liam called as he entered from the front of house.
To my surprise, he wasn’t coming bounding in and pointing out everything he wanted. He was moving slowly, and I was about to ask him if he was ok, when I saw the reason why. With a death grip on his arm, Nina put one foot in front of the other, until she reached the closest chair in the audience, and sunk into it.
We hadn’t seen Nina since she collapsed. She had sunk into Torpor, the vampire coma-like state that happened when they starved themselves. Having taken up residence on Liam’s couch, she lay, like a statue, undead and unmoving for weeks. It creeped me out to see her that way, and Liam assured me that she was fine, she would recover. So mostly, we spent time in my dorm room, whispering in the early morning sunrise when he showed up after a long night of vampirism.
Sarah and I made our way over to say hello to Nina, but Liam blocked us as he came towards the stage.
“Let’s just let her be. Sarah, I heard you were creating quite a show this morning. Feeling better?”
“Yes.” Sarah blushed, nodding. “I swear I wasn’t out drinking last night or anything.”