Illusion(51)

Georgia face hardened. "I feel like an idiot. That's why you didn't like to go out until you met him," she snorted loudly. "Does Anna know about this?"

"The psychic thing, yes." I said. "The vampire stuff, no."

"You could've told me about being psychic. I suspected something was up with you,” she accused, chewing her lip again. "This is why you're leaving Bali with him! You wanted a clean break. I may not be the sharpest knife in the drawer but even I can figure it out now."

Inhaling a deep breath, I nodded sadly. "That’s part of the reason. Stefan and I aren’t going to age. There are...things that need to be taken care of in New York."

"So now you're headed off with Hunky." Georgia gestured to Stefan. "Were you just going to disappear?"

I studied my hands for a moment. That's exactly what we would have done and were going to do eventually. Stefan owned properties all over the world and it would be easy to disappear with his years of practice and wealth to assist us.

"Probably."

For the first time since I knew her, Georgia cried. And not just a few tears. She wept until her shoulders shook. I sat beside her and let her cry against me, not able to offer her any other consolation. "You can't just walk away, Josie. You're like my sister."

"I know. That's what makes this so hard, Georgia.”

Georgia's relationship with her family was less than ideal. In her own words, they were mostly alcoholic rednecks that lacked any sort of common sense. She'd escaped to New York at the age of 18, putting herself through school and landing a position with a charity before getting the opportunity to start a division operating in Indonesia.

"You can come and visit us anytime," I assured her. As soon as the words left my lips, I realized how shallow they sounded. She’d cried because I was leaving and I’d offered her a place to stay if she decided to visit. I was no better at this than Stefan.

She stood and put her hands on her hips. "That's a piss poor thing to say to me. I love you like a sister and you tell me I can visit? I'm going home."

Stefan blurred to block the doorway, his large frame ominous as he stood looking down at her, his muscular chest bare and long arms folded across his chest. Thankfully at some point during our conversation he'd managed to pull jeans on.

"You must give me your word that you will keep your silence,” Stefan warned. “If you talk to anyone about this, it means your death.”

She barked out a sardonic laugh. "I said I wouldn’t tell anyone. Unless you want me to pinkie promise, that’s all you’re gonna get, Stefan. Who would believe me anyway?"

Stefan stepped aside and let her pass. She almost ran down the hallway in her haste to leave, slamming the front door so hard it shook the windows.

Stefan let out a deep sigh and sat down beside of me. He reached for my hand, turning it over and tracing patterns on my palm with his fingers. He said nothing, keeping his thoughts protected.

"I should have changed the locks," I mused, more to myself than to him.

"You never cease to amaze me," he murmured. He brought my hand up to his mouth and brushed his lips over my fingers. "Look at it this way, vackra. She knows our secret. You can keep her in your life."

"Yeah, she's thrilled with me. She wants to kick my ass."

"Time will pass and her anger will fade," he replied. “I am sorry. I wish I could save you from this part. This is where you lose every human friend you have or choose if it is safe to reveal your secret.”

He pulled me back on the bed until we were propped on the pillows. His fingers absently rubbed through the fabric of my shirt, up and down my back. I rested my face against his chest, running my hands over his muscles and through the fine hair that covered it.

"I get to keep you. It seems like a fair trade."

"Now who is the smooth talker?" He pinched my side. "You have a new gift. We must practice to see how it works."

"I don’t know how it happened. I was scared she was going to run off and I had to stop her. I just didn’t expect that I’d actually be able to do it without moving." I looked up at him, pressing my chin on his chest. “This must be another change.”

"I would assume it is. Try it on me."

"What?" I looked at him with wide eyes. “Stefan, I don’t think I can do it again.”

"Try it on me," he repeated. "Keep me in place."

He leaped from the bed. His face became predatory, his fangs clicking into place. “Stop me.”

Giggling, I sat up on my knees, my hands on my legs. "Stefan, I don't know how I did it earlier. You’re not scaring me with your fangs, Romeo. They turn me on.”