Love Sucks! Read online

  Love Sucks!

  Melissa Francis

  To my sons, Ian and Rader

  It makes me proud to know you would fight evil

  vampires to protect me. And for the record, I’d do

  the same for you, if you’d just clean your rooms.

  Contents

  Chapter 1

  My mother’s baby shower.

  Chapter 2

  We piled into the minivan. Ryan was driving, and I…

  Chapter 3

  As soon as we arrived home, Aunt Doreen took over.

  Chapter 4

  I spent the night dreaming of soulful brown eyes and…

  Chapter 5

  Oh, hell no. Hell no. That ain’t happenin’. Nope. Sorry.

  Chapter 6

  Where are we going to do this? Won’t it be…

  Chapter 7

  I watched as the pulse at his wrist drummed slowly,…

  Chapter 8

  Robbie gave me two more horse pills to take before…

  Chapter 9

  The rest of the day seemed to fly by. I…

  Chapter 10

  I stood outside Ryan’s door for what seemed like forever.

  Chapter 11

  Lex drove while Robbie explained.

  Chapter 12

  Robbie and Lex leaped over the wall to inspect the…

  Chapter 13

  We left quick, fast, and in a hurry before the…

  Chapter 14

  Rick came through his surgery fine. They expected a full…

  Chapter 15

  Clive Ashe stared at me through the window. He hadn’t…

  Chapter 16

  Octavia made sure someone watched over Mom and the baby…

  Chapter 17

  I drove straight home from the hospital, hoping to catch…

  Chapter 18

  Bridget picked me up and drove me to my car.

  Chapter 19

  I left Daddy Dearest and drove straight to Mrs. Christopher’s.

  Chapter 20

  Bridget met me at my locker between third and fourth…

  Chapter 21

  Lex worked me like a junkyard dog for the rest…

  Chapter 22

  I was surprisingly calm as I told Ryan about my…

  Chapter 23

  The rest of the week went by in a blur…

  Chapter 24

  I hadn’t helped decorate because of all the madness, so…

  Chapter 25

  We found Lex pulling Robbie out of the janitor’s closet.

  Chapter 26

  I’m sorry, AJ,” Ainsley said. “I didn’t know. I didn’t…

  Chapter 27

  Do you trust me?

  Chapter 28

  Whoa,” Oz murmured, bringing me out of my stunned silence.

  Acknowledgments

  About the Author

  Credits

  Copyright

  About the Publisher

  Chapter 1

  My mother’s baby shower.

  Okay, this is horrifying news on many levels. First of all, I’m eighteen. (Okay, I’ve only been eighteen for a week, but that means I’m no longer seventeen and therefore technically I’m an adult.) I know how she got pregnant. There is no way I want to think about that, yet it seems to be all I can think about. And let me just say—ew. Seriously, ew.

  But the whole “omigod my mom is having the s-e-x” thing isn’t the worst part of this pregnancy debacle.

  No. Did I forget to mention that my mom is a pregnant vampire?

  Oh, and lest you think that is the worst part of this mess, the father of said vampire baby is a warlock. Yeah, that’s what I said—a warlock.

  How very melting pot of us.

  Or would that be cauldron?

  But that’s not all! We’re like a paranormal infomercial here in Valley Springs, Mississippi. By getting pregnant, it seems my mom is fulfilling some ancient vampire prophecy. Now, you would think this would be a good thing. But no. Unfortunately, there is a big group of vampire baddies who don’t want that prophecy to be fulfilled because it would seriously screw with their plans for world domination.

  But guess what? We’re still not to the worst part of this story.

  My stepdad, the warlock who’s my momma’s baby daddy, is also the daddy of Ryan Fraser. The boy I’m helplessly in love with—and the boy who is now my stepbrother.

  It’s been five months since the big baby announcement. Five long months. In that time, I’ve managed to find out a lot more about the warlock side of my blended family, thanks to Ryan’s aunt Doreen. I still have a lot to learn, though. Because I’m deathly afraid that if the Serpentines realize my mom is pregnant with a warlock’s child, all undead hell is going to break loose.

  And let me just say, I’m in no mood for vampire wars.

  So as I sit in the living room of our antebellum home with two dozen of Valley Springs’ finest women oohing and aahing over the sweetest little baby gifts you could ever imagine (say that in a Scarlett O’Hara voice and you’ll have a pretty good picture of my current nightmare), all I seem to be able to think about is evil vampires, good warlocks, and a possible paranormal apocalypse.

  Something is really not right with this picture.

  “AJ? Did Ana and Ainsley have cheerleading tryouts today?” my mom’s assistant, Laura, asked me.

  Did I mention my mom is a doctor? Not just any doctor. A heart specialist. Yes, we sure know the definition of irony here in the Fraser-Ashe household.

  “Yes, ma’am. They’re excited about moving up from junior high. They can’t wait.”

  “Well, I’ve seen them perform. They’re shoo-ins, I’m sure.”

  I smiled. I sure hoped so. My twin sisters had never really dealt with rejection before. Of course, I couldn’t imagine them not making it. Besides being blond and beautiful, they practiced almost twenty-four/seven. Plus, my friend Malia was one of the judges.

  Yeah, they were shoo-ins.

  Aunt Doreen passed me the latest opened gift—a lovely little layette in mint green with a fuzzy baby bunny on the breast. I grinned and passed the gift on to the person next to me. When would my hell be over?

  Soon. Auntie Tave’s voice echoed in my head. It will be over very soon, I promise.

  I glanced at my flame-haired godmother and smiled. Tave and I had been connected since last year, when she tried to psychically find out if I had bitten a boy and turned him into a vampire. Something happened during the process, permanently keeping us linked. She can’t read my thoughts exactly, but she can feel what I’m feeling. And even though she can’t hear the words inside my head, I can hear hers if they’re directed to me. And sometimes that’s a big pain in my ass.

  Being connected to Tave kinda keeps me on the straight and narrow now, because there’s nothing worse than your momma’s best friend being able to spy on your feelings. It’s a little frustrating, actually—especially since up until a few weeks ago, I was always feeling so guilty about wanting to pull my stepbrother into my bedroom and make out with him until I couldn’t breathe.

  Thankfully, I had finally started to put those feelings away.

  The ladies all stood, and I realized the layette was the last gift. The shower was coming to an end. Finally.

  Mom looked tired, but she needed this adult time. She’d been on bed rest because of complications with the pregnancy and had been going stir-crazy.

  As the crew of crooning women started their farewells, a storm of testosterone entered the room and headed straight for the remainder of the pretty lemon cake. My stepdad, Rick, and my two younger stepbrothers, Oz and Rayden, each cut themselves a slice big enough to feed a third-world country. Ryan came in shortly after and did the same.

  We
made eye contact, and I fought the old squiggly feeling in my belly when his dark-chocolate gaze caught mine.

  “How’d the shower go, hon?” Rick asked Mom as he wrapped an arm around her growing waist and kissed her on the neck. “Did we score a bountiful booty?”

  “We got lots of booties, you punny, punny man. And because I had to do all the heavy lifting of opening the gifts, you get to write the thank-you notes.”

  “Lucky me.” He smiled again, but worry tinged his brow. “You look tired. Let’s get you upstairs.”

  My cell phone buzzed and I checked the message. It was a reminder that I had a prom committee meeting tomorrow. Prom was just a few weeks away, and we had no theme and no direction, and I had no date. But being on the prom committee meant I had to live la vida prom every day whether I liked it or not.

  The kitchen door slammed open, and Ainsley called my name. Her voice was frustrated.

  “AJ!”

  “Living room,” I said.

  Ainsley’s long, wheat-colored ponytail swung like a mane behind her head as she rushed into the room.

  “Something’s not right with Ana,” she said.

  “What do you mean?” Ryan asked.

  Oz and Rayden stopped midchew.

  “We didn’t do anything,” Rayden said, his eyes wide. “I swear.”

  Ainsley turned toward them and shook her head. “This isn’t about your sad spell-casting attempt to turn her into a Sasquatch. When she woke up this morning with pit hair longer than her ponytail, Aunt D fixed her right up. But don’t think she won’t get y’all back. If we can find her again.”

  “Find her? What’s going on?” I asked.

  “Tryouts were today, right?” Ainsley said. “Well, we were doing the routine we always do with the gymnastics bit? You know, with the midair acrobatics that always impresses everyone?”

  I nodded, because I knew exactly what she was talking about. She and Ana had no issues using their super skills to jump just a little bit higher than everyone else or to add one extra twist or flip to their routine. It was impressive.

  “Well, something went wrong. Ana didn’t land well—which just isn’t possible. Seriously, she’s like a cat. She never misses her landings. Ever!” Ainsley said.

  “Maybe she landed on a rock,” Ryan offered.

  Ainsley and I both shot him a Yeah, right look.

  “Okay. Sorry. Was just trying to help,” he said.

  “Then what happened?” I asked.

  “She was hurt. Her ankle snapped. I heard it. Of course, it was already starting to heal by the time everyone got to her. But the damage was already done. She had fallen. During tryouts. And everyone heard her bone crack.”

  “Well, Malia was there. She knows what kind of cheerleader Ana is. She’ll make the team.”

  “That’s just it. She didn’t make the team. They wrapped her ankle, and she faked a call to Mom to take her to the doctor. But they all think her ankle is broken, which means she’d have to sit out the season. So she didn’t make the team. And, of course, she’s pissed.”

  I sighed. Poor Ana.

  “She’ll get over it,” I said. “She’ll have to.”

  “She’s totally pouting, and she’s blaming Malia,” Ainsley said. “She took off after tryouts.”

  Rick reentered the room. “Are you talking about Ana?” he asked.

  Ainsley nodded.

  I sighed. “Where is she?” I asked. “Listen, I know you’re communicating with her right now. Tell me where she is and I’ll go get her.”

  “Hang on. Let me see if I can get her to tell me.”

  Ainsley closed her eyes and concentrated. I could see by her expression that Ana wasn’t cooperating. “She’s at O’Reily’s farm. She was going to hide out at the Love Shack to try to cool off,” she said finally.

  “Okay, this is what we’re going to do,” Rick said. “Your mom is exhausted and doesn’t need to worry about her pouting prodigal daughter. Ryan, I want you and AJ to go get her. She needs to be here by dinner.”

  “Can we come, too?” Oz asked.

  “We don’t need your help, kid,” Ryan said.

  “Actually, I think that’s a great idea,” Rick said. “I want you guys all out of the house for a while so your mom can rest. Take the minivan. All of you go and bring your sister home.”

  Chapter 2

  We piled into the minivan. Ryan was driving, and I managed to fight off Rayden for shotgun.

  The boys played their Game Boys in the back of the van as Ainsley sat quietly in the middle. She was trying to reestablish a connection with Ana, but I could tell by her facial expression she was failing. It wasn’t long before Ryan was driving down the dirt road that led to the farm.

  And to the memories of the incident that started the madness of my current life.

  Okay, maybe that’s exaggerating a little, but whatever.

  “You gonna be okay going to the farm?” Ryan asked. He always was really good at reading me.

  “Yeah, I guess. I need to face my not-so-distant past eventually, right? Sometimes I wish I could have a do-over for that night. If I hadn’t been so angry at you, if I hadn’t gone into the woods with Noah for some revenge snogging, he’d probably still be alive.”

  “AJ, he might still be alive, but they would’ve changed someone else.”

  When Ryan was like this, it made it hard to remember we were no longer a couple. He always knew what to say to ease my anxiety. Longing bubbled to the surface, and I fought not to drown in it. I had worked so hard to move on. For months I had put up a good front. After everything that had happened in the fall, Ryan and Lindsey decided to give dating a real shot. So, shedding the role of girlfriend and taking on that of supportive sister, I smiled when I saw them holding hands at school and even forced myself to stop eavesdropping. Okay, I tried to stop eavesdropping. What’s the point of having super skills if you can’t use them sometimes?

  I’m not sure exactly when it happened, but a few weeks ago I realized I was no longer faking it. It was bizarre. I walked in on Ryan kissing Lindsey good night. As usual, I mentally braced myself for the normal eruption of ugly green flames to consume me—and nothing happened. No lump in my throat, no revved-up heart rate, no curdled stomach, and no poisonous anger.

  Nothing but a twinge of sadness that I imagine won’t go away for a long time.

  What a relief it was to realize that I finally was moving on. Now, if I could just find a date for the prom. Oh well, a girl must tackle one teenage emotional crisis at a time, I guess.

  Even though the trees lining the gravel road were showing their first signs of spring, I didn’t feel that blooming sense of hope that usually comes with the season. Instead, my stomach knotted when the farm came into sight. Smoke plumed from the chimney of the main house, hovering above the green rooftop in the distance, while cows grazed in the pasture between the house and the woods.

  But even the postcardlike scenery didn’t warm me up to the idea of returning to the farm.

  “Any luck?” I asked Ainsley.

  “She just got to the cabin, but she couldn’t go in because someone was already there.”

  The “cabin” was the original farmhouse located in the back of the O’Reily property. It had been abandoned for years and was known by the kids as the Love Shack. Even though O’Reily’s farm was private property, kids often snuck out to the dilapidated building to do dirty deeds. Like make out. Or get drunk. Or get high. Or all of the above.

  “Wow. Seems a little early for a party,” Ryan said.

  “Shit,” Ainsley said, her tone pitching up an octave. “AJ, it’s not a party. It’s Mr. Charles! He’s at the cabin!”

  Ryan put the pedal to the metal, spitting gravel as he tore off down the road. We weren’t far from the farm, but it would take a little bit to get to the Love Shack because we had to walk to it.

  My phone rang.

  “What’s wrong?” Auntie Tave asked.

  “Tave, this is getting old,” I
said, unable to hide my frustration. “I know you mean well, but can’t I keep one emotion to myself?”

  “Sorry, hon. Your mood changed so suddenly, it made my heart stop. What happened?”

  “Nothing for you to worry about,” I lied. “Ana didn’t make the squad, and she’s off pouting at O’Reily’s. Rick sent us after her so Mom could rest after today’s shower.”

  “Tell her,” Ryan said. “She needs to know. She’ll know something’s up anyway if you come in contact with him, so tell her.”

  I sighed. He was right. “Tave? Ana saw Mr. Charles at O’Reily’s farm.”

  “I’m on my way.”

  Ryan slammed the van into park as we pulled up to the double gate at the far end of the farm. The property was lined by a white wooden fence, and from here the main house looked tiny. We all climbed the gate and landed with a loud clunk on the metal cattle guard.

  “Stick together,” Ryan said. “We don’t wanna give that psycho a chance to grab one of us again. Strength in numbers.”

  “Shhh. Did you hear that?” I asked. I closed my eyes and concentrated, sharpening my super hearing.

  And that’s when a bloodcurdling scream pierced my ears.

  “Ana!” I yelled. “Where are you? We’re coming!”

  We all took off in a panic for the woods. We ran about fifty feet before we heard another scream. But this one wasn’t Ana—it was more like the roar of a wild animal, and it stopped us dead in our tracks. The sound was high-pitched and eerie. It vibrated into my bones and made me want to curl up into a fetal position and cry out for Mommy. For the first time, I truly understood the definition of bloodcurdling.

  “What the hell was that?” Ryan asked.

  “It’s some kind of demon,” Ainsley squeaked. “And it’s chasing Ana. She’s gone invisible and has jumped up in a tree. It’s lost track of her but is starting to sniff up the trees to find her. We’ve got to help.”