Beautiful Monster 2 (Beautiful Monster #2)(25)
Author: Bella Forrest

“Of course, Amy,” she snapped.

I was taken aback. I had never heard her snap at me before.

“I’m not the first woman in the world to be pregnant.”

“I didn’t mean that,” I said, hurrying to catch up with her. “Have you thought any more about what you’re going to do?”

“What is there to do?” she replied. “Connor comes from a time when men take care of things and women stay home and pop out babies and all that. Problem is, first of all, this is 2013, and second of all, he’s already got a wife who I suspect is catching on rather fast.”

“You’ll figure it out. You always do.”

“Yeah,” she replied quietly. We walked in silence for a few moments before she changed the subject. “So, are you all prepared for your audition?”

“Think so.” I nodded, patting the sides I had slipped into my back pocket reassuringly. “I mean, it’s a huge TV show and there are a hundred parts or something, which means like ten thousand people are auditioning. Seriously, Sarah, even getting one part means I should consider joining the actor’s union. Really, I’m just looking at it as practical experience.”

“Ranger’s such a… gritty show,” Sarah said, as we made our way to the main lecture hall. “Do you think you could do it? I mean, there’s some pretty heavy content in it.”

“Hmmm,” I replied, thinking of some of the episodes I had seen. “I’m sure I’ll figure something out.”

The truth was some of the content on Ranger was so heavy that I wasn’t sure I could even act it. The actresses there were intense, pouring tears out of their eyes on the drop of a hat. Also, the show wasn’t exactly rated for children. It had never occurred to me to consider my boundaries of sexual exploits on camera, but if I got any part on Ranger, I would have to think about it.

“Hey, I’m going to see Liam for a moment. I’ll catch up with you.”

“Sure.” She turned to the side to say goodbye to me.

I winced as I could see the bulge in her belly. If you were looking for it, you could tell she was pregnant for sure. She headed off down the hallway, and I could tell that she was already beginning to walk differently, her hips widening already.

Liam’s office was open, still too early for the secretary to be in, but he was there, changing from his nightly struggle and grabbing something to eat. To my surprise though, Nina was sitting in his desk chair.

“Oh,” I said, hovering by the doorway.

Liam turned, giving me a tight smile. “Amy. I didn’t expect you so early. You should be on your way to class.”

“I uh…” I glanced from him to Nina, who gave me a frosty look. She was leaning back on his chair, idly flipping through some papers like she was comfortable and belonged there. “I just thought I’d stop by and chat with you. My Ranger audition is today.”

“Oh.” He turned from the mirror where he was making sure all traces of fangs and dark eyes were gone. “Sure. Are you nervous?”

“Um…?” I glanced to Nina again, and met Liam’s eyes. “Do you think we could talk alone?”

“Sure,” he replied. “I’ll be right back, Nina.”

Once we were in the hallway, I reached up on my tiptoes to kiss him. He drew back, looking around.

“Not in the hallways, Amy, ok?”

“Why?” I asked, a little miffed. “Everyone knows.”

“Sure, but we can still maintain an aura of professionalism,” he replied. While, on occasion, he tried to keep a bit of professionalism, it was usually me trying to fight to keep Liam’s hands off me.

“Right. This doesn’t have anything to do with Nina? What is she doing there anyway?”

Liam raised an eyebrow at me. “I think the answer’s obvious, Amy. I’m just trying to help her out, you know she’s been having a hard time.”

“Right, but she’s always around you,” I retorted. “Every time I look, there’s Nina by your side, Nina clinging to your arm.”

“Amy…” He reached out for me now, but I drew away slightly.

“Whatever. You could have told me you were going to help her last night. I thought you were going down to the basement to transform by yourself. But she was there?”

“I didn’t know that I needed your permission?” Liam snapped back at me.

It seemed to be a day for me to get in fights with people, and it was the last thing that I wanted. Sarah and Liam were the people I loved most in the world, and I didn’t want to fight with them. But today, nobody seemed to be getting along with me.

“You don’t. But it’s nice to tell your girlfriend when you’re spending all night with another woman.”

“Amy.” Liam looked shocked. “It’s not like that and you know it.”

“Whatever.” I shook my head. The conversation with Sarah had put me on edge and I didn’t want to discuss anything with him anymore. “I have to go to class.”

“You don’t want to talk about your audition?”

I shook my head, readjusting my backpack shoulder straps. “See you later,” I said, turning and leaving. I was already late, and it only added to my bad mood.

Trying my luck, I took a short cut through the empty Red Theater to get to the main lecture hall. The theater was dark and I stepped quickly through the aisles that I knew well, going up the steps and heading backstage to take the stage door exit to the other hallway. My emotions were boiling over, and I had so much on my mind that I almost missed it.

There was a flash of light, out of the corner of my eye. I turned my head out of instinct, and just for one moment, I thought I saw a swirling white mist.

I froze and blinked, not trusting my eyes. The white mist was getting taller and branching out. I shook my head and closed my eyes, counting to five.

When I opened my eyes, it was gone and the only thing still there was the memory I had in my mind’s eyes.

Over six months ago, standing on that very spot, I had prayed for Porsche’s life in the wake of Selene’s murder. Liam had hovered over her broken body, sobbing, frantically trying to change her into an immortal. The floor had been cleaned, the blood had been wiped away, but the white mist had been over that exact spot.

I took the other stage door exit, my heart thundering loudly. I felt a weight on my chest that wouldn’t lift until I was back into the hallway that was busy with students. Once among the masses, the fear disappeared and I felt like I was safe. I didn’t know what I saw, and I couldn’t make sense of it. I just know it had made me afraid. And that I would never forget it.