Read Descended by Blood for Free Online Page B

we were whispering about boys.
    “Oh, nothing. Brooke is tired. We should get her home,” Kaitlynn said, covering for me.
    “I’m so sorry we took as long as we did,” Rhonda’s face creased with concern as she apologized.
    “It’s perfectly fine,” I said, trying to hurry things up so she wouldn’t be apologizing all night, and we could get out of here. “We got you a great dress, right?”
    She smiled. “We did.” She walked around the hood of the Durango and slid into the driver’s side.
    As soon as I was in my room, I changed into my pajamas and plopped down on my bed. Warmth escaped me, even though I was underneath my blankets. The chill brought on by the thought of the crazy man following me drilled into my bones, smothering any heat that tried to kindle there.
    Piecing together from Jaren’s pictures that the man was following me was quite a bit different from actually catching him in the act. I could tell my mom, but I wasn’t ready to move. No, Kaitlynn and Jaren were too irreplaceable to allow for any of my mom’s rash relocation decisions.
    I wouldn’t say anything about my stalker unless he got closer to me. He’d mostly been spying from a distance, anyway. I’d have to be careful not to go out by myself anymore.
    My exhaustion won over any concern I had for my own well-being, and I was asleep in minutes.
    * * *
    I startled awake when my cell phone vibrated on my nightstand. I picked it up and found Kaitlynn’s number on the caller ID. It was only eleven thirty. What could she possibly want? I had been with her two hours ago.
    “Hey,” I said, wiping the sleep from my eyes.
    “Sorry. I know you were sleeping, but my mom just got off the phone with Shannon. She told my mom that she saw Jaren walking with Tiffany in the park today.”
    My stomach dropped, and I gasped. My mouth went dry.
    “Well, did she say if they were holding hands, or kissing, or anything else?” I asked, trying to hold myself together. I was on the verge of a major freak out.
    “She said that they were walking, but them being together can’t be good news for us, right?” Kaitlynn sounded really sick about this, too.
    “Did Shannon say how long they were there?” I needed more information. No. I needed facts because my mind was playing worst case scenario with what I’d heard.
    “She doesn’t know how long they were together. She was at the playground with her kids when Tiffany and Jaren walked around on the trail toward the parking lot. She didn’t go follow them or anything.”
    “I hate her,” I growled. Kaitlynn knew I meant Tiffany. “She was so evil to Jaren before she knew he wanted me. Now, she wants him back all of a sudden because he can’t be with anyone else. I seriously HATE her,” I spit out and started to cry.
    “Oh, Brooke. Do you want me to come over there? I am so sorry, hun,” Kaitlynn said, trying to console me.
    “No. It won’t help, anyway. I’m gonna cry whether you’re here or not, and you don’t really need to see me being a blubbering mess tonight. I love you, though. Thanks for letting me know, but I’m going to go now, okay?” I sniffled.
    “Okay. I love you, too. Try to get some sleep so you’re not stressing about it all night.” It sounded nice, but I wasn’t feeling like the universe was going to give me any “get out of jail free” cards on this one.
    I lay on my bed going from furious at Tiffany, to heartbroken and betrayed by Jaren, to enraged at Jaren, then back at wishing terrible things would happen to Tiffany.
    I knew she just couldn’t let me have him. I knew it. From the moment she saw him and I walking through the back doors at school, hand in hand, she wanted him back. How stupid could I be? You don’t get to be that big of a witch and still get to keep Jaren around for a whole freaking year unless you had some conniving tricks to keep him.
    Ugh, I hate her. I clenched my jaw, grinding my teeth to keep from yelling.
    Great.
    Now, everyone is going