How they think they can keep me here and expect me to be okay with it is beyond me. Maybe if they would give me a reason, and it would need to be a damn good one for me to be okay with having to toss my life away to rot here, I would be okay with their demands and rules.
Hopefully, Tobias will leave on Wednesday. I feel like I will have a better chance of getting through to Theo than Tobias. But if they think I’m going to sit and wait patiently for them to decide my life, they are sadly mistaken.
The knock on the door pulls me from my musings. I ignore it, but then Theo’s voice reaches out to me through the door. “Imogen, open the door please.” Always so polite, but I still choose to ignore him. “You know, I can just break the door, but I would rather not. It’s antique. Be a shame to ruin it,” he states.
I roll my eyes and look at the door, it does look old. Probably as old as the house with its strange hinges and thick wood. I hear him twist the handle, hear it straining under the pressure.
I jump up, it really would be a shame if the door would be destroyed because of my stubbornness. I always appreciated the craftsmanship that went into old buildings and furniture. “Wait, I will open it,” I sing out before he breaks the brass handle.
Opening the door, I walk back to the bed. Theo leans on the doorframe, arms crossed over his bare chest. “He’s being unreasonable. I will talk to him later, okay? Just come down and eat. Then, I want to take you somewhere,” he says, holding his hand out to me.
“Off the property?” I ask, hopeful, thinking I might be able to give them the slip. I have no intention of spending the rest of my days out here. There isn’t even cell service or internet reception.
“No, but you will like it. I promise.” I roll my eyes but stand up anyway and walk past him, ignoring his hand. As I walk past, Theo slaps my bare ass. I jump at the sting from his hand. He ignores me and grabs my hand, leading me downstairs and back to the kitchen.
“Done sulking?” Tobias asks as I walk in, his back turned to the kitchen sink. I flip him the bird behind his back. “I can see your reflection in the glass, Imogen. I saw what you just did, I wouldn’t recommend doing it again.” His voice sounds like he’s challenging me. I roll my eyes at him, at least he isn’t in a homicidal mood anymore.
Tobias walks over and places a plate in front of me, “Now be a good girl and eat.” I go to flip him off again, but suddenly Theo’s arms wrap around my shoulders, his hand grabs mine, the one I intend to give Tobias the bird with.
He leans down so his lips next are to my ear. “You want him to punish you? Play nice,” he whispers, kissing my cheek and letting me go before sitting next to me. Tobias places Theo’s plate in front of him before sitting across from us.
“So, if you’re a vampire, how come you eat real food?”
“I still eat, I just require blood as well.”
“So, you drink from blood bags?” I ask.
“No, cold blood is disgusting. Remember when you said you saw me kissing Tobias’s neck? Well, I wasn’t.”
“So, you drink from Tobias?” Tobias nods, like it isn’t a big deal. “And you both have the same parents?”
Tobias looks at Theo before speaking. “Yes, but in case you forget we have different last names, we aren’t biological siblings. I was raised by Theo’s family.”
“So, your parents are like you?” I ask, turning to Theo. He nods his head, but I can tell this conversation is making him uncomfortable. “So, when did you start living with Theo’s family? How old were you?” I ask, looking at Tobias.
“I was six and Theo was four, that was what? Early 1746?” He asks, turning to Theo. Theo nods his head but doesn’t say anything.
“Wait, how old are you?”
“280 years old. Theo is 278 years old.” Tobias responds.
I feel my eyes go wide, horrified by the thought of having to live that long. “280,” I whisper, not realizing I say it out loud.
“Enough worrying about our age Imogen, eat.”
“I didn’t mean it as a bad thing. I was expecting you to say 30, not 280 years old,” I say, completely shocked.
“I stopped aging when I was 32. Theo is stuck at the age of 29, when he was turned,” Tobias states.
“Turned? What about your parents?” I ask, trying to make sense of any of this.
“That’s a conversation for later. For now eat please, you haven’t touched your food,” Theo starts tapping my plate with his fork. I roll my eyes, they’re always so secretive, and I can tell Theo wants the topic changed, but why? I pick up a piece of tomato and pop it in my mouth, not realizing how hungry I actually am, until I taste its juicy goodness. My stomach instantly growls. I devour my food in a very unladylike manner, barely even tasting it. I finish mine before either of them finishes half of theirs.
“Did you even chew or just inhale your food?” Asks Theo, chuckling at my empty plate.
I get up, walk to the sink and wash my plate. I feel full and return to sit back at the table, suddenly wanting to go back to bed, seeing as I have had continuous broken sleep. I’m well and truly over tired now. I rest my head on the cool countertop and close my eyes. When I hear them get up, I open my eyes, and rest my chin on my hands as I watch as they clean up after themselves. They are both so in sync with each other, they never seem to get in each other’s way and pass things to each other without even looking or knowing if the other is going to catch it. When they turn around, I blush and look away. Knowing I’m caught red-handed, gawking at them like some pervert.
“Come on, let’s find you some clothes,” Theo says, walking out of the kitchen, heading towards the stairs. I follow after him, back into the bedroom. Theo rummages through his drawers and pulls out some shorts with a drawstring, tossing them to me. I slip them on before tying them as tight as they will go. Even now, they are still threatening to fall down.
“I need to at least go back and get my clothes; I can’t keep wearing yours. I might as well walk around naked.”
“I wouldn’t mind. One of us will go grab some stuff from your apartment on Wednesday for you,” Tobias says, walking into the room and grabbing a shirt from the hanger.
“Or, I could go with you,” I plead.
“No Imogen, my word is final,” he says.
“No Imogen, my word is final,” I mock back with my best impersonation of Tobias’s deep voice. I’m so not in the mood today. I hear Theo chuckle beside me and catch him shaking his head out of the corner of my eye.
“Stop encouraging her, Theo. She is in enough trouble when we get back.”
“Yeah, and what is the big bad wolf gonna do? Stop me from leaving? Oh that’s right I’m already a prisoner here,” I reply dryly. I hear Tobias growl a throaty growl, coming from the back of his throat, vibrating through his chest.
“That’s the third time now, Imogen. That attitude of yours is going to get you in trouble.” I roll my eyes, so over hearing about being punished.
“And I’m starting to think your bark is worse than your bite,” I retort. I see Theo’s lips turn up slightly, repressing a smile. I watch as he walks out and starts walking down the stairs. I start to follow him out when I’m suddenly picked up from behind and walked over to the railing, Tobias lifts me over. I hear Tobias' throaty laugh before I’m suddenly dangling over the railing of the second floor. Tobias, not even breaking a sweat, as he holds me with one hand like I weigh nothing. I look down at the ground below and gulp.
“Not so sassy now, huh?”
I look down and see my feet dangling in the air, I hate heights. “I swear to god, Tobias, if you drop me…”
“You’ll what?” He says tauntingly, letting go of my arm only to grab my hand before I plummet to the ground. I scream and look back down at the slate floor below me. “Fine, fine,” he says, lifting me back to the railing. I put my foot on the side when Tobias grabs me and pulls me closer. He kisses me hard, then shoves me backwards. I fall towards the floor, closing my eyes. A scream escapes my lips, my hands go to my face as my heart drops into my stomach. Next thing, I find myself in Theo’s arms, he pulls me into his chest. My hands are shaking as I grip his black shirt.
“I warned you not to test him,” Theo whispers, I hear the smile and laugh he is trying to hold back.
“You damn asshole, you could have killed me,” I scream up at Tobias, who is proudly standing next to the railing looking down at us, a smug smile on his face, like he finds this all very amusing.
“I knew Theo would catch you. Stop being a baby, you were never in any danger.”
“Fuck you, Tobias” I say, letting go of Theo as he places my feet back on the ground. I turn my back on them and walk to the front door.