“As a matter of fact, I can.”

“Prove it.” He rested his arm on the back of the couch.

“You know, she can wipe that smug grin off your face in under three minutes, mate. She’s got Brigadier ranking on Live.”

“Won’t change the fact that she’s a girl,” David scoffed, instantly shrinking behind raised palms. “I was kidding. That was a joke!”

I punched him anyway. “Not funny.”

“Sorry. I was just teasing.”

“Go on, Ara,” Mike said. “Teach him a lesson.”

I’m not one to show off, but Mike’s cheeky smile and the eager anticipation to do one thing better than David is irresistible.

Mike shifted over as I slumped down beside him, pressing the green button on the controller. “You ready for this, newb?”

“Bring it on.” David’s dimple showed as he smiled back.

The countdown on the screen started. I leaned forward a little. There was no way he could beat me. I’d spent years working on my skills while I sat next to Mike for hours, with nothing better to do than play video games.

David and Mike observed my victories with roaring protest—of different sentiments—while I smiled, displaying my rapture modestly. In the end, I took the final kill.

Game over.

David dropped his controller on the table and sat back against the lounge, wearing a playful punch in the arm from Mike. “Beaten by a girl,” Mike said.

“I resent that sexist comment.” I stood up, handing the controller back to Mike.

“Sorry. Beaten by a human.” He looked up at me. “Better?”

“Better.” I nodded and stepped over their feet, leaving David and the last remains of his pride to fester in my victory.

Emily didn’t even look up to give me a ‘Girl Power’ smile as I sat back down, knocking her foot with my own. “Oh, come on—tell me you didn’t miss all that?”

She gave me half a glance. “I might have caught it. I was rooting for the vampire, though.”

“Guess nothing’s changed then.” I sat back, delivering as much spite as she just had.

She shook her head, obviously seething. But, instead of bursting into flames or enraged fits of yelling, she exploded into tears, covering her face. Guilt washed through me.

“Em?”

Only a deep but high-pitched sob responded.

“Oh, Emily.” I landed on the couch, wrapping my arms all the way around her; she willing laid against my chest, making my shirt wet with sadness. “What is it? What’s wrong?”

“I don’t want to be fighting with you, Ara. You’re my only friend. But I—” she looked up at me, wiping her face. “I’m so goddamn mad at you.”

I swallowed. “I know. Em, I know. And I’m so sorry that happened with Mike, I—”

“That’s not why I’m mad.” She stopped crying.

“It’s not?”

She looked toward the front of the house. “No.”

“Then—” I sat across from her on the ottoman, leaning close to whisper. “Why are you mad?”

“Because I don’t get it. Do you have, like, magic pheromones that those guys can’t resist, or something? You’re not even that pretty!” She doubled back. “I’m sorry. I’m so sorry, I didn’t mean that.”

It felt like a flower had been opened out, upside down in my chest, spilling dread onto the floor.

“I didn’t mean that,” she said. “It’s just—what have you got that I don’t? Why does he love you so much?”

“We’re soul mates,” I said, wanting to cry. Is it so hard to believe he could love me?

“I thought David was your soul mate?”

“That’s what I just said.”

“Well, I was talking about Mike, dummy!” She looked at me with severe eyes, slapping my knee.

“Oh. Mike? You’re sulking over Mike?” I almost couldn’t believe it.

“Who else?”

“I—sorry. Um, okay, this is weird.”

She sat back a little, huffing quietly. “I don’t like David that way, Ara.”

I nodded; doesn’t mean he doesn’t like you. “But, how can you still care what Mike wants? I thought you’d lose that with all your compassion for humans.”

She covered her face, her voice breaking, “Not if you love one of them.”

I shuffled forward a little more, peeling her hand from her face. “So, you really love him? Like, love-him-love-him?”

Her glassy eyes sparkled. “Is that so hard to believe? Ara, he’s wonderful. You know that.”

“I do.” I glanced back at the archway to the front door. “And...for what it’s worth, I also know he loved you.”

“Yeah—the girl, the human.”

“Right. So there’s no reason he can’t love the vampire. I mean, you’re so much prettier now,” I said, raising my brows over a smirk.

She smiled. “I’m sorry I said that about you—that you’re not pretty. I didn’t mean it to come out the way it sounded.”

“It’s okay. You’re right. There’s no reason for both those guys to be chasing after me. I’m not even that nice.”

“Mike can’t help it,” she said. “He’s talked to me about it—about you and how he feels. Says one’s first love will always be in their heart. Hard to move past, apparently.”

“I know what he means.” I thought of David, but Jason’s face popped up in there for a second, startling me.

“He was my first love,” she said.

“Who? Jason?”

“No.” She scowled. “Mike. Why would you think I meant Jason?”

Because I thought you were reading my mind. “Oh, um, just...because you said you loved him—you know, that summer by the lake and all.”

She shook her head. “Now that I’ve fallen for Mike, I know the difference between love and childhood lust.”

We sat quiet for a while before I said softly, “He just needs time, Emily.”

“No.” She sniffled, wiping her nose and chin. “He just needs you.”

My face dropped against my fingertips. She’s half right; he does want me, but he did love her, when she was human—he admitted that. Why not now? If he’d even look at her, he might see her for the girl he fell for—the girl he thinks he lost.