Vampire Romance Series - Coffee And Vampires 1-7 (Vampire Romance Bundle) by S L Hartley Page A

she’d seen?
    “ I’ll pick up some boxes from the grocery store after I return Nicholas’s car,” Page blurted out finally. “You helped me move. It’s only fair I do the same for you.”
    Janine thanked her, leaving Page to return to the car alone.
    By the time Page returned Nicholas’s car to the lot behind the house where he lived, her mind was in turmoil. He met her at the back door to the house, arms out for a hug, but his smile faded when he saw her troubled face.
    “ What’s wrong?” he asked, arms encircling her. His glasses had been lost at the warehouse and his new pair weren’t ready yet. To Page, it seemed almost as if part of his face was missing, leaving him looking wide-eyed and vulnerable.
    “ Janine’s moving,” Page said, swallowing a sob. Ridiculous to cry over this, but she’d been crying pretty frequently the last couple of days. Just stress , she reminded herself. It’s normal to feel overwhelmed. But losing her friend felt nearly unbearable.
    Nicholas held her close, pressing his mouth to the top of her head. “I’m so sorry, Page,” he murmured into her hair. “I should have warned you I saw this coming.”
    Page pulled away. “What do you mean?” she sniffed.
    Nicholas gave her a sad, faraway smile. “For you, believing in vampires and werewolves isn’t that far-fetched – you’ve known about us for years. Since you were just a kid, really, right?”
    Page nodded, comprehension slowly dawning. “For Janine, this is all new.”
    “ And it’s nigh-impossible for most people to take in as adults,” Nicholas went on. “We’re told all our lives that the monsters in the dark aren’t real. Then to become an adult and find out that the monsters aren’t only real, but hungry?” He cast his face downward. “The usual reaction is to run away, move somewhere new and try to forget anything out of the ordinary ever happened.”
    “ She’d rather believe she went crazy than have to question reality itself,” Page realized. “That’s why you were so afraid of telling me what you were at first, wasn’t it? You thought I’d run away.”
    “ I’m glad you didn’t,” Nicholas said, kissing her lightly on the forehead.
    Page was quiet a moment. “Actually, do you mind if I keep using your car for a bit? I told Janine I’d get her some boxes and help her pack, and it’ll be easier if I don’t have to walk.”
    “ Of course,” Nicholas said. “Would you like me to go with you and help?”
    Page hesitated. “I’d love to have your company, but I’m not so sure about Janine. If she’s trying to forget, watching you lift her couch or whatever with one hand won’t exactly be helpful.”
    “ I understand.” Nicholas squeezed her hand. “I’ll see you later on, then.”
    Page didn’t return to her own neighborhood until long after sundown. Acquiring boxes for Janine’s move had been a simple matter, but actually packing up everything Janine owned took much longer. Unlike Page, Janine had a lot of things she wanted to keep, including an extensive collection of glass figurines which had to be individually wrapped in tissue and bubble wrap before being boxed.
    Page did finally manage to ask what Janine remembered about that awful night. Janine had paused for a moment before speaking in a voice that sounded like she was reciting a memorized bit of prose instead of describing her own memory.
    “ I was walking home, and your ex-boyfriend who’d been stalking you attacked me. He knocked me out and dragged me away. I don’t remember much after that, except you pulling me out of the warehouse and getting me an ambulance.”
    “ You called the ambulance, actually,” Page reminded her. “I was. . . I was too upset to think clearly enough to do it.” A truth, and a small lie. A lie to help smooth over the worst of that night’s unbelievable events.
    Janine smiled. “You know, Page, you could move with me. You’ve lived in this state all your life. Might do you good