Betrayed Chapter 12

I know I’ve mentioned this before but I’m constantly amused by how out of step Zoey feels with the rest of the world. And I don’t mean just as a teen. I wasn’t an expert on teen behavior when I was one, let alone now. I mean that for a girl living in a modern world, she sure as hell doesn’t take advantage of it. Like how she’s sitting outside reading a newspaper. Is she supposed to be in her late forties? Because I’m having a hard time picturing anyone who uses the internet as deciding that they’d rather shuffle through a bunch of papers and hunt their news down like Neanderthals than browse through a list of their favorite sites.

Anywho, it’s simply an excuse for PCK to put Zoey in the next scene she imagined. Zoey sitting outside so she can see Heath. For those of you keeping track, PCK didn’t spend a lot of time on Heath’s description. Zoey just said he was hot and left it at that. So PCK doubles up on the superlatives but the only thing we really get is that he’s got brown eyes, he’s tall and blond. Zoey assure us that he’s still hot and I’m going to assume that means he’s been doused in kerosene and is alight. He’s busy putting up a flyer and, for no reason, he turns to look at her. Probably because it’s required.

And then, as if he could feel my gaze, his eyes slid from the light post and locked on me. I watched his body go completely still, and then a shudder ran through it, as if someone had blown freezing air across his skin.

Allow me to fill in what Heath’s thinking right now. ‘One down, seven hundred to go. Man, who knew being in a band would be such a pain in the ass? Oh, shit! What’s she doing out here Maybe I’ll just go say hi and leave.  I’ve just got to remember what my therapist said, don’t mistake her friendly attitude for kindness or affection. That’s just something Zoey does to manipulate people.’

Zoey says she ought to have gone inside away from him but really, there’s tons of people around which makes it safe. Because we all know stalkers can only hurt you if you’re all alone. Heath comes over and they say hello. Heath is shocked that it’s really her because he’s been seeing Zoey around but usually when he does it’s in his head. Zoey then asks if he’s high or drunk. Heath says no, he’s quit all that and Zoey is impressed.

This must mean Heath is going to be part of Zoey’s harem. After all, we can’t have Zoey mooning over someone if they, gasp!, drink or smoke. People in real life never enter relationships with people suffering from chemical dependencies or mental health issues, why should fictional characters? That would make things complicated in a way that’s not fun whereas having three guys pursuing the same woman is safe drama.

That’s why Heath has been calling Zoey nonstop. He wants her to know that he too has joined the teetotalers and wants to usher in Prohibition II: On the Rocks. She says she’s glad for him and then comments, to the audience, on how he smells good in a way that reminds her of sexy dreams. She tells him that she hasn’t called back because there can’t be anything between them and Heath says there’s already something between them. Yes, mental assault.

Then Heath says that her mark is gone which causes Zoey to get pissy. She says that her mark is never going away and blah blah blah. Because author forbid Heath was just making an idle obseravation. Zoey could have said ‘no, it’s just covered’ but instead yells at him. And Heath is the one that’s supposed to be crazy. Heath says that her being a vampire doesn’t mean they can’t date.

Zoey says that it does, Heath begs for another chance. He says that he’s even trying to get into the university she was headed to so he can become a vet just like she is. Zoey starts backpedalling about how she’s not sure she wants to be a vet. Then Heath says she must be seeing someone else and wonders if it’s because of that night where he was really stupid. He’s referring to the Halloween incident from last book.

Zoey is surprised that Heath can remember. Neferet had said she would take care of his wounds and fog his memory. Maybe it’s time for Neferet to turn in her magic for something more reliable like the MIB neuralyzer. At least then she’d have and excuse to pull a Caruso and put on sunglasses dramatically. Heath goes back to begging her but because Zoey loves the attention she doesn’t just say no and then leave the conversation. Instead, she sits around and smiles at him and laughs at his lames jokes.

Zoey then warns him that they’ve started to imprint and he needs to stop. Again, Heath is the one who’s been hypnotized so he’s not going to see the problem. Zoey is the only one between them with an, allegedly, clear head. That’s like telling an addict while they’re high that they’ve got a problem. While I don’t expect Zoey to fix the problem, she is an idiot and a n00b, I do expect her to turn to someone who can like her mentor. Maybe go sit Neferet down and say ‘hey, remember that thing you were supposed to fix in Heath? Yeah, it didn’t take.’

Then Zoey says it won’t work because she’ll outlive him by hundreds of years. Heath says that’s okay because she’ll still be hot when he’s fifty and Zoey just rolls her eyes and says typical guy. We all know the real reason Zoey doesn’t like the idea is because when Erik or Loren are fifty and wandering around the house in their underwear, they’ll just look like they wandered off of a photo shoot. Whereas Heath will just look like he can’t find any clean pants and is wondering if it’s time to do some laundry.

Again, instead of just being done with the conversation, Zoey keeps putting up roadblocks as to why they can’t date. Which means he just gets to argue with her and try to wear her down and she gives in. She asks what about Kayla and Heath says he doesn’t see much of her anymore because of what she says about Zoey. Zoey’s ego immediately awakens from it’s slumber and demands that Kayla’s head be delivered to her on a wooden platter as silver is too good for her. She also wants to know what things Kayla is saying. Heath, either being smarter or nicer than Zoey has made him out to be, says “just stuff”.

Zoey knows that it’s in relation ot the missing football players. She comforts Heath and says that she knows Chris was his friend. Then she asks if it would be odd for a fledgling to show up at his funeral, Heath says yes and Zoey says that’s one more reason they can’t be together. Then Heath says she could just wear concealer and no one would know.

Zoey doesn’t get angry this time and starts telling us how she doesn’t just want to be normal human Zoey. Yes, we know. You really don’t need to tell us how badly you want to be unique. Zoey tells Heath she doesn’t want to cover up her mark—except when she doesn’t want people to know she’s a vampire—and that she’s special. Heath says fine, he doesn’t care what people say anyway. Zoey says that’s not her way and Heath says she can think on it. Zoey realizes it’s time to go punk the FBI and has to leave but Heath won’t leave until he’s walked her to her car.

Zoey isn’t really bothered by this though. She tells us that “his daddy had raised him right” because Heath was always doing gentlemanly things like holding doors and walking her to her car. Once they get to her car, Heath says he has something for her. So he pulls out a razor blade and says he wants her to drink his blood. And, once again, Zoey doesn’t simply say no. She starts saying how that’s not a good idea and Heath says he wants it. Zoey says she’s scared, Heath says he’s not then he cuts himself just a little along his neck and leans into her car so she can start licking it. That’s just PCK reminding us that she’s writing about vampires in high school and not wizards.