“I know.”

Undecided on how to proceed, Bennett took some time to get her thoughts in order. She could easily skirt the subject, bring up school and friends and the latest music trends, or she could approach it head-on. Bennett gave Fallon a side-eyed glance and secretly scoffed. Fallon was far too smart for duplicity.

“Fallon, you know I’m gay—right?”

Inwardly Fallon cringed, but holding her emotions in check, she shot Bennett a quick once-over before flicking her eyes upward. “Um…yeah. Duh.”

Bennett saw a hint of misting in Fallon’s eyes, and a hint was all it took. “So, the question is…are you?”

“Is that what my folks think?”

“It doesn’t matter what they think. It matters what you think or, rather, what you know.”

Fallon’s eyes brimmed with tears. “My parents are going to hate me.”

“Why in the world would you think that?”

“Because I’m not like Kenna.”

“And who says you have to be?”

“I don’t know,” Fallon mumbled.

“Fallon, sweetheart, just because you and your sister are identical on the outside doesn’t mean you’re supposed to be identical in everything else. You’re individuals, and you’re allowed to have different interests and different tastes, and different sexualities. As long as I’ve known your family, your parents have always allowed all of you to have your own identities. Why would this make any difference?”

“I don’t know. It’s kind of a big deal, isn’t it?”

“Only if you allow it to be,” Bennett said, giving Fallon’s knee a squeeze. “But if you’re honest with yourself and your family, it does get easier. And thankfully, the world is finally changing its tune. It’s not perfect, but from what I’ve seen over my lifetime, it’s come a long way. Trust me.”

“Just how long is that?” Fallon said, raising her eyes. “Your lifetime, I mean.”

Bennett dipped her head, acknowledging what she’d promised. “Slightly over four hundred years.”

“Shit. Seriously?”

“Yes, seriously.”

“Wow,” Fallon said, studying Bennett for a moment. “But how old were you when you…I mean…when you—”

“Became what I am now?”

“Yeah.”

“Thirty-six.”

Fallon got quiet for a moment, her mind reeling with all the things she wanted to ask. “Okay, so…um…what about the other stuff? Coming into our house without being invited or wiping our minds?”

“Oh, Fallon, there are countless myths about my kind,” Bennett said, draping one leg over the other. “And most were originated by vampires themselves.”

“Huh? Why?”