by G. K. DeRosa
“So, you said you’ve been to Germany?” Celeste asked, suddenly alone with the attractive stranger.
“Yes, I spent four years there at a boarding school in Berlin while my brother was in London attending university the first time around.”
Celeste was soon captivated by all of Nico’s stories of Oktoberfest in Munich, wild nights in Ibiza, strolling the Champs Elysees in Paris, gondola rides in Venice, and so much more. It appeared as though Nico had already lived an entire lifetime of adventures, a seemingly impossible feat for someone so young.
“I’ve always dreamed of traveling around the world. I wanted to backpack across Europe the summer of my senior year, which is in a couple of weeks now. I’m pretty sure that that won’t be happening.”
“Why not? You never know what may happen or how your life can change in the blink of an eye.”
Celeste knew how true that was. Her life had completely changed when her father had died. Unexpectedly, Nico took her hand and led her out to the balcony. The party had started to die down now, and they were finally able to get a seat outside.
“It’s such a beautiful night out, don’t you think Celeste?” he asked.
She grinned. “Oh yes, it is. I love a full moon, there’s something magical about it.” Celeste found herself completely swept up in the conversation with Nico. It was odd how at ease she felt with him.
“So tell me a little about you. I’ve been going on and on about my life, and I haven’t let you get a word in.”
“Trust me, your life is way more exciting than mine is,” she said.
“Maybe for now,” he said with a knowing smile.
There was something about being around Nico that sparked feelings inside of her that were completely new and slightly startling. She couldn’t figure out what it was, but there was something about this boy.
“I really missed seeing all of these stars when I was living in the city,” he continued.
“I’m going to miss that about Oak Bluffs. I’m actually moving to New York City in the fall to go to NYU,” explained Celeste.
“Well now that certainly sounds exciting. You must be a smart one then, aren’t you?” teased Nico.
“I don’t know about all that, but going to NYU is something that I’ve wanted to do for as long as I can remember.”
“I don’t know if I like this—I just moved here and now you’re leaving?”
Celeste smiled shyly as Nico watched her intently – almost too intently. She was actually relieved when she saw Brian and Natalie approaching the balcony to join them.
“I think I’m ready to head home Cel, are you ready?” asked Brian.
“Oh yeah sure,” she said, regretting having to leave so soon.
Nico took her hand and planted a sweet kiss on her cheek. “It was a pleasure to meet you, Celeste Wilder, and I hope to see you again very soon.”
Chapter 3
When Celeste awoke the next morning, she had an overwhelming feeling of hopefulness, a sensation she hadn’t felt in a long time. She glanced at her favorite family picture nearby on the nightstand; it was from her fifth birthday party, and everyone looked so blissfully happy, she thought. Celeste had on her favorite pink party dress, her dad was wiping icing off of her cheek, and her mom looked so young and beautiful.
“This is going to be a good day, Dad,” she said out loud.
She got out of bed and was cheerfully humming as she made her way downstairs. Since her mom was still sleeping she decided to surprise her with breakfast in bed, and quickly got to work making some crispy bacon and eggs. As she hustled around the kitchen, she thought of the party (and Nico, of course) and a little smile crossed her face. She could totally do this—she could go out and have fun and meet interesting boys like a normal teenager. She resolved that this summer would be different: no more moping around the house and feeling sorry for herself. She was going to be graduating soon and everything was about to change. She snuck into her mom’s room and left the tray with the delicious breakfast on her nightstand as well as a note saying she’d gone to meet Natalie.
As head of the prom committee, Natalie had been running around all morning searching for decorations to turn the school’s stark gym into an authentic roaring twenties-themed casino. Celeste couldn’t believe that prom was just a week away. She hadn’t even planned on going really.
“Of course you’re going!” exclaimed Natalie. “You have to, it’s our senior prom!” Celeste had caught up with Natalie outside of The Party Store and now they were walking side-by-side basking in the pleasant morning sunshine.
After a few lame excuses, Celeste finally gave in to Natalie’s theory that if Celeste didn’t go to prom she would be missing out on one of the most important nights of her life.
“And you should totally take Nico,” continued Natalie with a wink. “You two seemed pretty friendly last night.”
Celeste laughed. “He is really friendly actually and seems super cool. He’s been to all of these amazing places. And the way he talks, it reminds me of someone so much older. But I kind of like it, he’s such a gentleman.”
“Of course you would love that. He seems like he popped right out of one of your romance novels.”
As Celeste was about to tell her that she doubted she would ever see him again, her phone started ringing. She didn’t recognize the number, so she picked it up with a tentative, “Hello?”
“Why hello Celeste, it’s Nico, the charming young man you had the pleasure of meeting last night. Please tell me you haven’t forgotten about me already?”
Celeste responded with a nervous little chuckle and said, “Of course not. Hi - how are you?”
Nico explained that he had gotten her number from Dani Lynn (who had gotten it from Natalie – so sneaky!) and said, “I hope I’m not being too forward, but I would really enjoy seeing you again today.”
“Oh…”
“I would really like to show you those pictures of Germany that we were talking about last night. Why don’t you come by my apartment this afternoon?”
Celeste found herself searching for words, thinking, Should I go to this total stranger’s apartment after just meeting him? But he’s not really a stranger, after all Dani Lynn knows him…
She resolved her inner struggle with an impulsive, “Sure!”
When Celeste hung up the phone she was grinning from ear to ear. “I can’t believe I just said yes.”
“Me either! It’s about time you start acting like a normal teenager, and on that note, you’re coming to help me do some more shopping. This is going to be the best prom ever!” said Natalie as she dragged Celeste into another store.
***
Nico had texted Celeste his address and as she turned into his apartment complex, her heart was racing. What was she doing? This was so unlike her! She tried to steady her nerves as she examined herself in the mirror, applying a little cotton candy lip-gloss and tucking a loose strand of blonde hair behind her ear. She forced herself to get out of the car and then knocked hesitantly on the door. Within seconds, it swung open, and to her surprise the handsome stranger from the library stood in front of her. He was wearing a tight-fitting black t-shirt and a pair of dark blue jeans that hung flawlessly from his hips. His bright blue eyes twinkled as a shade of a smile crossed his perfectly sculpted jaw and the five o’clock shadow completed his roguish look. Celeste stared speechlessly until she finally gathered the nerve to murmur a hello.
“You must be Celeste, I’m Roman, Nico’s brother. He told me he was expecting you, please come in.” Roman inhaled deeply as she walked in, her scent intoxicating. He could hear her heart racing and the blood pumping through her veins.
As Celeste squeezed through the door that Roman was holding open, her arm brushed against his and it was like thousands of tiny electric shocks went through her. She tried to suppress a little “ooh” as she walked by him. The intense attraction that bubbled up inside her was even more powerful than what she had felt last night toward
s Nico. There was no doubt that Roman was incredibly gorgeous, but Celeste had met cute boys before and never felt anything like this.
Nico came barreling down the stairs and gave Celeste a quick kiss on both cheeks – very European, she thought. At that, Roman retreated to what must have been his bedroom. Celeste thought she caught a glimpse of disapproval as Roman stalked out of the room, but it must have been her imagination. The apartment was huge and immaculately decorated—not at all what Celeste had expected from two twenty-something year old guys. It was a mix of new world and old, classic with large stately pieces of furniture and yet still boasting a modern black and white vibe.
Nico led Celeste into the expansive living room, which had floor to ceiling glass windows overlooking a peaceful lake and lush green grass.
“Wow, what a beautiful view!” she said, walking toward the wall of windows.
“My brother and I enjoy the tranquility of calm scenery and quiet towns like Oak Bluffs. When you’ve traveled as much as we have, this is the perfect respite.”
He stopped in front of the massive black leather couch where he politely offered her something to drink and pulled out his shiny silver laptop.
“I’m glad you came. I wasn’t sure if you would,” admitted Nico.
“To be honest, I wasn’t sure I would either!” said Celeste nervously as she took a sip from her drink.
“Well, then I guess I lucked out. Where should we start? Berlin? Rome? London? We have the whole world in front of us, Celeste,” he said his dark eyes alive with enthusiasm.
“I’ve always wanted to go to all of those cities. They seem so beautiful and mysterious.”
“Well, maybe one day you will,” he said.
She shot him an appreciative smile. “So when was this picture taken of you in London? Natalie was just there last summer.” Celeste noticed that oddly none of the pictures had date or time stamps on them.
“Hmm, I think that was about two years ago – before we moved to New York,” Nico confirmed.
“You look exactly the same!”
“Why mess with perfection?” Nico retorted with a witty grin, then quickly moved on to other pictures.
Celeste studied Nico furtively as he flipped through the photos on his laptop. She couldn’t help but compare the two striking brothers. Nico had a kinder smile with a cute snub nose and softer features, while Roman’s expression was a bit stern, with a straight-edged nose and his thick eyebrows furrowed more often than not. They looked through countless photos of historic sites and beautiful landscapes, intermingled with the occasional goofy selfie of Nico. Roman was in quite a few as well which prompted Celeste to ask a bit more about him.
“Roman and I are very close; we’ve spent a lot of time together. Our parents wanted us to explore the world so we did just that—a semester here, a summer there. We are a couple of world class travelers, my brother and I.”
“That’s so great. So are your parents still living abroad?” asked Celeste.
Nico paused, gazing out the window. “No, actually, our parents passed away awhile back. It’s just Roman and me now.”
“Oh, I’m sorry Nico.” Celeste couldn’t imagine what it must be like losing both parents. “My dad actually died when I was young too, so I know how hard it is. He was killed in a car accident when I was ten,” she said, fighting back the tears. Celeste rarely spoke about her father to others; she was surprised as the words tumbled out of her mouth so easily.
Nico quickly pulled a handkerchief out of his pocket and gently wiped the single tear off Celeste’s cheek.
“Enough of that,” said Nico. “Come on, let’s get out of here and grab some lunch. I’ve been home all morning, and I need to get out,” he said, taking hold of her hand and giving it a comforting squeeze.
Before they left, Celeste made a quick stop at the bathroom to make sure her mascara hadn’t smudged, and on her way out she bumped into Roman.
“We have to stop meeting this way,” he teased, holding her arm to steady her after the near collision.
He had remembered her from the library, Celeste thought giddily. She had wondered if the intense connection had only been one sided. Encouraged by this new development she said, “Nico and I are going out to lunch. Why don’t you come with us?”
“Oh I don’t think Nico would forgive me if I intruded on his date with such a beautiful girl.”
Celeste could feel her face flush and she glanced down momentarily but when she looked up again, Roman was gone.
“No, nothing happened Natalie, I swear we just had lunch. He’s a really nice guy, fun and super sweet. I’m really glad I met him and his brother Roman!” squealed Celeste as she lay in her bed chatting on the phone.
After she recounted the entire series of events of the afternoon, she laid back in her bed, completely content and dozed off.
Nico returned from his lunch date to find Roman waiting sulkily on the couch with arms crossed.
“What do you think you are doing, little brother?” asked Roman with a slight edge to his tone.
“Relax, I’m just trying to get to know her, Roman,” he countered defensively.
“Do you have any idea how dangerous that is? What if she finds out about us? You know what she is…” warned Roman, rising from the couch to follow Nico.
“She doesn’t even know what she is!” said Nico. “And don’t think that I haven’t noticed that you’ve been sneaking off at night. I know exactly where you’ve been going.”
“Well at least I have been discreet about it. And although we do need to keep an eye on her, we still have to keep our distance.”
“Look Roman, you can do whatever you want to do, but I’m doing it my way.”
Roman’s eyes blazed angrily. Suddenly his incisors burst out, protruding from his upper lip. With fangs bared, Roman lunged across the room at Nico and growled menacingly, “You will do as I say little brother.”
***
“Earth to Celeste, come in Celeste, come in Celeste.”
Celeste was awoken by the fuzzy, static-filled sound of Brian’s voice coming through her walkie-talkie. It was already dark outside and Celeste wondered drowsily how long she had been asleep. She reached over for the walkie-talkie on her bedside table and replied, “I hear you loud and clear Brian – go ahead…”
“I’m coming over, so let me in!”
Celeste got out of bed, splashed some water on her face and went downstairs to let Brian in, who she found waiting impatiently on the other side of the door.
“Thank God you’re finally awake,” said Brian as he walked right in and plopped down on the couch. “You’ve got to help me out, I don’t know what to do.”
“What’s wrong?” asked Celeste.
“Natalie called me and asked me to be her date to senior prom,” he answered, his copper flecked brows creased in concern.
Celeste took a breath to hold back the laughter that was bubbling up inside of her. “So what are you so worried about?” she asked, trying to keep her face serious.
“I don’t know! I totally panicked and said that my mom was calling me, and I had to call her back, and I practically hung up on her. That was two hours ago, and now I don’t know what to say.”
“Well, Natalie is a lot of fun, she’s beautiful, and I think you would have a great time going with her. Why wouldn’t you say yes?” she asked.
“I don’t know, honestly, I guess I had always figured we would go together,” Brian answered sheepishly, looking up to catch Celeste’s eye.
Celeste had to stop and think about that for a few seconds. It’s true; she had always thought they would end up going to prom together too. For so many years there had never been any other boy in her life besides Brian. But she knew that Natalie really liked him, in a way that she didn’t think she ever would, and Brian deserved that. She wanted Brian to be happy more than anything else. She wouldn’t be selfish with him, not when she cared so much about his happiness. So with a slight twinge of wistfulness, she
said, “Aw, come on Brian, we can still hang out together while we’re there. I’ll even save you a dance. I really think you should go with her.”
Brian looked at her for a moment with serious eyes. “Yeah I guess you’re right.” He was quiet for a second, and then he added, “So who are you going to take then?”
Celeste shrugged off the question. “I wasn’t planning on taking anyone.”
Chapter 4
Roman stared at the computer as his mind wandered remembering the last time he was in Oak Bluffs. It had been so long ago, and yet sometimes it felt like it was just yesterday. His parents had been with him and his brother back then, when they first came to live in this small town, and perhaps that’s what drew him here again. Well, that and finding out about Celeste Wilder, of course. At the thought of her, he felt a twinge of hunger; he walked over to the mini fridge hidden in his closet. Bottles of deep red liquid filled the refrigerator, and with a displeased look on his face, Roman gulped one down. After centuries of suppressing his nature, he still found it difficult, but he had promised his mother that he would not become the thing he hated—that he would not give in to the monster inside of him. His beautiful mother, who had always felt so guilty for what had befallen their family because of what she had done. She never gave up on them. She was the one that insisted they were better; they were not like the rest because they were the first of their kind.
Roman could remember everything so clearly, walking into their home, which was normally so neat, everything in its place and that time it looked like it had been ransacked by some supernatural force. The door had been taken off of its hinges; there was furniture upturned and broken shards of glass strewn across the floor. And the blood… There was so much blood everywhere. All of the myths about vampires being killed by a stake through the heart seemed so trite, and yet there laid his beloved parents with wooden stakes protruding from their chests. Roman had taken their bodies and buried them with the utmost care in the backyard, hoping to save Nico from the tragic scene he would have forever seared in his mind.