Only Two Of Us

by Cassandra Russell

  to kiss us We were like two magnets with opposing charges, there was no way we could separate.

  As the hours went on, that whirlwind of feeling was increasing, bringing me the clear

  feeling that he could only prevent something bad from happening if we were

  shape by our hugs or any affection whatsoever.

  I would do my utmost to maintain the serenity and hope that my blood would not affect him, after all, the

  Were not vampires almost immortal?

  However, something inside was tightening, especially by intuiting that he was intimately waiting for what

  as if he had become accustomed to living with the bells and accepting them. A slow and fearful wound in the chest

  grew slowly, revealing, little by little, the size of the pain that heralded our future.

  I took some time to inquire further about my father's ransom in a futile attempt to deceive the

  my own anguish, and he was reporting everything in the smallest detail.

  The vampire who hypnotized him was his chief financial collaborator in a research project

  important, considered onerous from the current point of view and inexplicably from one moment to another,

  demanded the money back, blackmailed him.

  It was obviously a trap.

  Since Daddy no longer had the money in hand for having fully engaged her research, she tried

  propose an agreement in the jaguar's den and could not return. Hence the explanation for your

  nervousness at the time. He was not killed only because, as an international researcher, he had free access to

  blood banks around the world, which, according to Richard, would be far too convenient. It is logical that

  he could not appear in the hemocentros of the main cities, because it was a man

  known within medicine. It only did it in places more in the wilderness, at times of movement less

  accentuated and, nevertheless, under constant surveillance.

  After rescuing him, Richard took him directly to France, hiding it in a discreet place until

  get the passport and the emergency visa at the embassy, which did not take long to happen

  because of his providential power of "persuasion."

  ***

  When we got to the commercial center of São Paulo, something caught Richard's attention.

  Strangely, he parked the car in a safe place and begged him to wait there for a few minutes.

  I did not understand his attitude. What could be so important to him, in such a

  luxurious I tried to remember something that was missing in the house, but nothing came to mind.

  About twenty minutes later, he returned with a large box in his hands, which he

  trunk.

  - What is it? I asked curiously.

  "Any time you'll know," he said in a puzzling way and winked.

  Of course I remained curious, although at the same time, the anxiety did not let the mind think

  in anything but his "health". Until he was sure that he would be safe,

  she would not rest easy. I knew I should keep my eyes open, alert to any sign. Only

  I did not expect that expectation to be so close.

  ***

  Almost a week after my trip to Rio, my torment had begun.

  When I woke up, I realized something was wrong. Richard was still asleep with the expression

  serene and that would be perfectly normal, if she did not get to know him properly. He hardly slept,

  especially if it was too close. In general, it was always him who stayed awake,

  in my hair, eager for me to open my eyes and start the day with a morning kiss.

  Intuitively, I stood up and watched his face: it was too beautiful, even sleeping. Still

  more like that, shirtless, with that arm turned under his head ... He had a physique naturally

  strong, not similar to those inveterados menders and early risers of academia, but similar

  with that of swimming athletes. His abdomen was defined and gradually tuned toward the hips,

  his broad shoulders protruding. I should have practiced some kind of water sport as a human ...

  I suppressed the urge to wake him up, and I moved closer to examine the rest of my body.

  My suspicions would be confirmed, without mercy or pity: there were some dark spots on the

  posterior region of the neck, larger ones covering the back and also the legs. I tried to cover my mouth.

  with my hands to hold the desperation that took me completely, but I could not. A sound suffered and

  Sharp stepped out of it, not wanting to wake him.

  He opened his eyes and immediately suspected my expression. I did not have the courage to stay there to

  face that look. I ran down the hallway and locked myself in the bathroom stall. It was the

  of cowardice that he had had in his life. I felt a sharp pang in my chest that I could not stand and slipped

  through the tiled wall until it collapsed sitting on the cold floor. What most corroded me internally was this

  cruel certainty that she was to blame for all that. If I had not gone into that hospital, I'd

  succumbing to this overwhelming love, none of this would be happening. I only realized now that I did not

  could live in such pain.

  - Stephanie? He knocked on the door. "Stephanie, please, get out!"

  I felt too cowardly to get up. The legs trembled and the hands did not want to obey my

  command.

  "Stephanie, my love, do not do this to me! Open this door! He begged, this time worried.

  - No way! I can not! I replied, moaning in pain.

  He was right.

  I had no right to do this to him, to cause even greater suffering, and by my

  fault. However, where he would find the strength to stand, if even his head could not move,

  buried between her knees?

  "If you do not open this door now, I'll have to break in!" She threatened.

  "Leave me alone, Richard!" "I wanted to have the power to disappear at that moment.

  He did not accept the request and yanked the door out of the bathroom without seeming to make any effort. When

  saw my pitiful state, opened the boxing door, crouched down and watched me from the depths of his

  blue.

  "Get up from there, my love. Come stay with me, "he said, lovingly.

  "I can not, Richard. I will not be able to ... see ... you leave me. Please do not leave me! -

  I said in a choked voice. The tears that I contained began to flow grimly.

  "I would never do that if I had another choice," he said, also voicing pain.

  "Why did you have to love me?" With so many people in the world, why did you choose fair

  me? That would not be happening now if I were not on your side! I should not have taken you,

  I should not have even been born!

  "And to continue an empty eternity without ever having the right to love and be truly loved?"

  Stephanie, what you want is not a life, but a permanent torture. We already talked about this.

  rather, you know very well what I feel about it. Do not make things harder for me.

  - What about me? Have you stopped to think a little bit? I will be forced to live a lifetime

  without you? Am I no longer entitled to feel your love, your caresses, your embraces? I'll have to

  wake up every morning and realize that there is no one on the pillow next door? Before you know it,

  I could live with my emptiness because I still did not believe in love, but now ...

  "Stephanie, you're still young and you're human too. Time will pass and little by little it will end

  forgetting. His voice trailed off, filled with emotion. - Soon a decent man, who can bear children and

  build a beautiful family, like yours, will take my place and this will all be part of your past.

  I c
ould never be the man you really deserve ... "he confessed bitterly. - Maybe I have

  Let me dream too much, vampires do not have that right. Besides, I've lived a lot.

  "Not long enough to receive the love I have for you!" I cried, crying furiously. -

  Richard, get out of here if you do not want to make things worse! Do you still underestimate my love? Damn it! No

  Can you see the truth before your eyes? I sobbed. "You talk as if this is possible,

  as if there was some way to rip you out of my heart ?! Only killing me will

  get this! Maybe not even ... I was born to be yours, and no one else. I do not mind

  not have children, if we wanted, we could think of a way to adopt a ... I do not care either

  that is not human, I love you just the way you are. And no other being in this world can take a place.

  which is only yours! You do not know the pain I feel when I hear you talking like that!

  "Forgive me, my love. He reached out to wrap himself around me. "I do not want to see her in pain." Let's go

  to live every day that we are allowed together and to let God decide what is right for both of us.

  Just do not ask me to regret or regret having loved you, because that will never happen. You went

  the best thing that ever happened in my life. Do not try to tear it from me.

  "Do not leave me, Richard. I can not be without you, "I implored inconsolably, even knowing

  which would be in vain.

  "It will not do any good to be this way." Let's enjoy our time to be together -

  asked.

  "I'll fight for you."

  "I know," he whispered. "Now get up from this cold ground and let me wipe away your tears."

  They are hiding the eyes I so love.

  "My legs do not want to obey me," I murmured.

  - Last chance: or get up now to stay with me, or I'll have to take a more drastic measure -

  he threatened, changing the tone of suffering in his voice for a more encouraging one.

  It took me a reasonable time to process your request and he, fulfilling the threat,

  lifting from the floor with one hand and opening the shower register with the other, letting the water

  fall under my head, with clothes and everything.

  "Is that how you wanted to dry my tears?" Wetting my face even more? -

  I complained wistfully.

  He smirked and went into boxing, letting himself get wet completely, too.

  "It's just going to get a little harder to find, but so what?" I have no hurry...

  And I was hugged tightly under the shower in a vain attempt to let the water go away

  the sadness that emanated from our souls.

  Chapter 27

  From then on, my days would be agonizing, a real nightmare without end.

  With each dawn, new spots appeared, opening strange wounds on his skin. He got

  looking weakened with the reddish eyeball, and slept several hours a day. That me

  I was panicking because I did not breathe while I was asleep.

  "Father, please tell me this is ready," I demanded over the phone.

  - Has he got worse? - he asked.

  - Yeah. I'm scared to death.

  - I know, daughter. I'm deep in the background too. I can not be sure if it will work with his species,

  after all, we have genetic aspects so different ... And I do not even have a similar animal to do

  the tests. I think I would need a few more days to feel safe.

  - Days? This can only be a joke! He's not an animal, Dad! And much less human to be

  maintained by handsets!

  "You sound as if I'm pushing the search with my belly out of prejudice," he complained. -

  I doubt there is a father in the world who has been more sympathetic to your choice than I am. it is

  being unfair to me

  - I was mean.

  "And I do not do this out of gratitude to him." - I continued because Richard was the only person

  able to bring the happiness that I never saw in you. No matter how much my mother and I tried, you

  never reacted! He always apologized for everything ... He seemed to only bravely endure the

  have to live

  "I'm sorry," I argued unintentionally. - The picture is evolving very fast

  now, I do not know how long it will take. I hurried, heart pounding in agony.

  "Okay." He regained his composure. "Do you think he can bear it, at least until tomorrow?" I will gather

  further efforts in this experiment.

  - Do not know. I have no way of knowing. He is very weak, he can not even stand.

  "It's gotten a lot worse than two days, then," he lamented.

  "Quite so, but I'll call you during the day to report. Save Richard for me, father, for

  favor! I need him ... "I begged.

  "I'm giving it all to myself, you can be sure.

  - I know, thank you. I love you.

  - I love you too. And finished the call.

  I hung up the phone and thought about making another call to give Ava a satisfaction.

  constantly, however, since Richard felt worse and came to the conclusion that he could not

  more to hide the symptoms, he went on to dodge to find her. I'd put a thousand excuses for the

  poor thing did not show up here. Maybe she did not want to leave her sister terrified, since she never commented

  about this subject with her before. She wondered how hard it would be for Ava to realize that she

  could count on anyone else of the same kind, if he ...

  No! I refused the negative thought.

  Well, the fact is, I did not like having to cheat her that way. I have created a very

  great for my sister-in-law. But what could he do? It was his will.

  I was also in doubt if I should contact the hospital staff, after all, they

  they kept thinking that I was the patient, and it became harder every day to avoid the risk of a visit

  unexpected, since Richard had lost the capacity of hypnotism with the worsening of the picture.

  Before I decided what to do, I heard a noise coming from above and I gave up. He had already

  awake and so I breathed a sigh of relief. Still, his expression dawned very strange. It happened

  look as if disgusted with himself, and, noticing my presence, began to hide his body

  under the sheet, in a clear attempt to prevent me from examining him.

  "What are you hiding from me?" I asked suspiciously.

  "Nothing," he said seriously.

  - Richard! I groaned, warning him.

  "I'm not hiding anything. You can go back to your business, "he grunted sulkily.

  "The only thing that interests me is here," I said, staring at him.

  "Stephanie, please, I want to be a little alone."

  "You have no right to ask me that!"

  He closed his face and turned his face away from her, enraged. As if it were not enough to leave me slowly,

  would she still be forced to put up with that rejection? That, yes, would be difficult to tolerate! I had no more strength

  to stay a minute away from him, but he had to stay calm and beg for much wisdom and patience.

  He would respect his will while he was awake, and when he slept he would watch him better.

  And it was just what I did at dawn, so I found that he had erased from exhaustion.

  Precavated, he had tightly wound himself on the deck like a pipe to prevent it from being evaluated. Same

  so I insisted. I was pulling the sheet as gently as possible to find out what he did so much

  to hide from me, and finally I understood: the wounds were getting bigger and bigger, forming

  real holes - or hollows - in his skin and one of them had begun to appear in his genital organ.

  I took a deep breath of panic.

  That was too much for him, I do not think a
ny man could bear to see such a thing,

  human or not.

  I covered his body again very slowly and knelt at the foot of our bed. I prayed to God with all

  the forces once again, begging Him not to let my love die. I promised, feeling the faith

  emanating, that I would spend the rest of my days caring for the sick in need at his side, which

  he already did it so well. I must have prayed so hard and for so long that I ended up sleeping

  side of the bed.

  At dawn, I felt a faint movement in my hair. I soon realized the great effort he

  only to try to put one hand on my face.

  I came closer to help satisfy his desire and kissed his mouth gently. I stayed

  touched by the discovery that my picture lay beneath her pillow. Your state has fallen

  dizzyingly overnight. Some parts of the body - like an ear and a few fingers -

  they did not exist anymore, they simply disappeared. It was too hard to watch all that and pretend not to

  was shaken.

  "Excuse me," he said with emotion in his voice.

  - Whereby? I asked, not understanding why.

  - I was ... thick. You did not deserve it.

  "I could not remember it any more, love.

  - Can I ... Can I ask ... one thing? He asked, barely moving.

  - Whatever you want.

  - Get it ... Get the box.

  What box? I asked myself.

  I had almost forgotten, however, I soon remembered the box he was referring to.

  I reached for the car key and took the huge package from the trunk. Then I returned to the

  room and put it on the bed.

  "Open it," he said.

  I undid the tie by pulling the lid and lost the speech: it was a wedding dress. Not from the immense ones, with

  long tails and huge veils - as I imagined he, for being of another century, would like to see in me

  - but a white model would take that satin fall, containing a soft embroidery with pearls

  tiny, resembling the black I had used at that party he danced with me. I had to

  up a tiara with Swarovski crystals, and beside it a smaller box of blue velvet.

  I slowly opened the box and admired the beautiful and delicate gold crucifix necklace with blue pebbles

  as pending. The chain was thin, but it had a fine finish.

  I was completely amazed.

  "It's the only ... inheritance I have ... from my mother," he said with difficulty. - She got married