"Here.” I took off my jacket and handed it to her. “You'll want to cover up a bit.” She looked at me strange, and I stepped around her. The lightweight material draped over her shoulders, and I brushed her brown locks out of the way.
She spun around to me and blushed. “Thanks."
"I'm going to finish filling up, and then I'll come in and pay. Go find yourself some breakfast and snacks for the road.” I looked at my faded tan jacket drowning her, hoping she did as I said.
"Yes, sir.” She cracked a smile and saluted me.
"Don't get into any trouble.” I joked along with her.
Her eyes darted around at all the people, and whenever she walked by anyone, she made a large arc. I wondered if that was normal for a girl her age, or if her mother's words were true—she really did have difficulty in social environments.
My car guzzled the gas soon enough, and I capped the tank. Pulling out my wallet, I strode to the building. I entered to find rows of candy and chips, along with every other junk food imaginable, but no Celeste. She's probably just in the restroom.
"I was on pump seven,” I told the cashier girl, who looked about the same age as Celeste. She scanned my debit card and handed it back to me. “Hey, where are your bathrooms? Did you see a girl wander back there a few minutes ago?"
"Oh, that tall, pretty woman? Yeah, she went straight back there.” The girl smiled and pointed to the far right corner. “Just turn there and then you'll come to a long hallway. The women's restroom is on the right."
"Thanks.” I smiled and started off in the direction. My eyes found the doughnut case, and my mouth watered. Come hell or high water, I would make Celeste eat breakfast with me.
Rounding the corner, I dropped those thoughts. Two guys had their backs to me, but through the cracks I could make out Celeste. Her eyes were wide, and even from far away, I could tell she was shaking.
I sprinted and grabbed a handful of one of the men's shirts and pushed him back.
"Hey, we were just talking with her,” the young guy behind said.
"That's not what it looks like to me.” I stared at her. “Celeste, are you okay?"
She nodded, though her frightened expression didn't fade.
"Who is this, your dad?” Both men cracked up laughing.
"Celeste, did they do anything to you?” The shadiness of this secluded bathroom filled me with fear, and I needed to be sure. She shook her head, and the guys got more rowdy with their amusement. “Let's go."
I swung my arm around her shoulders and guided her through the obnoxious men.
"Cameron, I'm fine. They just scared me is all."
My frown didn't erase, and I spun her around to face me.
"I don't want your impression of men to be what you've seen from your dad or from those types of guys. We're all not like that.” I sighed. “Celeste, you deserve to know that many men are the complete opposite. They want to protect you, they want you to be happy, and they will do everything in their power to show you how wonderful and pure love can be."
Her fingers touched my cheek, and I met her eyes.
"I want to believe those things, I do. It's hard though."
I pulled her to me and kissed the top of her head. “It'll come in time, girl."
To my pleasant surprise, I was the one that had to pull away. Her cheeks took on a rosy shade, and she looked away. I followed her stare to the doughnuts and chuckled. We walked back to the car with a dozen a few minutes later.
The crackle of a brewing storm filled my ears. Wind whipped Celeste's long hair back and into my face. I smiled when she gathered the tresses in her hand and shouted her apology through the wailings surrounding us.
We hurried to the car and shut the doors right as the first big raindrops splattered down. The beautiful blue, cloudless sky was no more. Instead, a blanket of fierce, dark gray clouds hovered above us.
"Are summers always like this here?"
She shrugged. “Montana can be pretty unpredictable."
Lightning flashed in the sky, causing her to jump. I set the doughnuts down and touched her shoulder. The sound of each bolt of light reminded me of the snapping noise from when Paul's belt met her back. I hoped and prayed she didn't recognize the comparison.
"I think we only have a half hour until we're at the cabin."
She nodded.
I drove out of the town and onto the highway. Five minutes later I had to exit to a side road that would lead to the cabins. Even through the storm, the scenery was breathtaking. Millions of trees enclosed us, flowers brightened the dismal gray sky, and the mountains, usually only seen from afar, revitalized me.
"Do you think my mother will die?"
The question startled me, and I suppressed my sigh. “I don't know."
"Is it wrong that I want to die too?"
I swallowed hard. “Celeste, life has its ups and downs, but you can't think death is the answer that'll solve everything. All I know is that your mother would want you to live to the fullest, regardless of what happens to her."
I glanced over, noticing her panged expression. My eyes traveled down, and the object in her hand scared me. I rushed to pull the car to the side of the road, praying and cussing at the same time.
I had to pry her fingers open before she would release the razor blade she held against her wrist. A sliver of a cut traced her skin, and I searched the glove box for some bandages.
I felt her stare piercing me, and I groaned. “Why did you do this?"
She whispered, “I should've done it a long time ago."
I handled her wrist with as much delicacy as humanly possible. My fingers trembled, and it took me some time to get the band aide on. I took a long, deep breath and fell back into my chair once I did.
The fact that she did it in front of me, where it was unlikely she would succeed, gave me some comfort. I took a deep breath and released it. Once we stopped, I would need to check her bags for any more razorblades.
Her hollow expression bore into me, yet I stared at the radio.
I licked my lips. “Why did you do that?"
An audible cry sounded next to me, and I looked up into her strained face. She wiped at her bloodshot eyes, but then turned away from me. “Let's go to this cabin of yours. You can see how screwed I am when you have to live with me."
The surge of adrenaline tempted to give me a heart attack. How could I not have noticed her handling the blade? The doughnut I ate rumbled in my stomach with my queasiness. Between those guys at the gas station and this incident right next to me that I failed to notice, it was clear I would have to watch her like a hawk.
When I looked in the rearview mirror to pull out, I gasped. In the glass, a blond man penetrated me with his stare. Blood streamed down his chin. “We'll have the girl,” his voice shrilled at me.
I thrashed around in my seat, checking the back and making sure Celeste was okay at the same time. No one sat behind me, and as I glanced up at the mirror again, his reflection was gone. Trees and the road surrounded the car but nothing else.
"What is it?"
"I thought I saw someone.” I gave up and pulled back onto the street. “This has been happening far too much lately.” As if on cue, a thick layer of fog arose from out of nowhere.
"Maybe we should turn back,” Celeste suggested.
I forced a smile. “I'm sure it was nothing.” Liar!
The windy, uphill road would've been bothersome on any day. With the fog, it was madness. I drove slowly, afraid that I'd miss one of the turns, and the car would drive off into the trees, a ditch or cliff.
Relieved and tired, I pulled up to the cabin with the matching numbers Jeremy wrote on the map. Celeste studied the land before her. The way her forehead scrunched up revealed her distaste for the choice of venue.
"It's only for a few days,” I told her.
She sighed one of those “you know I'm not happy about this” sighs every woman had. I laughed and tickled her ear. Her shoulder shot up as she giggled. I
hoped and prayed this childlike Celeste was here to stay.
I popped the trunk and we each grabbed some bags. I tried to be the tough man by telling her I would get her luggage, but she smiled and tugged it away from my arm's reach.
"This place looks haunted,” she said, gawking at the large cabin. “It's beautiful and all. There's just something eerie about it.” She stared back at me and raised her eyebrows. “Maybe you were afraid to stay here alone, and that's why you coerced my mother into forcing me to come."
"Yep, I'm sure that's it.” I chuckled and reached into the mailbox. Sure enough, a pair of ice cold keys waited in there for me. “Let's get inside before this fog swallows us whole."
We stepped into the cabin, and a sheet of musty, cold air wrapped around us. Celeste coughed. I proceeded to shut the door, and then stopped, thinking I saw movement out in the trees. Waiting until I was sure I was mistaken, I closed the door.
"We should check out the rooms and make sure everything's in order.” But I turned around to find her gone. My nerves went into overdrive once again. “Celeste!” I walked into the living room and saw her discarded sandals. “Celeste, this isn't funny. Where are you?"
"Cameron, I'm fine."
The yell came from upstairs, and I followed it. The loft consisted of a huge master bedroom. The light in the bathroom beamed brightly. I opened the door and averted my eyes. Her bare back faced me.
"What are you doing now?"
"I've been hurting all morning. I think the cloth is rubbing up against it."
I forgot her modesty and stared at the ragged skin. “I'll check if there's any ice."
As I started to leave, she grabbed my arm. I spun around, thankful the front of her tank top covered her. “Thanks, Cameron. I'm sorry about all this. I'm sure you had better plans than babysitting on your vacation."
"I want you to be okay. Will you promise me you won't pull another stunt like the one in the car?” I waited for her agreement before I started down the stairs. “And it's not babysitting. What man wouldn't want a gorgeous woman around?"
I smiled to myself and clambered down the steps. A warm, summer breeze entered in from somewhere. Searching the windows, I found them all locked in place. All the rooms opened up into one great space, and I wandered around inhibited by what lurked on the other side of the walls.
"You need to stay inside and lock all the doors."
I pounded my fist against the nearest wall upon hearing the voice at my back.
"Jeremy, why did you lead us here if there are even more complications?” I didn't care that Celeste might hear my loud voice. She deserved to learn her brother strung us around like puppets.
"I asked for your help months ago, and you did nothing."
"Don't you dare pin this on me.” My heated eyes went around the room until I stopped on his hunched form in the corner. The way he bent over alerted me of something wrong. “What happened?"
I started over to him, but he waved me off.
"Did that blond guy do this?"
Jeremy nodded and stood up. His hands were blood-soaked, and my mind raced.
"What should I do?” Things became serious in seconds, and I found myself panicking. As much as I hated to admit it, he was the one in charge. If he got hurt, I needed to know what direction to take with his sister. “Jeremy, how do I protect her?"
"Who are you talking to?"
My gaze met Celeste on the bottom step. She eyed me suspiciously.
"What's going on?” she asked.
The faintest trace of a whisper haunted me. “Stay here and keep her safe."
When she made it to my side, I looked back and found Jeremy gone. Celeste stared with me, and I smiled at her curiosity. Without hesitation, I draped my arm around her shoulders and moved her into the kitchen.
I glanced at the clock. 3:50. It had been awhile since our last filling meal. The doughnuts proved to be worthless, and my stomach quenched in hunger. “What would m'lady want for supper?"
She sighed and took a seat in one of the six chairs around the table.
"What's wrong?” I asked. Crouching down, I tried to touch her cheek. She pulled away. I hadn't expected that, and the blow to my pride caused me to wince. “Celeste, please don't do this. I worry enough about you."
"I feel like you're keeping something from me.” She stared down at the wood floor while her delicate fingers in her lap began to fidget. “I don't want to be kept in the dark.” She glanced up at me. “Cameron, you're different. Though, you're proving that it's hard to trust you."
This time when I reached out to her, she didn't shy away. I cupped her cheek.
"I would never want you to feel that way. I'm sorry."
Her next action startled me. She leaned forward and kissed me. Her lips brushed mine like an angel's feet touching a cloud. They wrapped around me soft and meaningful. Her inexperience showed as she opened her eyes and stopped moving.
I pulled back and my lips curved up. “What was that for?"
"You're the only guy who's ever wanted to make me happy. I think you care."
"Of course I care."
She sat back in her chair, but then straightened when the bars touched her sore back. I circled around her and traced the bottom of her tank top. Slipping my hand beneath the fabric, I allowed my fingers to graze her skin.
A hiss alerted me of her pain.
"I'm so sorry that I didn't arrive in time to stop your father."
"Did you mean what you said at the gas station?” I swiveled around until I stood in front of her and cocked my eyebrows. “That there are good guys out there,” she clarified.
"You'll never know how many of them would kill to find you."
"Can I tell you something without you thinking it's stupid?"
I nodded.
"I've always wanted to be held and protected.” She blushed and stared out the window. “To fall asleep in a man's arms, knowing that nothing could hurt me, not even myself."
"I wish I was younger and could be the man of your dreams."
She got to her feet and faced me, leaving a few inches of separation between us. Her pink cheeks gave away her feelings, and I smiled. My hand found that soft skin again, and I kissed her. This time I took over.
As my lips intermingled with hers, I knew I was teaching her how to kiss. Her fingers laced with my free hand, and my heart quenched. She's so young. You need to stop this! My mind warned me, yet I pushed those thoughts aside.
"Celeste, I don't want to rush into anything."
She nodded, licking her tender lips. “Will you let me fall asleep in your arms?"
I chuckled. “That I can do."
I picked her up off the floor, and she enveloped my neck with her gentle embrace. My heart pounded in my chest, and she only encouraged it further with the fleeting kisses against my throat. She destroyed my self resolve, and I hated what my thoughts were telling me. Any other woman I would have been dying to rip their clothes off.
Carrying her lightweight body up the stairs, I forgot those thoughts. She doesn't need you in that way. She needs you to be the kind of man she's never known before. I fought through my desires and walked over to the bed. I eased her down on the feathery comforter and grabbed a blanket sitting on a nearby wicker chair.
This girl needed me more than any other person alive. I could see it in her trusting, blue eyes. She smiled up at me, and I lay down next to her. I had to prove to her what real love meant.
I rested on my back, and she hurried to press her head against my chest. My hands held her tight underneath the blanket, my fingers caressing the cold skin of her upper arm.
"I want to make love with you,” she whispered next to my heart.
I groaned, denying my desires before they unleashed. “Celeste, I want you to sleep now. We have time for that once we know each other better.” I stroked her chocolate brown hair. “You're just too ... vulnerable right now."
"I'm twenty-three.” She tilted her head to look up at me. “Most w
omen my age have slept with thousands of men.” When I laughed, she clarified. “Cameron, I need to know that I'm desirable."
"Oh, baby girl, is that what's bothering you?” I kissed the top of her head. “You have to know how beautiful you are. You don't need to have sex to prove that, and I wouldn't want you to."
She buried her face in my black shirt. “I must seem pretty desperate."
"No, not at all.” I pressed my thumb under her chin to raise it. She stared at me, a timid, innocent girl once again. “You deserve to be loved to the fullest. I wish I could give that to you, but let's face it, I'm definitely too old for you.
"Celeste, you're amazing. Because of that, I want you to have the best life has to offer.” I sighed and stared up at the ceiling. “Why couldn't I have met a girl like you when I was younger? All the women I've been with have had a hidden agenda. They've used me in some way or another. I just..."
I found her asleep, her steady breaths warming my chest. Her body clung onto mine like a second skin. My smile continued as I closed my eyes and drifted off into the same dream world she entered.
* * * *
"No!"
The scream in my ear woke me, and blurry eyes searched for the problem. The dark bedroom sprinkled moonlight onto the blanket. Celeste scratched at her arms and face, the action scaring me.
"Shh, you're all right,” I whispered. She stared at me and stopped her fighting. My arms curled around the upset girl in my arms. One hand soothed her aching back, the other cradled her head up against my chest. “Are you having nightmares about your father?"
"I wish.” She brought her fist close to her face. “Cameron, I'm afraid."
"I won't let anyone hurt you, I promise."
She nodded. “I keep seeing these awful things. You're going to think I'm crazy.” When I didn't give her the satisfaction of agreeing with that statement, she continued. “Lately, whenever I close my eyes, I am bombarded with horrific images of vampires. Some nights they're just stalking me, but then others..."
I sucked in a deep breath. Jeremy was right. But does he know about the dreams? The vampires’ attack on her had begun, and if that was the case, how could I protect her from them? You don't know anything about vampires and dreams. This very well could be nothing more than a manifestation of stress. I wanted to believe that more than anything.
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