“That’s a wonderful story, but it’s a lie. I hate lying to my uncle.” Dalton laughs at my words and he leans in and kisses me. His lips are firm and warm, and I smile as he pulls away from me.
“It’s not a lie. It’s the start of our new life together.”
Five
The next morning I wake up and the blinding sunshine is tearing through my curtains. I open my eyes and I hiss and pull the covers back over my head. The sunlight is burning my retinas, and the heat feels horrendous against my skin. My throat feels dry and I could really do with something to drink. My eyes begin to sting under the covers, and I jolt out of bed when I hear my uncle climbing the stairs. I fly over to my mirror and take in my reflection. My eyes are burning red and my lips are white. I close my eyes and I take slow sharp breaths. I sigh when I overcome my desire, and I run over to the door. I pull it open and my uncle is standing in the doorjamb. He is holding a cup of coffee in one hand, and a plate of pancakes in the other. I smile at him as he hands me my breakfast.
“I thought you might be hungry, Bugs.” “Yeah, I’m starving.” I say as I glug down the coffee. The heat warms my throat, and I can feel the caffeine pulse through me. My uncle is smiling at me, and I can hear his heart start to race. I pull the cup away from my mouth and I focus on him. He looks, worried and my thoughts run riot. What if Ryan has called my uncle and told him what I am? I turn my attention to George –pry Rose. “You seem a little nervous. Is everything okay?” My uncle nervously pushes his hands into the pockets of his greasy jeans. He looks at me, and I know that look –he knows something.
“I’m fine Bugs. It’s you that I’m worried about.” My heart races and my temper is bubbling away at my surface. Calm yourself Rose. “Why would you be worried about me?”
“You just seem a little … off. Is that yahoo treating you right?” My mind clears, and a vivid reminder of my looming talk with my uncle takes over me. I need to tell him that I am going away with Dalton. I am dreading telling him, and I don’t know if now is a good time to tell him. Dalton and I agreed that we would leave town, but I don’t know if I’m ready yet. I want to say goodbye to my friends, and that includes Ryan. He was such a big part of my life, and I feel that I can’t just leave Portland without saying goodbye. Then there’s Elliot and Charlene, I haven’t stopped to think about how much I am going to miss them. They have gotten me through so many ups and downs. I am going to miss our crazy nights out. I am going to miss hanging out with them at the Cineplex, and laughing at their stupid jokes. I’ll miss working at Subway with Ryan and fighting off his flirting. I sigh and a soft smile comes to my lips. I am giving up all of this to be with Dalton. He means more to me than anything else in my life. I love him with all of my vampire heart, and I know that changing my whole world to be with him, was the right decision. I clear my head, and I focus back on my uncle as he stands in the doorjamb.
“I’m fine. Dalton always treats me right. Actually George I have something that I need to … talk to you about.” My uncle nods and I can hear his heart rate increasing. I sip some more coffee, and then I step out of my room and into the hallway. I close my door behind me and I look into my uncles eyes. “Can we talk, downstairs?” George considers my words and then he nods and rushes down the stairs. I feel like flying from the top to the bottom, but I compose myself and I walk extra slow down the staircase. I reach the bottom and I can hear Jen humming in the kitchen. I smile and I focus my ears, Rachel is in the shower. I can hear my uncle breathing from inside in the lounge. I don’t want to keep him waiting, so I walk quickly into the small sitting room. The news is on in the background, and the smell of coffee and pancakes fills the entire house. I sit down onto the sofa, and I smile as I look outside. I can hear the birds singing in the trees, and the kids next door climbing onto their bikes. Being a vampire is awesome; I know that I was born to be one. It feels so natural to me, and I can hardly remember what it feels like to be human. My life feels like a distant memory, but one that I can remember vividly. It’s as if I was asleep for the last nineteen years, and now I am awake. Every sense in my body is alive and urging me to live my life to the fullest.
“So what’s bothering you, Bugs?” My uncle says as he meets my stare. I clear my dry throat –God I’m hungry. I inhale a large gulp of air, and I fight back my stinging eyes. I part my lips and here I go –I am about to tell my uncle that I am leaving. Wish me luck.
“George you know that I love you right?” My uncle laughs at me. “Of course I do Bugs. What’s all this about?”
“I’m leaving Portland.” I just blurt it out. I don’t want to waste time with all the build-up. I just want to hear how my uncle feels about me leaving. My frozen heart races, as I wait for his reply. George sits up in his chair, and he throws his hands into the air.
“Leaving? What has brought all this nonsense on? Where are you going? Is that yahoo forcing you to leave?” His voice is loud and very deep. I can hear his heart pounding, its making me feel a little uncomfortable. I readjust myself, and I try not to focus on the bulging vein that has formed on his neck.
“George, I just feel that I need a change. Dalton has asked me to go traveling with him. He wants to take me to Italy, England and any other country that I want to go to. This is a massive opportunity for me, and I would be foolish to turn it down. I know that you’re gonna have a hard time processing this, but my mind is made up. I’m leaving.” My uncle lunges from the seat and he rushes out of the lounge. I can hear his harsh footsteps against the floor, and I can hear him shouting at Jen. I feel awful that he has taken the news so badly, but what was I expecting? I didn’t think for one second that he would be okay with me leaving. My uncle holds onto me like I am his possession. He wants me to stay with him, because I am the last piece of his brother. I feel for him, I really do. But I can’t live my life without Dalton. I need to leave in order to be with him. George rushes back into the lounge with Jen at his side. He starts to pace the room, whilst Jen begins to interrogate me.
“What’s all this about you leaving?” She says in a smooth voice. I rise up from my seat, and I walk over to my uncle. I gently place my hand onto his arm and I look into his eyes.
“You have to let me go. I’m old enough to make my own decisions, and I choose to be with Dalton. There is nothing here for me. I work a dead beat job for so little money. Dalton is offering me a wonderful life, and I love him. Let me be happy.” He considers my words and then he lunges past me. “No, I can’t just let you leave.” He screams. Jen walks over to him and she tries to soothe him.
“Calm down dear. Rose is a smart girl, and she knows what’s best for her. You can’t hold onto to her forever. You need to let her grow up and make her own choices.” I shoot Jen a darting look –man she was quick to agree with me. It’s almost as if she wants me to leave. I try to shake off my burning annoyance, and I walk over to my uncle again. I don’t touch him, I just look at him.
“I love you Uncle George, but I’m leaving and you can’t stop me.” George throws his hands into the air again and he snarls under his breath. I feel my eyes start to sting, so I quickly excuse myself. I rush up the stairs and I meet Rachel on the landing. She is wearing her light pink bathrobe and her hair is loose and wet. Her hands graze her hips as she looks at me.
“Wow, what’s up with you?” She says in a sarcastic voice. I really don’t want to get into another bitch fight with her. So I ignore her sly comments, and I smile at her instead.
“I’m leaving.” Rachel’s eyes widen, and she can’t believe the words that have passed from my lips. “What did you just say?” Rachel snarls at me.
“I said I’m leaving.”
“Don’t get smart with me. What’s going on?” I feel my temper rising –calm yourself Rose.
“Dalton has asked me to go traveling with him, and I have said yes. We’re leaving, soon.” “This is unbelievable. Why does everything good happen to you?” I laugh at Rachel, and then I stride forward and wrap my arms around her. I
pull her close to me, and I inhale her sweet scent.
“I’m gonna miss you.” I quickly get dressed and then I rush out of the house. I climb into my truck and I head in the direction of work. I reach the Wal-Mart supercentre; I park my truck and then jump out into the lot. I dart over to the entrance and I rush into the store. It’s busy in here today, and everyone seems to laughing and shouting extra loud. I try to ignore the voices and the tempting heartbeats as I run towards Subway. The restaurant is crowded; I have to push my way through the sea of people. I reach the counter and I see Shelby, the blonde who just started to work here a few weeks ago.
“Hey Shelby have you seen Ryan?” “Yeah he’s in the back.” I smile at her, and then I walk over to the heavy door that leads into the workers lounge. I glide into the room, and I see Ryan sitting at the small table. He’s nibbling on a sandwich; he looks worried when he sees me. I smile at him and I walk over and take the seat next to him. He places his food down onto the table and he wipes his mouth with his fingers. I take a deep breath, and I begin to wonder if he remembers what I told him last night. He was really wasted, and what if he can’t remember that I am a vampire? My head starts to spin and I meet his stare.
“Ryan,” I say in a desperate tone. I reach out and try to grab onto his hand, but he pulls away from me. He is looking at me differently. He looks worried and scared. He does remember what I am. “Ryan please we need to talk about this. You need to let me explain.”
“Explain what, that you’re a vampire? How can you explain that to me, it’s crazy?” Ryan’s voice is sharp and I can feel my temper staring to rise. His heart is beating fast and pumping blood through his veins. I wonder what he tastes like. My mind runs away from me, and I quickly snap back to reality.
“I know it’s beyond crazy. But it’s true, I’m a vampire. I want to tell you everything, but you have to promise me that you will keep my secret.” “Explain first, and then I might consider doing what you ask.” I smile at him, and then I begin. I tell him about how I met Dalton, and how I felt in his presence. I tell him how I found out about vampires, and I explain how Dalton made me feel safe. I have told him about the pleasure I felt when he fed on me, and that he could read my mind whilst he indulged on my blood. I reassure him that this was my decision, and that Dalton didn’t force me into anything. I have told him how wonderful it is to be a vampire, and that I don’t regret anything. He hasn’t spoken since I started talking. He just listens with his heart beating fast. His eyes widened when I told him about my vision, speed and hearing. He seemed intrigued, but he didn’t question me. I have told him that we need to leave, and that I probably won’t see him again. He seemed quite shocked by that, but he still didn’t utter a word. I think that he is in shock, or maybe denial. “That’s quite a story. Is any of it true?”
“Of course it’s true. Everything I have just told you is the truth. Now that you know what I am, and how I got to be this way. How do you feel about me? Are you scared of me? Tell me what you’re thinking.” Ryan sighs, and he runs his fingers through his hair. He rests his arms onto the table and he meets my stare.
“You said something about pleasure, what kind of pleasure exactly?” I shift around in my seat and I almost feel my icy cheeks blush. Ryan continues to stare at me, and he is making me feel uneasy. I don’t know how to respond, but the truth seems like a good way to go.
“Like I’ve already said, Dalton feed on me when I was human. The pleasure that his feed brought me, was out of this world. I felt unique, powerful and connected to him. He could feel every nerve in my body screaming out at him, and it made him enjoy the feed even more. I can’t describe the feeling; it’s like nothing I’ve ever felt before.” I laugh at my own words, and I can’t hold back my smile. I can vividly remember Dalton’s feeds, and my whole body is longing for that feeling again. But now I am vampire, and that wish is never going to come true. I will just have to make-do with the memory of that pleasure. Ryan reaches out and he grabs onto my hand. He looks into my eyes. He has a very serious stare. His heart is now beating so fast, that I am scared it may jump out of his chest. His hand is lightly squeezing mine, and I can tell that he is about to ask me something that I don’t want to hear.
“I want to experience that pleasure. Please feed on me.” I am shocked at his words. I can’t believe that he would want me to feed on him. What’s wrong with him? Has he lost his mind? My head clears and his words are on repeat. How can I think that he is crazy when I forced Dalton to feed on me, so many times? I begged him and I desired his daggers on my skin. Why I am so shocked that Ryan would want the same? My head is rushing and I stare at his neck. My lips part and tremble at the sight of him –I wonder what his blood tastes like? For a second, I let go of my control and my eyes begin to sting. I want to feed on him, but I can’t. I really care about Ryan and we dated. What if his blood is my weakness? I am scared, but I can’t hold back my nature. I want to feed.
“I can’t. What if I hurt you?” Ryan laughs and he pulls me closer to him. “You didn’t hurt that guy last night. C’mon don’t you wanna taste my blood?” My lips part and I can feel my daggers extending, as I roll my tongue over them. My throat is dry and I can’t resist his offer. I am going to feed on him. I clasp his face with both of my hands and I tilt it to one side. I can feel his pulse beating too fast as I move closer. I drag my seat along the floor, and now my face is less than inch away from his neck. I can see his vein bulging through his skin, and I lick my lips at the sight. I feel my eyes stinging and burning red. I press my lips onto his neck, and I run my tongue along his skin. He flinches at my cold touch, and then his breathing steadies. I part my lips and I sink my teeth into his flesh. His blood is warm, sweet and I feel fuzzy as it runs down my throat. I draw some more blood, and then I can hear him. He loves the pleasure and he wants more. His hand grips onto the back of my head and he pulls me closer. My teeth sink further into his skin and I suck stronger. His mind is rushing and he adores his new found pleasure. He holds onto my head and when I try to pull away, he stops me. I give in and feed for another few seconds, and then I force myself to stop. I push Ryan away from me, as I pull my teeth out of his neck. There are two little puncture wounds on his neck, and I can feel a trickle of blood running down my lip. I extend my tongue, and I force the blood into my mouth. I smile at the sweet taste and then I look at Ryan. He is lying back in the chair with a massive grin on his face. I lean back against the plastic of the chair, and I fold my arms across my chest.
“You okay?” I ask in a soothing tone. Ryan can’t contain his smile as he replies. “I feel … awesome.” I laugh at his words and then he starts again. “It was incredible and such a rush. Do you really have to leave?”
“Yeah, we need to leave.” Ryan presses his eyebrows together. He looks frustrated, and I have a feeling that he is about to tell me exactly how he feels. “You can’t just leave. What about your family, your job and … me? I can’t bear the thought of not seeing you, Rose. You’re my oldest friend and I … love you.” Crap, I feel awful. I always knew that Ryan still had feelings for me, but love? I never expected him to go that far. My lips start to tremble, and I can feel cold tears forming in my eyes. I quickly paw my eye-area to prevent my sadness, and then I focus on Ryan. Just say goodbye Rose.
“You will always be my best friend, and you’ll always be in my heart. You were my first … everything and you mean the world to me. But I’m no longer a human and I can’t stay in Portland. I love Dalton and he and I are leaving, tonight. I’m gonna miss you like crazy. But I won’t forget about you. I’ll call and write you, and I’ll always be there if you ever need me. All you have to do is look deep into your heart, and I’ll be there.” Ryan lunges out of the seat, and he glides over to me. I stand and he pulls me into his strong arms. I grip onto his back and he sighs and takes in my scent.
“Goodbye Rose.”
Six
After Ryan and I said our goodbyes, I rushed back into my truck and I headed in the direction
of Charlene’s house. I reached her front door, and of course I couldn’t enter the house. I wasn’t invited in, and Charlene surprised me when she didn’t ask me to come in. Instead, she came outside and we sat on the porch swing and talked. I explained that I was leaving –off to see the world and she was sad, but excited for me. She had loads of questions, and I was pleased with myself when I managed to answer all of them. She asked me why I wanted to do this, and why now. I told her that now was the first time in my life where I actually felt like I belonged to someone. Then she asked me about Dalton and if I love him. I told her how he makes me feel, and that I could never be without him. Charlene then asked me how long I was going away for, and I said that I wasn’t sure, but she shouldn’t expect me home anytime soon. We talked and laughed for ages, and then I had to force myself to leave. We hugged, cried and held each other for what seemed like forever. I told her to say goodbye to Elliot for me, and she broke down into tears –again. When I finally left her house, I was in floods of tears. I watched her looking after me as I drove away, and my heart ached, because I know that was the last time that I would ever see her again.
“Rose,” I hear Nicholas shout from the kitchen of his large house. I slowly pull myself off the sofa and I make my way into the wide hallway. After I spent time with Rachel, I decided that I needed to see Dalton. So I drove to his house, but when I got here, he wasn’t in. Nicholas told me to come in and wait for him, and that’s exactly what I did. I flopped myself down onto their large, soft sofa and I haven’t moved since –that was over an hour ago. I felt drained after saying my goodbyes. As I enter the large kitchen, I see Nicholas pouring two cups of coffee. He is smiling at me as he holds one of the cups in the air. He makes eye contact with me, and he urges me come closer. I march over, and I take the cup of coffee that he is offering. I take a small sip and then I sit down in front of him, at the breakfast bar. Nicholas glugs down his coffee and he slams the cup down onto the counter. I jump from the noise, and Nicholas laughs at my reaction.
Forever Yours (#4) Page 4