Staying Human

Thirty Five

I felt completely confused as Charlie helped me to my feet and I jumped back as my mother thrust a glass of water into my face. I felt startled, shaky and nervous and I did not know why.

“Drink this Honey, Charles told me you fainted and hit your head. I am sorry; he says I am putting too much pressure on you with all this marriage business.”

Charlie winked at me as my mother called him Charles; this made me smile as he’d obviously been trying to charm her. My mother was a sucker for old fashioned names especially when they came with good looking men. I looked at her, I could not understand how I had got into the kitchen, the last thing I remember was lying on my bed and why was Charlie talking to my mother about my supposed marriage and more to the point what was he even doing here.

Why could my mother not smell he was a vampire because I could smell him.

"And he told me about Max and what he has been up too.” My mother continued.

Please God let him be ok I thought to myself. I could not cope with anymore drama or people I loved getting hurt around me anymore. “What about Max? Is he OK?”

Then I heard again a voice but it was weak and much quieter than before.

He is compelling you but this time he is wrong so it can’t work, Max loves you remember that.

Charlie had groaned when I asked about Max and he shook his head at me and he stared right into my eyes. His gaze was intense and he whispered in my ear, “you don’t love Max because Max still loves Shelby.”

I looked bewilderedly at him and he grabbed me by my chin, “are you listening to me?”

I nodded at him and then he sweetly smiled back at me.

“Good girl.” He said as he stroked my chin with his thumb and he leaned forward and started to kiss me. I panicked as my mother was still in the kitchen. I could not believe his cocky confidence as he brought his mouth down to my neck, bit me and started to feed.

This whole scene was very wrong, my mother would never let a vampire into the house she despised them which is another reason why I hid my obsession with them so well.

My mother should be trying to rip him apart; she absolutely hated vampires, she could smell them from a mile away so what the hell was going on? She was just stood in the corner of the kitchen facing the wall still prattling on about on about Max. She was saying horrible things about him and I knew they were not her thoughts because she absolutely loved Max. Something was wrong with this whole situation.

“I can’t believe he asked for your hand in marriage when he is still keeping her bed warm. I am going to give Ms Davies a piece of mind too, when I see her later.”

Her choice of words immediately caught my attention.

“What are you talking about?”

“I have not told her yet, Mrs Evans,” Charlie slightly snapped at her as he lifted his head from my neck. “Why don’t you go and get ready and let me explain things, my way, to Rachael because she will listen to me.”

“You are such a nice kind boy Charles, I can’t believe I’ve never met you before” she said as she patted him on the back and then left the room.

He snaked his hands around my waist and leaned down and started to kiss me, he moaned slightly as he pushed his tongue into my mouth and pressed his groin against my thigh. “I can help you work out your revenge on Max,” he whispered as he sucked on my ear lobe.

I tried to put some distance between myself and him because I could not understand why he was here when he had just spoken to me at Jason’s house. I could not understand why my mother had not attacked him.