Infatuated (Unedited)

Chapter 27

"Often, huh?"

Nicolas smiled keeping his eyes on the road ahead, "I've learned through Armand and Claud that this ability comes to good use when your partner is unhappy with you and refuses to talk."

"Well, I can tell you right now that listening in on me when I'm upset with you won't make anything better."

"And I can tell you mi amor, that I am very persuasive. You will not stay mad at me for very long." He gave my hand a little squeeze grinning a little brighter to the point that I could see his fangs gleaming under the streetlights. For some reason that made me think of that little piece of paper that had the resurrection spell on it. If that was truly responsible for why things are, why I am, then why am I just now having these memories verses having them when I met Nicolas before.

"Resurrection spell?" So much for him not listening in on me often.

"I was doing some research...on you," I paused to gauge his reaction, "and I came across a small piece of old paper with a resurrection spell on it. The Library said she thought it might be connection to Simone's midwife."

Nicolas smiled warmly, "Anna. So this her doing." he shook his head his smile growing by the second. "She figured out what I had become the day we buried Simone and my son. She kept telling me 'recordar a amar'. That I would need to remember how to love for I would find it again. It is no surprise to me that she would've made up such a spell."

"But how? I mean, you said we met before so why didn't this happen then? What's different?" I was watching him for any kind of reaction but to true to his calm nature, there wasn't one. He did seem to be deep in though...either that or really focused on driving. "Nicolas?"

"My blood. The day before I took your memory you were hurt and I needed to heal you. To do so I gave you a large amount of my blood. Much more than when I attempted to blood bond with you."

"You attempted to what?"

"Nothing mi amor." His bright smile returned full force. In that moment he reminded me of the Nicolas I saw in those visions with Simone. He looked boyish; his smile reminding me of a teenager who'd almost incriminated himself in front of his parents but came up with a quick cover to save his ass.

I kept my eyes narrowed on him every second after that and each time he glanced at me he grinned. When we pulled up in front of my apartment building he got out and opened the door for me, kissing my cheek as I hopped out. He stood back leaning against the truck so I took that as he was planning to wait for me down here while I collected a few things. My whole way up to my place I was making a mental list of what I needed and also questioned how much I needed. If we were going to be naked the whole time--which is perfectly fine with me--then all I need is a few changes of clothes and plenty of underwear. I smiled at the idea of his actually ripping a pair off of me.

My smile decreased the moment I stepped off the elevator though. An uneasy feeling crept over me that I could not place. Suddenly I was wishing Nicolas had come up with me. Against my better judgment I pulled out my keys, shoved it into the lock and turned the knob slowly. Using my hand to locate the light switch on the wall I was still pretty much standing in the lit hallway so I didn't notice the foul odor until I moved in a little closer.

Once the lights flipped on I pushed the door open without going in. I didn't see anything right away but that feeling of unease was getting stronger and stronger. Get in and get out. That was all I had to do. Using one of the potted plants that was by the door to keep it open just in case I needed to run out, I took a few steps forward. I was smacked in the face by the pungent stink of something rotting.

Placing my hand over my mouth was a failing reflex to keep myself from gagging but it wasn't working. That was enough for me. I backed up with the intent to go back to Nicolas and tell him something was wrong but stopped dead in my tracks when I noticed what looked like a trail of blood on the other side of my couch going into my bedroom.

I've seen far too many scary movies to pull a stupid move such as the one I'm about to pull but curiosity is winning the battle over what I should do. Cautiously I moved toward the couch. What I was seeing was in fact blood and what I couldn't hear when I was standing by the door was my shower running. Since my bedroom door was still open I could see in their partially and what I saw was enough to send me running out of there and down the stairs rather than to the elevator. I flew down them like a fire had been lit under my ass, into the awaiting arms of Nicolas who was apparently on his way up to me.

"What was it Rayne?" he asked me repeatedly but I was a little too shaken up to speak at first. "Querida," he said in a much softer tone, this time reaching me through my fear and shock, "somehow you're blocking me from your thoughts so I need you to tell me what just happened?"

I pulled back from him while keeping my fists balled up in his shirt. I vaguely heard him ask me a second time what I saw when I started to shake and a voice I didn't even recognize came out of me. "Blood. There is blood all over my bed and what looks like some kind of head."