Who Said Vampires Don't Exist? Well, I Did, Until Now

Chapter 27 Preview

~~~Hey guys, I'm a little stuck in the story right now. I'm not sure how I'm going to proceed. So, it might be a while till I update again, but I will try as hard as I can to be fast. Here is a preview of the next chapter, so you can have something to tide you over for a while. This is only a PREVIEW not the whole thing. Love ya!!!~~~

Chapter 27 Preview 

As I checked my reflection in the mirror for the hundredth time, I couldn't help but feel incredibly nervous. Tonight was the night that everything was going to happen, everything was going to change. I tried to get Ron to divulge his plan to me, but he refused. All he would tell me was that tonight he would free me from this mansion. Tonight, at the ball, my fate would change forever. This was also the night Reuban and a crew of trained vampires would go out looking for Ali: a second search party. It was the perfect timing for Ron and I to disappear because everyone would be so distracted. I desperately wanted to stay and see Ali one more time, to make sure he was alright, but I knew this might be my only chance to leave. Reuban would do whatever he could to find Ali; he didn't need my help.

Even still, I couldn't help but feel immense guilt. I promised Reuban I would help him find Ali, but instead I was running away. I could only hope that the Master wouldn't blame Reuban for my departure. If he should blame anyone, it should be me.

Ron instructed me to pack all my things and leave it in the kitchen. He said he would be sure to bring it with us on our journey. It wasn't too hard to bring my stuff to the kitchen, but the whole time I was incredibly nervous. 'What if I run into someone?' 'How will I explain myself while carrying an overnight bag?'

Luckily, I didn't run into anyone.

Ron also assured me that if I put my bags right inside the door of the kitchen, the cameras wouldn't be able to catch it. Besides, even if they could see my bags, he said they only checked the footage once a week.

When I was planning my escape with Ron, I knew I'd made the right choice. It seemed like the most logical thing I could do. At the time, nothing else made sense. However, after I ran into Seth, Charlotte, and Alex... it just seemed wrong. Every time I saw one of them, I couldn't help but feel terrible.

That was nothing compared to how it felt to see Reuban.

When he first walked into my room, I felt like someone had kicked me in the gut. I second guessed my decision a thousand times by the time he just took a few steps. He looked devastated about Ali's disappearance, which only made me feel worse. It took everything in me to hide my guilt-ridden conscience and smile reassuringly.

He said, "the search party was unable to find Ali, so we will be sending out another one directly after the ball." He gave me a serious look. "I'm going with them."

"That's a good thing, right? Now you can help find him." It was hard to hide my relief; I thought that maybe Reuban wouldn't discover my absence until after he found Ali. That would give me more time to distance myself from him.

"Yes." He walked past me to sit on the couch. He held his head in-between his hands and seemed to be trying to breathe evenly.

"Then why don't you seem happy?"

"Because-" He brought his head up to look at me, and his expression was shockingly affectionate. He quickly broke his gaze and stood up, only to begin pacing. He ran his hands through his silky hair a few times before he stopped right in front of me. "I'm not sure how long I'll be gone."

"So...?" I felt like I was missing something.

"It could be days, weeks, or even months." His eyes were pleading with me, but I didn't understand what he was trying to convey. "I won't return until I find him."

"Yes, but does that matter?" A dumbstruck and angry expression crossed his face. "I mean, since you will be looking for Ali. Does time matter when his life is on the line?"

"No... I only meant that..." He let out a deep sigh. "I will spend however long it takes to find him."

"Right."

"Yes... but it might be a while." Again, it seemed like he was attempting to express something important.

"Reuban, I don't understand what you're trying to tell me."

Delicately, he brought his hand up to my face and brushed a loose strand of hair behind my ear. My face flushed, and I tried desperately to calm my racing heart. The way he stared into my eyes, and the way his cool hand left a trail of tingles across my skin, sent my heart into overdrive. Breaking our locked gaze, he walked over to the door. Just when he was about to step out, I heard his voice, barely a whisper:

"I'll miss you."

I never thought I could feel such a depth of guilt, besides towards Samie, than I did in that moment.