Biting Temptation

30: Penultimate

She frowned. "The other day? I don't understand."

"You've been unconscious for a few days, Chels." I squeezed her hand. "That's why your neck hurts. Remember I told you we had some things going on that we couldn't really explain? That things were extremely complicated?"

Her nod was delayed but she nodded either way. I was surprised by her silence, usually she'd be chatting up a storm of questions. She wasn't one to show fear, hell she was the instigator in adrenaline related activities. But right now there was a sparkle in her eye, just a small sparkle, of fear.

"I don't know where to start." I said turning a little to Amy. Behind Chelsea, Christian nodded his head. Chelsea still had yet to notice her maker and for now that would be okay. "You won't believe any of this Chels but it's all true. It'll literally explain so much."

"Tell me." She whispered.

I inhaled and exhaled a shaky breath. "Okay. Keep an open mind."

I didn't know where to start so I started right at the beginning. The beginning being when I was eighteen years old fresh out of high school just moving into Canada. I told her about the murder's that happened every year in Vancouver and Burnaby, I told her how I got the scar on my hairline from the car accident just outside of Michael's house, I told her about Florence - omitting the word vampire - I told her about Nate being told to follow me, I told her everything from Nate saving me on that cliff when the two of them visited at Christmas three years ago. And then I started on the scar on my neck, the one Florence gave me.

I told her they were vampires, all of them.

Her face didn't change, not even as I continued and went on to explain what really happened in the cabin and what Michael really was. Then Amy went on to explain her story, how she had no idea about any of this until she moved here for her work experience. How she fell in love with John and found out how he also was a vampire. She explained what Lewis did to her and to us. And then we both stumbled over each other as we explained our most recent of 'adventures.' She was still staring at us, no emotion passing over her face even when I told her how we met Christian who we pointed at. Chelsea barely even spared him a glance. We overlooked telling her Ames was a vampire for now.

And then we started on the last week and a half. Ana's funeral, her arrival and then what happened:

"Florence... she wasn't happy with what I did, with how I brought Christian into the situation. And... and she took it out on someone I loved." I said rubbing a thumb over her knuckles. "She took it out on... on you, Chels." Just say it. "Your neck hurts because she broke it. You died."

We were met with complete and utter silence. Her gaze darted over me then to Amy and back again.

Then she laughed.

Which of course we expected because who in their right mind would believe the crock of shit we just spurted out in the last fifteen minutes.

"You two are joking right?" She laughed. "Because no way no how that could be true. Any of it."

Amy leaned forward on her chair with a pitying frown. "Why would we sit here for fifteen minutes making up such an in detail excuse for the truth?"

"Because... because that's what we do!" She threw her hands up in the air slipping it from my grasp and I saw Christian tense beside me. She was getting worked up and he didn't need to be sitting beside her to know it. "Vampires? Witches? Me dying? If I was dead, how am I sat here right now? Talking and moving and seeing and smelling?" Her nose twitched and I swallowed when her gaze ran over my neck. It was a blatantly unconscious movement because in the next minute she was looking back to Amy. "How am I here then, Ames?"