My Benefactor
Copyright © 2011 crimsonnebula
All rights reserved
Chapter Eight
Picture on the side is Reagan and Derek. Aren't they cute :D
Enjoy! No proofreading done.
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If my ears were deceiving me, I thought I heard Derek said 'I love you, my darling' in French, as far as my knowledge of the language could go, since I had French when I was homeschooled, but still. I was quite surprised with that bold yet endearing gesture.
Why would he say that, anyway? Did he mean that in a brotherly kind or in a romantic kind? I would choose the first one since there was no way that he would get involved with a girl like me, common place and a drama magnet.
But, what was not to like Derek. He was sweet, smart, intelligent which explains his vast incomprehensible knowledge of things in general and well, he was sickenly generous, which I find sometimes irritating but adorable.
Yet, his classic yet enthralling beauty enhanced that to an extreme level would make any woman weak on the knees.
That, my friend, was all the more reasons that he was out of my reach, like a bright star on the sky. Only for my eyes to see, but not to touch.
My sobs had quieted down and Derek never stopped rubbing my back. He never asked questions as why I bawled like a newborn baby, which I had to give him props. I didn't like people prodding me to spill it out if I didn't feel like telling. Derek knew me well, and I adored him for it.
After a moment, I was calm. It took me a while to realize that I was sitting on his lap, so in a split second, I was off like lightning and mumbled an embarrassed sorry. Of course, the idiot just had to find my embarrassment amusing.
I walked around his desk and sat on the chair that was in front. I plopped down and let out a big woosh of air.
Derek broke the tense silence, "You okay now?" he asked softly.
I nodded lamely and gave him a sheepish look, "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to jump on your lap like that. Wasn't thinking straight." I placed my hand on my lap and bent my head down.
Derek chuckled then waved his hand in the air to dismiss the thought, "It is fine. No harm done."
We fell back to awkward silence.
I felt like a loser at this very moment. I bet he was thinking I'm some attention seeking girl prancing around looking for trouble. As if sensing my train of thought, he spoke with clear authority, which had me look up to meet his dark blue eyes, "Reagan, look at me."
He never used that tone on me before. Maybe he got irritated, so no wonder he used it on me. Begrudgingly, I looked up, not saying a word.
"I know what you're thinking and no, you're not an attention seeking girl." He said sternly.
I gasped, "How did you know?"
His lips form into a cocky smirk,"You didn't live for two years under my care for nothing, little one. I know how you think, most especially the after thoughts."
Why you cocky idiot. He will never stop calling me little one, I could feel it in my bones.
I rolled my eyes, "Yeah, yeah, whatever."
He laughed for a bit and once again, he went back plastering a serious look on his face,"I won't force you to tell me, but when you're ready, I'll listen, and not judge you."
I shook my head,"No, no. It's okay. You need to know anyway."
He nodded and urged me to continue.
I took in a big gulp of air and told him what happened about my confrontation with mom. Every knitty gritty detail, I didn't leave anything out. All he did was listen, not interrupting me. There were some occasional frowns but nevertheless, he was just silent, listening to my tale of woe.
After what felt like an eternity, I was breathless. It was the longest detailed explanation I had ever done, and it was a mouthfull.
With a heave of air, I said, "So that's why I flew to your lap then cried a river. The end."
I looked at him expectantly then he finally spoke,"That was intense."
"Tell me about it." I muttered.
He stood up from his leather seat and went around to my side. He stopped in front of me and kneeled down on one knee, like a knight who was about to be knighted by the king,"Before you say anything, I want you to listen to me first," he paused to see if I would agree so I nodded,"Good. I know this must be hard for you, but I want you to talk to your mother. I'm not saying you're going to do it now. You can do it whenever you're ready. Tell her how you feel, no holds bar, and at least establish a relationship with her. She's family. No matter how screwed up the circumstances, she's after all, your mother. If it doesn't work out, then that's all there is to it."
I sighed,"I don't know..." I trailed.
"Just give yourself time. When you're ready, talk to her." He said.
With a dejected sigh, I slowly nodded my head and sulked back in the chair.
Derek ruffled my hair then smiled, "That's the spirit," his face went solemn,"you're my best friend, Reagan. You're like a sister I never had and it pains me to see you hurt." When he said best friend and sister, for some reason the way he said it sounded off and weird.
It kind of hurt but I just shook off the absurd feeling.
I gave him a soft smile,"Thank you, Derek."
"You're welcome."
He stood up and went back to the leather seat and sat down. I stood up as well, "I guess I should go do my homework."
"Yes, you should. I don't want you to fail." He said in playful stern voice.
I rolled my eyes, "Shut up." then walked out of the study, leaving Derek laughing like a hyena.
Jerk.
(Derek's POV)
The moment Reagan closed the door, my laughter died down.
What the hell was I doing?
I leaned my head back to the chair and heaved a lungful of air.
Je t'aime ma cherie. Je t'aime. [I love you, my darling.]
"You're such an idiot, Derek." I muttered to myself.
I meant for it to come out in a brotherly way, but it came out more than that.
I bet Reagan was thinking I'm some twisted crazy bastard for saying such a thing, but when I think about it, she didn't react, or show any emotion. Maybe she thought of it as a brotherly gesture, since I said that to her ALMOST everyday. Oh well.
I grabbed my book from the table and continued to where I left off but unfortunately, someone has to knock on my door. I groaned and yelled a come in. The door opened and Cooper popped his head in with a grimace.
I furrowed my eyebrows, "Why you look constipated, Cooper? Do you have indigestion?
He stepped inside but the door was ajar, "No, I don't." Then his face went serious,"you got company, dude."
"Huh? I'm not expecting anyone."
He rolled his eyes, "Duh, and you are not going to like this."
I was about to ask again, when Cooper was immediately jerked back making him yell out a 'hey' and in pops the person that I wasn't in the mood to see.
"Derek! Darling!"
I groaned. Helena, my mother. Just my luck.
I stood up and walked over to her to give a disapproving look, "Mother, why did you come to my house without informing me?"
She gave me 'I'm your mother. I can come whenever I please' look and walked over to give me a hug, "I came here to visit you."
I looked into her eyes to see if she was lying and it came up blank. My mom really knew how to mask her intentions from me. I don't know how she did it, but for an Elder like myself, we could sense lies and deception, but from her? Nada.
I pulled back quickly and glowered at her, "Honestly mother, what's the purpose of your unannounced visit?"
She frowned, "I told you, I came here to visit you."
I looked behind her to look for father but he wasn't there. That was odd. These two were tied to the hip.
"Where's father?"
As if on cue, the door burst wide open and my father, Desmond, strode in like he owned the place.
"Hello, son!" he deeply chirped and gave me hug.
He patted my back, "How are you?" he asked.
I rolled my eyes, "I'm fine, father. I rather not ask you why you're doing here because the answer would be the same just like mother's." I said and pulled back.
He gave a throaty chuckle, "Now, now. What's wrong with us visiting you?"
I deadpanned, "Because you both have intentions whenever you visit me."
My mother sighed, "Fine. Sit." She ordered.
I growled but did what I was told. They made themselves comfortable and mother started to speak, "Derek, it's been years since that incident. It's about time that you settle down and get married."
I groaned. Not this again.
"Who's the poor girl this time, huh? I bet you enticed her with money and among other things. The last few girls you arranged me with were goldiggers and whores."
She grinned mischievously, "Oh, I'm sure you are going to adore this one."
I rolled my eyes, "I doubt that, mother."
She tilted her body to the door and yelled, "Come in, my dear!"
The door was open, so the mystery person appeared on the doorway with a big grin on her face.
"DEREK!" she squealed.
She ran over and hurled herself at me, "Oh my god! It's been so long."
I patted her back gently, "It's been a while, Alexis."
Alexis had been a good friend of mine for several decades now. She was the daughter to one of my father's friends, and we met during a clan gathering. She was a sweet, kind hearted girl, and it was hard to imagine that she was single. Don't get me wrong, she was attractive with her raven black hair, dark blue eyes and soft pink lips that curled into a warm smile.
What amazed was that, she was there for me after what happened between me and Miranda.
Let's just say there was a cat fight and Alexis won.
She pulled back and gave me a smile, "It's good to see you."
"What are you doing here? I thought you were in Paris with Sasha?"
She looked uncomfortable, "Um..."
It was my mother who answered for her, "I've arranged Alexis to be your fiance."
Say what?
I turned to face my mother and gave her a menacing look, "Mother, what do you mean fiance?"
"Derek, you are an Elder and of great importance. Alexis is a good match for you. She's a pure blood from a reputable family, and it will be good for you and for the clan. You need a strong woman by your side." My father explained in behalf of mother.
I abruptly stood up, making Alexis dropp to the floor with a loud thud. I didn't bother to help her up. I was too furious, "You have no right to make decisions for me. I am a grown man, not a child!"
Father stood up and glared at me, "Remember who gave you the position of being an Elder. I passed it down to you because I know your older brother didn't deserve the title. So don't use that tone on me and show respect to the one who raised you!" he growled.
"A parent should be supportive, not manipulative and controlling." I looked at my mother when I said the last part with great distaste.
My mother gasped, "Derek!"
The room all of a sudden vibrated and made a rumbling sound. The furniture was shaking and the books on the shelves dropped on the floor one by one.
Father dearest was now pissed.
With a flash, I was thrown across the room, and pinned against the wall with an invisible energy. Then, my bones started cracking and it was excruciating. His body became blurry and fuzzy, then disappeared then materialized in front of me with a cold look.
"Never use that tone on your mother, Derek, if you want to live. Now, be good son and do as you are told." He said with a sneer. My father was a powerful vampire, and he could take me down with no effort.
I was panting and breathing hard, "I didn't want to be an Elder. You forced it upon me, because you never approved of Darren but," I gasped through the extreme pain then continued, "you and I both know that he was the right person. The rightful heir."
"Desmond, stop it!" my mother yelled. She ran to my father and grabbed his arm, "You're hurting our son. Stop it!"
My father growled one last time and slowly, the pain ebbed away, and I could feel my body was starting to heal. After a few minutes, I composed myself.
"We will be back. Come on, Helena." Father said, heading for the door. My mother nodded meekly and followed after him.
I let out a big sigh and went back to my seat. Alexis came over to me and gave me an apologetic look, "I'm sorry, Derek."
I waved my hand across the air, "It's alright, Alex." Then eyed her curiously, "Did you agree to this, or were you forced?"
She sighed, "Well, my father said that marrying you could be a good thing, and you know him. He can be intimidating; and if things doesn't go his way, he explodes like a pop balloon."
I chuckled. She was right. Her father was an intimidating man.
I stood up and held out my hand for her to take, "Come on. How about we raid my fridge and see what we can pig out?"
She grinned and took my hand, "Awesome."
(Reagan's POV)
"La la la la la! You make me feel that! La la la la la! You make me feel so! La la la la la! You make me feel that!" I sang through the music that was playing on my radio.
I was cruising around town singing You make me feel by Cobra Starship. I didn't really care if my voice sounds like a choking seagull, so you could kiss my ass, people.
After my talk with Derek, I wasn't in the mood to do my homework so I decided to go for a drive. I needed alone time to clear my thoughts, and recounting my confrontation with mom wasn't helping.
I was aimlessly driving till I saw the park. I think that was a good place to chill and relax, so I parked near the entrance and killed the ignition. I got out of the car and walked towards the park entrance.
It was around 6pm so the park was deserted. I wasn't really scared, because the park was actually not that far from the mansion, and if someone tried to do something on me, then I would go on ninja mode. I looked up the sky and saw orange, purple and pink hues nearing it's way to night time. The cold breeze was comfortable and welcoming and I liked it. The leaves crunched underneath my shoes as I trudged towards the park bench and sat down with a sigh. Finally, alone time.
I thought about the things that had happened since I went back to school and one by one, it made me scowl. I was supposed to have a drama free senior year but no, I just had to deal with people from my past.
I was lost in thought, not noticing someone approaching me, but what gave it away was a crunching sound of leaves and snap of a twig. I looked up and saw a man a few meters away, maybe around his early twenties, looking straight at me. He had dark brown hair, smokey gray eyes with his lips pulled down with a frown. He had defined cheekbones and a strong chin. If I wasn't in a brooding state, I would have blurted 'Damn, you're hot', but no.
I stared back at him and gave him a questioning look. Slowly, his mouth pulled up into an eerie smile, which I found uncomfortable. He sauntered towards me and stopped a few inches away.
He started. "Hello." He said in his deep velvety sultry voice. He had a slight accent, but I didn't know what, but judging with the sultriness, maybe he was Hispanic.
I was sorta dumbfounded but what the hell, "Uh... hi?"
"What's a pretty girl doing here alone in the park?" he asked.
This guy was starting to creep me out, "Ummm..."
He sauntered towards me, but in a predatory way, so I stood up and started walking but, he was right beside me gripping my arm. Wow, that was fast.
"What are you doing?" I asked.
He laughed then yanked me towards him, so I was face-to-face with the creepy guy (though we was good looking, but whatever). I could feel his breath on my face as he slowly brushed his lips from my cheeks down to my neck, "You smell so good."
Now, wait a minute? Was he into perfume or something? He must be gay.
"That would be my perfume, duh." I said like it was the obvious thing in the world.
He chuckled, "No. Not that. You smell delicious. Good enough to eat."
"Now wait a second, dumbass--" I wasn't able to finish because I flung to a tree and my back hit the trunk with great force. I slid to the ground on a crumpled heap and whimpered in pain.
When the pain subsidded, I slowly got up and saw the creepy good looking guy walked towards me. I blinked a couple a times because my vision was still blurry, then in a split second he was in front of me, "For food, you talk to much." He sneered.
He held up my collar to pick me up and the look on his face had me cringed. He looked menacing and his lips was tilted up to a twisted smile like a murderer.
Was he going to kill me?
He started to lean in to my neck but before you know it, I could feel something warm on my chest. I surreptitiously looked down and saw my pendant, which was covered underneath my shirt, glowed. The guy stopped what he was doing. He saw that my pendant was glowing and took it out underneath my shirt, "What the hell is this?"
To answer his question, his face and hands started to burn. I could smell the burning flesh and it made me gag. He immediately recoiled from the pendant and staggered back and his clothes were starting to burn him as well. He was screaming and shouting because the burn didn't stop worming around his body and in an instant, he turned into ash.
By now, I could tell my face had that look of shock. With shaking hands, I slowly touched the pendant to look at it. It was still glowing, and the red liquid inside was boiling, while the gold specks had turned blue.
After awhile, the pendant slowly dimmed, the red liquid was back to its liquid state, the blue specks turned back to gold.
What the hell just happened?
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Song of the moment:
You make me feel by Cobra Starship
HEHE!