“This sucks!” Josh groaned loudly, in his hand, his abused copy of the Rent script as he slapped it to the faux wood table. “Angel dies!” he reiterated, his tone tinged with sadness. Raven looked at him with disbelief when I said, “You haven’t seen the movie?”
“No! Everyone in the cast keeps telling me the movie version sucked!” he whined before plopping his head onto the table, covering his face with his arms.
Raven giggled. “Everyone is entitled to there own opinion sweetie.” She said calmly, hoping to erase all of the tension emanating from Josh. “Besides, you’ve been rehearsing for the show for how long?”
“I know that! I just…ugh!” Josh quickly shook his head. “Maybe its nerves, ‘cause you know, opening night is next weekend, and I am totally freaking out!” he enunciated dramatically.
“Relax.” I said calmly, placing my hand on top of his hoping to soothe him. “You’re going to do fine, and we’ll be there to watch come opening night.” I added a smile, making my promise ring nothing but the truth.
He smiled, obviously forgoing his troubles. “Thanks Willa. You are a much better friend than some people.” He laughed, his brown eyes glaring at Raven.
She rolled her eyes dismissively. “Whatever.” She mumbled before biting down on her cookie from Great American Cookies.
I laughed, glad that I’d decided to hang out with my friends at the familiar Deerbrook mall. I was glad that I could get a break from the craziness, especially with the recent events that had happened a few months ago.
I pulled my coat tighter around my body, a constant reminder of the recent arctic blast that had caused the temperatures in Texas to go from a regular seventy-five degrees, to a freezing twenty-eight. A phenomenon here in the south, especially right after the groundhog didn’t see his shadow yesterday.
“So, Rae, you never did tell us, how’s life with you’re mystery man?” I asked, changing the subject from Josh’s anxiety to something both Josh and I are truly curious about.
Immediately, Josh’s expression quickly changed from nervous and jittery, to perky and curious. “Yeah! You never even told us his name! What kind of friend confides to her friends about being in love without telling them who their Prince Charming is?”
Ever since the rap concert, back in October, Raven has been reluctant to give any hints to her new boyfriend. Josh and I have tried to get her to spill the beans, from Josh giving her half off on movie tickets where he works, and from the one time I baked her my Better Than Sex Cake as a bribe; both have failed to the mission we’ve been trying to complete.
Raven glared at us conspiratorially, her brown eyes narrowing, a sly smile formed on her face when she pushed her black and blue hair out of her face. “You guys really want to know?” she asked, her face dubious.
“Yes!” Josh and I blurted simultaneously, impatient.
Her gaze quickly shifted from me, to Josh, repeating the action over and over, until she finally sighed. “Dwayne.” She spat out, quickly.
“Dwayne, who?” Josh inquired, curious, begging for more details.
“Dwayne Wilson.” She said, her tone made me wonder if she still wanted to keep that little fact a secret, but she smiled warmly at us. At least he might be a better boyfriend than Glenn.
“Rae, why would you keep this a secret from us?” I asked after a brief pause, totally confused.
She shrugged her shoulders. “I don’t know. I guess I just wanted to see how long I could keep him a secret from you guys.” she answered, her smile still in place.
“Again, why?” Josh urged, asking the follow up question we’d both been thinking.
“Well…” she hesitated, her hands clasped together on the table, fingers playing with her newly acquired Drake rubber bracelet. She kept us eagerly waiting for what felt like five minutes, until she finally took a deep breath. “Compared to Willa, it feels like something out of the world’s worst romance novel.” She mumbled, defeated.
“What do you mean, I mean, why would you compare it to me?” I asked, totally confused by the exchange. Then I made the big mistake of glancing at Josh when I see that he was eyeing me suspiciously, and at the same time, looking just as confused as I was. Then I quickly remembered that I’d forgotten to include him on the obvious.
She sighed. “Well, from what you told me, you and Draco are…like Beyonce and Jay-Z.” she reiterated, and Josh’s confused expression quickly dissolved, turning into something that looked outraged.
“Why didn’t anyone inform me about this?” he asked incredulously.
“Sorry. I forgot.” I mumbled feebly.
“How could you forget? Especially when you’re dating one of the hottest guys in the universe!” he finished with a high note, before he sucked in a lungful of air.
This time, Raven decided to intervene sparing me the outraged monologue Josh was about to do. “Sweetie, she had a good excuse for not mentioning her boyfriend. She’s just been trying to find the right moment to tell you, especially what’s been going on with her Mom and all that jazz.” She said, and I threw a grateful glance toward her, for reminding him of something that he already knows.
Josh quickly became sullen.
“Oh,” he mumbled apologetically.
I swallowed the pessimistic emotions that would take over my body whenever someone mentions my mother, and her terminal cancer.
“It’s okay.” I said, my tone soft but firm, hinting I’d rather not talk about this now. I felt like I was lying to the entire world when I added a smile, hinting I’m no longer mad at Josh anymore.
“You guys ready to go?” Raven asked after checking her phone for the time.
“Sure.” Josh said; I nodded.
We got up, gathered the loot we’d purchased at some of the clothing stores, and made our way toward the parking lot. Raven went home with Josh in his used Cadillac, while I went home solo in my dark blue Honda Accord, and all the while, I was fighting back the tears that had threatened to appear earlier.
That night, I eagerly paced the floor of my bedroom, my eyes flickering toward the window, waiting. I knew that my parents are now asleep, so it shouldn’t be long of a wait. But why am I suddenly feeling like I’m about to suffer heartbreak within the next five minutes?
I began rubbing the scar on my neck nervously, and at the same time, I began to wonder—just like I do almost every time my hand touches it—where, or how I’d received the scar in the first place. Then, with the recent events that had occurred, not long ago, I know that my scar was somehow…special.
Needing a distraction, I began fluffing my long, auburn hair; checking to make sure my pale, freckled skin was clear though I know that I’ve already washed it.
Relax, I told myself. You’ve done this before, and it’s not like you’re meeting the president, or Johnny Depp.
A slight rapping on the window suddenly made my heart race faster. I quietly ran toward the window, drew back the curtains, and felt a smile growing on my face, erasing all of my earlier worries.
Seeing his familiar, ocean blue eyes, the luscious black hair, the alabaster pale skin covering his chiseled face, and the lopsided grin would’ve been enough for me to pass out. Especially looking into the eyes of my boyfriend—and vampire—Draco Feliciano.
I heaved the window open, allowing him to climb in, and into my arms.
“How was your day?” he asked, his strong arms wrapped around me, bringing me closer to him.
“It’s better, now that you’re here.” I murmured, my face buried in his chest. “What about you?”
I looked up at him, his grin still in place.
“I guess you could say it was okay,” his grin suddenly turned bigger, “but now it’s better.”
He began tracing the planes of my face, from my forehead, all the way down to the nape of my neck with his fingertips. The feel of his cool skin against mine, quickly, and almost instantaneously became warm, and when he pressed his lips to mine, there were no words to describe the feeling I’d feel every time he’d kiss me.
I could feel my body temperature rising, sweat beading on my forehead and neck as our lips continued to mingle—a side effect that I’m still trying to get accustomed to. I’d easily forgotten about the unnaturally freezing cold weather as the subzero wind blew into the room, killing the euphoric mood I was in.
We look at each other before I pulled away to close the window, not wanting to lose the warmth of his touch. I could feel my breathing coming out in short, shallow pants, and my head spinning. It wasn’t until I began staggering back toward him that he became a little wary.
“Why don’t we sit down?” he suggested, grabbing my hand, and leading me toward my bed.
“Will I ever get used to this—the warm feeling whenever we touch?” I asked, my face flushing slightly for speaking it aloud as I carefully took my seat on the bed.
His grin got bigger when he rightfully took his seat right next to me, and I could swear that my heart began thumping louder than normally. “Sometimes I’d often wonder the same thing.” He murmured, his voice soft like velvet.
“Sometimes I’d still don’t believe that you’re even real, that everything about us—our pasts—is real.” I admitted sheepishly, my head leaning against his shoulder, with his arm around my shoulder.
His soft chuckle filled the room.
“Must I always try to convince you otherwise?” he teased.
I tried to laugh, but it sounded strangled.
Then, when he spoke, his tone was firm, serious.
“Do you know how much I love you?” he asked. I tried to answer with the obvious, but he quickly cut me off. “Whenever we meet, I constantly wonder if being with you is the right thing. And at the same time, I wonder what would happen if Xavier and Ophelia found out…”
I hold up my hand, stopping him. “Wait, who are they? Xavier and Ophelia?” I asked, totally confused.
I’d never heard those names before. More or less never heard Draco mention them in the time I’ve known him.
“Xavier and Ophelia are, kind of like the king and queen of the secret world of vampires. They only keep the peace, and punish those who’d threaten to reveal the secret.” He said. Then, his voice began to turn grave. “Which means, if Lilith and the others try to do something that would attract unwanted attention, especially from the human populace, they’d take care of it.”
I cringed when he mentioned the name. Remembering the fact that Draco is not the only vampire in the city of Houston, and also remembering the two times she had tried to kill me.
The first, I was stupid enough to fall for her ploy when she wanted to help me out, and her cohorts, Jack and Phoebe, went along like it was apart of their everyday routine. Their attempt to try and drain my body of blood was thwarted when Draco had interfered—that was before I’d discovered that he’s a vampire who’d been seeking me out in all of my incarnations just so we could be together.
The second time, Lilith went solo, only this time, she didn’t bother to bite me, but that didn’t mean that she wasn’t still dangerous. That time I had, what I’d been told, a near death experience. But then again, when I was placed in the most beautiful meadow, given the chance to meet all of my previous selves, and learned how each of them died when they were on the verge of happiness, it felt like there wasn’t anything near about it.
Ever since I’d woken from the wonderful experience, for some weird, unfathomable reason, I’d been reluctant to tell Draco about it. The opportunity had come, especially since he was the first person I saw afterwards, but as time passed, I decided that it’s best to keep it to myself, for now.
“Willa, are you okay?” his voice penetrated my reverie, his tone hinting concern.
I quickly shook my head, storing that particular story for later. “I’m fine.” I said, my gaze seeking his.
He gently brought me closer to him, his arms wrapping around me tightly. And for a moment, I felt nothing but peace and serenity as I wrapped my arms around him.
“Don’t worry about them.” He murmured, before kissing my forehead. “They will never lay a hand on you, at least not without going through me first.” He added, and I could hear the seriousness in his voice.
I looked up at him incredulously.
“What do you mean?” I asked. He seemed confused, so I quickly elaborated. “What do you mean when you said, ‘Not without going through me first.’ You’re not going to let them kill you, are you?” I could hear the fear in my tone at the end.
“Well, I’d protect you from them, even if…if they’d eliminated me in the process.” he answered almost unwillingly.
I shook my head.
“No.” I said, tone firm. “If you die, then…then I die too. There’s no point in living in a world without you.” I admitted in a rush, my voice sounding feeble to my own ears.
His expression became serious. “Willa, please, don’t sacrifice yourself in vain. Think about your parents, and Raven, and Josh…” he trailed off, leaving the sentence at rest.
I sighed, still not ready to drop this subject, even though he did have a point. But that doesn’t mean I’d give in that easily. “What if the roles were reversed, what would you do?” I asked, my eyes seeking his, pleading for his understanding.
He became thoughtful, his brows scrunched together as he began staring at a wall. Then, he quickly turned his gaze toward mine, and I could tell the answer was in his eyes.
“I’d go on, and live my life as if nothing had happen. But I still wouldn’t forget you, for you would exist in my memories. And, at the same time, I’d know that you’ll be back again someday.” He said.
I shook my head, still not believing what I’m still hearing. “Draco, how do you know if I’m willing to do that?” I asked dubiously, my gaze moved toward my feet. “I thought we were…destined to be together. Especially if all of my incarnations fell madly in love with you, and all, and what if you don’t come back?” I finished lamely; my eyes haven’t moved an inch away from my big toe.
He carefully grabbed my chin with his fingertips, turning my face so I could look at him. He studied me briefly; his blue eyes were intense as they bored into my blue/green eyes. For a moment, I wished that I could become invisible, so I wouldn’t have to look into them, and feel embarrassed.
“Willa, you’ve no need to feel embarrassed.” He murmured, reading my expression, and my thoughts easily. “I know that you wanted to hear what you wanted to hear. I just thought that you’d want to live your life like I haven’t even came to Houston.”
“Are you kidding me?” I asked incredulously. “I was already in hell before you came along.” I admitted, and I could feel my face flushing into a tomato.
“You think I wasn’t?” he retorted, the lopsided grin back on his beautiful, glorious face, and I knew that the good mood was back.
Unthinkingly, I quickly placed my palms on either side of his face and kissed him, knowing that I don’t want to talk about one of us dying, and this is the only distraction I could think of. He kissed me back, and I could tell that we’re definitely off that subject as we leaned against the pillows on my bed.
I could feel his fingers going under my top, leaving goose bumps as they left trails of cool—which turned into heat—across my skin. His lips began traveling to the edge of my jaw, all the way down to my collarbone. He rolled over, where I’m on top, and I quickly kissed him, my hands struggling to get his shirt off. When I succeeded, I still couldn’t get used to how muscular his chest was as I ran my hand across his abs.
Suddenly, he gently pushed me off, and he quickly gathered his shirt. Before the disappointment could hit me, he quickly whispered, “You’re mother’s coming.” Then, the tossed me a book from my bookshelf, which I quickly caught automatically, not paying attention to the title.
I quickly flipped it open to a random page seconds before the door opened, and Mom poked her head in. I looked up nonchalantly, hopefully hiding the internal shock of seeing her head wrapped in a bandana—a reminder of what’s yet to come.
“Hey Mom,” I said, adding a slight smile on my face.
She hesitantly walked in, her answering smile also appearing hesitant. “Hey Willa.” She said, her voice slightly gruff.
“What’s up?” I asked, my smile still in place, though I’m slowly becoming irritated about the superb timing Mom had.
“Nothing, I just wanted to see if you’re okay.”
I rolled my eyes. “Mom, I haven’t even had a nightmare yet, and you’re here like you’re doing a drug bust or something.” I laughed.
She laughed too. “You’re right. Sometimes I do worry.”
“No worries, you’re just doing your job.” My grin got bigger as I set my book down.
Her eyes quickly looked down at the book I’m holding, and sighed. “You’re reading that again?” she asked, feigning annoyance.
I looked down, and I realized that Draco had inadvertently tossed me my abused copy of The Eternal Ones. I would’ve laughed at the irony of this situation, if it weren’t for my mother standing in the room, scrutinizing me, and the book.
Instead, I just shrugged my shoulders. “Why wouldn’t I? It’s a good book.”
“You’re a weird child.” She said jokingly.
She walked right up to my bed, and I knew what she wanted. So I went to her, and gave her a quick hug, reassuring her that I still love her.
“Goodnight.” She murmured before letting go, and retreating toward the door.
“See you in the AM.” I quietly called, seconds before she closed the door behind her.
Seconds later, Draco was sitting on the bed with me, his lopsided grin still in play. I held up the book in total confusion, and at the same time, I’d thought, Out of all the books I have, you’d chose this one.
He laughed, quietly. “I didn’t know, I just grabbed the first book off the shelf.” He explained, head tilting toward the shelf.
I tossed the book toward my desk, watching it land with a quiet thud before turning my gaze toward him. Only the look on his face was familiar, and at the same time, terrifying—I’d seen this look before.
“You’re thirsty, aren’t you?” I mumbled, worried.
He shook his head. “Not really.” He whispered, but it sounded controlled.
I wasn’t buying it.
“Do you need…” I trailed off, gesturing to my neck with my hand.
He quickly caught on to what I was getting at, and he quickly became angry.
“Willa, I don’t think I could do that.” He grumbled, trying to control his anger.
“But, last time…” I paused, unsure how to finish it, remembering the first time he’d bit me, and the emotions that went through me as he sucked my blood.
He sighed. “Last time was wonderful, but I don’t know I’m strong enough to not hurt you.” He murmured, his tone sounded pained.
I looked down at my hands, too afraid to look at him when I eventually said, “If my safety is important then I guess you can leave early.”
I tried to hide the longing in my voice, but when I looked up, he was determined to leave, but I could tell that he’s not buying a word I’ve said.
“I know that it’s hard for you, and believe me, I feel the same way whenever I’m not with you.” He soothed, his blue eyes smoldering, aside from the hunger I could still see.
I looked back down at my hands again.
“I’ll try to understand your need to replenish your thirst, and if you have to leave, then go.” I could hear the false conviction in my tone. I just hoped that he didn’t hear it as well.
Carefully, and cautiously, I looked up to see that he’s already gone. The window was already open, and the wind is blowing around the curtains. I got up, and walked to the window, but after closing it, a folded piece of paper was on the window ceil. I took a deep breath before I unfolded it.
It was a note, written in his beautiful hand.
I’ll be back. I just wanted to keep you safe, especially with my…needs. Keep the window unlocked.
Love,
Draco
I clung to the letter close to my chest as I plopped back onto my bed, hoping that sleep will come.
But it doesn’t.