------Okay guys, I know it has been way too long. I have no excuse, I'm the worst. I honestly stopped using Wattpad for a while. I would only check in occasionally. I lost all inspiration to write, but recently I've been regaining that inspiration. As I was checking my old documents, I noticed the one for this story. I was so surprised when I saw that it was 149 pages long! 149 pages! I completely forgot about all of the hard work and care I put into this story. Now, it feels completely rude of me to have ever stopped writing. I'm so sorry for anyone who was wanting to read more. I also found a few pages of chapter 27 that I never posted. I will now post them below.
Now, in order for me to continue this story, I will have to start from page 1 and reread all 149 pages. I have forgotten too much of the story, and there is no way I could pick it up without refreshing my memory. I will also need to edit along the way because my grammar has improved much since the beginning of this tale. I am now determined to finish, however, and I will close off this story. I will answer all of the questions, and give it a beautiful finale.
For anyone who is still reading this book, thank you so much for your continued support and encouragement. Without you, there would be no story. You inspired me so much, and I can't wait to get back into this tale. I ask that you please be patient with me, as I try to regain my skills. I hope that new readers may stumble upon this story as well and enjoy it.
Please, please, comment if you have any advice or encouragement to give me. I read everyone of your comments, and they mean the world to me. I will try to reply to everyone that comments. Love you all, and thank you so much!------
Chapter 27
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.
Now, as I looked at my reflection in the mirror, that same force of guilt began to push at me. How could I do this? How could I leave everything? I shook my head because I knew it was the only way. I had to get home to my mother. That was what was important, none of the people here could compare. My mother was all I needed. Every time I pictured her sitting at home all alone, her entire family having abandoned her, I felt an intense need to escape. At the end of the day, my feelings didn't matter; I owed her this sacrifice. No matter what it took.
My red dress made a ruffling noise as wind from my balcony blew around me. I shivered and saw small goose bumps rise up on my arms. The only thing I could be confident of in that moment was that I'd never worn a prettier dress in my entire life.
The corset top hugged my body tight and showed off my curves. Small diamonds trailed crisscross over the fabric on my stomach which continued onto my hip. At this point, the dress became loose; the rest of the dress fell down in large red ruffles all the way to the floor, and it made a swishing sound every time I moved. Everything about the dress was perfection, besides the fact that it had no sleeves and the weather was much too cold.
To match the beautiful dress, I made sure my hair would be perfect as well. I curled it flawlessly and french braided it into a long ponytail that rested on my right shoulder. After curling my side bangs and applying vibrant red lipstick on top of my perfectly minimal makeup, I was ready.
On the outside, I appeared to be calm and collected; on the inside, I'd never been more terrified in my whole life. I only wished I could have Ron by my side for the ball, but he wouldn't meet me until it was time to leave.
Leave... the word sent shivers down my spine.
A knock on the door caused me to jump nearly a foot in the air, and I walked towards it in trepidation. When it was only Alex, I let out a huge sigh of relief. At first, we just stared at each other, and he seemed to be at a loss for words. I smiled, and he fidgeted for a moment before speaking.
"You look... incredible." He gave me one of his rare smiles, and I blushed.
"Well, you look pretty handsome yourself." I teased, but he did look amazing. His gray tux fit him perfectly, and it seemed to cause his cheekbones to look more prominent. His frighteningly dark brown eyes seemed warmer and more inviting.
"Shall we go?" He held out his arm for me, and I took it thankfully. As we walked down the hallway, I couldn't help but watch him. His every movement seemed happier, his steps seemed lighter, and the air around him felt welcoming. It made me think about Reuban's comment that Alex only 'pitied me.'
"Hey, Alex?"
"Hmm?" He glanced at me questioningly.
"Why did you ask me to the ball?" He looked away and shrugged his shoulders.
"I already told you. You didn't have anyone to go with, I had no one to go with, and I didn't want to go alone."
"Yeah, yeah, yeah, I got that. What I mean is, why didn't you just not come? Reuban said it wasn't required for you to come. So, why go to the trouble?" His mood seemed to darken at the mention of Reuban's name.
"Is it such a bad thing for me to do something for a friend? Would you have rather me not come with you?" I was stuck silent by his words and the intensity with which he spoke them. His gaze was deep, and it made me feel somewhat lightheaded.
"You.... You consider me a friend?" I couldn't believe that the taciturn Alejandro would see me as a true friend.
"Of course, why else would I even talk to you?
"Because the Master told you to?"
"Hardly, the Master only told Reuban to stick by your side. The rest of us do it because we like you."
His words caused me to feel an even amount of pain and happiness. On the one hand, I was ecstatic that the others saw me as a real friend. I often wondered if they only spoke to me because they had to and knowing that they really liked me caused me great joy. However, on the other hand, I felt my heart break in two. I knew Reuban was ordered to stay by my side, but some part of me believed he still saw me as a close companion. No matter what I thought about Reuban, the fact that he still had to be ordered to stick with me hurt me like nothing else could. Reuban didn't care for me, and he never had.
Then... why did he say he would miss me?
"We're almost there." My heart began beating double time.
"Wait, Alex," I pulled him to a stop and looked pleadingly into his eyes. "You'll stay with me the entire time, right? I don't have to dance, correct? Also, what do I do if I'm addressed by a vampire I don't know? Oh, and what if-"
"Stop!" He held up his hands and took a deep breath. "Don't worry, just follow my lead. I'll be there with you the whole time, and I'll help you out of any situation."
He smiled and held out his hand for me, wiggling his fingers playfully in the process. I smiled back and clamped by hand around his like a leech. My heart refused to slow down as we approached large double doors with men dressed in black on either side.
"Alejandro Leo Villanueva." Alex spoke calmly, and the men bowed to him. A long silence followed where all three of them stared at me. I remained silent until Alex nudged me in the side.
"Oh, I'm Jaime Ramona Erikson. Um... nice to meet you." I smiled at the men, and they only bowed back. They opened the door for us, and we walked inside. Nothing could have prepared me for the sight.
The room was larger than huge, and it held more people than I could count. The floor was dark marble which accented perfectly with my red dress, and the white walls seemed to contrast everything. A large chandelier hung above the room and twinkling lights cascaded around the walls. It was like a scene from a gothic fairytale wedding.
As Alex and I descended the staircase that was covered by a black fleece carpet, my eyes roamed around everyone in the room. There were too many people for me to spot anyone I knew. By the time we reached the ground floor, my heart was in overdrive: the only beating heart in the room. I had the only beating heart in the whole sea of people.
Suddenly, I wished I had worn a jacket because I felt like my chest was too exposed. Would that make it easier for them to sense I was a human? My veins throbbed, and my black heals clicked as Alex and I were dissolved into the crowd.
I clung to Alex's hand as we made our way through the people, and I couldn't help but notice the strange looks they all gave me. I could feel my hand beginning to sweat as the fear unwillingly made its way through my veins. Alex, feeling my nervousness, wrapped his arm around my waist as a comfort.
"It's fine, no one will even attempt to harm you. Now, let's find Seth and Patricia."
"Patricia is his cousin, right?" I'd only heard her mentioned once before.
"Precisely."
It didn't take us as long as I thought before we found them. Seth looked like a prince from a fairytale book standing there with a pretty princess on his arm. Her dress was white with diamonds trailing along the waist, and her red hair glistened in the florescent lighting.
"Seth!" I waved at him as we got closer, and he smiled. Patricia took one look at me, scoffed, whispered something to Seth, and disappeared into the crowd. I could only assume she didn't want to be seen with the only human in the room.
"Jaime, it took you long enough! I was beginning to think you'd found a way to get out of.... whoa..." He looked me up and down as if only then noticing my appearance. "You look completely different!"
"I'll take that as a complement." I smiled, and he laughed.
"Spin around so I can get the full effect."
He made a circling motion with his hand, and I obliged. I felt silly spinning around like a toddler, but for some reason I couldn't choke my giddiness down. My adrenaline was pumping and making me feel light as a feather. I felt like Cinderella at this ball. Just like Cinderella, I would disappear into the night and become my old self. I only had this one night left, and I planned to enjoy it with every fiber of my being.
Seth let out a low whistle. Just as he opened his mouth to speak, a banging noise came from the other side of the room where an even larger set of wooden doors were placed. The room was immediately silent, and I attempted to crane my neck to see what was going on.
"Alex, what's happening?" I whispered into his ear.
"The Master and Reuban will make their entrance now. When they come out, everyone will bow down for a moment, the Master and Reuban will take their seats, and then the ball will really commence."
I stood on my tiptoes to try and see Reuban, but it was useless. There were too many people in the way, and I could only see the top of the large door as it opened. The room was so quiet, I could hear the footsteps as Reuban and the Master walked in. There was a long pause of complete silence before everyone dropped to their knees; everyone except me.
I planned to bow with everyone else, but I found myself unable to move. It was as if a sea had parted and Reuban came into crystal clear focus. Seeing Reuban standing there, I couldn't move.
Time stopped as our eyes locked. I forgot everything, everyone, and just gazed into his deep blue eyes. He looked more remarkable than I could have imagined. He was wearing a black suit and a black dress shirt that was fitted perfectly to his body. He had his usual straight hair perfectly groomed back so I could sew his entire face. His eyes were even brighter than usual, and I could barely breathe at the sight of him.
I was too dazzled to fully recognize Charlotte clinging onto his arm, looking far too smug. I was able to notice the Master standing next to him though, with his usual black hood on. However, the Master seemed to be radiating a different aura than usual. Today, he looked more sinister, more like the devil, than ever before.
I could feel his serpent-like gaze on me, and something about it didn't feel right.
As fast as they dropped down, everyone rose up again. I could only half-hear Alex scolding me for not kneeling because my attention was elsewhere. I could see the top of Reuban's head as he made his way toward a throne seat I hadn't noticed before. When he sat down, I could no longer see him at all.
"Remember our deal Jaime." Seth's voice interrupted my thoughts.
"Deal... what deal?"
"Don't act like you don't remember! I'll take Patricia to dance for now, then I'll ask Charlotte to dance, and then you have to dance with me." Seth gave me a self-satisfied look before walking onto the dance floor to meet up with Patricia.
"Your funeral." Alex muttered, almost too low for me to hear.
"What do you mean by that?"
"Seth can't dance... at all. Your toes are not going to be thanking you for making that deal."
"Oh no!" I moaned and slapped myself in the forehead. "I need to think things through more often."
Alex laughed, one of his rare genuine laughs which made a girl's stomach flutter, and I smiled at him. The moment was surreal in a strange happy way, and it was only then that I noticed we were still holding hands.
Had we been doing that this entire time?
"I know I said we wouldn't dance, but if you wanted to..." He cleared his throat awkwardly and looked away. "It was just a thought. Forget it."
"Let's dance." I didn't know what convinced me to say that, but I sincerely wanted to. While feeling his cool hand linked with mine, I suddenly thought dancing with Alex didn't sound so bad.
"Really?" He clearly didn't expect that response, and I just nodded in confirmation.
He smiled and tightened his hold on my hand. I could feel multiple gazes on us as we made our way to the dance floor. Hand in hand, we made our way through the crowd.