Riley had soon enough skipped out on us. He wasn't really into the shopping part, only the eating part.
Jaymi and I strolled through the large mall, wandering slowly and carefree.
It wasn't at all what I had expected, actually, it was quite the opposite. It was huge, just as huge as the mall back home. It was modern, peaceful, full of customers with fluent French accents.
I was enjoying the time with Jaymi, but there was still that part in the back of my mind that wondered if Duke was okay.
"How come you and Riley didn't go help Duke?" I asked as we sauntered into another formal dress store.
She shrugged "Someone has to stay and make sure you don't get hurt"
Of course.
"This is pretty" Jaymi smiled as she held up the long tail of a creamy white formal dress, more suited for bridesmaids than anything else.
"You like that?" I asked, creasing my eyebrows as I stood next to her examining it "You don't wear dresses, let alone, dresses like this" I eyed her up and down.
She shrugged "I have a feeling I'm going to need one soon"
"What do you mean?" I asked as we walked out of the shop
"Just a feeling you know, like those ones you get" She continued, narrowing her eyes on another shop in the distance, this time a casual store
"Hold on!" I stopped dead in my tracks, the puzzle fitting together in my head as I gripped a hand on Jaymi's arm stopping her
"What?" Jaymi asked, a look of fright on her face
"Don't tell me.." I trailed off, not believing it
"What?" Jaymi repeated, still a look of shock poised on her features
"You and Riley.. don't tell me your already thinking about getting married?" I asked, putting it together
Jaymi's face relaxed at the lack of threat, her eyebrows raising
"Deffinitley not" She sighed, pulling me along, continuing our walking
"No?" I asked, sure that I had guessed right
"No way" She confirmed
"Then what is going on? Because you've all been acting super shady" I pushed
"Be patient" She huffed out
I decided to drop the subject, but started on another heavy one
"I asked Duke if he would turn human again last night" I threw it out there.
I wanted her opinion, maybe he had told her something he hadn't told me.
Her face turned towards me as we entered another shop.
"Are you joking?" She asked, incredulously
"No"
"And what did he say?" She asked, as we browsed at a few shirts hanging on hangers around the store
"Nothing really. I told him I didn't want him too, that I was just curious about our future. I've also been wondering if he ever thinks about that stuff you know.." I trailed off, watching her face
"He does, you know, think about that stuff" She understood immediately, smiling weakly at me from across a bunch of stacked clothes
"How do you know? Did he tell you?" I asked
"I know because we all think about that stuff. I think about it, Riley thinks about it, Duke told Riley he thinks about it. I mean, Duke's an old guy, he'd have great great great grand kids by now, if he was a real boy" She joked, coming off a little creepy
"Duke told Riley that?" I asked, edging for more
She nodded "Yeah"
"Do you think he'd ever change for that stuff?" I asked, curious
"I would. But Duke is a very confusing man, I honestly have no idea what he would do. But if I was him, and if I was as madly in love with you as he is, I sure as hell would" She winked
"You'd change into a human if you had the chance?" I asked
"Yeah, I mean, I like being what I am, but i've had enough you know? I just want to have a normal life again, grow old, feel my stomach growl when it's hungry, feel the warmth in my skin again, fall pregnant, have a child, watch them grow up, die" She pondered, day dreaming
"You want all those things to happen?" I asked, surprised
"Yeah" She smiled as we left the clothing shop we were in, again empty handed
"Jaymi, what if I offered to give you that?" I asked, thinking hard about it.
She wanted a normal human life, and I could give it to her. I was being selfish, I could help, I could give her another chance at a human life that she so desperatly wanted.
She seemed just as shocked as I was with the words, she stopped dead in her tracks and stared at me with eyes wide.
"You would honestly do that for me?" She asked, narrowing her eyes
I nodded "Yeah, I mean, I want you to be happy, I want to give you what would be a normal human fragile life, you could have kids, a family, I could give you all of that" I shrugged, thinking of how proud I'd be to see her with a family and a big belly
"I don't think I could, I mean, it would kill you, I'd need a lot of blood and I would feel guilty about it afterwards, and what if I make the wrong choice and -"
"We could plan it out. Bit by bit, and I highly doubt you'd make the wrong choice, you're a smart girl, you want what you want" I smiled
"Let's not talk about this at the moment okay? Let's just enjoy shopping" She smiled after she seemed to think about it "Anyway, Duke wouldn't allow it in the end, so I doubt it'd happen"
She continued walking and I followed beside her.
"Besides, it is not his choice, it's mine" I added before dropping the conversation
The rest of the shopping was fun. We browsed at many clothing shops, and jewellery shops, none of which I bought things from, much to Jaymi's dismay.
We walked around for a good two hours until we thought we'd catch back up with Riley at the food court where he was sitting alone, many girls around the area having eye sex with him.
Jaymi didn't seem to mind, I did suppose she knew he was hers and she was his, that was all that mattered.
"Have fun?" Riley asked as we sat at the small round table in the middle of the court
"Yeah, it was" Jaymi smirked, tossing the few bags of clothes she'd bought under the table next to her feet
"Looks like it" He smiled sarcastically towards the bags before turning his gaze to my empty feet "And where's yours?" He asked, tilting his head
I shrugged "Nothing I liked"
"She means she was uncomfortable about letting me spend money on her" Jaymi interjected
"Ah, that sounds about right" Riley smirked, leaning forward
"Whatever" I smiled, rolling my eyes "However, I am starving, so I will let you buy me some lunch" I added, sarcastically smiling at Riley
"Yeah Jaymi, I am a bit hungry too" Riley looked at her with a wide grin
"I meant you Riley" I shot towards him "Buy me some lunch"
Jaymi groaned before standing up and rolling her eyes "What would you both like? Happy meals?" She joked
"Love one" Riley added, just as jokingly
"Yeah, me too, but make sure I get the girls toy this time" I winked, joining in
"Fine" Jaymi smiled walking off towards the food stalls
"So, what toy do you need to finish this collection you have going?" Riley asked, dragging the joke out. I rolled my eyes, not answering but looking at him with slit eyes
"What?" He asked
"Nothing, just thinking.." I trailed off
"About?" He edged watching me back
"Do you love Jaymi?" I asked
He slumped in his chair and folded his arms, thinking hard
"I think so, yeah" He nodded after a short thought
"I've been thinking about something really serious lately" I sighed
"Uh-oh, that sounds dangerous" He joked again, never taking his clown shoes off
"It is actually" I added, smiling at his lame jokes
"Well, fill me in" He smirked, leaning forward in his chair, eager and ready
I took a quick glance around the stalls, making sure Jaymi was still in line.
She was.
"It's pretty ridiculous, but mean, I'm sure it could work, and i've heard myself from Vampires that they want it to happen, but it can't, that's where I can help. I'm special, right?" He nodded "I've thought about it, and I don't want my gift to go to waste, I want to help people like Jaymi" I continued
His eyebrows creased "I don't get it.." He trailed off "What's wrong with Jaymi?"
I took another quick glance to make sure she was still in line.
Only one step forward from where she was before.
"Kids" I answered simply
His eyes seemed to widen slightly, and I was afraid he'd turn and run, so I spoke up before he could
"I know that Vampires can't have kids. So, I was thinking of starting a bank where I can give small bits of blood every day, save and use it, Vampires can drink it, turn human for however long necessary, then use that time to fall pregnant. I mean, once your pregnant, you're pregnant, it won't go away when you turn back Vampire will it?"
Riley seemed shocked, astounded, and I waited a good minute or two for him to compose himself and respond
"That's.." He trailed off, unsure "I mean, it's a selfless thing to do, but you do realize once the child is born it will be human and the parents will not be?"
"Does that matter? It's a family isn't it?"
"If you havn't already noticed, we are trying to keep our existence at a low key level"
"But some humans still know about you don't they? Like me? I'm sure family wouldn't turn on family"
"I guess so.." He replied, seeming to think extremely hard about it "Duke won't like it" He added, tilting an eyebrow at me
Why was Duke always part of my decision making? It was my choice, he said he would support that, and he would, wouldn't he?
"It's my choice, he'll either agree to it, or not. He won't change what I want to do to help people like you" I shrugged, taking another glance at Jaymi as she was being served
"Hold on" He held his hands up "You mentioned Jaymi amongst all of this.." He trailed off confused
"She wants a family" I put simply, keeping my eye on her
"With me you mean?" He asked, taken back
I sure hoped I wasn't screwing things up for the two of them.
"No, I mean, I don't know, she just mentioned she'd like a family one day, that she's been around for a long time and she'd love a family of her own" I shrugged again "Haven't you ever thought about it?" I asked
It was strange to be talking this sort of thing with Riley, especially at my age, but I was around people that were probably over a hundred years older and childless.
This time, Riley shrugged, averting his eyes above my head "I've thought about it yeah, and it would be nice, but like you said, it just can't happen for people like me and Jaymi" He spoke, looking back at me
"Well, with the use of my blood, I could make it happen for you, for both of you" I smiled small, trying to get his approval
He seemed to think again before nodding "Much to Duke's dismay, I have to say it would make a lot of our kind happy" He slightly shrugged in agreement "In saying that it also might stir a lot of trouble with Darius and his father"
I shrugged, pretending to be unfazed "I'm sure Darius would agree to it, he's nice once you get to know him, and I am sure he and Anna would like the idea of being able to have children together" I tried fitting all the pieces of negativity together
I took a quick glance towards the stall where Jaymi was now on her way back, carrying three bags of burgers and fries
"Okay, shoosh now, Jaymi's coming back" I smirked, acting casual as Jaymi neared us
He rolled his eyes but nodded just as Jaymi re-joined us
"I bought you two happy meals garbage guts" She smirked, handing Riley a food filled bag "And I bought you one with a girls toy as requested" She laughed handing me my bag, keeping one for herself.
For the rest of the day, we sat, ate, talked, but nothing near what Riley and I had been talking about earlier. I still couldn't believe I had convinced him to agree to it.
I was excited, proud, and felt as if I could genuinly help people, even though it would probably put me in more danger than I already was.
I couldn't wait to see Jaymi and Riley happy with a child in their arms. I couldn't wait to see Jaymi with the family she had always wanted.
It was hard to contain my excitement, and I knew it was what I was going to work hard to do, no matter what anyone else said.
I wondered what Callum was going to say, Gloria even. Surely they wouldn't be happy about it, but they couldn't do anything to harm these children i'd help to make, they would be human, 100 percent human, which meant they couldn't harm them, they were safe.
I was going to change things for them, forever.
But first, all I had to do was tell Duke.