— Chapter 48 —
— Dair —
“Dair, this is for table three.” Enrique said softly while he handed me a plate with a tea biscuit on it.
“Okay.” I said dully as I took the plate from him and slowly made my way over to the table.
It was a little strange hearing Enrique talk to me in such a soft, gentle voice lately. Even when he was trying to get my attention, which was happening a lot, he wouldn’t raise his voice at me like he usually did.
The day I returned to work after everything that happened, Enrique knew something was wrong. He would constantly ask if I was okay until he finally gave up on asking me, realizing I was just going to say I was fine as I continued to mope around the café. I knew he was worried though. I caught him watching me all the time, including offering me a month off or more if I needed it. Of course I refused. It was better for me to be at work and attempt to distract myself rather than sit at home where I would just lie in bed and soak my pillows and comforter with tears.
That’s what I had done all night that night. Jack helped me bring Faye to a hospital, quickly disappearing after we got there, and thankfully the doctors were able to stop the bleeding and patch the stab wound up. We had a short reunion when we got home and then I went to my room and cried.
I don’t really know how I wasn’t crying now. Even though I cried until my eyes started to burn from dryness, I still came home from work every day to cry more. Now, I just felt lifeless…empty…
I couldn’t believe he was gone. I still expected to get a sweet text from him or see him when I got home waiting in my room, smiling so wide that his dimples poked out…but I didn’t.
I couldn’t even bear the thought of being with someone else right now. If there was anything left of my heart it was a small piece…a small piece that I somehow managed to keep when it was shattered completely as Harry faded away in my arms.
I don’t know if that memory would ever go away. That awful, torturous memory of feeling him disappear and suddenly looking up to see a pile of dust in his place. Whether awake or asleep, that was all I could see.
“Dair?”
“Hmm?” I whipped around to see Enrique standing there, peering at me with his worried gaze.
“Would you mind putting this outside?” He held out a stand up sign to me that had a list of the new specials on it.
“Sure.” I replied, smiling faintly as I took the sign from him.
I walked outside and placed the sign in front of the window beside the door. I bent down to straighten it on the grass.
I contorted my face in confusion as I saw a shadow casting over the sign.
“Excuse me, could you please move just a little bit? You’re blocking the sunlight.” I said without turning to the person, trying to be as polite as possible. I wasn’t in the mood to deal with difficult people today.
As if the gods were testing me, the person didn’t move, prompting me to stand up and turn around to glare at them.
My heart dropped when I saw who it was.
“H-Harry?” I breathed.
The sun was shining from behind him, making him appear dark like a silhouette.
He smiled. “Hi baby.”
My breath caught in my throat at the sound of his voice. His deep, raspy voice that I had only heard in my head these last few days. Just hearing him caused my hands to tremble.
“I-Is it you? Is it really you? Am I dreaming? Oh God! Am I dead?!”
He chuckled as he stepped closer to me and rested his hands on my shoulders to calm me. I flinched at his touch. I didn’t know what to think. I wanted this to be real so bad but it couldn’t be.
“You’re not dead, Dair. And this isn’t a dream. This is real…I’m real, baby.” He said with a smile.
I felt my body shake as a few tears slipped from my eyes. “But…H-How?”
“I don’t quite understand it myself…” He chuckled. “I remember being in your arms and then everything around me was suddenly white. And then my mum appeared…she appeared out of the whiteness surrounding me.”
I blinked back tears, my breathing coming out uneven as I continued to listen to him; still stunned by the fact that he was here.
“She gave me a choice. I could stay there with her and my sister or I could become human again and live my life like I was never a vampire...she told me I wouldn’t get that choice again, it was something like a reward for trying so hard to be good when I was a vampire even when I had every reason to give up.”
I narrowed my eyes at him as I let out a breath. “Does that mean…”
He smiled again. “I chose you, Dair. And now I’m human. I get to grow old with you just like I promised you.”
I suddenly wrapped my arms around him and pulled him close to me as I hugged him tightly and sobbed into his shoulder. “Oh, Harry…I would have understood if you had chosen your mom and sister over me.”
“I know you would’ve. But I will see them again someday. I want to live my life now the way I didn’t get to due to being a vampire. And I want to live my life with you.”
I clenched my fists around the material of his shirt he wore as I tried to pull him as close to me as possible. “You have no idea how much that means to me, Harry. I didn’t think you could ever come back and I just couldn’t bear that thought.”
He pulled back and cupped my face in his large hands as he stared deep into my eyes.
“What are you doing?” I asked nervously.
“I’m human now, Dair…I can’t sense what you’re feeling anymore…I don’t like that…I need you to tell me what you’re feeling, please? It’s driving me crazy not knowing.”
I laughed. I hadn’t really thought about it until now but when Harry talked about becoming human again I had only known him as a vampire. Part of me feared that he would be somewhat different as a human, but he wasn’t, he was still the same boy I had fallen in love with. And there were no obstacles in our way now.
“How about I show you what I’m feeling?” I smiled.
He cocked his head to the side as he kept his eyes on me.
I reached up, standing on my tippy-toes as I fisted his hair and pressed my lips to his and kissed him passionately. I moved my lips forcefully against his, wanting him to feel exactly how I felt right now.
His hands came up, one wrapping around my back to hold me up, the other lightly gripping the back of my neck as he kissed me back in the same way.
He set me down and smiled that dimpled smile that I loved.
I turned and caught a glimpse of a boy standing a fair ways away from us but he was close enough for me to identify him.
“What is Jack doing here?” I asked Harry.
He turned, smiling as he remained calm. “He helped me get here actually. I woke up in the middle of the streets being revived by a paramedic and he swooped in and helped me get back home where I gave him my blood bags and then he brought me here.”
“You gave him your blood bags?”
“Yeah.” He chuckled softly. “He asked for them since I don’t need them anymore. He wants to be good now, especially after I saved him. He felt really guilty that I had died but I reassured him that it was alright. I’m proud of him.”
“He also said to say goodbye to Faye and wish her well.” Harry added.
My head jerked to look at Harry with narrowed eyes.
Harry smirked. “He’s grown fond of her…as a human…he didn’t like what she became when she was a vampire.”
“I think Faye would like to have seen him…why doesn’t he go and tell her himself?”
“He’s just starting to drink from the blood bags, he didn’t want to risk putting Faye in danger.”
We both turned to look as Jack gave us a one finger salute before he turned and disappeared in the distance.
I turned back to Harry, meeting his eyes and bright smile as I wrapped my arms around him tightly again.
“God, Dair…you have a strong grip.” He chuckled.
I jerked back. “Sorry…I just...I don’t ever want to lose you again.”
He smiled, taking my hand and pulling me in for another embrace. He kissed the top of my head before resting his head on top of mine.
“You don’t have to worry anymore. I’m here now. And I’m never leaving your side again.”
I fisted his shirt as I nuzzled my face against his chest. He felt so warm just like he always did and the sweet smell of him seemed to surround me.
“Harry?”
“Yeah?”
“No more dying.”
He laughed. “I’m going to grow old with you, Dair. I’m not going until you go. When it’s time, I’m going to be right by your side. We’re never going to be apart again. I promise.”
“I love you, Harry.” I gushed.
“I love you more, baby.”