AIDEN
I didn't stay at Diana's place much longer after she'd announced her date with Luke. What was the point? I didn't want to be there to listen to her gush about how oh so excited she was to be going out with him. Or have to watch her flutter around all day trying to prepare herself for it. What really frustrated me was the fact that all of this was even bothering me in the first place. Who was I to get even a little possessive over her? She wasn't mine; she could date whoever the fuck she wanted. And I wouldn't—couldn't be getting jealous over that...
Could I?
It was these dangerous thoughts that really drove me to leave the house that morning. And I didn't plan on coming back until after Diana was already home; I didn't want to have to suffer the disgusting sight of Diana and Luke giving each other their awkward, first goodbye kiss. Blehh.
As I drove down 35, I really had no idea where I was going. There really was no place for me to go. It wasn't like I could crash at anyone else's place. Pretty much everyone was a suspect for whoever was after me. The terrible thought hit me then that I really had no true friends at the moment—save Diana. Kind of.
Well, shit.
I don't know why I did it, but I found myself going down the familiar road I'd traveled not too long ago. The road that led to the source of all of this chaos.
The road that led home.
For the third time in just a matter of two days, I parked my car outside the premises of the area and got out of the car. I had no idea why I was here, but it seemed some part of me just couldn't stay away. Perhaps it was just old habit for me to always think of this place as somewhere I could escape to, especially when things got rough. Perhaps it just had too many memories for me to just let go of. Or perhaps, as they say, home is simply where the heart is.
I guess most of all, I just needed a place to think, away from humanity, away from Diana. The events of the past few days still confused me endlessly, and I needed to figure some things out.
Stepping over the yellow crime scene tape once again, I searched the area for somewhere I could sit, and found a cluster of burnt, but sturdy-looking bricks that would have to make do. As soon as I sat, I turned my attention back towards my muddled thoughts.
The first, most important thing I decided I needed to focus on was the search for whoever was out to get me. As I'd said before with Diana, it could've been anyone. However, my top three likely suspects narrowed down to the same people.
Dane was the most likely suspect. It was no little-known fact that he hated me, especially after everything I'd done to him in the past few weeks. He had every reason to want to get rid of me, and I'm pretty sure he hated the fact that I'd always gotten the attention to myself. Considering how ruthless he had been with Diana that day, I didn't expect him to hesitate at all to do whatever he had to do to get what he wanted.
The next likely suspect was Celine. The main reason I'd added her to the list was because I knew how ruthless and sadistic she could be. Also, I'm pretty sure I pissed her off after getting onto her for her dangerous and risky scheme she'd called a "prank". The only thing that made me hesitate on actually accusing her of being the culprit was the fact that I also knew how she never had any interests in doing anything that could cause her to get into any sort of trouble with the Vampire law. For her, it was always her ass over everyone else's.
Finally, the last most likely suspect that I had to give serious thought to, was Luke.
I'd never trusted the guy. There was always just something off about him. Where had he come from, anyway? Nowhere, it seemed like. True, he seemed to play the "good-guy" role pretty well, almost to the point where I believed it. But then he'd show those glimpses of when he'd lose his composure, and I could see that there was a lot more to the guy than what was on the outside. Just from those glimpses, I could tell that he had some issues going on in there. The question was—what were they? And why is he trying so hard to hide them? He was definitely the most suspicious of the three I'd listed, and I suppose—unlike the other two—it's because I know absolutely nothing about the guy.
It wasn't only those things that made me suspect him, however. He also seemed to loathe me. I couldn't tell if it was because I was a vampire, I was known for being a "stuck-up prick" at times, or—the most likely reason—just Diana. The way he looked at me every time I talked to her, it was as if he wanted to kill me then and there (as if he could).
He was definitely possessive of her and viewed me as a threat...but to their relationship? The thought almost made me want to laugh at how ridiculous that was. I shouldn't be—I'd already made it clear that I had no interest in getting Diana.
Yet, the more I denied it, the harder it was for me to keep that mentality. I try, I really do, to not let her affect me. I try to keep remembering that she has a strong distaste towards me and other vampires in general, and along with that, is also one of the bitchiest girls I've ever met. I try to find her red hair and her pale skin and those large gray eyes unattractive. I try to find her little jokes and snarky comments annoying, not funny.
But it was no use.
And the more time I spent with her, the harder it was going to get for me to resist.
Shit.
Since when did my life become such a big, fucking complicated mess? Oh that's right—when Diana bumped into me in that hallway two fateful months ago.
I shook my head then. How had my thoughts turned so quickly from the search to that? It wasn't until recently that things always seemed to end up that way. Back to thinking about the suspects, I decided that I was going to look into each one of them—but act as if nothing had happened. Resume my life as I usually did, but see if there were any subtle differences in the way they acted, or any reason to make me suspicious. And then I was going to investigate.
Glad that I had finally figured something out, I got up from the uncomfortable makeshift seat, rubbing the soot from my jeans, though it didn't really do much considering there was now a big, black stain on my ass. Damn, and they were my favorite pair, too.
I took one last look at the place. Now that I wasn't completely numb with disbelief and grief, I allowed myself to actually inspect the area. It looked like a big dumpster. There were still some charred remains of foundation, but barely enough to actually map out the layout of the house at it had been before. That didn't matter, however; in my mind's eye, I could still see everything perfectly as if it was still standing.
To the far left, I could see the remains of what had once been the grand fireplace. Immediately, thoughts filled my head—of a young, innocent boy sitting in front of that fireplace, watching the embers glow in fascination, while a man and woman looked on with an expression of swelling pride.
Quickly, I banished the thoughts from my head—not wanting to feel the jolt of pain in my chest that usually followed when I had these moments.
Chastising myself for being so ridiculous for coming here at all, I was about to head back to my car when I stopped. Over towards the opposite corner of where I had been standing, something was shining; the light would've been blinding to a human. I walked towards it, and as I got closer, I realized it was metal, and that it was partially buried in the rubble. I dug it up, carelessly throwing the ashes, burnt plaster, and leftover pieces of wood to the side until finally I got it out.
It was a small chest, about a foot long in every dimension. It had a few dark spots from where the fire had appeared to have touched it, but other than that it seemed pretty intact. I'd never seen the chest before in all the time I'd lived in the house—which was my whole life—and I wondered where exactly it had been this whole time. I attempted to open the lid, but it wouldn't budge. It was then that I saw that there was a small lock to it.
Great. But of course, things like this would never come so easy. Life's too much of a bitch for that. I attempted to open it then with just brute force, but still it wouldn't budge—which was unusual, especially considering how weak the metal looked. Then it occurred to me.
Vampire magic.
It was sealed by vampire magic. Only the stronger vampires, the ones higher up in the hierarchy, could even use magic this strong. Since I was in the middle of the hierarchy, I could attempt to use magic, but it usually wasn't useful for anything, so I'd abandoned hope a long time ago. Still, I wondered who it was that could have sealed this—though I had a suspicion as to who it would be.
As if just to prove my suspicions correct, I immediately saw it right after. The initials DV were etched in tiny, elegant letters right underneath the lock hole.
My blood went cold (not literally, that only happens when a vampire hasn't fed for at least a month straight). DV. Dorian Vaughan. The chest belonged to my father.
At the moment I didn't know whether I wanted to chuck the damn thing into a pit of fire once again or rip it open and see its contents. Finally, I settled for just keeping it. Whether or not I would actually open it later would still remain a mystery. I didn't know if I was ready for that—if I would ever be ready for that...
Sighing, I finally headed back towards my car, chest in tow, this time without another backward glance.
DIANA
I breathed in slowly, trying to calm down my nerves, but it was no use. Luke was bound to be here any minute and I couldn't stop thinking about my appearance—whether or not my dress was too formal or too casual, or whether I'd overdone the hair and make-up. I stood in the foyer, pacing back and forth as I counted down the seconds until 6:30 arrived.
The sound of the doorbell ringing nearly caused me to jump a foot in the air, and instantly I felt my stomach tighten. Well, this was it. I tried to take another deep breath, but again, it did nothing. So, slightly shaking, I opened the door, revealing Luke on the other side of the threshold.
I felt slightly better when I saw that he seemed to be just as nervous as I was. His deep blue eyes looked at me hesitantly, and he kept swallowing. It was cute, really. I allowed my eyes to roam over him, and had to stifle a sigh at his (of course) handsome appearance.
He wore a light blue, button-up shirt with a navy tie that complemented his eyes. The sleeves were rolled up to below his elbows, show-casing his unsurprisingly muscular forearms. He wore jeans and some trainers, showing how he'd decided to go for the semi-casual look like me. When I got to his hair, I saw that it was neatly styled in a way that looked both groomed yet tousled. All-in-all, he looked like an Abercrombie model.
And I was going out on a date with him.
I looked back at his face, and after seeing that he seemed to be giving me the long once-over as well, I felt myself blush and tug at my dress self-consciously. Finally, he looked back at me as well, and the look on his face said that he liked what he saw. A lot.
"Hi," I finally managed to say, surprised it didn't come out as a sigh or a squeak.
He grinned. "Hey. You look beautiful."
I blushed, and mumbled, "Why thank you, I could say the same for you, too."
His grin widened. Suddenly, from behind him (I wondered how I had missed this detail while I was checking him out), he pulled out a bouquet of white lilies—my favorite—and handed them to me.
Stunned, I slowly took them from him and instantly scented the sweet, delicate aroma. "Thank you," I said again, in awe this time.
"It's no problem," he said, seemingly satisfied with my reaction. Then he added guiltily, "Lexi actually told me how lilies are your favorites."
I had to stop myself from rolling my eyes. Lexi. Of course she would...
Instead I raised my eyebrows. "So you were asking about me, huh?"
This achieved the effect I had been going for, for he immediately blushed, and I had to fight back a smile. He was about to respond, but I held up my hand and finally let go my smile.
"It's okay, Luke, you know I would do the same, too." With that I gave him a wink and turned around, but not before seeing the stunned expression that had brought on. As I walked, I called out, "I'm just going to put these in a vase; you can come wait inside if you like."
I heard him say, "Okay," before his footsteps followed shortly after, and I immediately went straight into the kitchen. Filling a vase with water, I put the lilies in it, and arranged it on the counter. I took a moment to admire the display, before finally going back to the foyer where Luke waited. I stopped to appreciate the view of Luke standing in my foyer.
He suddenly snapped his head up and caught my gaze, a slow smile appearing on his face. "Shall we go?" he asked in his deep voice when he saw me emerge. He offered out his arm and I smiled, looping my own through his.
"Yeah, let's go."
The restaurant Luke took me to ended up being a cozy little pizzeria that had a live jazz band playing on a stage that faced all of the tables. I couldn't help but be at awe with the place, it was like something you'd see out of a movie, and it was definitely the perfect date environment. The lights were dimmed and the tables were spread out enough to where each got their own privacy. Even with the music and the chattering of the people combined, the noise somehow still managed to be low enough to where it blended into the background.
The waiter sat us at a table that happened to be right in the front and center of the room, giving us the perfect view of the band. After we were both seated and the waiter left, I turned my wide eyes to Luke, who was looking back at me with both a smug and amused look.
"Like it?" he asked.
"Oh my God, this is incredible, Luke!" I exclaimed, shaking my head in shock all the while as my eyes roamed the restaurant once again. "How did you even find this place?"
He shrugged. "I was just driving around town one day, and I just happened to stumble upon it." He laughed. "Best decision I think I've ever made while completely bored out of my mind—ever since I discovered it, I've been going here about every week now."
I raised my eyebrows. "Really?"
He shrugged. "Yeah, it's a cool environment; plus, it's a really good place to study."
I gave him a skeptical look, which made him laugh. "Okay, maybe not that last part..."
Suddenly our waiter returned, and after taking our drink and entree orders (we had decided we'd share a large margherita pizza), he left again. As soon as he did, I felt Luke's eyes on me. They bore into me in a curious, speculative way, and I suddenly felt exposed. My cheeks quickly flamed, but I tried to mask this by asking playfully, "What?"
He flashed me his signature sexy grin that I loved so much and said, "I just still can't believe this—you and me. It's just...I've wanted this for a really long time now, and now that it's finally here it feels like a dream."
I sucked in a breath. I'd always felt that Luke liked me, but I hadn't realized how much, and for how long. The thought was...sweet, and I felt giddy inside. I wondered if he'd thought the same for me, so finally I said, "I know exactly what you mean. It feels the same for me, too."
He actually looked genuinely surprised at my response, as if he never would have imagined I'd actually match his sentiments.
"How long have you liked me?" he asked suddenly, catching me off guard.
I blinked, but recovered quickly, saying, "You first."
He chuckled. "I think since the moment you blurted out, 'Who are you?' really harshly on my first day at Lake Woodlands..."
The memory of my embarrassing awkwardness came back to me and I couldn't hold in my groan as I covered my face with my hands. I was aware of Luke's laughter in the background and something that sounded oddly like, "You're so cute!"
I snapped my head up. "Did you just call me cute?" I asked, my tone carefully neutral.
His expression quickly sobered, though I could see his lips faintly twitching. "That depends," he replied warily, "Did you want to be called cute?"
I narrowed my eyes. "I'm not cute, I'm a fierce, intelligent woman."
He looked at me with the same sober expression, and we had a little stare-off. However, it only lasted a few seconds before he couldn't hold it in anymore, and he burst into laughter. I just sat there staring at him, unsmiling. Finally, he calmed down enough to say, "I'm sorry, I absolutely agree that you are a fierce, intelligent woman, but you were just so cute when you said that!"
He let out a few more laughs at that, and I simply crossed my arms and turned my head, staring fixedly at the jazz band onstage. I tried to appear unamused, although part of me just didn't want to admit to him that I liked him calling me cute. A lot.
"You know, you never said when you first decided you liked me," he suddenly said, sounding almost completely calm now, though he still had a smile on his face.
I bit my lip, ramming through the memories, as I tried to discover which one was the one where I decided I liked Luke. Then it hit me.
"I decided I liked you when you sent me that really cheesy note asking me if I was okay, even though you barely knew me."
He gave me a crooked grin. "I remember that. Really, I just wanted to know why the pretty girl sitting next to me wasn't smiling."
I blushed. "Oh wow, Luke that sounds a lot like a line. How many girls have you used that on, hmm?" I asked jokingly.
He met my stare with his own intense one as he said softly, "Only you."
My heart swelled, and I suddenly just wanted to grab him and kiss him already. Instead, I just stared back into his navy eyes.
Finally, I said, "That sounded a lot like a line too."
Luke didn't get a chance to respond, because suddenly our waiter appeared with the pizza. Immediately, all my thoughts turned to it. It looked and smelled so good; it took everything in me not to just inhale it all then and there. With restraint I hadn't realized existed, I waited until after the waiter left to dig in.
Luke looked at me in fascination and awe. I looked up at him. With food still in the process of being chewed I asked, "You going to eat? Or am I gonna have to eat all of this on my own?"
I knew that was probably the most unlady-like thing ever, and I was probably going to look back at that and mentally kill myself afterwards. However, at the moment, I was too hungry to care. Finally, Luke simply grinned, and served himself his own piece, biting into it with a ferocity that almost matched my own.
The rest of dinner was spent with us devouring the rest of the pizza, having small-talk that surprisingly wasn't awkward but comfortable, and listening to the jazz band as they went from song to song. We both ordered a fudge sundae for desert, of which was mostly eaten by me. When we finished, Luke didn't hesitate to pay—I noticed, without even looking at the checkbook. It was already 7:30 by the time we got out of the restaurant.
"So where to now?" I asked when we began to head back to his car.
He took my hand in his, and I had to fight a nervous giggle. His hand was warm and big, nearly engulfing my own.
"Now, we head to the movies. I thought we'd be a little traditional for our first date, if you don't mind."
I smiled, and looking straight ahead, I responded, "No I don't mind at all."
As long as I'm with you...