Taylor managed to sneak into the hospital and caught her soulmate's scent. She quietly followed it, hoping no one would spot her. The only close call she had was from a nurse who emerged from Andrea's room. When the nurse was gone, she slipped inside the room and the sight she came to see broke her unbeating heating.
Her body was filled with bruises. Her left arm and right leg were in a cast, as well as her head. She moved closer as blood tears flowed down her cheeks.
Andrea's face was swollen. A black eye, a cut on her lip, and probably a broken nose. Her heartbeat was slow, her breathing shallow. And an oxygen mask was on her beautiful face to help her breathe while an IV was connected to her arm. The slow beep from the monitor and it took a lot of self-control not to destroy anything her eyes would see.
She sneaked out towards the storeroom. She looked for a syringe and hurried back to Andrea's room. She sat on the bed, their skins briefly touching. She reached her hand out, tracing her jaw with her fingertips.
Taylor opened the syringe packet and easily found her vein. She pierced her skin with its needle and pulled on the plunger rod. Red liquid poured inside the barrel and she didn't stop until it was full. Her puncture wound instantly healed as soon as she removed the needle. She took the IV catheter and injected it with the syringe in her hand. She pushed the rod and watched as her blood entered Andrea through the IV, and she could visibly see the improvement, her heartbeat became stronger, and her breathing normal.
She brushed her fingers on Andrea's forehead.
"Get well, my other half," she whispered before leaving through the window.
It was already dark but Taylor still decided to walk her way home. She was a couple of blocks from her house when she felt something. Or someone. She stopped in her tracks and looked over her shoulder.
"What do you want, Scott?"
A man snickered. She turned around to face him. "Well, what do you know, you could still feel my presence."
She raised her brow at him. "I am still a vampire."
"But a part human, too."
"Still a vampire."
"Still a freak."
She gritted her teeth. "What do you want? Clearly, you want something. You wouldn't follow me here just to chat."
"Can't I just pay the infamous hybrid a visit?"
"No. What do you want?"
"Oh, I was just wondering what you were doing in that hospital."
She snapped her eyes back at him, glaring. "It really wasn't your business."
"Maybe you're starting to be more human than you led us to believe," he sneered. "Or maybe you'd been feeding on those poor people in their deathbeds."
"I don't really see why you'd care for any of my business, Scott Dirgeice."
There was malice in his eyes as he took a step forward. "Oh, you know I care."
"You don't. Now, go back to your cave and live your undead life, and leave me alone."
She was about to walk away when the older vampire tackled her, pinning her to the ground.
"Get off me!" She yelled and pushed the man away but he didn't budge.
"Oh, come on, there are benefits to mating with a pureblood. I wonder if there is one mating with a halfbreed like you." He began to move his lower body, his lips on her neck. She shuddered at the contact as anger and disgust filled her being.
"Get. The. Fuck. Off. Me!" She drove her knee up, hitting hard on his crotch. He yowled in pain as he rolled over her. She took the opportunity to grab him by his shoulder with her extended claws and threw him towards the lamppost.
She stood up and walked closer to him. She kicked him in the chest even though she knew it wouldn't hurt the vampire... much. She put a foot over his chest as he clutched his groin.
"Stay the fuck away from me, you fucking, perverted vampire," she hissed.
He groaned. "How can you overpower me?"
She stepped on him harder. "You keep forgetting, I may be a part human, but the vampire blood is more dominant." With that as her final word, she kicked him as hard as she could on his jaw, leaving him unconscious.
She was seething in anger. First, Andrea lay broken in the hospital, then her old... adversary following her, tried to assault her, and when she opened the door to their house, Eva was sitting there, looking all sweet and innocent.
She quickly took a bottle of blood she saw from the counter and drank it all in one swig.
"A bit thirsty there, are we?" Her aunt commented, the older woman leaning against the doorframe with an amused look on her face but softened not a minute later. "What is it?"
"Just... Vampire stuff."
"You know, you can talk to us, right?"
"I know, thank you, Auntie Jane."
"You're very much welcome. Oh, your mom was here not an hour ago."
Panic settled on her skin. "Did... did she see Eva? Did Eva say something?"
And there was the amused look again. "Yes, she saw her. Eva seemed to try to impress Camille," she chuckled, "Man, did she fail at that. Your mother barely looked at her, just nodded to acknowledge her. But when she found out you weren't home yet, she left. Said she'll be back."
A wave of relief washed over her, glad that there was no interaction between the woman and her mother. "Oh, good. Okay. I'd be in my room."
Her aunt nodded before calling out to her mid-stair. "You know we love you, right?"
She felt warm at the words she said. She turned around a smile on her face. "I know, and... I hope you know, I love you all, too."
Her aunt smiled as well. "We know."
She laid on her bed as soon as she closed her door. Her mind swirled at the image of Andrea on the hospital bed. Every day, there was a chance that she would get hurt. That someone would hurt her. That she'd be back in that same position.
"So, is that your mate? Can't imagine you with a girl that... bitchy," her mother's voice rang in her room from the window.
She sat up from the bed as she sighed. Her mother's straight back and red eyes bore in her. She squirmed at the scrutinized look.
"No, thank God she wasn't. My soulmate was... she was in the hospital, Mom. Broken leg and arm. And... and..." she couldn't get the words out of her mouth as red tears began to fall from her eyes.
Her mother was quick on her feet and she immediately took Taylor in her arms. "What happened?"
"She was... she seemed to get the heat of the bullies in the school."
"Did you—"
"I gave her my blood, Mom. This... was the second time. It's the... surest and fastest way to heal her."
"It was the right thing to do, but have you accepted her as your mate?"
"We haven't really talked about that, Mom."
Her mother brushed her hair to the side and kissed her hairline. "Taylor, humans have... shorter lives compared to us. I waited for your father for hundreds of years, and I didn't waste any second to pass. I made my move. When you came into our life, I was hoping we could... maybe for him to watch you grow. But..."
"Mom... I promise you, you'll meet her in this lifetime."
Her mother gave her a soft smile. "I look forward to it." She stood up and kissed the top of her head and left through the window.
I will have my soulmate.
And I will protect her.
—
Taylor decided to pass up on Eva's party even though Kyle encouraged her to attend. Eva showed her disappointment at her but said there will always be another time.
A week had passed since her visit to Andrea, and it bothered her that even though she could smell her blood, the girl was nowhere to be seen.
She walked down the hallway towards the cafeteria and noticed how the other students were eyeing her.
She nudged her elbow at her cousin as they sat down. "What the hell is wrong with these people?" She gestured at the lingering stares directed at her.
"I think you made quite an impression and reputation when you beat Kevin up last week."
"I was merely defending myself. Also, he was an asshole."
They all sat together, together with Kyle's friends, at the center table in the cafeteria. Girls and boys would smile at her, some suggestively, but she ignored them all. Eva sat beside her and smiled and she returned it with a half-hearted one. They began to talk, mostly gossip, but she didn't miss the pointed look Kyle was giving her. She wasn't paying attention, really, especially when she smelled her blood drawing closer. She raised her eyes and locked them straight into Andrea's. The girl bit her lip and walked forward.
Towards her.
"Taylor," she called, her voice unsurprisingly soft. Everyone at the table shut up. And she thought the whole cafeteria did the same. Her eyes gazed at Taylor curiously.
"Move along, freak," Eva sneered as she stood up, blocking her view of her soulmate. She saw how the girl flinched at the word. And Taylor just wanted to take her in her arms and shield her from the cruel world.
"I... I just want to talk to Taylor."
"Not a chance." Eva was about to shove Andrea but Taylor was quick to her feet, standing up and walking past Eva and took the other girl's arm, pulling her away.
"Sure, let's talk."
Eva scoffed behind her. "Seriously?"
She turned and resisted the urge to snarl at her. "Yes, I will talk to her."
"She's a freak."
In a snap, she was back in front of the girl. "Call her that again and I'll see to it you won't be able to talk again."
"Taylor." Both Kyle and Andrea called to her. Her gaze fell on her cousin, his eyes worried. She returned her eyes to Eva who was visibly shaken at her words and tone. She took a deep breath and turned away as she pulled Andrea's arm and led her outside to the field. She ignored the sparks on her hand as their skin touched.
She stopped and had them sit on the bleachers as she let go of the girl's arm.
"What do you want to talk about?"
"Why are you cold?" The girl suddenly asked.
"You risked being a target by the whole cafeteria just to ask me that?"
The color on Andrea's face deepened. "No! I just... Never mind that," she exclaimed before biting her lower lip. "What are you, really? What... have you been doing to me?"
Taylor's jaw fell at the question. "W—What do you mean by that?"
The girl stared down at her fingers that were resting on her lap, fidgeting. "You're not an ordinary person, Taylor. I can see it. I can... feel it. I know it was you who saved me two weeks ago, and I knew you were there at the hospital." She whispered the last part.
"I have no idea what you're talking about." She didn't understand why she thought she needed to lie. She wanted her to know that she was her other half, yet here she was, lying her ass off.
"Please, don't lie. Before you came to the school, nobody paid attention to me. No one cared. No one saved me."
The sadness and pain in her voice sent a rage in her veins. She wanted to punish everyone who had done her wrong. But...
"I'm the new kid, so you point your finger at me?"
"It's not—," she sighed. "Forget it." She huffed as started to stand up. Suddenly, Taylor wanted to come clean. She couldn't stand the thought of Andrea leaving without giving her some kind of an answer.
I want her. And... I need to make a move.
"Wait!" She grabbed her arm to stop her. When the girl didn't pull away, she continued, "Fine, I'll tell you. But there are some... things you need to promise first."
"Like?"
"One, promise me you won't tell anyone what I'm about to tell you."
She scoffed. "Like I'm talking to anyone here."
"Right, sorry. Second, do not freak out."
"As long as you're not out here to murder me, I won't freak out. Anything else?"
She stared at her hazel eyes. "You will stop hurting yourself."
"I—I'm not... doing that."
Taylor grabbed her arm and yanked the sleeve up. Red, angry lines stared at her and some were still fresh. She had to turn her head away as the scent of her blood made her fangs spring out.
Andrea quickly pulled it back and lowered her sleeve. "How did you know that?"
"I can smell your blood in the air every time you do it."
"How?"
"Promise me first."
"I can't do that."
"Then I can't tell you." She hated herself for giving her soulmate an ultimatum but it scared her to think that she would cut too deep and Taylor wouldn't be able to save her.
She was about to stand when a hand stopped her. "Fine, I promise."
Taylor turned, her fangs showing. Andrea almost screamed but she quickly covered the girl's mouth. "Don't freak out, please."
She retracted them as she let go of the girl. "You're a vampire?!" She hissed. "But... you don't burn!"
"I... I'm a hybrid. Part vampire, part human," she explained as she tried to look as small as she could to appear a little less threatening. "Please, please, don't tell this to anyone."
The girl took several deep breaths. "Who else knew?"
"Just my family. And now, you."
"Do you feed... on humans?"
She shook her head. "If you mean I drink human blood, yes. If you mean sucking on living humans, no. I... I drink them on bottles."
Andrea squinted her eyes at her. "That... stuff you made me take, what was it?"
She squirmed under her gaze, not happy with the line of questioning. "I don't think you'd want to know."
"What is it, Taylor?"
"It was... my blood."
The girl moved away from her, falling from the bleachers. She stood and tried to help her up but the woman flinched at her extended hand. She sighed and knelt beside her, wary not to crowd her.
"Your— Are you trying to turn me?"
"What? No! I... Vampire blood has regenerative properties, it did help you to heal faster than normal."
"Why... why would you do that?"
"Because— I— I want you to heal faster."
"Why?"
"I want to get to know you better."
Confusion was written all over the girl's face. "What?"
"I want to be your friend, Andrea."
"What?" She asked again, but she could see the glimmer in the girl's eyes. "Are you... serious?"
"Dead serious." She offered her hand again to help her up.
The girl looked at her extended hand. And for the first time, she saw the girl smile. And oh, it was a sight that her heart threatened to beat against her chest.
Andrea took her hand. "I'd... I'd like to be your friend, too."
They stood in front of each other. She knew her bond with the girl was made strong by her blood, and could be further strengthened if she would have some of hers, too. But for now, her acceptance of friendship was enough.
Taylor decided to walk her down to her next class and had her hand run up and down her own arm.
"Hey, Andrea... I was... wondering about our project. I... had done some and... I think we should work on it... together sometime... I mean, if it's okay with you."
The girl turned her head slightly at her. "Of course, and please, call me Andy."
"Yeah... Of... sure, of course."
Why the hell am I stuttering?
Taylor kept wiping her hands over her jeans and the other girl noticed. "Are you okay?" She asked as she gently lay a hand over her arm. Both of them tensed up at the contact but didn't comment on it.
"I'm okay!" She exclaimed, a pitch higher than usual before clearing her throat. "I'm okay, Andy. I... Let's... do it in your house—"
"Your house," she answered too quickly.
"—or mine?" Taylor was taken aback by how fast her answer was. "Okay, sure, our house. We'll wait for you, so my uncle can drive us all back."
Her eyes widened in fear. "With Kyle?"
"Did he hurt you?" Anger began to form in her chest. Sure, he was her cousin, but the thought of him hurting her soulmate made her cold blood boil, and it seemed like it showed since she felt the other girl's hand on her arm tighten a bit. That was also the same time she noticed that Andrea never took her hand away from her.
"I... calm down? He never... hurt me, in a sense. But he just laughed as hard as the others."
"Trust me, Kyle won't be a problem."
"You're not gonna hurt him, right?"
Taylor creased her brows. "No, I won't. I'm just going to talk to him."
Andrea looked at her watch and then raised her head towards her. "Go, Taylor, you have five minutes before the bell rings and you'll be late."
She smirked at the girl. "You underestimate my speed, madame," she said making the girl giggle a bit and it was the most beautiful she ever heard. "And, please, call me Tay."
The blonde smiled at her. "Okay, Tay, now go." She playfully shoved her. She grinned at Andrea and before she could stop herself she was tucking loose strands behind her ear, making the girl blush furiously.
"I'll see you later here," she whispered before running towards her class.
She entered her class just seconds before the bell rang. It was a good thing she wasn't breathing or she'd end up being winded up and wouldn't have gotten to her class on time.
"Where have you been?" Kyle immediately whispered, his attention in front of the teacher.
"I was talking to Andy by the football field."
Her cousin peeked at her briefly, brows raised before quickly returning his attention to their teacher. "Oh, you're having nicknames now?"
She glared at the side of his head. "Do you have a problem with that?"
"No," he sighed as he subtly looked at her. "Listen, I just don't want you... Our classmates could... pick on you. Or Eva could..."
"I'd like to see them try." Taylor showed her fangs a bit at her cousin, showing she was not afraid to use her abilities to protect herself and her other half. "Also, Andy will come with us. We need to finish the pair project this week."
Kyle rolled his eyes. "Like I can do something about it."
"Be nice," she lowered her voice, making him shiver, and instantly glared at her. "Why does everyone hate her anyway?"
He had a sheepish look on his face. "She... She acts differently, she prefers to be alone... all the time. Wears those weird black sweatshirts and hoodies. Always too engrossed in that sketchpad... And she was... well, don't hate me, weird."
"You're human, she's human. She deserves to be treated equally."
Kyle took a deep sigh and gave a small smile. "Yeah, you're right, but that's how it works, Tay. Life is unfair, no matter what we are." He sighed again. "I could see from your eyes how much you care for Andrea. The way your whole demeanor changes whenever you talk about her. I may not understand things... like why, but I support you, okay?"
She almost cried at his words. She smiled at her cousin."Thank you."
—
Taylor and Kyle were walking side by side after their classes and decided it would be best to walk by Andrea's room first then the three of them would leave together.
She spotted her taking in her things, a red puffiness in her eyes was obvious but she clenched her jaw, hoping no one would notice the anger emerging on her chest the moment she saw the girl's pained expression as she put her stuff away.
As if feeling her stare, the girl raised her head and met her gaze. And in an instant, the pained look in her eyes was replaced with... adoration.
"Hi, Tay," she greeted as she stopped in front of them. "Hi, Kyle." Her greeting to her cousin was cold and... laced with fear. They began to walk silently together, with Andrea between Taylor and her cousin.
"I'm sorry, Andrea. For being... a part of... what... You... For..." Taylor was shocked at her cousin's sudden words, and how he stuttered.
The girl gave him a small smile. "It's okay, it's fine. I... It's okay."
"I'll be better, I promise."
"Did your vampire cousin scare you?" Andrea's voice lowered at the mention of the word 'vampire'.
Kyle whipped his head towards Taylor and she only grinned, showing the tip of one of her fangs. He glared at her. "She knows now?"
"I gotta tell her." Her eyes went to Andrea and she couldn't help but to smile widely at the other half of her soul.
She heard her cousin make a tiny sound, making her head snap in his direction. It was so small she knew she was the only one who heard. She was aware that he figured it out by the look on his face, how his eyes widened, and that small 'O' on his lips. She met his eyes, shook her ever so slightly, and subtly brought her index over her lips. He nodded.
"We're gonna pick Kyle's baby sister before we—" Taylor was not able to finish her sentence when Andrea was suddenly pulled back, her head dragged down from her hair as she whimpered quietly.
Taylor almost growled as they turned around but stopped, reminding herself she was at school. She was just seconds from jumping and ripping at the person who hurt Andrea when a hand rested on her arm.
Kyle was shaking his head. She glared at him before turning back at Andrea's assailant.
"Bitch! Stay away from Taylor!" She screamed at Andrea while she sat on the ground tears running down from both her cheeks and Taylor began to see red. She yanked her arm away from Kyle just in time to catch the brunette's hand before hitting Andrea's face.
"Hit her and you'll regret it." She let go of her arm, shoving it back at Eva. She pulled Andrea from her position and placed herself between the blonde and the brunette. Her soulmate clung to the hem of her shirt.
Eva's eyes widened. "Taylor? What the hell are you doing?"
"Lay a finger on her and you'll see what could happen, Evangeline."
"What do you think you're doing, protecting a freak?"
She clenched her teeth and spoke through them. "Stop. Calling. Her. That."
"You're really going to hang out with her after earning a reputation here? She'll destroy it!"
Taylor felt Andrea's body move closer to her, her hold on her shirt tightened, and her breath hot against her neck. But what she was too aware of was the smell of her tears, the smell of her blood, and her erratic heartbeat.
"Do you really think I fucking care about your so-called reputation? News flash, I don't. Now, leave me alone," she almost had her fangs out as she snarled. "Let's go, Kyle." She said as she took Andrea's hand in her, lacing their fingers together.
She spotted her uncle's car and Kyle quickly sat in the passenger's seat while she assisted Andrea in getting into the back seat.
"You can't change her! Once a freak, always a freak!" She screamed behind her before she could get inside herself. She turned around and glared hard at her.
"She's not a freak, Eva," she said in a low voice, "And I don't plan to change her,"—well, maybe, except for the self-harm part, she thought— "I accept her as who she is."
Taylor didn't wait for the girl to answer and got inside her uncle's car.
"What kind of high school drama did I just witness?" He asked.
She groaned. "Something I wish you never saw. Human high school drama was a lot more stressful than the lessons themselves."
A giggle erupted beside her and found Andrea smiling brightly at her. And there was nothing left to do but to return it to her.
Her eyes briefly went down to their hands over Jean's car seat. Near, yet barely touching.
Taylor could only hope she could make them work.