I paused with a broom in my hand, squinting out into the dark and dreary night through the window that was slightly smeared by dirt.
"Is he still out there?" Emmett mused, coming over to me, an ice cream scooper in hand. "Hasn't he been there for like the last two hours?"
I sighed. "Yeah, I don't know what he's waiting for though," I responded, turning and continuing to sweep the dirty floor.
It was nearly closing time at the shop. Half an hour more and my shift would be over and I could go home. And so could Damian.
He had been standing outside for the past two hours, ever since it had gotten dark. Why was he waiting outside in the dark for two hours while I worked? Because I was now put under a strict watch, just in case other vampires came after me. I thought it was highly impossible, but Damian thought it was highly possible.
I groaned and tapped on the glass. Damian looked over at me and I gestured for him to come over. He hesitated, but than walked to the front of the shop and came in.
"I think I'm okay now," I told him as he came over to me. I looked around to make sure Emmett wasn't listening. He was the only one here besides Damian and myself. Emmett was in the back now, and I could hear the sound of dishes being put in the dishwasher.
"No," Damian responded stubbornly. "Night is the most dangerous time for you right now. I can't leave you unattended."
Sure, I was flattered by his concern. I actually liked him being worried over me a lot, which also made me feel guilty in return. But having him wait in the cold for hours on end was a bit much.
"What I mean is, uh," I looked around as I tried to think of an excuse that would make him stop waiting in the cold. "People will think we are going out," I told him, turning a little red after it came out of my mouth.
Damian looked amused. "I don't have a problem with it."
My heart stopped momentarily. He didn't mind if people thought we were going out? What did that mean? Did that mean he liked me? I felt my heart beat a little faster. I liked the idea of it as well, did that mean I liked him? My reactions told me I did like... no, that I loved him. Was that the feeling I had been getting around him for the past few weeks? Butterflies, sweaty palms, feeling excited. It had to be it.
I was in love with Damian Weiss.
I felt a little dizzy as my mind made this decision. I grasped a table and sat down slowly. How had it come to this?
"Are you okay?" Damian inquired, squinting at me. "You look really pale."
"I'm okay," I responded quickly, feeling a faint blush appear on my face again. "I just..."
I was getting ahead of myself. He never said he liked me, he just said he didn't have a problem if people thought we were going out. It didn't mean anything. I couldn't help being a little bit depressed at the idea, but it was the truth. I had gotten way ahead of myself.
"I'm not trying to say that I don't trust you alone or anything, Maddie," Damian told me gently, lifting on my chin so I was looking at him, apparently taking my embarrassment as sadness. "I just don't want to see you get hurt again."
I gazed into his piercing blue eyes and momentarily zoned out again. He said such misleading things. Things that made me think he liked me. As I raced through my memories I realized he had done and said a lot of things that made it seem like he liked me. How could I have been so dense? But perhaps I was mistaken. I shook my head and Damian let go of me.
"No, it's okay," I told him, standing up. "I just hate seeing you outside in the cold all alone."
Damian's worried expression faltered, and was replaced by an amused one. He smiled mysteriously at me. "You're worried about me?"
"Is there something wrong with that?" I huffed, grabbing my broom and sweeping the floor once more.
"Not at all," Damian responded, still smiling. "I like the thought of you being worried about me."
Another misleading phrase. Unless he did like me... I bit my lip. I didn't want to get my hopes up, and then be crushed.
"Damian, you decided to come inside?" Emmett asked, looking towards us from the counter.
Damian grinned at him. "Maddie told me to come in."
Emmett nodded. "It's getting cold out. It's crazy! In a few days it will be December!"
"This year is going by quickly," Damian agreed, following me as I went around, putting the chairs up onto the tables. He helped me so it would get done faster.
"I think it'd be okay if we closed up early," Emmett told me, shutting the cash register. "The dishes are done, cash is counted, floor swept, chairs up, the ice cream is put away..." As he listed the chores he ticked them off on his fingers.
"Good," I sighed as I went to the back, Damian still following me like a duckling, and threw off my apron. "I'm tired."
"Me too," Emmett responded and yawned. "Let's lock up and get out of here."
"Okay," I agreed, grabbing the keys and heading to the front door. I waited until Emmett and Damian exited before shutting off the lights and closing the door, locking it behind me.
"Do you need a ride home today?" Emmett asked as we walked towards the parking lot.
"No," Damian answered before I had a chance to, "I'll be taking her home tonight... Actually, every night she works from now on."
Emmett raised his eyebrows. "When did you two start going out?"
"We are-" I started but Damian pulled me closer to him, and muffled my voice with the front of his chest.
"A few days ago. We didn't really tell anyone."
"Well, it was bound to happen," Emmett laughed. "I could tell you two liked each other."
I felt my face heat up and attempted to pull myself away from Damian, but he held fast. He chuckled, and I could feel his chest vibrate.
"Was it that obvious?"
He was a good actor. We continued down the dark path to the parking lot, where street lamps lit the area.
"Whoa," Emmett gasped, stopping in his tracks.
This time I succeeded at pulling myself away from Damian to see what Emmett was looking at.
"You have a Mazda RX8?"
As we entered the parking lot I noticed two cars. One was Emmett's slightly dirty white 2009 Toyota Corolla, and the other was a sleek, shiny black Mazda. I raised my eyebrows.
Damian shrugged. "It's not that fancy of a car."
"Around here it is," Emmett responded, walking over to it and looking it over. He whistled. "This is worth double of my car."
Damian shrugged again. "You have a pretty nice car too."
"If nice you mean ordinary and what everyone has around here, then thank you," Emmett joked with a smile.
Damian laughed along with him. Boys and their cars. But I had to admit; it was rare to see such a car around here.
"I'll see you two tomorrow," Emmett informed us unlocking his car and opening the driver side's door.
"Bye," Damian and I responded as he climbed into the car and closed the door.
Damian turned to me and opened the passenger door before walking to the other side and getting in. I slid into the car and closed the door, reaching for my seat belt.
"Do you always leave you car unlocked?" I questioned, snapping the buckle.
"Most of the time," Damian replied, buckling himself in then starting the car. "Cars aren't really that important. I could always just buy a new one."
I nodded as the radio came on and Damian pulled out of the parking lot. I didn't recognize the song that was playing as I stared out the window in the black woods.
"Why did you tell Emmett we were going out?" I asked Damian, turning to look at him. There was no use beating around the bush.
"It's a good explanation for why I'll be following you around all the time now," Damian responded, keeping his eyes on the road. "It's an easy one too."
"Oh." I stared out the window again. He was right about it being the easiest explanation. But I couldn't help wish there was something more to it.
It was silent as we continued down the dark and dead streets. I folded my hands in my lap and watched as they were drowned in light every time we passed under a street lamp, and then drowned in darkness when it passed.
"You don't really think more vampires will be after me, do you?" I asked hesitantly. "I mean, there's no way anyone other than the vampires at the house that time. But you killed all of those."
Damian gave me a sideways glance. "It's... slightly possible others might know now."
"How?"
"We don't know if there had been another vampire there that had escaped. Or if the vampires we defeated had unique abilities. Take this for example, if one of them could implant messages to another, it could say a human has found out about the existence of vampires."
"But why does that have anything to do with changing me into a vampire?"
Damian suddenly looked very uncomfortable, and a little angry. "Well..."
"Damian."
"Now that you know we are vampire..." He paused, and took a deep breath. "Eventually... you'll have to be turned into a vampire."
I gasped and froze. I must have misheard him. Did he just say that I would have to be changed into a vampire? It was impossible! I didn't want to be a vampire!
"No way!" I finally cried. "Why didn't you tell me this before? I don't want to be a vampire!"
Damian grimaced, and than gave me a sad look. "I know. I wasn't thinking when we told you we were vampires. Maddie, I'm really sorry."
We were at my house now. Damian pulled up to the curb and waited. I stared at him, feeling a mix of emotions.
"Why...?" I asked, feeling my eyes grow wet. "I don't have a choice?"
Damian's face softened. "Don't cry, Maddie."
"Do I have a choice?" I repeated, ignoring him as my anger grew. "Or am I stuck having to be turned into a vampire?"
Damian stayed silent, staring at me as his emotions flickered between anguish and pity.
"Fine. Whatever," I growled, reaching for the door. As soon as my hand touched the handle, Damian locked the doors.
"Unlock the door, Damian."
"Listen to me, Maddie," Damian pleaded, reaching over the seat and grabbing my wrist.
"I don't want to listen to you," I responded angrily, unlocking the door with my free hand and then reaching for the handle.
Click. Damian locked the doors again.
"Unlock the doors," I demanded, turning to scowl at Damian. I was startled at how close his face was to mine. His hands gripped my face as I tried to turn away from him.
"Listen to me," he requested and I finally gave in and nodded my head.
"What?"
"I really am sorry that I forgot about that little... agreement... to the law of letting a human know about vampire existence. I forgot, and I'm sorry." He looked sincere and my gaze softened.
"What will happen if I don't...?" I trailed off, fearing the worst.
"Your memories will be erased," Damian responded, gently caressing my face with his thumb.
"Oh," I replied, letting out a relieved sigh. "What will I forget about? Just the fact that I found out you and you family are vampires?"
Damian smiled tenderly. "No, I wish. You will forget every thing about us, even ever meeting us."
I felt my heart drop. I felt my eyes burn and I squeezed them shut to prevent any liquid from spilling out. That wasn't fair. Who decided this? Why was I being forced to make such a difficult decision?
"How..." I started, but my voice cracked.
"Maddie," Damian whispered as he leaned over and kissed my forehead. "I'm sorry."
"How long do I have to... decide?" I whispered back, looking into his eyes.
"Until you are an adult. Eighteen, for humans."
I had less then two years. Would that be enough time for to make such a difficult choice? I felt the tears threatening to spill over once more. What was wrong with me? I wasn't such a weepy person!
"I'm sorry," Damian apologized again, wiping a stray tear that had leaked through my resistance. "Maddie..."
Damian's hand was under my chin, lifting it up. I gazed into his blue eyes as he kissed my forehead again. His face was only inches away from mine as I held his entrancing gaze. He leaned in once more and kissed my cheek. I felt blood rush to my face and attempted to look away, but his hand held my face fast.
"I'm sorry," he repeated once more before gently pressing his lips to mine.
My eyes widened in shock as he pulled away a few seconds later, letting go of my chin. I looked down as blood rushed to my face. He had kissed me.
Damian Weiss had just kissed me.
It was a long, extremely awkward moment before Damian spoke.
"Maddie?"
"Yes?" I responded, looking up, hoping the blush had disappeared from my face by now.
"Did I make you uncomfortable?" Damian asked, frowning slightly. "I'm sorr-"
"Oh, no!" I denied quickly. "I liked it!" As soon as the words slipped out of my mouth I turned red once more.
Damian smirked. "You did, did you?"
I blushed even more as I slightly nodded; I was glad the mood had lightened up. "And, please, don't apologize to me again."
Damian's smirk vanished, now replaced by a frown. "Why not? We had no right to-"
"It's okay... I just need... time to adjust to it," I responded slowly.
"Adjust to it?" Damian repeated with a confused look.
I nodded. "I don't want to have my memories of you and your family erased. I'd much rather become a vampire any day."
Damian stared at me wide-eyed. "Do you know what that means?"
I stared at him. "Nothing bad that I can think of. And there's still a lot of time to decide how... things will happen."
Damian stared at me in wonder. "Why?"
I felt embarrassment wash over me. Should I tell him the truth? Why I absolutely didn't want to forget the Weiss's? Him?
"Damian Weiss," I started, staring him straight in the eyes. "I am in love with you."
Damian's eyes widened slightly, and my face burned. Slowly, Damian began to smile, and he pulled me closer to him.
"That's good," he whispered, "because I love you as well."
And with that, once more he captured my lips into his.
I hate this chapter. Bleh.
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