Charlie
Number one thing I like about mornings in my own home, no Maxwell. The sun shines on my face as I walk to the mailbox to gather my mail. Already clothed for work I sit at the kitchen table to enjoy some breakfast as I look at the letters I received. A wide smile forms on my face as I see a letter from Robert and Justin, my flower experts.
Eagerly, I tear into the envelope to read what other than an invitation to their engagement party. A tiny bit of disappointment seeps into my good mood because I thought they wanted me to help them with their wedding. I haven't had a chance to check my emails in forever, so for all I know there's an email from them waiting for me to reply to. To my surprise, a corner of a second piece of paper that is still wedged inside the envelope peaks out. A small laugh fills the silent room as I read a message that Justin wrote.
You better have this date available.
After finishing my breakfast, I gather my purse and keys to make my way to work, double checking several times that I remembered the invitation and my calendar before I leave. The sole of my shoe slides as I turn away from the door. Wondering if I dropped anything, I look around my full hands. Sure enough, right there still under my foot is an envelope.
In a rush, I pick it up and shove it in my purse. My anxious heart calms when I park in the lot in front of my office building. To my surprise Morgan hasn't arrived yet and the quietness the empty building offers me is much needed.
I haven't been in my office fully enjoying what I do for a while. Only one thing is on my mind and that's contacting Robert and Justin about this engagement party. While I wait for my laptop to boot up, I dig out the invitation. Along with it comes the envelope I slipped on.
I tear it open without looking to see who it's from. It feels as if the blood coursing through my veins freezes the minute I read the short message written on a single piece of paper that was shoved inside. The crisp white stationary paper slowly floats down to my desktop as my quivering fingers can't hold on to it.
I brushed it off earlier as dropping it by accident, but a little voice in my head tells me otherwise. After examining the front and back of the small black envelope, it only makes my suspicions greater. There's no stamp on it indicating that it was even mailed. Someone left it intentionally on my doorstep. But when? No matter how hard I want to take my gaze off the note, I can't.
You're next.
Life comes crashing down all at once slowly suffocating me. When my phone blares from inside my purse, I can't help but to twitch from fear. With shaking arms along with numb fingers, I barely answer it.
"Charlie, where are you? Are you okay?" The panic in Maxwell's voice probably matches my own if I could actually speak. "Charlie, answer me," he pleads.
"I'm at work." I manage to get out.
"And?" he asks, but when I remain silent he continues to talk. "Charlie, we have been through this. I know something's wrong. Now tell me before I come find out for myself this instant."
"The sun's blazing outside...you would die...wouldn't you?"
"Possibly, but I would risk my life to save you. No tell me what happened."
"A letter...just a letter. I thought I dropped it, but after opening it...I didn't drop it, Maxwell...it was left for me."
"What does say?" His stern voice creates more panic.
"You're next."
"I want you to leave work and come stay with me until we figure this out."
"I can't, I have too much work to do."
"That letter wasn't there when I left, so it had to have been left after sunset. Work isn't important if you're dead. You said it yourself. I can't save you during the day. A living breathing human being is working with him. The game has changed and I need you to understand that things just got worse."
"Charlie?" Morgan calls from the front office.
"Morgan, I'm in here," I yell back.
"Listen, I have to go. Morgan just got here. I can get pepper spray or a Taser to put the odds in my favor if I get attacked during the day. Trust me, if I have to, I can take on a human. Plus, they would be stupid to come here."
"You're thinking too greatly of yourself, Charlie, and you could get hurt. No meeting new clients. I hate to say this but maybe you should inform Dave of the situation."
"No! That will just make things worse."
"We'll discuss later...after I pick you up. Promise me you'll be aware of you surroundings."
"Promise."
"Not like the promise you made last time and broke. Keep this one." He lectures.
"Yes. Okay. I'll see you later." My farewell is short and brief to Maxwell as Morgan hovers in my doorway.
"I'm sorry. I didn't realize you were on the phone."
"No big deal."
Morgan remains in the doorway, shuffling her feet.
"Is there something on your mind?" I wave my hand to one of the chairs in front of my desk. "Wanna talk about it?"
"I do, but I know you're going through a lot, so...I understand if you say no. It's just that James and I are planning a little trip this coming weekend. We're planning to leave on Friday, but if you need to be with Juliet and can't arrange the party this Saturday, I don't have to go."
"No, you go on your trip. I can orchestrate the party. I'm seeing Juliet tomorrow, so I'll let her know I'll be unavailable." And there's no way I'm asking Dave to help out even though Maxwell, of all people, thought it would be a good idea to have him around.
"Awesome." She gets up from her chair and heads to the front desk.
The work that's piling up keeps my mind from wandering to dreadful thoughts. As disgusted as the letter makes me, I shove the paper back in the envelope and harshly stash it in my purse. Pleasant hums from the computer draw my mind to what I'm here to do, plan and organize parties. Robert and Justin's engagement party is at the top of that list. Several emails and outlines later, things for the scheduled party on Saturday along with my dear friends' party are gradually being completed.
As the work load gets less, my attention starts to stray. As my office gets darker, my heart feels as if it could break out of my ribcage. I'm not sure if it's my nerves due to the impending nightfall or anxiousness to see Maxwell causing my irrational behavior.
As night covers the city Maxwell soundlessly enters my office.
"Are you ready to leave?" Maxwell says, sitting in one of the chairs across from me.
"Holly shit, Maxwell, do you want to give me a heart attack?" He knows what a wreck I am with this letter materializing on my doorstep in broad daylight and then he goes and sneaks up on me.
"Morgan let me in. I didn't think it would be a problem. I sent her home, by the way, seeing as we're going to be leaving as well."
"Leaving to go to my house, right?"
"No, to mine. It's not safe for you there, Charlie. The sooner you realize that, the safer you'll be. Please don't argue with me, I'm doing this for you...I'll always do everything for you even though you apparently don't think so."
"There's no need to explain, I get it, but I need to go to Juliet's tomorrow with or without your approval. So don't you think it would be best for you to go and search the house tonight than me to go there tomorrow...alone?"
"Fine. We'll stop there tonight for you to get a change of clothes, but then we are going back to my suite."
"Not what I meant."
"I know and I don't care. It's not up for discussion." Is all he says before picking up my purse.
The feeling of being a sitting duck puts me on edge. He holds out his hand for me to take and without thinking I tightly latch on. We remain quiet the whole way to my house. The music from the radio sounds like it's miles away.
I didn't even realize that we arrived at my house until he opens my car door. Carefully, he sits me on the hood and tells me to wait until he checks the house over. Like the night before, it's all clear, but I can't approach the house without Maxwell placing himself at my side.
"I won't let anything happen to you. You know that, right?"
All I can do is nod my head. After we enter the house, I double check the door to make sure it's locked several times. I have no idea why I'm so hell-bent on locking my door, it's not as if the wooden divider would deter any unwanted company from entering. Especially a vampire. "What?" I say annoyed at a staring Maxwell.
"Nothing, I just wish I could make things better."
"You can," I tell him as a crazy idea fills my head. His questioning look makes me second guess myself. "Your mind mojo. You can erase it all."
"It's not that easy, Charlie. We...us vampires can't erase memories or emotions, we can only influence, and you should know by personal experience that it doesn't always last forever."
There goes my out, my only way of living a normal life. Unaware and oblivious. "It never can be that easy, can it?"
"It can be easier than you're making it." He places his hands on my shoulders and slowly slides them down my arms. He leans in, lowering his head toward me.
"I can't, Maxwell." My hand presses against his chest, making him keep his distance.
"Why not? You can't keep fighting this, us. Sooner or later it'll drive you crazy and then you'll start doing irrational things."
Seriously? Is he just saying that to scare me or is it true...I wouldn't...
"You want to know why, why I can't do this," I wave my hand between us, "because it's a death sentence. With this mystery man and his little helper, I'm finally on death row. It feels like I'm living in a concrete cell with no windows, slowly suffocating. It's not a way out, it's just a different way to the same ending."
"A still walking around, communicating, see your friends ending. I'm not death. I might not have a beating heart, but that doesn't mean I don't have feelings. Just because I can't see the sun doesn't mean happiness doesn't fill my day. I'm alive with you. What I am, what you will be one day, is just a different way of living, but it isn't not living."
I don't have time to process what he said or reply before his mouth is upon mine. The little breath I have is taken away. The gentle movement of his lips is everything I need to put my stress at ease. My mouth presses against his without me even knowing it until it's too late.
Maxwell's hand slides up the back of my neck, tangling his fingers in my hair, taking advantage of my accepting body. My limp arms that dangle at my sides finally come to life and instantly grab onto him. One hand grabs a fistful of his shirt as my other hand lays over his neck, some of my fingers curving over his jaw to rest on his cheek. The little amount of breath I have left rushes out as he lifts me off my feet.
My legs wrap around his waist. For the first time I'm taller than him. As our kiss is broken, his face becomes even with my neck. Refusing to keep his mouth off me, he gently kisses my neck. An inhuman growl rumbles in his chest and his fingers harshly dig into my back as he squeezes me tighter. I know he can sense my blood race through my veins.
"Maxwell," I say breathless. He doesn't hear me or he just refuses to stop. I yank on his hair to get his attention. "Maxwell, you're hurting me."
His head follows the pull of my hand. Regret fills his eyes as he finally looks at me. "Charlie, I'm sorry, I didn't—"
"It's fine. I should go gather some clothes," I awkwardly say as he puts me back on the floor.
It doesn't take long for me to gather several pieces. A couple of jeans, some t-shirts and a few pairs of sweatpants. With them neatly folded in a bag, I head back to Maxwell. I find him leaning against the console table in the entryway. I lift the bag to show him I'm all set.