“Hard?” He breathed out, leaning forward a little more. “That doesn’t even begin to describe it.”
“So, do you find it hard keeping yourself a secret, you know, your abilities?”
“Ha! Yes. Especially in emotional situations.”
“Which is why you always take off?”
“Yes, like that day at school—” He smiled leadingly. “In the hallway.”
I looked up at him. “Do you mean when I—” I realised then that he would’ve seen everything I was thinking that day. I covered my cheeks. “Oh my God.”
He chuckled. “It was worse for me. I wasn’t sure what to do, you know. That hallway was full of people, and I just wanted to stand there and watch your thoughts unfold. Then, at the point I couldn’t take anymore, I wanted to—”
“To float away or something?”
“No.” He looked up from the ground and smiled. “I was about to lift you in my arms and run, vampire-speed, to the storage room under the auditorium stage.”
“You would not,” I said, my tone ringing in question.
“Ara.” He raised one brow. “I’m a guy. Not a saint.”
“Well, what…” I crossed my legs under me, shifting nervously. “What would you have done with me in there?”
He left the long silence hanging, smiling down at the grass. “I would’ve demonstrated my affections for you.”
“And…” I played with the hem of my dress, “…how exactly would you have done that?”
David cleared his throat and sat back up from his lean, dusting the grass and soil off his hands. “This is getting off subject.”
“Right.” I bit my lip. “So, that was the reason you left school that day—not because of my strawberry shampoo?”
“Yes.”
“But…why leave? Why not just take me to the auditorium closet?”
“Because—” He frowned, curiosity making his eyes smaller. “Would you have wanted me to?”
Uh, yes. Hell yes. “Maybe.” I shrugged.
He laughed. “And what about now? Would you still want the same things?”
“Maybe.”.
“So, you trust me?”
“I…guess so.”
“What if I were to kiss your neck?”
My heart picked up. “Um—”
He moved closer, taking my hand as he knelt before me. “Is this okay?”
I nodded, and he brought my hand up slowly, placing it on his chest.
“And, what if I did…this?” He tilted my chin up, exposing my neck, and slowly lowered his face to mine, stopping right in front of my eyes. “You still okay?”
I nodded, breathing out.
“How ‘bout now?” His warm breath moved over my neck, slipping around to my spine as his lips gently made a line of kisses from my ear to my collar bones, his hair brushing my cheek, his shoulder right in front of my mouth, taking my hot, lustful breaths, and sending them back to me with the scent of David.
“I…I’m okay with that,” I whispered.
He rolled back up, keeping his hand against my face, and ran his thumb over my lashes. “Look at me.”
I opened my eyes.
“Was that okay?”
I nodded.
“You weren’t scared?”
“You’re just the same.” I shook my head, unable to believe it. “And I love you just like before.”
A smile broke across his lips, showing his fangs. “You cannot fathom the relief I feel, Ara, to have you know what I am and still let me touch you that way.”
“You’re not that scary.” I smirked, rubbing the moisture from my neck.
“My human self might not be. But you haven’t met the vampire yet.”
“When do I get to meet him?”
“I’m not sure you will.”
“Why?”
“Because it might frighten you, Ara. And I. Never. Want you. To be afraid of me again.”
“But I’m okay, now. If you scared me, David, you could always talk me around.”
He shook his head. “No. After what happened in your room that day, I will never risk scaring you again.”
“Why?”
“Because I felt dead inside,” he snapped. “I couldn’t touch you; couldn’t be the one to comfort you. I…I felt so helpless, like you were screaming for me—standing behind a glass partition, and I couldn’t reach you.”
“I think you came across as rather in control.”
“God, no. Do you know what it feels like when you can’t touch someone? To be the one who placed fear in their eyes, and be powerless to take it away? I was terrified I’d lost you—” his voice dropped, “—and I just wanted to hold you; just make you see me again.”
“It’s okay now.”
“I know. And that is why I will never show you the vampire.”
“You’ve seen my ogre.”
He laughed aloud, his teeth showing as he rolled his head back. “Yes, and let me tell you, mon amour, after meeting the ogre at the funeral on Thursday morning, I will personally see to it that you never skip another meal again.”
“No, you won’t.” I looked down as I spoke. “You’ll be gone by winter.”
“It doesn’t have to be that way.” He reached for my hand.
“I know. But your world doesn’t sound too appealing—blood and death aside. You have a lot of rules. It’d be like living with your parents for eternity.”
“It’s to keep everyone in line. If vampires had free reign, the world would be overrun with them.”
“So, is that what you do—maintain the law? Is that what the council is?”
“Yes. You might say I’m the judge and jury. I see to it that the law gets followed and punish those who choose not to.”
“And, do you get paid for that?”
“Yes.”
“Who pays you?”
“All vampires pay a percentage of their wages to the World Council. Might call it vampire tax. And that’s how we fund the Set, research facilities, and the lavish lifestyle of the council leaders.”
“Sounds like a cult.”
“Ha!” he laughed. “I suppose it is a bit like that.”
“Hm, now that’s the organisation I want to belong to for eternity.”
“There are good things about it, Ara. We have a lot of fun—we’re like a family.”