“Who knows? Medical science changes every day. Maybe they’ll have a cure for AIDS before your time comes. Are you hungry?”
I didn’t want to think of a time when I couldn’t have Amy beside me, when I couldn’t just call her or knock on her door. Even if we weren’t together, even if we spent the next 100 years screaming at each other, I wanted her there.
She nodded, and I reached for the bag behind me, pulling out a picnic lunch I had packed. We ate sitting closer than ever, practically on each other’s laps, sharing a bag of chips and a cookie for desert.
I had nothing planned for the entire day, intending on devoting it to her. But her watch beeped around noon, and she glanced at it, annoyed.
“Sorry. We have an evening shoot for Ranger, so I should get back.”
“Of course.”
I was slightly disappointed, but I reached to pick up our discarded garbage, shoving it back in the bag. As I came back up, I found myself just inches from her face. I went to pull back, but she grabbed my wrist, stopping me.
“Liam…”
“Amy, we don’t have to…” I breathed, although I was practically trembling with the restraint.
She brought her hand up to my face, her eyes searching mine. “What if I want to?”
I groaned, unable to stop myself. “I don’t want you to… be confused. I don’t want… But I do want… I…” The words were tumbling out without making any sense.
“Liam.” She leaned in closer, until we were practically rubbing noses. “I know that it’s complicated, and I know that there’s a lot going on. And there are words that need to be said and apologies that need to be made and all these things that have to go in between… But can we just skip all that and can you just be kissing me right now?”
She didn’t need to tell me twice. My lips were upon hers instantly, devouring hers, my hands running up and down her back, and pulling her close until our bodies were pressed together. I let her take the lead, and I was surprised by the aggression in her movements.
Before I knew it, we were lying on the ground, panting, and clothes were scattered every which way. Our lips were constantly touching somewhere: an arm, the chest, the face, an eyelid; kissing and touching and never breaking apart.
When we finally did, it was only because we could barely catch our breaths, the passion having broken like a swell of waves on a beach. I felt completely satisfied, lying there in the sunlight, and never getting up. Amy was lying with her head on my shoulder, her eyes half-closed, and her body relaxed.
“Feel better?” I asked
She laughed. “Yes. But even though I want to stay here…”
“You need to go. The world of film beckons.” I gently hoisted her up and went to retrieve our clothing. Once dressed, we made our way back to the car. “Man, I hope there was no paparazzi.”
She snorted. “At least this time it would be an accurate shot, not a fabricated story.”
“And what would that story be?” I asked cautiously.
She smiled up at me. “The headline would be something like, Amy and Liam, back together again, question mark.”
“Ahh, question mark,” I replied as I held the door open for her, and then slid into the driver’s seat. “Well, that is the question.”
“It doesn’t have to be.” She took my hand as I started the car. “I mean… if we take it slow. I think I would be willing to give it another go. If you’re okay with that.”
I laughed. “If I’m okay with that? Really? It’s pretty much been the only thing on my mind.”
“I hope not, we’ve got a show soon.” She giggled, and then turned solemn. “Do you really think we can pull this off? Without the others?”
I turned down the road that led us back to civilization; back to the real world; or at least, as close as we could get with me being a vampire. It was the last place I really wanted to go right now. But looking at Amy, with her shining eyes, and quiet beauty, I knew that we’d be alright in the end.
“I think, together, my love, we can make anything work.”
She nodded, staring off into the distance. “Then let’s do it.”
I squeezed her hand, getting up to speed as we drove back towards the school, where it all started. Whatever Selene had in store, she was not stronger than what was between us. Selene operated on hate and lust, and that was a world I would never live in again.
Chapter 21: Liam
I hated dress rehearsal day, always have and probably always will, no matter what side of the stage I was on. Today, I was just as nervous as when I was ten years old and doing my first show as a talking tree.
Christmas had been like the calm before the storm. Peter and I had joined Amy and her father for Christmas lunch and then exchanged presents after the meal in Amy’s father’s home. It was fascinating, to listen to her Christmas memories, growing up, and then share my own. A candle was lit by her mother’s picture, as Amy told me this was the tradition every Christmas. But this year, she told me she wasn’t as sad as she normally was. There wasn’t that moment of silence. I didn’t want to ask how much she had shared with her father, and she didn’t tell me. She knew that sharing our secrets were forbidden, that the elders would crack down just as hard. But when they talked about her mother over the meal, there was more happiness than previous times. Perhaps he was comforted simply by knowing his dead wife’s spirit was watching over them. Adding that his daughter was dating a nightwalker; a creature of the undead, was probably not the best thing to do. I felt like it was her news to share and didn’t prod her for information. I figured when she was ready, she would tell me what he knew. But judging by the fact that he didn’t greet me at the door with a crossbow and wooden stake, I figured he didn’t know the whole story… yet.
It was one of the things we had discussed, late into the night as the chains bit into my wrist. How long before our secret would come out to her father and to the school, and what we would do when it did. It was never an if. Amy and I accepted that one day we would have to run away and hide for good, to die in the eyes of society. But that day was not this day; and in the face of the 48 point to do list, that day seemed a lot less scary.
Replacing some of the cast at the last minute had been tough, especially with some of the routine being highly choreographed. But the vampires had left gaps in the scenes, and I had to do some fast shuffling around to fill them, including the entire party scene. We still had Connor, which I thanked God for, and he was still enough to lure Selene on stage, and drag her off into the wings, weakened by Sarah’s powers, and untempted by Amy’s blood. At least, I hoped he was. In the wings, I would be waiting, fangs gleaming. For tonight, Sarah would bind herself to me.