Eliza Barker was awakened to the sound of her cell phone rattling on her side table, her ring tone blaring out Josh Turner's "Your Man." Scrambling for the elusive phone, she managed to nab it before it vibrated it's way to the edge of the table. She briefly wondered why Vincent was calling her at 7:30 in the morning on a Saturday, but she quickly remembered the date.
"I need you." He whispered over the phone, his deep voice choked with emotion.
"I'll be there." She responded before the line cut out.
Her mind wandered as she searched her drawers for something to wear. Today was June 13, the three year anniversary of Kylie Williams fatal car crash. She had died while on her way home from Eric's apartment. Kylie was a beautiful blonde with blue eyes, she had quickly stolen Vincent's heart. Unknowingly at the time, she had captured Eric's heart as well. The fact that she had been driving home from Eric's apartment when she had died was still a point of dissension between the brothers.
Eliza had been a friend of Vincent Creed since they were five, but they had both become quick friends with Kylie. Eliza had learned very early on that she could not compete with the older girl for Vincent's affections. What with her plain brown hair and mousy looks. She didn't even have blue eyes like Kylie, her own were a boring shade of brown. Instead of making a fool of herself by trying to attract her dearest companion, she settled for being his best friend.
Why is why he had called her this morning. Eliza was dressed now and hopped into her little, white car and headed in the direction of the Creed mansion. Vincent had chosen to pull closer to Eliza after Kylie's death, but he still did not seek her the way she wished to be with him. He clunt to the sense of familiarity she brought and would need her comfort when they set out for the grave of their dead friend.
Pulling into the long driveway, the brunette thought of Vincent himself. His red hair was the exact same shade as his mother's, and he had his father's blue eyes. He had his mother's sharper facial features and high cheek bones, but his football player build and great height was definitely from his father's side. Vincent was waiting by the garage when she pulled up. She had barely taken two steps from the car before he was in her arms.
"What took you so long?" He questioned, his lips tickling her neck. He breathed deeply of her comforting scent.
"You woke me from a sound sleep Vince." She reminded him.
"Needed you so bad." It was his way of apologizing.
"'S'okay, I shoulda known." Vincent removed himself from the embrace and gave her a knowing look.
"It's been three years 'Liza, it's okay to move on." It was clear that his words only applied to everyone except himself.
The conversation was cut short when it started to drizzle. The rain didn't seem to affect Vincent, but he did grab Eliza's hand and started walking down the driveway. Every year, they followed tradition and traveled by foot to the cemetary, no matter the weather. Dreary weather didn't seem to impare the young adult's need to visit the final resting place of their good friend. The walk wasn't a long one, but in the current weather, it wasn't a pleasant trip.
When they entered the cemetary, Eliza was filled with a sense of dread; her throat choked up and she nearly stumbled. Vincent cast her a look and steadied her with a thick arm. His eyes were filled with worry for her, but she just shrugged and kept walking. As much as the brunette had loved her friend, her heart was tainted by the bitterness she felt over losing Vincent to her. Dreading the yearl visit was nothing new to her, but it was necessary to make the trip. For Vincent.
Approaching the grave of Kylie Williams, Eliza admired the spot from a distance. The grave stone was engraved with her full name, birth and death dates and the words, "Eternity is but a step away." It was cryptic, but that was exactly the sort of thing that brought Kylie amusement. An assortment of flowers decorated the grave site, courtesy of Eric. There had been a fight at the funeral, but that had not stopped the determined man from planting seeds in the fertile ground. Roses had almost instantly pushed their way out of the ground due to Eric's special power. Being a mutant did seem to have perks in Eliza's mind. Both she and Vincent were normal. "Other than the fact that his family is made up of mutants and aliens alike that is." She mused to herself.
Eliza's attention was drawn back to Vincent when she saw him open his mouth. Bracing herself for the words of endearment and tragic loss, she was confused when no sound came forth other than an expelling of breath. She frowned and touched his hand, conveying wordlessly her concern. He turned blue eyes flooded with emotion to her, but still said nothing. She belatedly realized that the rain was coming down harder now. Their eyes locked.
"'Liza, take me home." He whispered, voice rough and husky. She nodded before leading him towards the exit of the cemetary.
Their trip was filled with silence, they barely even heard the rain as it pounded the ground around them. By the time they reached the house, both of them were soaked through with the freezing water. Guiding Vincent up to his bedroom, she was thankfull for the quiet in the house. She pulled him into the bathroom joining his and Gabriel's bedrooms. He didn't say a word as she stripped him down to his boxers and turned on the shower. She stripped down to her undergarments for comfort as well. Life seemed to return to Vincent when he touched the warm water.
He looked confused for a moment, as though he did not remember the trip they had made. He did however feel the child and stepped under the full spray of the shower. His blue eyes drifted over to her and he realized that she was shivering. Pulling her into his arms so that they could share the warmth seemed to fix the problem. However, when Eliza shivered again, he recognized the reaction from a different cause.
His hand cupped her chin as he pulled her head up to look at him. Brown eyes were exuding salty tears and her full lips were pulled ino a frown. Emotion overcame him and natural instinct took over. He tipped his head down and met her soft lips in a sweet kiss. As shocked as she was to receive the affection, she responded ardently. Her hands slipped up his chest and across his neck and wound their way into his wet hair. Desire welled up inside him as he pulled her closer to him. Vincent wrapped his powerful arms around her curved body and deepened the kiss. For several passionate moments, they were utterly consumed with eachother. The reality of the situation seeped into Vincent's pores and he pulled away from her. The sight of her swollen lips, flushed cheeks and eyelids at half mast nearly drew him in again but he denied himself.
He turned off the shower and stepped out. He dropped his boxers shamelessly before wrapping a towel around his hips. Eliza semed a little surprised at his lack of modesty, but soon recovered. She accepted his hand and stepped out of the shower as well. He held out a towel so she removed her bra and panties. Leaving the sopping materials behind, she wrapped herself in the towel before following Vincent from the bathroom.
He somehow located a pair of her panties that she had left at his house by accident after spending the night. He also handed her one of his softer sweaters to wear. While she dressed, he searched for an outfit for himself as well. Feeling no shame, she watched him dress, but she did blush when he caught her staring. They both laid down on his bed and curled up to eachother for warmth. They remained silent, leaving their thoughts to have full reign.
Eliza was baffled by Vincent's actions. The way he had so tenderly kissed her made her feel warm inside. She had dreamed of having him kiss her like that for years, but she had never expected it on today of all days. Or in the shower either. However, she wasn't about to complain about the timing or location.
Realizing Vincent had fallen asleep, she took advantage of the situation and kissed him sweetly. He softly murmurred her name and she smiled, her heart swelling with emotion. Laying her head on hi shoulder, she resigned herself to the fact that tomorrrow he would probably dismiss his actions and resume treating her as just the best friend. In the meantime, she would treasure the moment. Eliza drifted off to sleep easily, her heart filled with the spark of hope he had planted in her.