Chapter Three
The rest of the day went by slow and Monday went by even slower.
"Kate what don't you stay another night or two." Tammy pleaded Monday night when I was packing my things. She was worried about the whole dress and party invite.
"No Tammy. I have to go and straighten this crap out. Not to mention I have a moths worth of laundry to do."
"Fine but I want you to call me or something to tell me that you made it back okay. I still think you're crazy for leaving at five in the morning."
"Tammy I want to get back before noon so I can clean up the room." I told her putting the last of my things away. I was going to put my bathroom things and laptop up in the morning.
A few minutes later she gave up and told me goodnight and that she hopes to see me again soon. Seeing that I'm leaving early in the morning and Jason would be the only one up, because he had to be at work by six thirty. Then she gave me a hug and went out the door.
I had already gotten ready for because I took a shower tonight. I would take one tomorrow when I got back to the dorms. After I put my hoodie on top of my clothes for tomorrow, then I went over and sat at the desk so I could check my e-mail. I had three new messages. The first one was from Isy, the second from Cathy, and the third I gasped really loud; it was from the person who was using Josh's name! I didn't want to read it yet so I read the other two. The one Cathy sent me was a chain thing. So I deleted it and read Isy's.
Kate! Oh my gosh guess what! Okay don't. That would mean too many e-mails back and forth! Well first I'm staying down here longer, just to spend more Jordan and me time, until Sunday. And second he PRAPOSED! And of course I said yes!
Well take care,
Isy
I replied to her telling her congratulations, ant that I was so happy for her. Then I told her that I had plans to cleanup around the dorm because I had company coming to see me for a little bit, and that I may be going to a dinner party at a girl I had met parents place Friday night. When I sent the e-mail I exited out and went the last one I had and read what it said.
Katisourous! I shouldn't be sending you these things I've been sending you via text and e-mail. I'm sorry if I scarred you!
Love,
Anonymous
I replied to this one as well
How do you know that name? Only one person knew it. Stop bothering me! I have my own ways of making myself miserable over Josh. So I don't nee your help! By the way who the heck are you?
The next morning I got up and changed brushed through my hair put a baseball cap on then I brushed my teeth and finished getting dressed. When I got to the living room with my bags after packing my last minute things, Jason was sitting on the couch watching the news.
"Good Morning" I said quietly.
"Good Morning to you too." He replied standing up. "I thought you were joking when you said you were getting up this early to leave.
"I smiled. "Nope"
"Well here let me take your bags out to your car." He said while walking over to get my bags.
"Thanks." I said walking outside with him into the cold. After he put my duffel bag in the backseat I gave him a hug and told him I hoped to see them again soon. Then I got in behind the wheel started the engine and turned the heat all the way up. I had to sit there for a few minutes to let my car warm up, but I backed out a few minutes later.
I had been on the road for no longer than ten minutes when I felt like I was being followed. So I looked up in my rearview mirror. There was shiny black 1970 something Corvette following me. The windows were tinted way past the legal tint, so I couldn't see the driver. A few minutes later I got on the highway, and I looked in my mirror again. The car was still behind me; so I accelerated more on my gas, but so did he. I decided to just ignore the car after a few minutes and tried to stop being paranoid.
Later on around seven A.M. I was nearing Dallas and I was hungry. So I got off the highway and went to the closest McDonald's I could get to. As soon as I parked I got out of the car and started walking inside. As I was walking I saw out of my peripheral vision the black corvette. So I turned to look at the car more closely. Then I gasped; it was a 1976 Black Corvette. It was the same as Josh's. That car was his second pride and joy. I was first, but he always made sure we were both okay. I knew his car inside and out down to the last piece of trash. After I stared for a few minutes I looked away quickly and ran the rest of the way to the door going inside immediately not looking back... After I got my food and coffee I went to sit by the window. Then a few minutes later someone walked past me to the bathroom. A few minutes later he came out not wearing his hood anymore. And I couldn't help but stare at him with shocked horror. It was Emmett the brother from the restraint. I wasn't really paying attention to what he was doing so when he sat down across from me I jumped.
"Whoa take it easy." He told me. "I'm not going to hurt you."
"I'm sorry. I've just been a little paranoid the last few days." I told him.
"Oh why is that?"
"Well, I don't think I should tell you." I replied taking a bite out of my hash brown. "Actually I don't want you to think that I'm crazy."
"Try me. I swear I won't think you're crazy."
"Well right now I think I'm being followed."
"Well you are." He said with a very bright smile showing all of his perfectly white teeth.
"What!" I yelled. "How do you know this?"
"Easy I'm the one following you. It's not my choice. My brother's crazy in love with you." He stopped and looked at me laughing at my face. "Don't worry not the one you saw. It's my new one." He look out the window then back at me. "He took the car, so I'm stranded here. Could I hitch a ride with you?"
"I guess, but I'm not stopping in Syracuse. I'm going Straight to A&M."
"Oh I know. I'm meeting my brother and sister there. I'm just here to make sure you get there safely."
"That's not weird at all!" I said under my breath before I took a bite of my sandwich. Then he laughed so I assumed he heard me. When I was done eating he threw away my trash and walked me to my car. When I got in I turned on the engine and sat there waiting for my car to warm up so the heat could circulate in the car. Emmett started fidgeting in his seat. So while I was waiting for my car to warm up I reached over the seat and got me iPod out of my back pack. Then I plugged the tape cord into it and popped the tape into the tape player.
"Here find something you want to listen to." I said handing him the I Pod. Then I put my car in reverse backed out put it in drive and drove towards the highway.
A few minutes later music was playing. The song was "so happy" By Theory of a deadman.
"Gosh all you have on here is rock and country." He complained.
"So what!"
"Well come on you need rap!"
"Eww I don't think so." I said staring out the windshield. Then I heard a ringing sound. I looked at Emmett to ask if he heard that, but he was pulling out a cell phone so that basically answered my question.
"Hello?" he said into the phone. "I'm not arguing with her!"
There was a pause for the other person to speak then Emmett opened his mouth to speak. "All I said was she only had rock and country on her iPod and that she needed rap." There was another pause "Do you really want to? Okay Fine. Kate he wants to say hello. He can't say anything to you yet until we explain what's going on." He told me handing me the phone.
I look at him then the road taking the phone and holding it up to my ear. "Hello?" I managed to say evenly. "Okay so here's the deal when we meet you are to tell me everything starting with how you know the name Katisourous." I heard a muffled laugh come from Emmett, but I ignored him. "Then I want to know how you know me."
"Okay Kate that's enough!" Emmett said in a sweet mocking voice. Then he took the phone from me and hung up!
"What's going on?" I yelled at him.
"Kate its almost eleven thirty and we haven't even reached Syracuse yet. Pull over so I can drive. If you do we will be there before you can wake up."
I pulled over and looked at him "What do you mean before…" I didn't even have time to say the rest because he blew in my face and I was starting to get really drowsy, and my eyes were drooping? The next thing I knew I was waking up to my dorm room. As soon as I opened my eyes I sat straight up. "How did I get here?" I asked out loud. Then I turned and looked at me clock. It was already one thirty. Where had the time gone? Last thing I remember was pulling over to let Emmett drive. I jumped out of bed. But I fell to the ground. Whoever had put me in bed left all my stuff beside it. That was good though, because I needed my laptop. So I got it and plugged it in and turned it on. While I was waiting for it to load I opened the window and started picking up around the dorm. When I finished picking up the clothes I put them in a pile so I could go do laundry. Then I went to my laptop to check my e-mail. When I sat down Josh was staring back at me. After about three minutes I sighed and opened up my e-mail. I only had one new e-mail it was from Isy. So I opened it.
Kate,
Could you please find those black sandals that I got last summer when we went to Cancun? I need to know the size
Thank you,
Isy
As soon as I was done reading I got this feeling that I wasn't alone so I turned to look behind me. No one was there though so I started walking around the room. I felt as if Josh was standing behind me the whole time, but I was all alone. No one was there to bother me, and that's the way I liked it these days. So when I turned around to go back to my laptop and I saw someone on my bed I was shocked. The person was wearing a black jacket and their hood up so I didn't see their face.
"Hello?" I managed to say. "How did you get in here?" I added walking over to the door to check the lock, but it was locked still.
"The window." He replied in a velvety voice. He shifted a little bit on the bed then got up and walked over to the window. "Katisourous I don't know how to easily tell you this, but I'm going to try."
It was him the guy who's been contacting me. But how did he know that name. "Who… I mean how do you know that name?" I asked letting the emotions I felt be heard in my voice.
He turned to look at me. Then he threw back his hood. It was him. He was alive and he was standing in my room.
"JOSH!" I yelled running over to him, jumping up to throw my arms around his neck. He caught me and held me close. "Oh josh I love you so much!" Then I started crying into his chest!
"Hey, Hey look at me!" He said sitting down on my bed, with me in his lap lifting up my face. "I didn't wait this long to see you cry. I love your face best when it has a smile on it."
"But I can't help it. I've missed you so much." I said looking up into his eyes. Wait they were different. They were now a golden butterscotch color. Why is that? "What happened to your eyes?"
"Well ummm… I can't tell you until the party on Friday. My new fathers very formal so that's why Arianna asked me what your style of clothes were. I told her to buy that dress you've always wanted."
"You're her new brother she was talking about?"
"Yes Kate. I'm extremely different, but I can still be your Joshusarous."
There was a long silence then I finally opened my mouth to speak. "Josh the past few days; I've been having this feeling that someone was watching me. And that you were standing right behind me were you?"
He didn't answer for a minute, "yes! I was watching you at first my new family couldn't understand why I didn't want to be with Arianna like they had hoped. Then it all fell into place for then that day you yelled at Emmett. I say this because, you described my accident to them, and when they came home they were talking' about it. I overheard them say something like "yeah Kate gave me her number, but not you!".. "Well Kate trusts you apparently because you're a girl."
He paused for a minute then looked at me. "So I asked them what they were talking about. And Arianna said "Emmett has a crush on this girl he waited on. Her name is Kate… "That's all I let her say because I had her describe the person, and when she described you I looked at Emmett and told him you were mine. Of course he got defensive, because he really liked you, and when I told them you were basically my fiancée they all looked at me with shock on their faces."
"But I wasn't your fiancée! At least not yet." I said in a hushed voice.
"Kate as soon as we hung up that night I went out and bought you a ring." He pauses "I was going to propose to you when I saw you and I still am." He lifted me off his lap and sat me on the bed. Then he stood there looking at me for a minute.
He reached into his pocket and pulled out a black box while slowly going down onto one knee looking into my eyes. "Kathleen Trish Johnson, I promise to love you till the end of eternity, will you please marry me and spend an eternity with me?"
A million thoughts were running through my mind. Of course I wanted to spend eternity with him, this is my soul mate. Even though no one else could I could feel his presence and all his emotions. I sat there looking into the eyes that were now a golden butterscotch. I've made up my mind. "Joshua," I started taking his hands into mine, not looking down at his hands, "yes, I'll marry you."
He smiled at me taking the silver ring out of its case and sliding it onto my ring finger of my left hand. His skin I just realized felt very cold, why was this? Maybe its part of what he needs to explain to me I thought, so I didn't ask. I finally looked at the ring. It was so beautiful, it had six diamonds around one big diamond with a lacing of silver though it. I was about to say something when there was a knock at the door. I looked up at Josh then over to my clock. It was three, it had to be Arianna I thought so I started to get up, so I could get the door, but Josh wasn't having that. He sat me back down.
"Come in Arianna." He said with that velvety voice of his. "Now Kate you have to promise me you won't scream, or make any sudden movements. Okay. She's about to explain what we can right now. Then you'll hear the rest on Friday."
I nodded telling him I understand. And then I saw Arianna walk up behind him. So I looked over to her. I smiled as a point to say hello. She smiled back then walked over and sat down on the chair in front of my desk.
"How have you been Kate?" She asked looking at me with a very serious face.
"Good I guess."
"That's good. Did you get my package?"
"Yes." I replied "How did you know the address though?"
"She asked me where you would go in Oklahoma 'cause that was where you were at, and I told her that you were at Tammy's." Josh told me. Then he sat down on the bed next to me, and scooted me closer to him leaving his arm around my waist, and playing with my left hand with his other hand.
"Oh"
"Okay Kate we need to get down to the point." Arianna said with a stern aggravated tone. "The night josh was in the accident my family and I were out hunting, when I heard something coming through the tree. I quickly made my kill then went searching for the source of the sound. That's when I found him he had been thrown out of the car because he had the roof off. So when I saw him laying ten to thirty feet away from the car I ran over to him calling my Father. When my father got there, I had him change Josh. She paused to look at me. "Kate, are you okay?"
I blinked. "Yes I'm fine." I told them both "Just a little confused about the change part."
"She's getting to that." Josh said with a shudder.
"What's wrong?" I asked looking up at him
"It's just I wish this would have never happened to us."
"Kate!" Arianna said. "Josh and I aren't human anymore. We both were in horrible accidents. I was changed over one hundred and twenty years ago. Josh is still sort of a new born so it's really dangerous for him to be around you." She looked at me.
"But I can control myself around you, because I can't ever bring myself to hurt you." Josh said.
"What are you talking about/" I asked hearing the fear in my voice.
"Kate." Josh said bringing my face up to look into his eyes. "Arianna, Emmett, Caleb, my new father and mother, and my other new siblings including myself… well we're all vampires." He said while looking at Arianna then back at me with sad eyes.
I lifted my hands to put them on his face. He leaned his head against them. This is why he looked different this is why he'd disappeared, and as I sat there looking at his I made up my mind. I didn't care what he was just as long as he got to stay with me. That's all I cared about. When I was about to tell him this he started speaking.
"Kate I promise you I'm still me inside. I promise you, but I understand if you never want to talk or see me again." He told me putting my hands in my lap and starting to get up. But I wouldn't be having that. I grabbed his hands and brought him back to a sitting position, putting my hands back on his face. And I looked deep into his eyes; while he looked deep into mine.
"Josh I don't care what you are, just so long you promise you'll always be here with me!"
He got a look of relief on his face. Then he bent down and gently kissed me. His breath smelled so amazing, and so did he, but he always smelled good. This was the best he ever smelt though, and I was starting to get dizzy. Then I remembered Arianna was still here and pulled away. One so I could breathe and two for her benefit. So I curled up in a ball laying my head on his lap. While he started playing with my hair. At that moment Arianna stood up.
"Well I guess I'm done here. So I'll just leave you two alone." She said walking out the door before either of us could reply.
I don't know how long we sat there holding onto each other. All I know was suddenly I remembered I was supposed to e-mail Isy. Si jumped up and went over to my desk and pressed reply:
Hey Isy,
Sorry I didn't get this sooner I'm really busy. Ummm… the sandals say 8 on them. Well sorry can't talk much. I have to go.
Love,
Kate
Then I pressed send. After that I went to create a new e-mail and wrote:
Tammy,
Sorry! I'm back at the dorms. I can't find my phone when I do I'll call you.
Love,
Kate
After that I minimized my e-mail and opened up my iTunes and put it on shuffle. When I turned I found Josh was sprawled out on my bed. He looked like he was going to cry if he could. So I walked over to him and laid sown on top of him, but I had to get off to put a blanket on him. Then I laid down on him again. He laughed at me the ran his fingers through my hair.
"I'm sorry about that cold. It's one of the things that happens to us when we are changed." He looked into my gaze "Is it true? Did you really lose the baby?"
It took me a minute to reply, because some part of me had hoped he wasn't alive so I didn't have to tell him. "Yes it's true." I finally said Tears swelling up in my eyes!
He wrapped his arms around me and held me tight, "Hey don't cry. I'm sure we'll be able to adopt kids. Or we could go to a sperm bank…"
"No Josh I don't want I don't want to go to a sperm bank, because it won't be our child one we created together. It would be some strangers."
"Let me finish. About a year ago. I went to a sperm bank and asked if I could hold sperm for you just in case anything ever happened to me. So we can still have a child that has you DNA and my DNA.
"Why would you do that? We're only nineteen. Well you would be twenty. But still!" I yelled softly.
"Because I am just as paranoid as you1" He said with a laugh. "And because I didn't know we were about to have a baby. Kate I love you and I wasn't going to leave this world without knowing you had a way to have my baby."
I looked at his face, and right there is when I realized that he expected me to have the causing me to have to get old. "Josh. If I have the kids can I join you and your new family? I don't want to ever be without you. Ever in the afterlife."
"That's what we're going to talk about at the party. It was mainly set up so we could tell you everything about our family, and what we are going to give as your choices."
"Josh. If I give you a child that means I have to quit the team and quitting the team means bye-bye college education."
"I know. And since you only have two years left. Proteous says he'll pay for it. He wants me to be happy, and for me to be happy I have to be with you."
"I can't accept that though." I protested.
He smiled. "I bet I could persuade you!" he said then he rolled over and shifted himself on top of me. To where I could barely feel him. Then he leaned over and started running his nose across my cheek bone towards my ear "Won't you let him pay for you to go to your last two years of College?" The he started going down my jaw.
"No" I whispered but it was getting hard to refuse him.
"Why not?" he asked kissing the inside of my neck.
"Because, I don't want to go to college anymore!"
He looked up at me "Why not!" he asked with a little edge to his voice.
"Because I wanna be with you twenty-four seven!"
"But you can't be with me twenty-four seven. What about when I have to go hunting I have to leave you. Kate be realistic. I want you to go to college. Will you please let Proteous pay for it?'
"No"
"Fine I hope you know that because I'm part of his family now that it's my money as well as his!" he said leaning down towards my face pressing his nose stone cold lips against mine not fair! He moved his lips with the same slow motion as mine. SO NOT FAIR I THOUGHT AGAIN.
"Now let him pay for college." He said against my lips.
"Fine just don't stop kissing me." I replied while tracing his bottom lip. This was so not fair. After awhile I had to pull away because the sweet smell of his breath was making me extremely dizzy, and while kissing I'd heave to teach myself how to breath again. We just laid there staring at each other for a few minutes. Then he smiled this huge smile that I loved. Why did he have to be so amazing?
"See I told you I could persuade you!" He said with a laugh! Then he leaned down and kissed my nose, as he got off of me and laid down beside me. "I got to go. Isy will be getting in soon. Won't She?"
"No. She's in Galveston with Jordan until Saturday."
"Oh, well can I stay here with you until then?"
"Of Course! How can I say no to my Fiancée?" I said
"That's good because I don't want to leave you for awhile." He said with relief.
"What about…" I started to say but he put his hand over my mouth.
"Don't worry about it. I hunted last night, and this morning because I wanted to make sure I wasn't thirsty while I was around you. While you're sleeping tonight I'll probably go again. 'Cause like Arianna told you it's still sort of dangerous for me to be around you, because I'm a newborn still."
I shuddered at the thought of him hunting while trying not to think about all those people that have lost or would loose their lives. I heard him Chuckle. "What?"
"Kate I don't eat humans, just dear and anything else we can find in the forest sometimes we drive up to Canada to get Mt. Lions or Grizzlies if they are over populated."
"How did you…"
"I can't read minds or get visions like your books, but I do know you. And I know that would be one of your thoughts.
"You're right thought. Anyways, what time is it?"
"It's five-thirty." He replied. "Why? Were you expecting someone?"
"Well I was going to go do the laundry then get a bite to eat."
"Okay… I'll help you." Then he got up and walked over to the pile of clothes, and quickly put them in the bags, while I ordered a pizza and asked them to deliver it to the campus Laundromat. Then we headed out the door.