Here it is! (-:

Chapter 7

It felt kind-of cool to have a secret. Mom and dad believed Daniel's story that someone drove into my parked car. That would explain the dent on the side… I think they would have believed Daniel had he told them I had been abducted by aliens. His smile had that effect on people. It's like they cannot think straight. I wondered if that was one of his other abilities?

Daniel became a mentor to me. Every afternoon I would slip away with some excuse or another and head off to the arranged place where he would pick me up in his car. He didn't want me to walk alone outside town and I didn't want people asking unnecessary questions if they saw us together every day. He taught me many things. Being a half-blood gave me certain abilities that I was unaware of. It had to be 'awakened'. As the days went by I became more and more proficient. I was more resilient and faster than the average human. A little bit tougher too, but only a little compared to Daniel. At first I was afraid to launch at him with weapons, but soon learnt that his skin was as thick as an elephants, but felt like normal skin to the touch, just cold. He was very pleased with my progress. Sometimes we would be wrestling and at times simply land in an awkward position. There would be a pause, and that look of longing in his eyes. I would usually blush and start babbling…

Unfortunately I had not been careful enough one day and so Suzie had discovered me leaving with Daniel in his car. She confronted me the next day.

"Are you mad? What will your parents say? How long has this thing been going on? What if you became pregnant?" she rambled on without taking a breath so I couldn't interrupt.

Her last words caught me by surprise.

"Pregnant? Oh, no! It's not like that at all!" I exclaimed, blushing tomato red.

"That's certainly not what it looks like! All this time…you've been seeing him every afternoon, haven't you? Don't deny it!"

"I won't, Suzie, not to you, but you have to trust me on this. It's not what it looks like."

"Then what is it?"

"I'm so sorry, but I cannot tell you. Not now…please understand."

She became furious.

"Is that what our friendship means to you? All these years, and now you suddenly can't tell me what's going on? I'm sorry, but I cannot have a friend like that." Seeing my friend walk away and not being able to do anything about it tore me apart.

Soon even Ryan was acting strange towards me. He tried to fish out why Suzie and I didn't talk anymore. She apparently didn't tell him about Daniel. For that I was grateful. Ryan very seldom came to our place anymore. He always had some or another lame excuse. Mrs Connor was very worried about our friendship-break and it became the topic of town for the week. Even mother questioned me about it. I only said that we had some disagreements and that Suzie and I needed some time apart to work things out. Ava started ignoring me, since she was still good friends with Beth and Megan, Suzie's younger sisters. It felt like my world was slowly collapsing, sinking away in quicksand. The more I try to save it the deeper it sunk.

It was little more than a week later when Daniel raised the topic.

"So you've heard of it too, then," I said gloomily.

"I have caused you pain…" he said at last.

"No. They have, because they don't want to understand!" I defended.

"It wasn't a good idea to keep this secret for so long," he continued,"I have a…suggestion to make."

"What?"

"You may want to think apon it a while, but I had already given it much thought and it seems like the best solution under the circumstances…"

I waited impatiently.

"We can limit contact to a minimum…"

It felt like I couldn't breath. The thought of not seeing him every day, hearing his voice, seeing his eyes, his smile… "No!" I said more forceful than I intended.

He smiled at me, looking somehow smug. "or we can get engaged."

I could feel the blood leave my face. After several moments I still couldn't say anything. I listened to the speedometer warning that we were reaching the 200 km p/h mark. Daniel never drove slowly. It amazed me that he never had any accidents or got any speed tickets…

I forced my thoughts back to the task at hand. I hadn't expected this solution! But it made sense. That way we could see each other regularly, and it will not be a scandal.

"You mean that we put up a pretense?" I finally asked.

"No." It took several moments for me to absorb this as well.

We now stopped.

"Are you serious?" My mouth was dry. He turned to me slowly, taking my hand into his. His eyes looked intensely and inquiringly in mine.

"I would not suggest something of this nature as a mere joke, Page. You know me better than that."

"I know…it's just…I don't deserve you," I said miserably.

"Why do you say that?"

I looked into his eyes, almost losing myself in them before I replied,"you are perfect in everything you do, you are to-die-for gorgeous, my superior in every way. I have nothing to give you in comparison. It's not fair."

He smiled his mesmerizing smile.

"You are wrong, Page. To me you are the most beautiful woman in the world. You are daily in my thoughts. I worry about you when we are not together. I will not be able to live in a world where you are not mine. It would give me the greatest joy if you should agree to become my wife."

I searched the depths of his eyes for anything to contradict what he had just said, but found nothing. "Yes," I finally whispered. He lifted my hand and kissed it. "Thank you," was all he said.

The news spread through town like wildfire. My dad was so proud, it looked like he could simply burst. My mom was ecstatic. Ava was jealous, but happy. I had gone to see Suzie the day Daniel went to see my parents, and told her about the engagement.

"So it was what I thought it was?"

"No. We didn't want people to get that impression, that was why we tried to keep it secret. Daniel was tutoring me, and I had to go every day."

"Tutoring? What kind of tutoring?" she asked sceptically.

"Self-defence…," I guess you could call it that?

"He was worried about me jogging in the woods and then offered to teach me how to defend myself. Then I would be able to do something if we got into a fix sometime." I didn't say anything about werewolves or vampires.

"Why didn't he offer to tutor me as well?" she asked grumpily.

"Maybe he would have, if I asked him, but I didn't think you would like to do something like that."

"Not like being tutored by him? Even if he taught maths, and you know how much I hated it in school, I would go just to stare at him every day! I envy you! Wow, and now you're engaged! You and doctor Morrison!" She was almost as ecstatic as my mom.

"Suzie, I want to apologise for not telling you from the beginning."

"Nah, don't worry about that," she said, hugging me,"I'm just glad things are right between us again. I was missing you terribly! When is he going to give you your ring?"

Although things between me and Suzie improved wonderfully, Ryan still kept distant. Suzie confided in me that things broke up between them as well, and that she couldn't understand why. He apparently told her one day that he couldn't be friends with her anymore. We tried to visit him several times, but never found him home. Billy, Ryan's dad, told us that Peter, an old friend of the family, and his son Peter junior had moved here from some town which I had never heard of before. Apparently Ryan and Peter get along extremely well and are good friends.

"Hell, the only times they are not together is when they sleep or have to go to the loo!" Billy had joked. I felt somehow betrayed.

"How could he just leave us like that?" Suzie had argumented on the way home.

I didn't have any answers. So far there had not been any strangers seen in town. Billy said these two were old friends.

The next day when I entered Sam's to start my shift, Sam almost tripped over his own feet trying to be nice to me. Not that he was ever rude, but he would never think twice to order me around. Now most of the things were given to others to do. It almost felt like I was just standing there. His wife, Hannah, did the same. I whished they would just treat me like they always did. It was pure torture. Who ever thought it would be hell to be treated nicely?

I was feeling very frustrated as the light blue car pulled up next to me. It was my fiancee. It still felt odd to think of him that way.

"Hello, my dearest," he greeted, smiling, as I got in. I immediately felt better. "Hi," I replied,"how was your day?"

"Not too bad. Carson's son was brought in. He had fallen of their roof and cracked his leg. Otherwise it was the usual train of non-serious injuries."

"The fact that you're engaged doesn't deter the women of Everett, does it?" I asked smiling.

"Mmm, but I wonder when the men of Everett are going to show up on my doorstep for taking the best for myself?" His eyes were smouldering. My cheeks burnt. I smiled and looked away. My heart was playing Avril Lavigne tunes, those with the extra beat. I knew now that he had very good hearing, smell and sight. The thought that he could hear my heart-rate didn't help matters. He let his hand lay in mine on my lap. It felt icy cold. It was the first time he touched me without wearing gloves. I enfolded his hand in mine, warming his. He sighed softly. I realised suddenly that we weren't driving to my home or to the mansion. This was the complete opposite direction.

"Wait and see, my love," he said before I could ask. I waited patiently until we finally stopped at a place near the southern part of the forest.

"These parts are wolf-free," he told me,"I want to take you somewhere…but you'll have to get on my back again."

This time I was a little less afraid as he ran, and lifted my face to the wind. It was exhilarating. Trees and bushes rushed pass us. I had no idea where we were. We finally stopped. Sunbeams fell through the leaf canopy from place to place. Everywhere I looked there were flowers of different kinds and colours. I spotted some like the unusual one I had seen on my bedside table in the hospital. It was so peaceful here. I looked at Daniel, hesitating in the shadows. I frowned lightly.

"Daniel? You don't really evaporate in sunlight, do you?"

"Goodness, no," he replied still hesitantly, but then stepped out towards me. In the sunlight his skin paled to a deadly white and his eyes to a very unnatural pale blue. Now I understand why he avoids going outside on sunny days. His other-worldliness could not be hidden.

He looked at me searching my face, possibly for a trace of repulsiveness. It tore at my heart seeing him so uncertain. At that moment I knew I would always love him. I smiled at him, reaching my hands towards him. He blinked and then took it into his cold hands.

"I love you," I said.

"How I longed to hear you say those words," he replied,"I feared that I might scare you away just now…"

"Never…" I said reaching towards his face with my hand, but he suddenly took it, pulling me closer. His face was only inches from mine, so I could see him clearly. My heart raced.

"You don't find me frightening, repulsive?" he asked, observing me carefully.

"A little scary at times, but not repulsive," I replied honestly,"I'll prove it." I reached my arms around his neck and kissed him on the mouth. He was surprised at first, but quickly recovered. I felt his arms encircle me and his lips responded to mine. After a while, he pushed me gently away. I had no self-control left. I would do anything now. I wanted him badly.

"I will not have you like this, my dear Page. It's not fair. Think of your parents."

I felt ashamed of myself. "You're right. Sorry, I'll try to be more prudent," I whispered, still dazed and a little out of breath.

He smiled, "How I love you…that reminds me…"

The next moment he got onto his knee and took one of my hands in his. I realised what he was about to do. My breath caught in my throat.

"Page…will you marry me? Now that you see me for what I truly am?"

"I've said yes before," I replied,"and nothing can change my feelings for you."

"Then please accept this as a token of my affection for you." He handed me a small box that I knew contained a ring. I felt very emotional and my hands shook as I took it. I swallowed, then slowly opened it. It was a simple design, but very elegant, of silver. The gem was dark blue, as dark as fine craftsmanship. Odd, I thought vampires didn't like silver…

"It's beautiful," I finally said, smiling. It was a perfect fit.

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