K: Riley's POV
Riley was trying to relax. She was lying in bed, propped up on pillows with a copy of the original Dracula in her hands. She smiled as she read each page; the dark demon really wasn't that much different than her or James. Suddenly she heard the front door slam shut, and she jumped up, running into the front room. James had just locked the door, and before he had time to turn around, Riley's arms were around him.
"What the hell happened? You're late! I was worried! Just who was that guy that showed up and wanted to chat….is he really your uncle? Something was off about him." Riley rambles off. James just smiles, nodding throughout. Before she can start another round of questions, he kisses her. To her surprise, he doesn't try to lead her back to bed, James stops just when Riley can tell he kissed her solely so she'd shut up.
"No, that guy wasn't my uncle. He was the guy that sired me."
"And what did you end up chatting about for two hours?"
James' POV
"Well…" he gulped. Drake had told him to not tell her. But he wasn't going to let her die. He couldn't. So he'd tell her anyways, I mean he had a right to let her know. Right?
"It's about the fact that we're vampires. He said he's actually a hybrid. Half vampire, half lycan. He said that because I lived…I can become a hybrid. He also said…" he notices Riley is acting like she's nervous; she's biting her bottom lip and avoiding his gaze. 'She's figured out part of this is about her' he thinks, continuing.
"He also said that because I'm not a fully mature hybrid that my siring you was a mistake. He said there's a possibility that…well; your body might not…be able to handle the virus. He said the burden of the pain of it being inactivated would ether drive you to suicide, or me killing you. I'm sorry." At the mention of suicide, Riley's face twisted into one of realization. She knows. She turns around, and he watches just how fast the young girl can move when she's scared. Within seconds he hears the bedroom door slam, and the muffled sobs from within. His head falls into his hands, he could he have done that? Sighing in defeat, James goes to wait outside the door. But he's just as unsure of how she'll handle this then if he's actually getting any sleep tonight.
Riley's POV:
How could he have done that? Telling her that the man that had sired him had told him she was to die! She wouldn't let it happen, she'd fight this virus or whatever it was with everything she had. It wasn't her being mad at James that had made her turn tail and run, it was the fear of not knowing what would happen. She didn't want to die. There were so many things left undone. A soft knock came at the door and it scattered her thoughts, but then James' voice put them back together.
"Riley? Honey, I'm sorry…he told me not to tell you, but-" she can feel it clawing at her, the feelings of frustration and betrayal begging to be released.
"You shouldn't have told me! I'm going to die, James!" She opens the door, and his heart skips a beat as he realizes this has shook her to her core, it's showing on her face in the tears that are visible.
"Maybe that man was right…maybe I can't handle this. Maybe you're better off without me." Riley turns and walks toward her window, looking down at the street below. He can feel it in the air that she's changing.
"Maybe I should just jump and let myself get hit by a car or something…or trying hanging myself, yeah, that'll be great. You get to watch, too!" She exclaims, smiling. Her smile drops, and her eyes darken as he walks toward her.
"Gonna say goodbye?" she taunts.
James' POV
James shakes his head, and suddenly all of his emotions come flooding out, as his left hand automatically reach for the collar of her pajama top. His hand just grabs a handful of fabric and holds her still, his hazel eyes burning into her ice blue. She gives a startled gasp, and goes quiet. He's trying not to let his temper explode; can't she see he did this to protect her?
"Riley, I'm not gonna let you do this. You are not killing yourself." He growls. She nods silently.
"I didn't know about it until now. This virus…it could kill me too, now that I think about it. And…to be told that I'm to let you die? I won't stand for that. I won't. You mean more to me than anything else…the fame, the friends, hell even the sports…It's not worth it if I don't have you. So I'm not going to let you kill yourself while I sit here and watch. It's not happening." By now, he's calmed down, actually, he feels like he might cry. Before he has time to realize what's happening, he can feel the tears threatening to fall. He lets go of Riley's top, and she stumbles back to sit on the bed with a, "Oh…James, I didn't know you really felt like that…I mean I knew but…"
"It's not happening because if it does, I lose you. I can't lose you." But after that sentence, he's broken into tears. He's sitting on the floor now, his head in his hands. Riley comes and sits next to him. He looks up, and manages to smile as Riley fixes his hair.
"I know you're scared for me. I'm afraid, too. That man should've told you sooner…" she trails off, leaning her head on his shoulder. James' hand absentmindedly runs through her hair.
"But he didn't. And now you…you might…m-might…" James couldn't bring himself to say that she might actually die because of him. If only Drake had told him sooner…
"Hey…want to get a movie or something? I don't feel like going to bed, and as long as we get to cuddle I'm fine." Riley suggests. James laughs, yeah, that does sound like a good idea. And it's a way to shake off everything that they'd learned earlier. But now every time he looks at her, he knows it could be the last glance.
(4 hours later…) (Riley's POV)
"James…? Honey, are you awake still?" Riley asked gently. They were sitting on her couch in her living room, and the movie had just ended. James was stretched out, and Riley was lying almost on top of him, her head on his chest. She sat up, and yawned. She rubbed her eyes and then heard a groan; James had been asleep after all. He opens his eyes and she grins at him, offering a hand to pull him up.
"Now who's the sleepyhead?" she teases, getting up to stretch. James just rolls his eyes and stands up, stretching the way Riley was. He smiled gently, "Nah, I was resting my eyes. As much as I love to look at you…" she giggled, "Oh, stop it. We both know that can't totally - AH! Ow, what the hell? OW!" Riley suddenly had dropped to her knees, cringing.
"Riley, what's wrong?" James asked. She looked up, taking a deep breath.
"I…I d-don't k-know…what i-if this i-is wh-what Drake wa-was talking a-about?" she stuttered. James looked over her, she'd been fine this entire time until now. But why now?
"C'mon, there's gotta be a way to reverse this. Wait…I wonder if the blood has something to do with it? If this didn't start until now, maybe we can act like we never learned about it. Then maybe it won't be obvious to you, like if you're in pain but if you stop thinking about it, it kinda goes away?" she nods, shakily standing up.
"Alright, be how the hell are we supposed to take my mind off this…whatever virus thing I've got?" she looks up, sighing.
"Baby, don't look at me like that…I know what you're thinking, and I'm not-" but he'd already put his plan into action. He was kissing her, harder than he ever had before. She had no choice but to surrender, and staggered backwards as he led her back to the bedroom. She tried to open her mouth to protest this 'distraction technique', but that didn't help her much, as this only allowed James to deepen the kiss. Having no other choice, she started playing along; focusing only on the way James was holding her, the way his mouth fit hers perfectly. And when she heard the door slam shut (James must've kicked it with his foot) as he pushed her on the bed, she knew maybe this plan would work. But how long could she avoid what might kill her?
