A/N: Wow, it has been FOREVER since I updated this story, I am terribly sorry about that my dear readers.

I do apologize for your waiting and disappointment, but it has been so difficult for me to write lately.

I hope you enjoy this long awaited chapter.

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Chapter Nine: To Steal From A Blind Man

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"Tell me something about myself, then." James said, sitting to the side of her, touching her bandaged wound with care, checking it.

"What was I like, you know, before?" He questioned, thoughtfully.

He watched with amusement as her face scrunched up as she was deep in thought, pondering the question. She had in fact offered to answer any.

"You were funny." She said, laughing. He wondered if she was recalling a memory of some sort.

"You had the poorest sense of humor; you always tried to tell me jokes that made no real connection but somehow always made me crack up."

He grinned. "Really?"

She caught his gaze and looked away. "Yeah."

He frowned. It was as if she couldn't bear the sight of him.

"Do I scare you?" He whispered.

She swallowed and pulled the jacket closer to her body. He watched her fidget nervously, suddenly aware of all the little human things she did that he was no longer capable of. They had already established that he wasn't human any longer.

"Yes." It stung.

He nodded, understanding. Did he really expect her to welcome him back like the good old days? Those supposed good days that he couldn't even recall.

He hated the cloud that was suffocating his memory.

"It's okay," He said, turning back towards her, smiling. "I'm sort of scared of you, too."

Her mouth dropped in the cutest way. "Me?"

He nodded. "You're something else."

Her mouth snapped shut and she shook her head. "What do you mean?"

His eyes bored into hers, focusing closely. He knew that the right words would come to him in a moment.

"Whenever I look at you," He began, her attention totally absorbed in him. "I feel as though, I'm missing something very important."

"It feels like that its right in my grasp, but I can't hold onto it. It's right under my nose, but I feel blind." He continued. "I know I need it, but I can't seem to get it. It's like my life is passing me by."

He sighed. "It terrifies me."

She was silent.

"So," He ran a hand through his hair. "That is why you scare me."

"Well, then," She spoke, blinking back what smelled like tears to him. "I apologize."

"It's not your fault, I-"

She placed her hand on top of his. "James, its fine."

He dropped the subject, reveling in the feel of warmth that her hand gave out. It was a sensation he feared he would never feel again.

He glanced back up to her face; her soft eyes that still held so much fear and yet seemed to be fighting against it at the same time. Did she want to truly be here, in this moment, with him?

Or was she forcing herself to sit next to a monster?

"I love you, James."

He closed his eyes and let the memory wash over him. The two people, the two bodies, mingling together. The passion. The emotion.

Was it him and Karen?

He could see himself, blue eyes staring up at him as though he were a ghost. The other figure, the woman, was hard to decipher. Her face was shadowed out, like a marker ran over the perfect picture. He marveled at the fact that he was seeing longer memories of when he was human.

When he was in love.

He allowed his eyes to flutter back open. "Do I," He paused, the unnatural feel of not having to take in a breath catching him off guard. His eyes took hold of Karen's and did not let go.

"Do I love you?"

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She could have done it.

"Yes, James. You love me. We're madly in love."

She could have tricked him and he would've fallen for it.

He would have fallen hard.

"I-"

She could see the passion in his expression.

Do it.

"I don't know."

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It was night once again.

James sat pondering about nothing in particular. He had decided not to ask Karen any more questions after that.

"I don't know."

It had really touched a nerve.

How could she not know if he loved her? Didn't she say that she loved him? A brusque growl rumbled through his chest. Doesn't anyone know anything at all?

And then a terrible thought rushed into his mind.

Did I break her heart?

It seemed like such a silly human thought. To take love from another, and give nothing back in return. To use someone.

But why else would she not know?

He blinked, gazing up into the stars. Perhaps, Karen did love him.

And then he left her with mere thoughts of how their love could have been.

He shook his head.

He was truly a monster in every shape and form. Maybe, this bloodsucking cretin wasn't far from who he was when he was a regular human.

He was suddenly stabbed with a memory.

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He was leaving.

"Why are you leaving me James? How could you?"

He was stroking Karen's cheek. He remembered how dreaded he felt. The feeling of sadness perked back into his memory. He hadn't wanted to leave, but it was for the right reasons at the time.

"Don't you know how much I love you?" She screamed, still crying. "You can't go!"

They were standing in a yard. Pretty flowers surrounded them. Was this her house? The background was blurry, only the flowers stood out; each petal perfectly drawn to his sight.

"I have to go, Karen." His voice coated through the memory. He sounded different.

She cried harder.

"I swear that I will write to you every week. Every week. I promise that we'll keep in contact." He urged, now grasping her hands between his own.

"Why?" She blubbered. "Why can't you stay here, and go to college here?"

He paused.

"Don't you love me?" She whispered.

His human figure grimaced.

He could already tell that this was the moment where he went wrong. This is why Karen didn't know. He could feel it coming.

"I think...I think we need to take a break, Karen."

She was stunned into silence.

"We're too good for each other." He chuckled. "And right now, I have to figure out what road I need to go down, and you need to finish high school without me bugging you every day. Remember how you used to make straight A's?" He cracked a grin.

So naive.

And those beautiful gray eyes. The tears were frozen inside them.

His human self frowned and touched her cheek once more. "I'm going to miss those grey eyes..."

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He came back to reality shortly after.

What an idiot he had been! Why, why were humans so naïve and stupid? He cursed himself constantly.

He could feel the pain in her eyes.

He sighed. The memory was so real. He felt drained to the bone.

And thirsty.

He clutched his head between his hands. Now that he registered his hunger, he could practically taste Karen's slowed heartbeat from inside the cabin.

Mere feet away.

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The memory of sex came back suddenly.

It wasn't Karen that much was certain.

This woman was lanky and had bleached blond hair. James scolded himself for the choice immediately, but relished in the heat of the memory; it was indeed a pleasurable experience.

And then there was pain.

Extreme pain.

At first he didn't understand it; one moment the woman was crying out words of passion and love and the next, she was dead silent.

Her lips were pressed to his throat.

Biting.

Sucking his blood.

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A/N: Worth the wait? Sure hope so! Please review! :)