Lily awoke in her bed and saw Oliver laying next to her watching her sleep and smiling like he had just finished laughing.
"You were talking in your sleep."
Lily sat up and looked at him. "What did I say?" he cheeks flushed bright red.
"You said my name a couple of times, a lot of times actually."
Lily covered her lips and looked at him with an embarrassed glance. "I did? Oh god I'm sorry."
"No don't be, I loved listening to you and I love knowing I'm in your dreams."
Lily smiled and laid her head on his stone chest and he began to stroke her hair like he had done in the past. "Can I ask you something?"
Oliver looked down at her. "Of course."
Lily sat up and looked him straight in those perfect golden eyes of his and put on her serious face. "Why did you leave?"
Oliver was very still now and his happy look quickly changed into a look of pain and sorrow. "I had to Lily, it was the only way to protect you. I thought if I wasn't in your life you would start to live the life of a typical teenager and not have to deal with vampires anymore. But then you find another way and become best friends with a dog!"
Lily felt bad she had thrawted his efforts at giving her a normal life. "I'm sorry."
"Don't be, if anyone should be it's me for leaving you. I thought as soon as I left it would be ok, that you would be ok."
"I wasn't, especially after seeing you leave me so easily. It was like saying goodbye was nothing to you...like you didn't love me anymore."
Oliver's face morphed into one of anger and disbelief at Lily's words. "Didn't love you anymore? How many times have I told you I loved you? That you were my world, my whole world! And you still thought what I said was true?"
Lily nodded feeling a little stupid now that she heard his side of the story. "You were a great liar..."
"Of course I am Lily! I have to be."
"Well what about you?" Lily added "Did you really think I was going to get over you? Oliver I don't want to be a typical teenager, I just want...I only want to be with you."
Oliver smiled his crooked smiled and laid a hand on Lily's cheek. "I'm here now, as long as you want me."
Lily smiled back "Forever?"
"Forever."
Then Oliver brought her face closer to his and kissed her. His lips pressed against hers felt like a perfect fit and for once in the long months Oliver had been gone Lily felt the electricity he sent through her body with a kiss that burned with the passion that could set the whole forest on fire but they wouldn't have cared.
Sneak Preview:
"So, this is the bloodsucker."
"This is the mongrel." Oliver snapped back at Jackson's remark.
Jackson growled then got closer to Oliver. "Planning on ditching Lily again here? Leaving her with a broken heart?"
"Jackson!" Lily yelled in irratation.
"I'm here to stay Jackson, as long as she wants me."
"Would she want you in pieces leech?"
Lily cringed at the threat Jackson had just given Oliver.
"I'm here to stay too Oken, remember that."