RPOV His dark eyes met mine in an intense gaze. "Why have you and Joshua been snooping through one of the sacred libraries?"
I stared back at Consul Valentine with a blank expression. It didn't surprise me that he knew about my trips to the library, but that didn't mean that I wanted him to know either. But I had to play along to delay any suspicion. I let a smirk play on my face. "Is your life that boring that you need to spy on two teenagers?"
He scowled and narrowed his eyes at me. "I would appreciate it if you would stop evading my questions and give me a straight answer. I gave a chuckle as I averted his gaze. "Why else would I be in the library? To look things up. Get more information. Take a break from technology."
"And what was the subject of your research?
"You have got to be kidding me? First, you complain that the younger generation are going to cause the destruction of our whole society. Then when some of them take responsibility in informing themselves about our culture and how to better it, they're persecuted. You need to make up your mind, Consul."
He was silent for a moment before he spoke again. "Plausible answer. Just assure me one thing. Don't get too involved before it's too late. The clock is ticking." His words echoed in my brain over and over. What did he mean when he said time was running out?
Before I could respond, one of the Council members came rushing into the room. "Consul, we have a situation downstairs. There is an altercation between some of the guests." Consul and I rushed out of the room and looked over the ledge to see what was happening. Punches were being thrown and everything was in chaos. Then I saw two people wrestling on the ground before I saw who they were. My eyes widened as my stomach sank. "Ty, stop!" I called out. He looked up to the source of my voice and our eyes met for a second, but he dismissed me and turned back to the other guy and punched him in the face. I rushed down the stairs and saw Deuce standing at the bottom in shock. "What the hell happened?"
"I don't know. This all escalated so fast." I bit my lip as I scanned the room. I saw Josh and rushed to him. I looked like he was trying to break up the fight, but the two weren't listening to anything. "Josh grab that guy and I'll stop Ty."
He nodded and grabbed the boy's arms and pulled him away from Ty. Ty was about to go for more, but I stepped in front of him. He tried to push past me to continue the fight but threw myself at him. "Ty, stop it! Why are you doing this?" His jaw was clenched and his bruised knuckles balled into tight fists. "This isn't you. Stop please!" I pleaded as tears streamed down my face. Ty looked at me for a few moments and his body seemed to relax a bit. He glared at the other guy who gave up and stalked out of the ball room. I felt my eyes watering again before I heard a voice behind me. "I think that it is best that you leave right now." It was Consul Valentine. I had expected his face to somewhat amused at my misfortune, but I was surprised to find that he looked a little sympathetic. I nodded as I started to leave. My grandma came and placed a hand on my shoulder but I shook my head at her. "I'm fine. I'll see you soon." I walked outside and saw Ty walking down the pathway. I took of my heels and sprinted so that I could catch up to him. "Ty, wait up! Stop!" I yelled, but he still kept going. I finally got close enough to him and grabbed his arm and turned him so he faced me. "Ty, what the hell?!"
"Not now, Rae."
"Yes, now. Ty, that is not you. Why would you get into a fight with that guy?"
"It doesn't matter."
"Ty, we were in a ball! It does matter."
He gave a deep sigh. "That guy's name is Archie. He was saying some really messed up things about you. Sexual things."
"Ty, I appreciate that you care, but I can defend myself. I would never leave you for a guy like know that."
"How can I be so sure?"
I took a step back as I looked at him. "What is that supposed to mean?" He shut his mouth tightly, but I walked to him until we were inches away. "What are you trying to say?"
"You don't think I noticed how much you have been sneaking off? I know you aren't doing what you say you are."
"It's not important."
"So why can't you tell me about it?"
"It's none of your business. And it is not my place to tell."
He gave a dark chuckle that made my stomach curl. "Here we go again."
"Don't say that. I have never kept things from you without a reason. "We have talked about this over and over, but nothing has changed."
"Yes, it has. I have been telling you everything, but this is not for me. This is for someone else who confided in me and made me promise." "Are you sure it's that, or do you just not trust me?"
"Do we have to go through this over and over again? Why can't you see that I trust you?"
"Because you don't!"
"Yes I do!" I poked a finger at his chest. "I told you that I was a vampire, which is illegal. I told you everything about how our society functions. I even told you about Griffin. You were there through it all. Now because a stupid random guy made a comment you're questioning everything that we've been through?" He clenched his mouth shut as he turned away. I could feel my heart shattering into a million pieces.
I stepped back from him and stared at the floor. "We should stop. It's late."
"No, I'm tired of putting things aside. We need to fix this now."
"How are we gonna fix anything if we just stand here screaming at each other?"
"Because it's what couples do. Do you want to walk away from everything we've been through?"
"Of course not! But you're making this extremely difficult. I think that both of our emotions are unstable right now."
"So what do you suggest that we do?"
"I… think...we need to take a break."
Ty's demeanor changed instantly from defensive to pleading. "Wh-what?"
"We have never had this kind of an argument and this is all scaring me, from the fight inside to this. This is what's best."
Ty's hand grasped mine as he pulled me to him. "Are you saying that we're done?" His voice cracked toward the end.
"No, but I need time to think. You have no idea how much you hurt me. How much you terrified me. I don't want someone like that. Like that Archie guy. I want someone who won't let their emotions cause them to put others in danger. I want someone who will trust me the way I trust them...and after tonight, I don't know if you're that someone anymore." "Please, Rae. Don't…"
"I'm sorry, but I have to do this." I pulled away from his grasp and backed away from him. Part of me wanted to stay and run into his arms and make everything disappear, but the other part of me knew that that would never happen. It felt wrong now, but we needed some time apart. No matter how much it pained me. "Goodbye, Ty." I said softly as I made a portal to take me far away from there.
I stared back at Consul Valentine with a blank expression. It didn't surprise me that he knew about my trips to the library, but that didn't mean that I wanted him to know either. But I had to play along to delay any suspicion. I let a smirk play on my face. "Is your life that boring that you need to spy on two teenagers?"
He scowled and narrowed his eyes at me. "I would appreciate it if you would stop evading my questions and give me a straight answer. I gave a chuckle as I averted his gaze. "Why else would I be in the library? To look things up. Get more information. Take a break from technology."
"And what was the subject of your research?
"You have got to be kidding me? First, you complain that the younger generation are going to cause the destruction of our whole society. Then when some of them take responsibility in informing themselves about our culture and how to better it, they're persecuted. You need to make up your mind, Consul."
He was silent for a moment before he spoke again. "Plausible answer. Just assure me one thing. Don't get too involved before it's too late. The clock is ticking." His words echoed in my brain over and over. What did he mean when he said time was running out?
Before I could respond, one of the Council members came rushing into the room. "Consul, we have a situation downstairs. There is an altercation between some of the guests." Consul and I rushed out of the room and looked over the ledge to see what was happening. Punches were being thrown and everything was in chaos. Then I saw two people wrestling on the ground before I saw who they were. My eyes widened as my stomach sank. "Ty, stop!" I called out. He looked up to the source of my voice and our eyes met for a second, but he dismissed me and turned back to the other guy and punched him in the face. I rushed down the stairs and saw Deuce standing at the bottom in shock. "What the hell happened?"
"I don't know. This all escalated so fast." I bit my lip as I scanned the room. I saw Josh and rushed to him. I looked like he was trying to break up the fight, but the two weren't listening to anything. "Josh grab that guy and I'll stop Ty."
He nodded and grabbed the boy's arms and pulled him away from Ty. Ty was about to go for more, but I stepped in front of him. He tried to push past me to continue the fight but threw myself at him. "Ty, stop it! Why are you doing this?" His jaw was clenched and his bruised knuckles balled into tight fists. "This isn't you. Stop please!" I pleaded as tears streamed down my face. Ty looked at me for a few moments and his body seemed to relax a bit. He glared at the other guy who gave up and stalked out of the ball room. I felt my eyes watering again before I heard a voice behind me. "I think that it is best that you leave right now." It was Consul Valentine. I had expected his face to somewhat amused at my misfortune, but I was surprised to find that he looked a little sympathetic. I nodded as I started to leave. My grandma came and placed a hand on my shoulder but I shook my head at her. "I'm fine. I'll see you soon." I walked outside and saw Ty walking down the pathway. I took of my heels and sprinted so that I could catch up to him. "Ty, wait up! Stop!" I yelled, but he still kept going. I finally got close enough to him and grabbed his arm and turned him so he faced me. "Ty, what the hell?!"
"Not now, Rae."
"Yes, now. Ty, that is not you. Why would you get into a fight with that guy?"
"It doesn't matter."
"Ty, we were in a ball! It does matter."
He gave a deep sigh. "That guy's name is Archie. He was saying some really messed up things about you. Sexual things."
"Ty, I appreciate that you care, but I can defend myself. I would never leave you for a guy like know that."
"How can I be so sure?"
I took a step back as I looked at him. "What is that supposed to mean?" He shut his mouth tightly, but I walked to him until we were inches away. "What are you trying to say?"
"You don't think I noticed how much you have been sneaking off? I know you aren't doing what you say you are."
"It's not important."
"So why can't you tell me about it?"
"It's none of your business. And it is not my place to tell."
He gave a dark chuckle that made my stomach curl. "Here we go again."
"Don't say that. I have never kept things from you without a reason. "We have talked about this over and over, but nothing has changed."
"Yes, it has. I have been telling you everything, but this is not for me. This is for someone else who confided in me and made me promise." "Are you sure it's that, or do you just not trust me?"
"Do we have to go through this over and over again? Why can't you see that I trust you?"
"Because you don't!"
"Yes I do!" I poked a finger at his chest. "I told you that I was a vampire, which is illegal. I told you everything about how our society functions. I even told you about Griffin. You were there through it all. Now because a stupid random guy made a comment you're questioning everything that we've been through?" He clenched his mouth shut as he turned away. I could feel my heart shattering into a million pieces.
I stepped back from him and stared at the floor. "We should stop. It's late."
"No, I'm tired of putting things aside. We need to fix this now."
"How are we gonna fix anything if we just stand here screaming at each other?"
"Because it's what couples do. Do you want to walk away from everything we've been through?"
"Of course not! But you're making this extremely difficult. I think that both of our emotions are unstable right now."
"So what do you suggest that we do?"
"I… think...we need to take a break."
Ty's demeanor changed instantly from defensive to pleading. "Wh-what?"
"We have never had this kind of an argument and this is all scaring me, from the fight inside to this. This is what's best."
Ty's hand grasped mine as he pulled me to him. "Are you saying that we're done?" His voice cracked toward the end.
"No, but I need time to think. You have no idea how much you hurt me. How much you terrified me. I don't want someone like that. Like that Archie guy. I want someone who won't let their emotions cause them to put others in danger. I want someone who will trust me the way I trust them...and after tonight, I don't know if you're that someone anymore." "Please, Rae. Don't…"
"I'm sorry, but I have to do this." I pulled away from his grasp and backed away from him. Part of me wanted to stay and run into his arms and make everything disappear, but the other part of me knew that that would never happen. It felt wrong now, but we needed some time apart. No matter how much it pained me. "Goodbye, Ty." I said softly as I made a portal to take me far away from there.