Have fun reading!!!- Arietty
"This is Beth Turner for Buzz Wire." Beth concluded, putting down her microphone. While her crew rushed around, Beth took a step forward to the store. She could see a woman's body in there, looking pale, her eyes open. Beth felt a wave of nausea, but ignored it.
She was pretty scared; she missed Mick being here. Whenever Mick was here, she always felt protected, and nothing could ever harm her. Josef was different; everything about him invited danger.
Beth smiled to herself, remembering that Josef had promised to watch Buzz Wire. Se checked herself in the store glass, making sure she had looked good on camera. Then, she stopped herself. Why're you preening for him? She thought to herself. Beth looked fine, however, and she let out a sigh of relief. Suddenly she saw Josef in the glass, and she scrunched her brow in confusion. Am I hallucinating...? Beth turned around, and saw Josef standing three feet away from her, livid.
"Josef!?" She yelped, not understanding why he was here. Josef took a step towards her, his sunglasses hanging slightly off his eyes.
"What the hell are you doing!?" Josef growled, blocking out the sun with his hand. Beth felt confused.
"I'm working..." Beth said, shaking her head in confusion. Josef bared his teeth at her, and she took a step back. He grabbed her arm roughly and dragged her away from the building. Beth was taken aback, and tried to push him away. He was much stronger than her, so it was a lost cause.
"Mick told me to protect you, and I find that hard to do when you're off at a crime scene." Josef said dangerously, glaring at her. Beth scowled.
"This is my job! Get used to it! Mick doesn't care!" She retorted, and saw a muscle in Josef's clenched jaw twitch. He reached over and grabbed her by both shoulders and shook her.
"I don't care, I promised Mick I'd look after you. Make my life a bit easier, Turner." He snarled, his face inches from hers. Beth shook her head, and shoved Josef away. He grabbed her arm and spun her around.
"Leave me alone, Josef! I don't need your stupid protection!" Beth snapped, giving him an angry look. Why did you kiss this guy? She thought. She had gone to kissing him this morning, to yelling at him in the afternoon. Men...
Josef was still glaring at her. He didn't say anything. His grasp on Beth had not loosened the whole time. Beth looked at him with sudden slyness.
"Are you really doing this because Mick told you, or do you have another purpose?" Beth asked, looking through his black lenses. Josef's expression never faltered, but he pushed Beth away from him.
"Fine. Go ahead and get yourself killed. See if I care." Josef replied nastily, and turned away from her. Beth felt like crying. She didn't, though. She turned angrily on her heel, and walked back towards the store. They were taking the bodies out, and one of them was a small child. Her eyes were open, giving Beth a sickening dead glare. Beth felt herself sway where she stood, and felt her become sickly. Her eyes rolled into the back of her head, and she started to fall. Two strong arms caught her before she fell to the pavement, and she saw Josef's face over her, looking desperately concerned. Then, everything went black.
Beth woke up on a burgundy colored couch, feeling drowsy. She slightly recognized the place, but didn't know how she got there. She groaned, and put a hand to her head. She closed her eyes, trying to remember why she has passed out. Then, she remembered the dead girls face, and Beth felt her stomach rumble. She moved quickly and started to fall to the floor, until someone caught her.
"I'm going to have to be very careful with you." Came a voice she knew well. Beth looked up, and saw Josef above her with an amused expression on his face. She sighed, and patted her stomach.
"What happened?" She asked groggily, and started to sit up. Josef watched her hesitantly, and then leaned against the pillar in front of the couch.
"You fainted. I must say, Beth, I was rather flattered that it was because of me." He said, smirking. Beth scowled at him.
"It wasn't because of you. I saw a dead child; it was sickening." Beth groaned again, and her head felt heavy. Josef leaped forward and straightened her up, making sure she was all right. He took her face in hiss hands, and observed her.
"You're actually sick." He mused, chuckling slightly. Beth felt her face burn where he touched her, but he let go, and walked around the table in front of the couch, and sat down in a chair opposite Beth.
"It's been a long time since I ever had to look after someone, so please forgive me." At these words, Josef swallowed. He looked away from Beth, and continued.
"Beth, I'm sorry about what I said. I didn't mean it; it's just that you were right." He said, looking as though it was painful of him to say it. Beth was confused.
"Right about what?" Beth asked, and Josef sighed.
"You asked me if I was doing it for Mick, or for myself. I honestly don't know the answer anymore." Josef stood up, and walked towards the large window, gazing out of it. Beth observed his black pants and maroon dressy shirt, looking longingly at him. She looked down at her own clothes, which hadn't changed from work. A white tank top and black pants was dressed on her body. Her blonde hair was down in waves to her chest. Josef sighed.
"This isn't possible, Beth. Not with you and me. Mick likes you, you know." Josef said, instantly regretting it. What if she decided to hook up with Mick now that she knows the truth? Beth stood up, despite her dizziness. She walked over to Josef, and put her hands on his muscular arm. He didn't turn to her, but turned his head in her direction.
"I know he does." Beth responded, and placed her head on Josef's arm. Josef looked up and closed his eyes, enjoying the moment. Then, he shrugged out of her hold.
"Listen, Beth. I can't do this. I don't want to. Mick's my best friend, and he liked you first. This sounds like high school, but it's true. You and I can never be." Josef hated himself for saying this. Beth felt tears sting her eyes, and she let them fall. She knew she liked Mick, a lot. But hearing Josef tell her he'd never want to be with her was excruciating.
Josef smelled her tears, and leaned up against the glass, and put his head in his hands. This was way too complicated for Josef's taste.
"Let's just pretend this never happened, all right? It's not a big deal, anyway." Josef said, though he knew he was lying. With that, he walked past Beth, and went up the stairs to his room. Beth heard the door shut upstairs, and she sank to the ground, crying. She didn't know why she was, though. She really liked Mick, and her boyfriend had just died. Why was she crying over an egotistical vampire who didn't care about her?
Josef, of course, could hear her crying. He sat down on his bed, and put his head in his hands again.
"God damn you, Mick." Josef muttered, lying back on the bed. He shook himself. He didn't love Beth. He just thought she was attractive. These were the things he kept repeating to himself, trying to block out the sound of Beth crying.
Well, I'll definitely have a couple more chapters up today, so you'll get plenty of this story!! PLEASE review, I live off of them, and if I don't get them, I'll think people don't like my story.