"Godric, don't you have… important things to do?" I asked after a moment of silence.
"Yes, why?" he asked completely lost.
"Well… maybe you should go do them before the night is over," I said thinking more of him than me.
"Are you asking me to leave?" he asked stunned.
"Oh gosh no! I just… thought you had more… significant things to do than baby-sit a human," I answered with a slight chuckle.
"I'm not trying to push you away," I continued after a decent pause. "I just don't… want to be a problem."
Because when a human is a problem in a vampire's life… other vampire's take care of the problem.
"You still fear me," Godric whispered in disbelief.
The words hung in the air. I had no counter to it. I did fear Godric, all vampires, and I had my very good reasons. But how could I comfort him and tell him that yes, I did fear him, but I also had the courage to face that fear on a daily basis?
"I'll go… now," I said slowly getting up.
I reached out for the door knob when a cold hand stopped me.
"Please don't go," Godric begged.
I nodded unable to find the words.
"I'm sure everything… will work out," Godric said as we both slowly turned back to the living room.
"Do you think I… taste like water?" I asked tuning towards Godric. "After what just happened?"
Godric started laughing. He tried to cover his face and calm himself down but something was, apparently really funny. I was laughing along with him after a few seconds.
"Um, I'm a little lost so… come find me when your sanity returns to you," I said walking back so sit down on the couch.
"Lacey, you're just…" Godric started to talk. "You're just too much."
"Well, aren't you curious?" I asked shaking my head with a smile on.
"No, you will not taste like water," Godric answered walking across the room to the kitchen.
I shrugged, I thought I did.
Godric came back with a bottle of Trublood is his hand. I immediately took it from him and set it down on the small coffee table in front of me.
"I'm right here. You don't need that," I said offering myself up.
"You sure?" Godric asked. "After what you went through?"
"As far as my memory goes, I jumped out of a limo on a bridge and jumped in myself," I said moving the strap farther from my neck to tease a little.
Godric preferred the neck to the wrist. But it called for more… body tension.
We both stood up simultaneously. I had to rip the strap off to keep it out of the way. God I felt like a tramp now.
Godric came closer wrapping one arm around my waist and the other holding my neck. I kept my arms away from myself letting him have all the room he desired. He came in close lightly putting his body against mine as he opened his mouth.
I heard his fangs come out and I was ready for the skin puncture. He bit down gently but it still made chills run up and down my spine. My torso and up went limp in his powerful hold. I was completely his now until he finished.
It was more painful than the wrist when he sucked out more than what was there. My vision and hearing often went in and out as a minor side effect. I gazed up at the ceiling almost in a trance as the liquid flowed from me to him.
He finished, cleaning up the area he used so delicately. It was… slightly uncomfortable when Godric licked the punctures dry. It was my neck after all… a very… sexual place to lick.
He took a small step back ready to offer up his skin to me. I felt the wholes on my neck before I took his hand. They weren't that big but they were decently deep.
I took hold to Godric's hand and lifted it to my mouth.
Only a few drops, I thought to myself.
"Why don't you take a little more this time, to heal up your wrist," Godric suggested.
Not likely, I thought.
Barely three drops was all I never needed or wanted.
His blood tasted… different from the last few times. Salty almost.
I turned my head so Godric could get a good look at my neck, "Is it healing?"
"Yes, very quickly," Godric answered.
"Good," I said before we both glanced down at my wrist.
It looked better. But it wasn't completely healed.
"You need more," Godric said ready to open himself up again.
"No I don't," I said pulling his arm back down to his side. "It has to be this way."
"But why? Why won't you accept my blood?" Godric asked slightly insulted.
"I told you, it's my little secret to keep," I answered walking to the bedroom.
"The side effects aren't that severe," Godric said turning to watch me. "The sexual attraction, if that's what you're afraid of, barely lasts at all."
"I'm turning in for the night," I said pretending I didn't hear. "Good night, Godric."
I closed the door behind me and nearly collapsed on the floor.
It's not that I don't want all those side effects, I thought. It's just better for both of our protection.
"The more… attached I get to Godric… the more fear I feel when I'm around Freddy," I thought out loud getting misty eyed.
I walked over to the bed and glared down at it. I knew I knew I would dream of Godric tonight. It would still be innocent though sine I barely tasted his blood. But the late one I had still confused and haunted me.
I sat on the bed thinking far too much about what was going to happen. Maybe if I thought about it, the dream wouldn't happen? Kinda like avoiding a nightmare. I thought about how Godric and I lingered at a first kiss. I remembered what I was wearing and nearly died of embarrassment.
"Whatever," I said giving up.
I was out almost immediately.
Something cold touched my back. My eyes shot wide as I rolled over in my bed.
"Godric?" I asked seeing him smile back at me.
I looked around the room. There were no windows, at least none I could see. It was a different bed then what he had so we much have been at a different house. I couldn't even find a clock to see what time it was.
I turned back to Godric, "You have pants on, right?"
He nodded showing me his long sleeping pajamas underneath the sheets. I the check myself seeing a tank top and shorts on. Phew! That was a close call.
"You seemed relieved. Why?" Godric asked.
Was he flirting?
"I'm a respectable girl," I answered with a coy smile.
"Or are you just playing hard to get?" Godric responded.
He was flirting… but he still had his normal tone of voice. It threw me off. Was he really interested, or just playing vampire games with me?
Is sighed, "I don't know how to play hard to get."
"Now you're just flat out lying," Godric stated scooting closer to me.
Flirter-er!
"But I'm a good liar," I said playing along… slightly.
He smirked. It was a good one too. My heart flipped seeing a sudden smile.
He raised an eyebrow, "You aright?"
Crap! Did he hear my heart? I think it started going faster as I thought about it.
"Yes…?" I answered trying to play dumb.
"Nervous laying in bed with an old vampire?" he laughed.
"I'd be nervous with anyone in bed," I said before I could edit it in my head.
Godric's eyebrows came together and then back apart.
"Virgin," I whispered answering all his questions.
"You'd be afraid even if you weren't innocent anymore?" Godric asked taking one of my hands in his.
"Not afraid, just… nervous on how they would treat me. I don't look at sex the same way some do," I said unsure of why I was telling him all this.
"You're not… saving yourself for marriage, right?" Godric asked carefully.
"If I was, I wouldn't be talking to you in bed fully clothed," I answered noting the obvious.
"Would… you be afraid of me… if I could give you… the release?" Godric asked almost in fear.
I glanced up at him. Was he really asking if I would have sex with him?
There was a long pause as I thought. The answer was hard to find and when I managed to dig it out of a dark place in my mind the words didn't come.
"I don't know," I spoke under my breathe.
I forced myself awake finding my dream far too awkward to stay in. My eyes shot wide and I found a figure looming over me.
I yelped out banging my head against the head board. Stan chuckled and left the room without another sound.
"Why is he like that?" I asked feeling around my head to make sure I wasn't bleeding.
"You slept for a whole day," Isabel said appearing before me in a whoosh.
"Oh no," I said.
Even though I didn't have my phone anymore, I still knew what that meant. The competition Freddy and I were in was tomorrow night. Our drill wasn't finished yet and we both still had to go in and double check to make sure our outfits were done. I didn't know his number by heart which meant I'd have to go home to find it.
"Something wrong?" Isabel asked.
"I need to go home," I answered getting up from the bed. "Now."
"I don't know if he wants that," Isabel said following me out to the living room.
"Well, then it will be another one of those times that he has to deal with it," I said seeing Godric suddenly appear before me.
It scared me a little but I was too focused on getting home at the moment to care.
"You're leaving?" he asked with a blank facial expression.
"I need to leave," I answered stressing that it was a need.
"Will you come back?" Godric asked suddenly sad.
My heart almost tore in two, "Of course I'm coming back!"
"Can I at least give you a ride this time?" he asked filled with remorse.
"Yes, I would like that," I answered following him out the door.
It was still dressed in my dance uniform from a few days ago. My duffle bag was at the bottom of the lake inside the limo still. I had no clothes, cell phone, or a change of shoes with me. I hoped that Freddy and Andre would understand.
I got in the passenger seat as Godric fired up the engine. I didn't notice his driving as I thought about tomorrow.
Did Freddy and Andre hear about my accident on the news? Would they understand and let me off the hook? Would insurance cover my loss? How much money would that limo problem cost me?
"I'll walk you to your door," Godric said zooming out to open the door for me.
I got out seeing my apartment standing in the darkness. We were silent as we climbed the stairs. I had no idea what could be going on in his head but I felt slightly guilty for his sudden change in mood. Neither one of us had anything humors to say for the last day.
I was about to go talk to my landlord but something about my door caught my eye.
"What?" I said looking at the keyhole.
It looked like someone had tried to melt it. I reached out to touch it but my door swung open before I could grab the door knob.
"Oh my god," I gasped in shock seeing my apartment.
It was trashed. Half the walls were knocked down, my kitchen floor was pillaged through, the bedroom furniture was completely missing. Not even my small fireplace remained untouched.
I slowly walked in feeling hot tears stream down my face. All my hard work to afford even the smallest of places was either missing, damaged beyond repair, or scattered in millions of pieces. Even my windows were broken when the robber came through the front door!
"What does it mean?" I asked myself.
"It means you need to stay with me from now on, Lacey," Godric answered still standing in the doorway.