Chapter Thirteen

The first thing Jesse noticed when he stepped inside was that it was extremely quiet. He realized he could really only hear one person moving around, and he knew immediately who it was: Tanya. Walking through the house in her direction, he came upon her in her arts and antiques room. She was walking the length of the room, stopping now and then to examine a piece of art or pottery or whatever else caught her attention. When he stepped in she was looking at her portrait.

"When we came in," she said quietly, "Eleazar told Carmen that he needed to get away for awhile. He wouldn't say why, but there was a look in his eyes. He was very upset about something. So Carmen threw a few things together and they left."

Jesse was quiet for a moment before finally speaking. "I'm sorry Tanya."

She frowned and turned to face him. "It's not your fault that they are gone. And then, when Garrett came in, he immediately whisked Kate off to hunt. What happened while we were away?"

Her eyes were so trusting, so sure that it wasn't his fault. He hated to shatter that. He stayed where he was in the door and hung his head. "It is my fault Tanya. There... was an accident. Eleazar's... teaching assistant showed up unexpectedly." At first the words were trying not to leave his mouth. Suddenly, he didn't think that he could keep them in if he tried. "I tried Tanya. I tried so hard to get away, run up the stairs and jump out the window. But her scent, it was so overwhelming. It rooted me to my spot. Then it started pulling me in her direction. I was willing Eleazar to get her out of here. I didn't want to do it! You have to believe that. But the girl wouldn't leave! And before I could stop myself..." he let out a breath and lifted his head to look into her golden eyes.

What he saw in her eyes made him flinch away, but Tanya could see the utter sincerity in his. He hadn't meant to. But that didn't mean it was okay. "You killed a girl... in my house?" she asked in a tone that belied her mounting dismay.

He didn't speak, only nodded his assent.

Tanya cocked her head to the side, studying him briefly. "You killed Eleazar's teaching assistant. In my house," she said quietly. She paused. "I... I think you need to leave."

Jesse's shock was evident on his face. He hadn't missed her references to her house, but he hadn't actually expected her to throw him out. "After everything we have learned about each other, you want me to leave?!"

The pain in his eyes matched what she was sure was in her own as she nodded. "You need to leave Jesse," she said quietly.

With his jaw set, he stood to his full six foot three inch height and nodded. He spoke stiffly, "If that is what you want Tanya." With those last words spoken, he turned and left the room, his steps silent. He didn't even grab anything, he just went to the garage and got into his car.

Moments later, Tanya heard his car start and then the engine revved before taking off down the driveway. With the car, and Jesse, gone, Tanya collapsed to the floor.

-

Upon their return to the house, Kate and Garrett were surprised to find that neither Tanya nor Jesse were anywhere in the main living area. Garrett went to check the garage, and Kate went up the stairs to see if they were in their room.

After Garrett had told Kate what had happened, along with the fact that it could have very easily been him who had killed the girl, she had rushed back here immediately. She knew that Tanya would be upset, but once she knew that it was an accident, and what Jesse had promised the dead girl, she knew that Tanya would understand and forgive him. Maybe they were already making up. She had just reached the door to their room when she heard Garrett.

"Katie, Jesse's car is gone. Maybe they went out," he said.

Kate glanced at the door, listening. "They aren't in their room, so it's possible," she replied as Garrett came up the stairs and to her side. At that moment they both heard something on the third floor above them. Kate looked up at Garrett and raised a brow. "Well Tanya is here, but what is she doing up there?" she asked quietly.

Garrett shrugged and they both started up the stairs that would lead them to the third floor which was mostly empty rooms and storage. Following both the faint sound of her movement and her scent, they found Tanya in the room they had stored most of Jesse's things in.

"Tanya what happened?" Kate asked.

Tanya refused to look at them. She was sorting through Jesse's things. "I told him to leave. He did," she said quietly. "He didn't even fight me. He just left."

Kate was at her side in an instant, and wrapping her arms around her sister. "Oh Tanya! Why did you tell him to leave? Carmen has told me what you were like while we were away. He's your true other half!"

Tanya just stood there in her sister's embrace. She was shaking slightly. "But he killed a girl! In our home! Kate, don't you see? He just isn't committed to our lifestyle, and I don't think I can be with him if that's the case. Even if he can live with their deaths on his conscience, I can't."

Kate frowned and looked at Garrett. He cleared his throat to get Tanya's attention. "Tanya. He didn't mean to kill her. I could see the war in his eyes, and both Eleazar and I tried to stop him, but he was way too thirsty. We had just finished discussing that he would have to really make the commitment to this lifestyle and he seemed ready to do that. Her scent was overpowering, even to me. If I had been thirsty, there was no guarantee that it wouldn't have been me attacking."

Tanya just stared at him. "So you both think it is okay just because he was much thirstier than he should have been?"

"Of course not Tanya," Kate said. "But that's not the end of the story. Garrett?"

Garrett continued. "He was broken up over it Tanya. He did what he had to do to clean the mess up for Eleazar and for you. He didn't want us to all have to leave because of his mistake. But Tanya, when we were burying her he said something, and I'm inclined to believe him. He promised her that he would never kill another human being. The only time I've ever heard that much emotion in his voice is when he was talking about or with you. He meant it. He is committed to this lifestyle, if you give him that chance."

Tanya was quiet for a long time. "Why didn't he tell me all this himself?"

"Probably because you told him to leave before letting him fully explain," Kate replied. She was always blunt with her sister, and no need to beat around the bush now.

Tanya hung her head and then sank to the floor. Kate, who was still holding her close, went with her. "I really fucked up this time. I just couldn't get past the fact he had killed her in our house. As if he didn't care what it would do to all of us."

Kate stroked her hair. "That's not it at all, Tanya. You should have known that. He's more than crazy about you, he'd never do something to deliberately hurt you."

Tanya sat up, and Kate let her go. "I better call him before he's halfway across the country again." She got up and went in search of her phone.