Chapter 2 – Ditched? Not really…

Steve didn't come back in the whole night. I slept alone.

I wake up with that awkward feeling of being "too tired" of sleeping. I pull the covers aside. I felt hot, maybe it was a little humid outside. C'mon it's freaking spring break! –I thought.

I look to the side and see it's 2:16 in the afternoon. Well, Steve was obviously nowhere to be seen.

"Steve?" –I said tentatively out-loud.

Silence.

Great! That's JUST wonderful! –I thought sarcastically. I am stuck somewhere in New York with a Vampaneze boyfriend that seems to care less about my well-being and apparently completely ditched me already. –I complained, although deep inside I was just a tad nervous. I will NEVER admit I was scared or something stupid like that.

Sighing, I decide to go take a shower and get ready for the day. I got dressed in the most flowy, happy dress I could find. In a way I could rival Taylor Swift. I won't let Steve's lack of physical presence ruin my day. I am in New York, I can go wherever I want and do whatever I want. I can even go shopping or see a musical.

I get out of the hotel with my hair still wet and head out. I have lunch at one of my favourite Japanese restaurants that feature chefs making your food right in front of you. I've been in New York gazillions of times before because of my parent's jobs. It's like a second home to me.

After that I head out to buy some nice make up, eyeliner and dark eye shadows. 5th Avenue is just amusing by itself let alone the shopping. Still I remembered that I had to keep my backpack light because Steve might show up –if he shows up– any time soon and say we're moving again. So then I decided to take a look at what was going on in Broadway.

Wicked was out but there was this new one out there with Daniel Radcliffe's face plastered all over it. I was a sucker for Harry potter so I just bought a ticket, didn't even bother to look at the name of the show.

After the show, I went and bought a hot dog on my way back to the hotel.

After a while of walking, eating my hot dog and drinking my coke, I started to wonder if calling a cab would've been a better idea. The hotel seemed to feel a little further away than I had calculated in the first place. And at this time of night, passing through several dark alleys, it dawned on me the danger they were for a mere 17 year old human like me.

I finished my food and began walking more briskly. Today had started hot but the temperature was starting to drop considerably fast.

While passing by yet another dark alley, I suddenly felt goose-bumps when a particularly cold gust of wind ruffled my skirt. I rubbed my upper arms with my hands, although there wasn't much I could do about it because my hands where the coldest part in my body right now.

Then hands clasped around my mouth and my waist and swiftly carried me back to the alley I had just passed by. I sort of gasped and yelled at the same time. I was panicking and I was shocked. How the hell was I supposed to get out of this one? –The thought crept in the back of my head.

Whoever grabbed me turned me around and pushed me hard against the brick wall of one of the buildings on the side of the alley. Should I fight back? Should I stay quiet? –I thought while all the air I had in my lungs left me without a moment's notice, my eyes were tightly shut while I was busy managing for my head to not slam back into the wall.

"Where were you all day? WHAT THE HELL WERE YOU THINKING?" –A male voice snarled at me.

I knew this voice too well for my own good.

"Answer to me! WHAT THE FUCK SHILOH!" Do you have ANY idea what an easy prey you make at this time of the night? And I don't mean only to vampires…" –Steve chastised me with an angry desperate tone, but over all I heard concern behind his foul language.

I only stared back at him.

He let his arms fall and the hands that were painfully pressing me against the brick wall disappeared.

"I'm sorry" –I cleared my throat "You left me last night without much of a word and then I wake up and you're still not there… So I went out to have fun on my own" –I did not falter, I had to make a point and this was not the best time to drop my gaze and show submissiveness or anything disgusting like that.

Steve's jaw was angrily set, he's body was tense and his eyes still sparkled with anger and concern despite the fact that he had already found me –And almost scared me to death– He should be satisfied.

He growled a little, it rumbled deep in his chest. I could almost swear that if I put my hand on his chest I could feel it vibrating. He punched the wall beside my head and made me jump, it made a dent.

"Don't you EVER do that again to me!" –His fist still in the wall– "Do you understand?"

I nodded.

He let out a breath, and pulled his fist out of the wall with an apologizing look. He took my hand with his other and led me out of the alley.

"Seriously Shiloh… Don't do that again… I need to know where you are at all times, so the worry doesn't kill me if I don't know if you're ok." –Steve said while pulling me closer and grabbing me by the waist.

"OK" I said meekly

Short after that we got to the hotel and while I was changing my clothes and brushing my teeth Steve decided to take a shower.

He undressed right there in the bathroom while I was brushing my teeth. I felt a little awkward because this was my second night living with the guy. So I averted my eyes as well as I could. I tried to make myself busy by "looking for" a bottle of Listerine or something.

I heard a low chuckle behind me and tried NOT to look up. He was standing right beside me, naked.

"What?" –I asked looking more "deeply" under the sink.

"What are YOU doing?" –Steve asked. I could feel the smile in his lips by the way he said it.

"Looking for a bottle of Listerine, why?"

"There's none, I would smell it. But it don't" –He said. I could still hear the amusement behind his words.

"Aren't you going to shower?"

"Eventually"

I had no choice. I had to stand up and NOT look to the man standing beside me while going up. I tried to be nonchalant about it and just do it like it was not big deal.

I got up. Mission accomplished. I didn't look at him because I went right to rinsing my mouth. But when I was done he was still standing there. I looked at his image in the mirror and see what I expected, a very amused look. Then my eyes traveled down against my will. I saw his brad shoulders, his wide chest, and his rock hard abs –I know because I've felt them before– and yes! Thank God. –I think.
The sink counter totally obstructs my view of the rest, But barely.

"Like what you see?" He lifted an eyebrow in a cocky way.

Oh and I tried hard not to blush but just with the way he said it… I couldn't help myself. I tried to cover it up by glaring at him.

"Leave me alone Steve and go take your freaking shower, I'm tired" –I left the bathroom without peeking. But I could still hear him laugh.

"NOT funny!"

I know he heard me, but he obviously ignored me.

After his shower, he thankfully got dressed in the bathroom. He got out smelling like clean, like that "just showered" smell, but it was stronger than just soap and water so maybe it had to do with the "kind" of soap he used. It smelt clean, strong, spicy and crisp. An edgy smell, but there was still something to him, his own smell was different. His smell was like one of those dark cold nights in the fall leading up to Halloween, there was a clean sweetness to it, like if it had rained the day before.

He got into bed and under the covers with me. Then turned around and stared at me.

I looked at him from the corner of my eye suspiciously and then fully turn my head around. I stare with a challenging air.

"I'm gonna sleep with you tonight. But tomorrow we have to start you on your vampiric schedule, sleep during the day and live during the night. You aren't going to miss the sunny days are you?" He asked with a sarcastic tone, almost as if he was talking to a toddler

"No. I'll be fine. So… Why the vampiric schedule if you said the sun doesn't affect you?"

"It doesn't! Stop questioning me." He almost snarled, he said it with an urgency that was meant to intimidate me. It didn't, too bad.

He had these anger lapses now and then and he would snap at me for no reason.

"Thing is… It bothers me and slows me down. I have to wear sunglasses and sunblock, too many things to worry about. I've already got my hands full with you." He continued sweetly as if nothing happened "So you have to get used to the vampiric schedule if you plan on staying with me. And you do plan on staying with me don't you?" He asked seriously, but with an air of 'I-could-care-less-if you-do-or-don't'.

"I am Steve. I love you. What would make you think other-wise?"

"Good then. Now go to sleep you'll have a long day tomorrow" he caressed the side of my face with the ghost of a smile playing on his lips.