Bella
Evie's eyes never left mine as she lifted my hand slowly to her lips. Her chest rose as she inhaled deeply; mine burned as I held my breath. I kept myself as still as possible, not wanting to surprise her again but mostly not wanting this moment to end.
After what felt like ages she lowered my arm and I relaxed. My breath went out in a rush and I had to gasp as my head spun.
"Easy there, lass." Now that I knew more about where she had come from, I was able to pick up the subtle Irish lilt underneath her near perfect articulation. She held onto my hand, keeping me steady on my feet.
"I...I think I forgot to breathe." I admitted.
She frowned. "Is that something you have to think about often?" She asked curiously.
"Not usually. But sometimes when I'm around you, yes. That reminds me," I said, as another question popped into my mind. "I thought you couldn't breathe, but just now…"
"We don't have to breathe to survive. No circulation, you see. But breath is required for speaking and of course for our sense of smell."
"How is it that you were able to do that now, when before it was too much for you?" I gestured to her hand on my wrist.
"Mind over matter." She grinned. "I have been working on a theory, that prolonged exposure to your scent will desensitize me to it."
"And has it?"
"It won't be so difficult for me again." She answered confidently.
"But you didn't know for sure," I realized aloud. "You were testing yourself."
"I would not have invited you here if I felt you would be in danger."
"Why does it matter to you? Why have you been fighting so hard to keep me alive?"
"I didn't, at first." She looked away now. She was ashamed, I realized. "My initial thought was for my family. I didn't want to ruin what Carlisle has built here. So I planned to lure you away from school so that I would not expose us. I was elated when I realized that Alice could not see your future. It left me free to go after you without repercussions."
Now it was even harder for me to breathe. But as always, the questions invaded my mind, cutting through the fear of what might have happened. "How is it that Alice can see the future?"
"None of us know how our gifts came to be. Carlisle suspects that our strengths as humans get magnified after we are turned. For example, in my case as a human I was already receptive to other people's thoughts and could guess what they were thinking even without hearing them." I nodded. That would explain a lot. "But Alice doesn't remember anything from her human life."
This stunned me. "Nothing?"
"She has no idea who turned her or why. She woke up alone in an asylum in New Orleans."
"Wow," was all I could manage to say. I tried to imagine what that must be like, awaking as a new vampire in a strange place. It was too bizarre to wrap my mind around. "But you still haven't answered my question," I prompted her, "why have you been trying so hard to keep my alive?"
"You mean aside from respect for all human life?"
I rolled my eyes. "I know it's more than that. Tell me, please."
She looked at me searchingly, then seemed to come to a decision. "Since I met you," she began, "everything in my life has changed. You don't know what that is like for someone who is immortal. After so many years of life, everything starts to lose meaning." She gazed off into the distance. "People you once knew are gone. The cities you lived in, changed. It becomes harder and harder to adapt as the years pass. Everything blurs together into monotony. Even being with my family had become routine, though they are still the most important thing in my life no matter what." She turned back to me and her eyes were piercing.
"But then I met you. The mystery of your blood and why it should tempt me more than any other human's engrossed me. And then to complicate things, I couldn't read your thoughts to find out if you were something different, a threat perhaps. It was maddening, and also captivating. It still is."
"Nothing like an unsolved mystery to keep you up at night," I grinned, remembering the many sleepless nights I'd spent contemplating the mystery of Evie.
"And so to answer your question in my lengthy fashion, you have brought renewed interest to my life. I have only known you a short while, and yet you have surprised me at every turn. Your acceptance of me, of my family and what we are, astounds me. You are wonderfully exceptional, Bella. I can't-" She stopped suddenly, trying to find the right words. "I can't imagine my life without you now." Her eyes burned with intensity. Was it possible that this incredible person standing in front of me really was, as she said, enthralled by me? I had to know for sure.
"Is that what this is about? Solving a mystery?" I asked tentatively, scared of the answer.
Her eyes softened. "At first." She answered. Then she took both of my hands in hers. "But then I started to get to know you, and I discovered that you are extraordinary." My heart started beating faster. I squeezed my eyes shut, convinced that when I opened them she would be gone and all of this would have been a dream. A surreal and sometimes frightening, wonderful dream. But when I opened them again she was still there. One of her curls had come loose from the braid she'd twisted her hair into this morning when she picked me up. I moved slowly and very carefully, so that she could see my every movement before I made it, and smoothed the lock back into place. Then I left my hand there, resting on the side of her neck below her ear. Touching her helped assure my mind that she was in fact very real.
She lifted her hand and entwined it with mine. "May I ask a question now?" She asked playfully.
"That was a question." I teased her. It reminded me of our morning discussions on the way to school, and I could tell by her smile that she was remembering them as well.
"Two questions, then."
"Alright, yes you may."
"What were you about to tell me earlier, when I...when I ran away from you?"
Fear spiked through my veins, and I wondered if she could tell. I wondered if that made being near me even more difficult for her. I wondered how long she would let me stall before answering her question.
Knowing her tendency toward impatience, I assumed not long. I took a steadying breath. "I was telling you that someone had caught my attention. Someone other than Tyler Crowley."
"Who is it?" she whispered, and the unusual uncertainty from earlier was back in her voice. She really didn't know.
"You, of course." I told her without hesitation. Her eyes widened in genuine surprise. Had she really not had any idea of my feelings for her? But then it occurred to me that maybe she didn't think that way. Maybe she only saw me as a friend, or a person of interest, or tasty snack. "I understand if you don't feel the same way," I told her hastily.
"I don't know what I feel," she answered honestly. "When I'm around you, everything is confusing. My entire life has only been about one thing: controlling my bloodlust. There has never been room for anything else." She lowered her voice. "I don't really remember being human, but lately I have felt more human than I ever have before. Does that make sense?"
"I think so," I answered, though I wasn't entirely sure. If she meant that she was just as overwrought with emotions as I was, then I definitely understood.
We stood there in silence for an interminable moment, hand in hand and looking into each other's eyes, both trying in vain to read the other's thoughts. Her thumb traced light circles over the top of my hand, and I shivered as her touch sent jolts of electricity through me.
She misunderstood.
"Oh, you're getting cold." Her brow furrowed with worry. "We should head back upstairs."
I wanted to protest, but couldn't think of a reason to prolong our time here. Still holding my hand in hers, we walked back to the concrete stairs in the center of the lab.
"What does your family think of me?" I couldn't help but ask. I didn't get the impression that they invited many human guests over. I wondered why they had made an exception for me.
"My parents are thrilled that I've taken an interest in you. They say you are bringing me back to my humanity." She laughed, suddenly and with abandon. "I must say, I am starting to agree with them." She turned the full force of her radiant smile on me and I felt my knees turn to jelly. "Alice is just as curious as I am about why you are immune to our talents. Jasper sees you as an excellent challenge to test his control. Emmett thinks I'm touched in the head. He, out of all of us, truly loves his immortality. He can't imagine how a mere mortal could possibly hold my interest." She used heavy sarcasm to let me know how little stock she placed in Emmett's assessment.
"And Rosalie?" I had to ask.
Evie's smile broadened. "Rose positively loathes not getting her way. She was convinced that you were in love with her. And then you shot her down!" Evie crowed, delighted.
"But how did she know?" I was mortified. Was I that obvious to everyone? Had I been fooling myself into thinking I was being discreet?
"We all have supernatural hearing, lass. She could hear your heart pounding from across the room. We all could. Besides, part of Rose's talent is perceiving and influencing romantic affections. Even if you are immune, she is practiced enough to notice when you noticed her."
My face burned hot with shame. I couldn't believe I had deceived myself into thinking I could hide my proclivities. Why did I ever come to Forks? More people here had found out about me in one month than in my entire life in Phoenix. I was halfway through my plan to escape back to the anonymity of home when Evie turned my face to look at her.
Her eyes made me forget all about feeling ashamed. What was I thinking? I didn't want to be anywhere other than right here, looking at the most beautiful person I had ever met.
"Are you okay Bella?" She asked me, concerned.
"I don't know. I'm not used to my life being so open. It's…scary. Do you know what it's like, feeling like you can never fully be yourself because people will hate you for it?"
"Putting on a front so that no one ever gets close enough to find out the truth? Yeah, I think I know a little bit about that." She grinned at me, and I smacked my forehead with my palm. Of course she knew what I was talking about! She and her family had been hiding their true selves for centuries. My problems suddenly felt small in comparison.
We reached the top of the stairs and she bolted the door behind us, letting the heavy tapestry fall back into place in front of the door. The house was quiet; the sun had finally set. I imagined that the Cullens had gleefully escaped the confines of their home now that the deadly light was gone.
"I should get you home." Evie told me, and my heart sank. I wasn't ready to leave her, even for a night. My plan for a quiet Sunday at home tomorrow suddenly loomed oppressively.
"Leaving already?" I jumped when Alice popped up out of nowhere behind me. "I didn't even get a chance to visit with Bella." She sounded unduly disappointed about this.
"You can catch up with her next time Alice." Evie told her harshly.
"I'm sorry Alice," I told her, not wanting to get off on the wrong foot with her. "Maybe we can get together another time?" Evie was pulling me away from her as I spoke, and I wondered why.
"Bye Alice!"
"Don't forget about the storm tomorrow Evie!" Alice called after us, sounding worried. Evie slammed the garage door behind us.
"Hey Ev! Bella!" Emmett stood holding up the front end of Rosalie's convertible while she tinkered underneath it. "Alice says there's a thunderstorm tomorrow. Perfect time for a game!"
"Not this time, Emmett, remember?" Evie snapped at him. I was starting to really wonder what was going on.
"Oh, yeah that's right." He frowned. "But we haven't played in forever! What's the worst that could happen?"
And then Evie growled at him, a low guttural animal sound that made the hair on the back of my neck stand up.
"Alright alright, sorry I brought it up!" Emmett backed off. "See you kids later, then." He told us, and Evie ushered me hastily into the passenger seat of her Corvette.
"Okay, what was that all about?" I rounded on her as soon as the car doors were closed. She pressed her lips together and pretended to be focusing on backing the car carefully out of the garage.
"I don't want to worry you." She finally told me.
"Well, consider me worried. You practically bit Emmett's head off back there!"
"It's nothing really. Alice just had a vision of a thunderstorm tomorrow."
I crossed my arms, raised my eyebrows and glared at her. She was not getting off that easily. "Will you just tell me so that I can properly freak out about whatever it is?" I demanded.
"Fine." She snapped. "Alice saw that visitors are coming during a thunderstorm. Three unknown vampires."
"Is that all?"
"Remember what I told you, about how your blood smells better than everyone else's?"
I nodded slowly, starting to feel real fear creeping in.
"These visitors are not like us. Alice saw them catch your scent, and then her vision disappeared."
"She can't see my future," I whispered. "So she can't see what happens after they find me!" The fear was turning into panic.
"But we'll have a plan. If you stay with us again tomorrow, you'll be safe. They wouldn't dare challenge us, it would be seven against three." She didn't quite sound convinced.
"You don't know that for sure." I guessed. "Because Alice can't see what will happen either way."
Her silence confirmed my statement. She pulled the car into the driveway. Charlie's truck was still gone, he wasn't back from his fishing trip yet.
"So why take me home tonight? What if they are already here?" I asked, trying to keep the hysteria out of my voice.
"Alice sees them arrive tomorrow during the storm. That hasn't changed."
I still felt uneasy, but this she sounded sure about. "So that means I will spend the day with you again tomorrow?" At least there was one bright side.
"Only if you want to." She said softly. I remembered that she was still waiting for me to run away from her, screaming in horror. I wished she could see that that was now impossible.
"Yes, I would like that." I still hadn't opened the car door. I wasn't ready to return to normality yet. Then I had an idea. "Do you want to come in for a while?" I asked her spontaneously.
Her eyes widened in surprise, but she nodded. She turned off the engine and together we walked to my front door.
Evie
"Do I have to formally invite you in or anything?" Bella asked me as she unlocked the door.
I laughed. "Superstition, invented to make people feel safe indoors. Same as the crucifix. People like to feel as if they have a chance against the demons." My voice was bitter as I remembered the few times we had been hunted.
"Is there a way? To stand a chance I mean." She asked me, still worried about the visitors coming tomorrow.
"You'll be with us, you won't have to worry." I promised her. I would do whatever it took to keep her safe.
She led me inside their small home, and I took in the details around me, filling in gaps of Bella's past that I knew nothing about. I saw her father's well worn leather chair in front of a new television set, and behind it a blackened fireplace with a line of pictures along the mantle. They were pictures of Bella, from the time she was born until very recently. I studied them, starting from the first one of her as a tiny baby and following as she grew older. Bella at a ballet recital, Bella sitting in front of an upright piano, Bella in the gleaming sunshine. Bella and a woman who could only be her mother beaming at the camera. This separation must be eating away at her more than she was letting on.
She cleared her throat, breaking me out of my thoughts. She was standing in a small kitchen with bright yellow cabinets. "Can I get you anything?" She asked uncertainly.
"No, thank you." I smiled at her polite concern.
"Okay." She rummaged around in the cabinets until she found a glass and filled it with water. She gulped it down nervously. Still scared about tomorrow, most likely. I sat down in one of the wooden chairs around the kitchen table. She stood leaning against the counter and staring at me.
"What is it?" I asked, suddenly feeling unnerved under the weight of her gaze.
"It's just surreal, seeing you here in my kitchen."
"Oh? Haven't you ever brought a girl home before?" I teased her, waiting for the explosive reaction I was sure to get.
She didn't disappoint. "No!" She exclaimed, turning scarlet. "I don't...I can't…" She stammered.
"What are you so afraid of?" I asked her gently.
She looked down at the floor while she considered my question. "What if...what if they won't love me anymore?" Her lower lip trembled.
"You should give them a chance," I told her. "People have a way of surprising you. Trust me, I've seen it all."
She looked up at me then, tears glistening on her cheeks. I rose from my chair, wanting to run to her but keeping my pace at a slow, human speed. I stood facing her and took her face gently in both of my hands. With my thumbs, I smoothed the tears away. Her liquid brown eyes were full of vulnerability and a deep-seated fear. I longed to pull her out of that fear, but had no idea how. I knew better than anyone the atrocities human beings could inflict on one another. How could I assure her that her parents would accept her for who she is?
"Oh Bella," I sighed. "No one could ever stop loving you." I knew this without a doubt, I just hoped she would hear me. It seemed to have worked. She was looking at me with so much trust and wonder that it was almost painful. How could I ever be deserving of her affection?
The moment was broken when I heard the roar of an old truck engine turning onto Bella's street.
"Charlie is almost home. I'll go move my car." I strode swiftly to the door.
"Evie! Wait!" She called after me, whispering even though her father wasn't home yet.
"Don't worry," I told her, grinning. "I'm not leaving you yet." I winked and went out the door.
I drove the 'vette around the corner and parked it out of sight. Then I hid in the forest behind her house, where I had previously watched her comings and goings. But this time I knew she wanted me here. The thought sent hope flowing through me, hope that perhaps I wasn't doomed to walk this earth alone forever. For the first time in my life, someone wanted me in theirs.
While I sat waiting for Bella to speak with her father, I contemplated the concept of attraction. It was an impossible dilemma, because I was already attracted to her in the worst way. Her blood called to me even now, at this distance. But beneath that, something else was stirring inside of me. A hunger I had never felt before, that had nothing to do with blood. I felt it every time I looked at her, like something much larger than a butterfly was lodged in the pit of my stomach fighting to break free.
For the first time in my immortal existence, I longed with every fiber of my being to be human again. If I were human, I could be with her without risking her life every moment we were together. It was madness for me even to be here. But I knew I could not stay away. I would just have to be strong enough to keep the monster inside me in check. I would stay strong enough, for her.
Finally I heard her bid her father good night and climb up the stairs to her bedroom. I ran to the house and stood beneath her window. Would she invite me in again, or had the short time away from me brought her back to her senses? I heard her walk across the room and stop at the window. She tugged it open and it screeched in protest. She froze, straining her human ears to see if her father might have heard the window. She needn't have worried, he was already absorbed in the television.
"Evie?" She called out to me. I felt a thrill every time I heard her say my name aloud.
"I'm here," I called back quietly. "May I come up?"
"How?" She asked, and I chuckled. I scaled the wall easily using the small cracks in between the side panels to propel myself upwards. She gasped when I suddenly appeared in front of her.
"Sorry," I said, though I wasn't really. "It's too easy to be myself around you."
She smiled then. "I don't mind."
"Good." I grinned back at her and climbed swiftly in through the window. Her bedroom was cluttered and colorful, with blue walls and purple accents. The bookshelf was overflowing, and there were books stacked in piles on every surface as well as on the floor.
"Sorry about the mess," she said sheepishly.
"Don't be, I love it." I told her as I read through the titles of her books. "It's very...you."
She smiled again, blushing this time. The short time apart had made her scent stronger to me again, and when her face flushed with blood I almost lost it. She seemed to notice my discomfort and her eyes softened, as if she were actually filled with compassion for my suffering. But I very quickly regained control. It was getting easier each time, I was happy to note.
"Can I have a minute to be human?" She asked.
"Of course."
"Just...wait here?" She was uncertain.
"Don't worry about Charlie," I tapped the side of my head. "If I hear him coming I can disappear."
"Okay...good...right...I'll be right back." She was flustered and erratic as she grabbed items out of her closet. I hoped it was nerves rather than fear. I heard her close the bathroom door and turn on the shower. I also heard her dial her cell phone. She must think I wouldn't be able to hear her over the water. Who could she be calling, and why? I was instantly and irrationally jealous. Who did she want to talk to instead of me? And why didn't she want me to overhear their conversation?
I did something abominable then: I eavesdropped on her call.
"Jake!" She whispered. Ah, so it was Jacob Black she needed to speak with. The jealousy receded, replaced by an intense curiosity that burned hotter than the bloodlust from a moment ago. I wished I could hear the other side of their conversation.
"Yes, I'm fine….no! They were wonderful...uh huh...well, I'm not sure...no because she's here!...shut up!...yeah I know...yeah...seriously...ok...definitely….see you then...bye."
I pondered her half of the conversation while she showered. He must have asked her to call him when she made it home this evening. That was good. Someone was looking out for her. The wonderful part must have been referring to my family. Couldn't argue with her there. If there was one thing I'd been lucky in in life, it was the family I had chosen to spend eternity with. The rest was ambiguous. Should I ask her about it, and thus reveal that I had infringed upon her privacy?
She emerged from her bathroom wearing a cotton t-shirt and sweatpants. Her skin was rosy from the steam of the shower, and she smelled like fresh strawberries. She pulled her damp hair back from her face and wrapped a rubber band around it. No one had ever looked more beautiful in all of time.
I sat down on her bed and patted the space next to me. She hesitated, and the curiosity burned anew. What was she thinking?
"So, how's Jacob?" I asked, deciding to risk her ire if it would get her talking. Her mouth opened and closed a few times but no words came out. Her eyes, however, illustrated her anger quite well. I grinned, leaning back onto her pillows. "For future reference, water doesn't affect my hearing."
"Duly noted," she spat, and flopped onto the bed next to me. "I do hope you realize how completely infuriating you are."
"I'm well aware."
She glared at me, and I stared right back, unrelenting. The silence deepened between us, and changed. Her eyes widened and her pupils dilated. Her breath quickened and her pulse raced. The electricity that I felt so often in her presence began to charge the atmosphere around us. The pulsing current made me feel as if I almost had a heartbeat again, as if I were human again. The dormant desire that had been quietly building inside of me now came rushing to the surface, stronger than the bloodlust if only for a moment. But in that moment what I wanted more than anything in the world was to feel the heat of her lips against mine.
"Don't move," I told her, my voice barely above a whisper. "I need you to keep perfectly still."
"Evie, what-"
"Shh." I pressed my finger to her lips to silence her before I lost my nerve. They were warm and soft, just as I'd imagined. Then I took my thumb and traced her lower lip, as I had wanted to earlier today. Her lips parted at my touch, her breath warming my hand.
I leaned in closer to her, hesitantly, waiting for the beast inside to claw its way through my self control. Closer still, waiting.
And then my lips met hers. The warmth of her body flowed through me like molten lava, heating every inch of me as our lips moved together. She pressed herself closer, her hands tangling in my hair. Blood boiled under my skin and burned in my lips, and the monster roared to life.
I pushed myself back, a wild gasp tearing from my throat. My vision was turning red, and I could feel my eyes swelling as blood filled the veins around them. My fangs slid down into place and venom welled in my mouth. My muscles tensed, ready to spring. I tried to turn and run, but Bella had locked her arms around my neck. If I broke free of her grip I would break both of her wrists. But if I stayed...my eyes focused in on her neck, where her jugular vein pulsed fast and unbearably close. I imagined how her blood would taste in my mouth, hot and sweet…
"Evie!" Bella's voice cut through the red haze, quiet but sharp. "Evie, look at me!"
And so I did. I looked into her chocolate eyes full of compassion rather than terror. I imagined what I must look like to Bella- eyes black as pitch and red-rimmed, protruding fangs dripping with venom. Yet still she did not run from me. Was she insane, or just suicidal? Another image was creeping into my mind now. I saw Bella pale and cold, drained of blood. This image sent a stabbing pain through my chest and I felt as if my ribcage was closing in on itself. The pain was acute, fierce enough to clear my mind fully. And then, as I looked deeper into her eyes the impossible happened: the monster disappeared. I felt no trace of the all-consuming thirst, not even a small vestige of my earlier voracity.
She placed both hands on either side of my face and very gently smoothed my eyelids closed. The distended veins beneath my eyes cooled and diminished, my fangs receded. The fear I had felt, when I was about to take her life, turned now to shame. I jerked my head out of her hands and turned away from her.
"Evie, stop." I felt her hand under my chin, turning my face back toward her. I marvelled that she could stand to sit beside me, let alone touch me. "Come back." She pleaded. "I want to know you. This is who you are." Her eyes were full of earnest concern.
"I don't know who I am." I admitted. "I have spent all of my years fighting against my true nature, but never once did I wish to trade my immortality. Until now. Bella, what can I offer you if I can't even touch you? I don't remember what it was like to be human, but I would give anything to be human for you."
The pain in her eyes was devastating. "You don't have to change yourself for me." She said, her voice shaking. "I want you. All of you. We can make this work."
I made a sound that was half choking laughter and half agonized cry. I wanted to believe her, wanted to so badly it was causing me physical pain. But I wouldn't risk her life for my happiness.
"Let me try again." She begged. "Please, just trust me?" Her dark eyes trapped and held me; I couldn't refuse her anything. I nodded once, frozen with fear.
"I'll be on my best behavior," she promised. "Look, no hands!" She crossed her arms behind her back, smiling seductively. I was undone, all resistance shattered.
She kept her eyes on me as she leaned forward. I didn't dare move.
She pressed her lips against mine, careful not to let any other part of her touch me. This time the heat burned slowly, beginning with my lips and making its way through my body leaving a tingling sensation as it went. She was cautious at first, but when she felt me relax she moved her lips over mine with increasing urgency. Still without touching, we kissed until I felt I would die if I didn't touch her soon.
I broke away, and this time it was she who gasped aloud. Her face was dazzling, with flushed cheeks and bright eyes filled with a hunger that tightened the muscles in the pit of my stomach. I was thrilled to note that that was the only sensation I was feeling: there was no sign of the monster.
"Did I do something wrong again?" she asked as she struggled to catch her breath.
"Quite the opposite," I murmured. "You're driving me crazy."
She considered this briefly, then her face split into a triumphant grin.
"I am?" She sounded incredibly pleased with herself.
"What do you want, a round of applause?" I couldn't help teasing her.
She pouted. "I just wasn't sure, you know, if I would be good at this. Unlike you, I haven't had a couple of centuries to work on my technique."
"I'll have you know, I did have many ways of spending my time, none of which involved kissing."
That brought her up short. "Wait, you mean...never?"
"Of course not! You saw what just happened. If I had tried that with anyone else…" I couldn't bear the thought.
"Not even another vampire?" She was incredulous.
I thought about the other vampires I'd met in my travels, and shuddered. "Never."
"Wow." I couldn't tell if she looked relieved or concerned.
"What about you?" I had to ask.
She looked down, fidgeting with the bottom of her shirt. "Well, there was this once…"
"And?" I prompted, burning with curiosity. I wondered if I would ever get accustomed to not hearing her thoughts, or if the curiosity would burn hotter until I finally combusted.
"It was the summer before freshman year. One kiss. Nothing else happened." Her face was beet red now. Then she looked up at me. "And it was nothing compared to tonight."
We stared at each other for a long moment. Then she stifled a yawn, and I yawned involuntarily in response. We laughed together in whispers, feeling giddy.
"Will you stay with me tonight?" She asked.
"Yes." I conceded. "But I will have to leave before dawn. It will be sunny again tomorrow, but just in the morning." She frowned. She didn't want me to leave any more than I wanted to.
"Can't I come with you tomorrow, like I did today?"
"Trust me, the last thing I want to do right now is leave. But my family and I have to strategize."
"Oh, the vampires!" She gasped, her fear suddenly returning.
"Don't worry, they can't travel during the day. We have plenty of time to come up with a plan. You will be safe with us. I'll come pick you up as soon as the storm comes in." I smoothed the crease between her eyebrows with my thumb. She nodded, relaxing a bit, her eyelids heavy.
I laced my fingers through hers, and together we drifted off to sleep.