Smash Into You

The shouts grew louder and eventually I recognized the voice as Isaac's. The worry in his voice was clearly evident.

"Isaac!" I screamed, using the hugest breath I could muster. How could he not hear my heart beating this loudly? I could practically hear it, and I had horrible hearing compared to him. I could feel whatever was chasing me back off slightly, deterred by something. I did that last thing I could think to do.

I called out for him, "Ethan!" I had no idea if he was even out here. My lungs were practically frozen and my mouth was dry from breathing so quickly. My legs were growing numb under my weight and the pains in my sides were getting worse. I wished I would have been on the track team in high school.

In the next second, someone appeared in front of me. The figure was dark and unmoving, standing between the trees. "Audra," he said loudly, his arms open, waiting for me.

I felt the relief wash over me as soon as I recognized his voice. The velvety smoothness of it reached my ears and if I hadn't been frightened for my life I might have smiled.

As I drew closer, I finally saw him. He was looking past me, over my shoulder, at whatever was behind me. His horrifyingly beautiful face was pulled back in anger and shock as if he couldn't believe what he was seeing. I kept running, too afraid to look back, until I practically ran into him. He didn't move an inch.

"What was it?" I asked quickly, my voice coming out with a breath, "Who was following me?"

Ethan didn't answer and instead kept staring out through the trees. I looked up at him, taking in the exquisite beauty and flawless perfection that was him. He stood still except for his arm which he moved out in front of me. I hid behind him, confident that if anything tried to attack us it wouldn't get through him.

"Hey," I heard behind me, and as I spun I was greeted by Isaac's boyish face. "What was that?"

Before I could answer, Ethan turned around. "I can't be sure. Whoever it was wanted Audra."

My eyes darted between them, though Ethan refused to look at me. "Why?"

"Maybe they were hungry," Isaac grinned. A shiver ran up my spine. Ethan released a low growl and Isaac's hands rose in defense, "Hey, I was kidding." After a moment of silence, he sighed. "Okay, okay. I'll meet you back at the house." He smiled once more in my direction before disappearing through the trees.

Ethan started to walk and I followed close behind him, glancing back every few seconds to make sure no one was there. He led us out of the forest and through the yard around the mansion. When we reached the patio he walked through the door without a word. When I entered he was gone. Only Isaac remained.

"Sit," Isaac ordered, pointing to a chair in front of the fireplace. I obeyed and walked over to him, falling into the chair. He kneeled in front of me and reached out for the zipper of my jacket. He pulled it off and grabbed both arms of the chair, yanking it closer to the fire without any effort. "You're freezing," he observed, his hands covering mine. They didn't feel cold.

"Who was in the forest?" I asked, looking up into his warm eyes. He disappeared for a moment and was back with a blanket, which he draped over my shoulders.

"I don't know," he shrugged, taking a seat on the couch across from me. "I didn't see them."

"But it was a person?"

His lips picked up in a slight snarl, "No." To my questioning look, he answered, "A vampire."

"How do you know?" I asked.

"The smell," he revealed. "Wasn't human."

"Why were they after me?" I asked myself more than him, "What did they want?"

"No idea."

After a moment of silence, I asked, "Where is Ethan?"

"He's checking the forest. Securing the borders, I guess you could say." I pulled my knees up to my chest and leaned my head down. "What were you doing out there?" Isaac asked.

"I…" I couldn't come up with a good enough excuse, "I was running away."

"Why?"

"I don't know," I sighed, looking up at him. "I just didn't want to face him."

Immediately picking up on who I was talking about, Isaac nodded, "Does it have anything to do with your wrist?" He gestured in the direction of my brace, his eyes locked on it.

"Sort of," I admitted. I thought back to the first time I'd met Isaac and he warned me of the abuse masters often inflicted upon their servants. I felt foolish as I realized I'd made excuses for him then, just as I was now by not elaborating on the subject. "Things here have been so crazy. I just thought that if I left before he got here I'd be able to avoid him for a little while longer."

"Well, now you have bigger problems to worry about," Isaac told me.

"Yeah, a vampire stalker," I rolled my eyes at the absurdity.

"I wasn't talking about that," he said. I looked at him seriously, waiting for even more bad news. "Ethan's going to be furious with you."

"Oh, I know," I muttered. I wasn't looking forward to Ethan's return from the forest. "He doesn't trust me."

Isaac shook his head, a small smile on his lips, "You think he's angry because you tried to run out with valuable vampire information?" He chuckled softly at me, "You are clueless."

"What?"

He was still amused, "Oh, Audra." I stared blankly at him, waiting for him to regain his composure. "He's furious because you endangered yourself. You went into the forest alone. At night."

It was my turn to shake my head, "Ethan doesn't care about that."

Isaac's eyebrows rose, "Really? He seemed pretty frantic when he called me. Told me to get over here quick, it was an 'emergency'," he quoted. He was leaning back against the sofa, his arms draped over it.

I wasn't sure how to respond. Was Isaac honestly trying to prove to me that Ethan cared about me? I would have laughed if I hadn't been so drained from my exercise and the emotional/mental stress of my situation. Grabbing the blanket around my shoulders, I stood from the chair and moved to sit beside Isaac, my body turned so that I was facing him. "Why is this happening?" I asked, my head leaning to the side against the back of the sofa. I blinked tiredly at him.

He smiled affectionately and pushed the hair from my face. "I don't know, Audra," he breathed, his voice soft. His warm eyes made me want to curl up next to him and fall asleep, like a kitten. "You're safe here," he assured me. I nodded, knowing that almost nothing could get past both Isaac and Ethan. I scooted closer to him, letting myself relax in his company. I could feel his hand on my leg, his thumb rubbing back and forth comfortingly. I closed my eyes, my body exhausted from the day's exertions and my mind weakened by the constant questions and concerns reeling.

I felt a shift of the weight on the sofa and then felt a cool hand on my face. When I opened my eyes, Ethan was sitting in front of me and Isaac was nowhere to be seen. Ethan must have noticed me look around for him, because he said, with a slightly sour tone, "Getting cozy with Isaac, huh?" I gave him a look and he smirked. "Don't worry, he's still here. He's just giving us a moment."

"Is this where I get yelled at?" I asked, hoping that if he had anything to say he would get it over with so I could go to sleep.

"Actually, yes," he said flatly, his face stern. "What were you thinking?"

I shook my head, looking away from him. I couldn't admit why I didn't want to face him. Because I was too nervous to see him again? Because I was still angry that we'd fought and then he'd left without ever telling me? Because I had just started believing again that I hated him?

"Audra," he commanded, his hand reaching out for mine. He caught my wrist brace instead, and he was obviously caught off guard by it because he took a few moments to look over it. He looked back up at me, his eyes becoming less strict. "How could you go out there alone?"

I stood up from the couch and turned my back on him, walking over to the patio doors. "I don't know what I was thinking," I lied. "I just needed to get out of the house."

He stood too, though noiselessly. "Couldn't you have just gone out with Mary and Hanna?" He asked, a hint of frustration touching in his voice.

"I didn't want them to know," I explained exasperatedly. "Don't you get it?" It wasn't my fault, for reasons unknown, a vampire had decided to hunt me.

"Yeah, I get it," he mocked me in irritation. "If you're going to be stupid enough to try and run away again, at least bring something with you," he advised, close behind me.

"I'm not stupid," I hissed, turning to face him. "I just didn't want to see you."

I felt bad as soon as I said it. For a moment, so brief it might not have even existed, he looked hurt. "You were willing to put yourself in danger just to avoid me?" He shook his head and looked away, taking a deep breath to control himself. "Damn it, Audra," he sighed.

"Well it's not like you left when we were on the best of terms," I muttered. "Not to mention, you were kind of just gone when I woke up." He didn't say anything, so I turned back to the windows. "I didn't know what to expect when you got back," I admitted. I crossed my arms and looked out into the dark. The trees swayed in the wind and I shivered a little.

I could feel him closer behind me, an arm's reach away. "You're still angry with me?" He sounded annoyed. "Jesus, how long do you hold a grudge for?"

"Forever, if I have to," I grumbled quietly, though still sure he could hear it.

"Well, you can't be that mad," he said, instantly his suave self again. I could practically hear the smirk in his voice. "I left you flowers." I rolled my eyes at his typical male thought process. Suddenly his cool breath was on my neck, just light enough to tickle the tip of my spine. "Besides, you must have missed me at least a little bit," he teased.

"Nope," I replied without hesitation. If I didn't know the truth, I would have believed myself.

"Not even a little?" He pried, his hands snaking onto the sides of my waist.

"No," I answered again.

"Then how come I smelled you in my bed?" I wanted so badly to whip around and whack the grin I knew was on his face right off, but he was right. How was I supposed to deny it? "I knew it," he said, spinning me around to face him. Of course, he was smirking triumphantly, his golden, knowing eyes staring deeply into mine.

"I don't want to talk about it," I told him, looking away as a blush crept onto my cheeks.

"What if I told you I missed you too?" He asked, his teasing dying down slightly.

"I'd call you a liar."

He chuckled, a deep noise from his chest. For a moment, his teeth even peaked through his smile, and I inhaled at the sight of his genuine, happy smile. It was hard to stay angry with someone so beautiful.

"Where were you?" I asked, sounding more timid than I'd hoped.

Without releasing me, he looked away from my eyes with a heavy sigh. "I was making a few preparations with my mother."

I eyed him in confusion. "Preparations?" He simply nodded. "For what?"

"A party," he informed, his hands falling from my waist. When I gave him a pointed look, he elaborated, "For my birthday."

My eyebrows shot up, "Really? When?"

"This Saturday, the first of the month." He moved closer to the window, his back to me as he peered out. I wondered if he was searching for something.

"Is that your real birthday, or the day you…" I wasn't sure how to ask such an odd question.

"The day I became a vampire." He turned to me suddenly, a small, joking grin on his face. "I'm turning 26."

I rolled my eyes, not able to help the smile making its way onto my face. "Oh wow. This is what, the one hundredth time?"

He looked at me sideways, his dark hair casting shadows over the side of his face. "Actually, this will be the one hundred and seventeenth time," he corrected me. "I'm appalled that you didn't remember my birthday."

"Technically, it's not really a birthday."

"Mmm," he agreed. "More of a deathday." I noticed his smile starting to fade as he once again moved his gaze back to the window. I felt accomplished, having somehow gotten him to open up. It was so much easier to live with him when he was like this; when he was boyish and playful.

"I think I'm going to head up to bed," I told him, not sure if he cared but still letting him know. It seemed like the polite thing to do. Besides, he was being civil thus far, so I figured he deserved the same from me. He'd earned it.

"That's a good idea," he nodded. "You need your rest for tomorrow."

Why was he always leaving me confused? "Why? What's tomorrow?"

"Shopping," he answered, looking at me as if I was stupid. "You don't have anything to wear to my birthday celebration."

"I'm going?" I asked, feeling genuinely surprised at the invitation (which was more like an order). "Why can't I wear the clothes I have?"

"Of course you're going," he scoffed. "I can't leave you here alone. And you need something a little," his eyes wandered over my attire: my dirt stained jeans and plain gray t-shirt, "nicer."

I felt slightly embarrassed; it wasn't like I had dressed up to run away or anything. I grimaced at the thought of having to ride in the limo uptown and waste my precious time going from shop to shop, but knowing that I would get a little girl time alone with Hanna stopped me from full out protesting. Though, I still wasn't quick to accept. "Fine."

His eyebrows rose momentarily and I heard him mutter, "That was easy."

"Am I dismissed now?" I sighed, shifting my weight impatiently with my hand on my hip.

He nodded and asked, "Are you angry with me again?"

I gave him a look that clearly stated I was and spun on my heels, walking fast enough to get out of the room before he could say anything else.