The weight of his question hangs in the air as their eyes meet in an intense gaze. Hidden secrets are revealed, vulnerability shows up, and an unspoken truth hovers between them. Her heart begins to race as she breaks the contact, turning away with a crimson face. Her hands hold tightly onto the book as if trying to shield herself from the confrontation.
"You are, aren't you?"
Caleb's voice is more than just a relief statement, he is happy and excited at the revelation. Never in his life had he thought that there could be such a lucky coincidence like this. But here she is, standing in front of him not only the lovely maiden he adores but also the author that has seen through his heart and soul.
Her works, all of them, surround the theme of love and romance as if she is seeking out that love for herself. These books are the way to her heart, the longing for their meeting, the yearning to see him, the frustration of abandonment, and on top of all, the love for the man she holds dear to her heart.
That man is Caleb Vatore…
These stories, especially the one he gave her, aren't just tales about romance. They are the mirror that reflects the truth within her heart.
His hand caresses her cheek, making her flinch at the gentle touch and move back, getting away from him. Primrose holds onto the book tightly, refusing to meet his gaze. The shining onyx orbs are now glistering, long lashes wet with tears that are slowly falling down. Her emotion lays bare in front of him.
"Beloved…"
His fingers graze on her skin, brushing away the tears that are welled up in the corner of her eyes. Even when Primrose is crying, she is still beautiful.
"Can I hold you?"
Hearing this makes Primrose open her eyes. She looks at him, vulnerable and exposed. She is afraid… Afraid of how history might repeat itself, afraid of how the present is too good to be true, and afraid of how unknown the future is. The past heartbreak, the desire to reunite with the person she holds dear to her heart, and the fear of reopening her heart to that same person again.
Everything slowly unfolds in front of her as a sob escapes her lips when Caleb pulls her close, one hand caresses the soft raven locks while the other rests on her waist protectively.
"No…"
"It's okay, it's okay now…" he whispers in her ears, his words are tender and filled with warmth "These books are more than just mere romance stories, right?"
The book she has in her hand is no longer there and instead, resides on the shelves. Primrose's hands, while shaken, grab onto his clothes tightly.
"They are your feelings for me too…"
His shirt becomes wetter at the fallen tears and he can't help but be charmed by it. It's endearing, the way she conveys her deepest, most vulnerable emotions that reside within the walls of her heart.
"Beloved, look at me…" guiding her face up to meet his gaze, he feels his heart swell at the sight of her crying face, cheeks flustered adorably "Please, can we start over again?"
His question takes her by surprise as she stares at him with widened onyx eyes. There is still hesitation, her lips open and close, unsure of the words that begin to come out of them.
"I…You…You will leave again…" she speaks up, sobbing at each word "H-How can I know if you're not leaving this time…?"
Her question is filled to the brim with hope. Hoping that this connection will not come to an end like last time, hoping that it can turn into something else, something more beautiful than what they shared in the past. Her eyes, although teary, are the beacon of light and a new beginning. And just like Lilian said, she cries with eyes of strength he has never seen before…
They are beautiful. Everything about her is beautiful, her heart, her soul, her dreams, and so many more. This young maiden carries such a painful heartbreak and yet, her view of the world has never tainted. And here she is, giving him a chance to answer, to show her that within the darkness of her heart, there is still a light a the end of this tunnel.
"I promise you," his voice filled with sincerity, "I won't make the same mistakes again. We can take things slow, one step at a time. I'll cherish your heart, Primrose, and I'll never let go of you."
With his thumb, Caleb wipes away the tear and lets his hand linger against her cheek. Primrose's heart flutters at the gesture, his words hold true and the promise to always stay by her side. Her guarded heart is filled with worries, doubt, and so many what-if questions. But along with the initial fear, something more beautiful blooms within.
That little seed they planted together is now a beautiful flower that is bathed in the promises of love, hope, and a happy-ever-after ending.
"Primrose, my precious jewel, my beloved…" Caleb holds her tightly, his heart overflowing with love and adoration as he plants a tender kiss on her forehead "I can no longer live without you, for you are the one and only person who holds the key to my heart."
Without hesitation, she tightens her grip on his back, burying her face in his chest, her tears of relief soaking into his shirt. No more fear… This time, she is willing to take a chance, to open her heart to the person she holds dear.
"I like the color blue…I also like sunflowers…" she speaks up, unsure what she is talking about "I like spicy food, but dessert also sounds nice…I'm not good with potion crafting and…"
Primrose goes on and on, she doesn't know why she is saying all of this, spilling her heart out like that. But her words are like a bell ringing to Caleb's ears as he chuckles, nodding and humming to everything she says. The more she tells him about herself, the tighter his hold is on her. Such an innocent banter after a heartfelt confession brings a smile to their face.
"So…you guys are dating?"
Primrose stares blankly at her friend's question. Lilian has wasted no time asking her about this. News about someone who spots Doctor Caleb Vatore attending a company event with a mysterious woman has become the topic of gossip at the hospital.
"Gossipping?"
"Yup, gotta say but there are lots of heartbreaks happening today…"
Lilian chuckles, remembering how dreadful every female employee was when they found out about the news. Some even go as far as to confront Caleb about it, which he kindly denies talking about. His kind words serve as a knife cut through butter as silent screams can be heard far away, the screams of heartbroken ladies.
"Lilian, you seem to enjoy this more than anyone else…?"
"Oh Prims, you know me. Always the gossip enthusiast…" sipping on the frappe, she looks at her friend again "But you did not answer my question. So, you two are a thing now?"
"N-no…" Primrose blushes, rubbing her arm with one hand "We're actually getting to know each other…"
"Is that your way of saying we're getting married soon?"
"Lilian!"
Covers her friend's mouth with both hands, the raven head is baffled at her playful suggestion. She shakes her head, feeling embarrassed with those words and the brunette only giggles in return. It's always a fun thing to tease Primrose and now, she even has more reasons to do so. The thought of Primrose's flustered face and Caleb trying to calm her down is very amusing to see.
"But I do have something to share…"
"Hm? What is it?"
The young mage looks at her friend, unsure how to talk about it. She spoke with Caleb last night how she never mentioned about their secret history to anyone but Marlin and Lumera and how she wished to talk about it with Lilian since it was her who helped them open their heart. The vampire lord didn't deny her request and was grateful that she brought it up to him first.
So here she is, pondering her thoughts on how she can speak about that matter in a way that doesn't paint Caleb as a bad character in her story.
"Well, it's about Caleb and I. We…" she stops for a moment, gathering her courage before continuing "We actually had a history together."
Her words capture Lilian's full attention as the brunette stares at her friend deep in the eyes, brown orbs shine surprised and baffled at the revelation.
Primrose continues on how their story started and ended, leaving out details about supernatural aspects and just focusing on the broader scope of what happened. Lilian listens to her friend attentively, nodding and humming before her eyebrows knit together annoyingly when the raven head finally lets the cat out of the bag, talking about Caleb's abrupt departure.
"He did that to you?" she is shocked to hear this "He? The Caleb Vatore?"
"Yes, Caleb did it, but…"
She continues their conversation right after the hotpot the other night, when she confronts him about his decision to leave her. Lilian's face goes from confused, to angry, to understanding, and them sympathizes with what happened between her best friend and coworker. If the brunette has to be honest, had she known about the separation, she would never have introduced Caleb to Primrose, despite how charming the man is.
While she believes that everyone deserves a second chance to do things right, Lilian can not shake off the feeling that Caleb betrayed Primrose once. While he didn't do things that were deemed unforgivable, his selfish decision, whether it was for the raven head's best interest, leaves a foul taste in her mind.
However, it's not her decision to tell Primrose whether she should or should not cut ties with Caleb, especially when he shows very remorse and tries to make amends for his past mistakes. Besides, her friend is also taking a shine on the dashing surgeon and is willing to give him a second chance. Lilian is not really on board with the idea but she trusts Primrose and her judgment, knowing that her friend is more than capable of handling this.
"Well, I'm glad that you both are able to make amends and move on from the past."
"You're not angry?"
"Angry? Why would I?" her tightening grip on the drink said otherwise "You don't have to worry about me complaining to him, Primrose. I trust you and I know you always make the right choice."
Her friend's kind words somehow move her to tears as she begins to sniffle, pulling out tissues to wipe away the tears and cover her nose.
"W-why are you crying?"
"Oh, I don't know. It just…your words…and Caleb…and…and…"
Lilian giggles and hugs her friend tightly, knowing how emotional she is right now. To be able to connect with a past flame who shows her remorse and is actively trying to win her back, the brunette doesn't blame Primrose if she is a bit too emotional for that grand gesture of affection.
"But do tell me if Caleb is not treating you well. I'll make sure he will never see the sun again."
Primrose nods, smiling coyly. If Lilian knows about Caleb's vampiric background and how he is actually the lord of the most influential vampire family, how would she react?
Shaking her head, Primrose chases away the thought. Lilian is the only human best friend she has. She can't put the brunette in an awkward situation where she has to navigate through the world of supernaturals on her own like that, it would not be fair. Besides, refraining Lilian from knowing about Caleb's vampiric nature and her magical heritage is always the better option than just telling everyone everything.
Sometimes, there are secrets that must not be disclosed, and in this case, it's the world of supernaturals.
However, unbeknownst to Primrose, a tall figure just left the coffee shop. With dashing blond hair and striking blue eyes, Nathaniel grips his coffee cup tightly. He is here for a doctor's appointment and maybe luck is on his side because he is able to hear about this story.
The man who caused Primrose tremendous pain is also the one who tries to woo her now? And his naïve sister believes in those heartwrenching words?
"I can't let this happen…"
Pulling out his phone, Nathaniel calls his parents to speak up about the matter. He needs their voice and support if he wants to cut off this bound-to-break relationship between her and that bastard of a human, Caleb Vatore.
"Brother, you are surprisingly happy today!"
Caleb looks at his younger sister, Lilith, and can not hold back his smile. The news of his sudden return to the estate surprised everyone but they all welcomed him with open arms. He is the head of house Vatore after all.
Right now, he and Lilith are in house Vatore's rose garden, with white roses extended throughout the land, creating a vast white blanket that is a stark contrast to their centuries-old mansion. In Caleb's hands are flower seeds, particularly blue roses and sunflowers.
"What is this? You're doing some gardening?"
"Yes, I want to plant blue roses and sunflowers."
"That sounds so lovely brother." Lilith giggles, her brown eyes twinkling with joy "If I may ask, who are those flowers for…?"
There is hope on her face as she looks at her brother, wishing for the answer she wants to hear. It is when Caleb's lips curl up into a shy smile that she almost can not hold herself back and throw her arms around the young lord, congratulating him on his success.
"Don't get too excited, Lilith. We're getting to know each other right now." Caleb sets down the small flower pot "She is still quite a bundle of nerves around me."
"But Caleb, that is an amazing first step. I'm so happy for you, for both of you!"
"Thank you."
Lilith brings out another flower pot and gives it to Caleb as he puts the seed of blue roses into it. While blue roses are unattainable in the human world, here in Forgotten Hollow, they can be grown and harvested naturally.
"My, she must be an amazing girl for you to do this."
Caleb nods his head in agreement and continues to water the plant. Butler Richard will be very surprised to know that blue roses and sunflowers are sprouting in the white rose garden. When he finishes planting the seed, Caleb and Lilith return to their parents' resting places, each brings two white roses and lays them on the graves.
It has been a tradition of sorts to lay white roses on the late Lord William Vatore and Lady Beatrix Vatore as those are the Lady's favorite flowers. The vampire lord is very pleased to see how groomed and neat the graveside is, his parents' resting place must always be clean, no matter what the circumstances are. If it weren't for them, Caleb and Lilith would not be here today. Giving them white roses and cleaning the grave is the least they can do compared to their parents' sacrifices for them and the family.
"It has been many years, hasn't it…?"
"It has." Caleb nods his head, his eyes on the graves, tender and longing "They would be very happy to see how successful you are, Lilith."
The younger Vatore laughs softly, her brother has always been so humble about his life achievements to the point that she has to remind him of how much he has sacrificed for his family, just like how their parents were before they passed away.
"So, are you going to ask her to go to the Cent's family party?"
"I'm thinking about it…"
There is hesitation in Caleb's voice, as if he doesn't want to commit to this. After what Inna has said, he finds himself in the dilemma of whether he should get Primrose involved in this or leave her out of this mess. Knowing his beloved, she would hate to be left in the dark. But the thought of how she can be scrutinized by other noble vampires makes Caleb's heart sink. He doesn't want that to happen to her…
"You must understand Caleb, you can't protect her forever. If you truly want to pursue a relationship with Primrose, she must know what she is getting herself into by choosing to stay by your side."
Lilith's eyes are sympathetic to her brother. She knows Caleb is very protective of those he holds dear to his heart and in the case of this Primrose girl, it seems like he will go to great lengths to ensure that she will never witness this dark side of the vampire world. But he must know that any woman who attaches herself to him shall face this problem, whether they are vampires or mortals. Caleb can not hide this from her forever…
"Before you can protect her, she needs to know how to protect herself first. This prejudice around human and vampire relationships will not end and she must know her way to navigate through this." Lilith continues "It's hard if you have a vampire partner, but it's even harder for your human partner. She needs to learn and grow in this community, Caleb. If she can not prove herself worthy of the title Lady of House Vatore, no one will accept her."
Caleb pinches the bridge of his nose, he understands what he has to do, not only as head of house Vatore but also as a man to Primrose's heart. Lilith's wisdom shows him what he must do, even when it becomes difficult. But to put beloved in this situation…
Sighing, the young lord needs more time to think about this…