Jamee's Books

Saturday, September 25, 2021

Chapter Seven, Determination

The darkness doesn't seem as dark as before, everything seems so crystal clear, and the sounds are so vivid. I can hear everything in high definition. I've walked and walked for what seemed like an eternity, and I have no idea where I'm going yet, but I know I must get as far away from here as I possibly can. My heart breaks as I know I will never see Chris again. I still love him despite everything that has happened. I want to hate him, but I find that I miss him more and more the further I get. I push those feelings back as I have made my mind up. I was so tired of everyone trying to do what they wanted with me that I was going to make my own destiny and do what I wanted with my life. I didn't know what the future had in store for me, but I was going to try to make the best of it.

My new condition had me concerned because I didn't know much about it at all. All I knew was that we could survive on food and could deal with day or night, but the blood thing was going to be my problem. If Chris had not forced me to drink his blood, I would have refused. I know I craved it, but still, how was I going to deal with it on my own. I would never want to take anyone's life and defiantly don't want anyone to know about me. If what he says is true about me being the last female of my kind, that would explain why I was being hunted literally my whole life.

It was weird having teeth like this all the time. I keep biting my lip and trying to hide them when I went to talk was going to be a challenge. How did Chris do it? I never noticed his teeth before, and then it hits me. That's why he never kissed me any deeper than what he did. I would have surely discovered the secret that he was hiding from me. My anger grows when I think of how he betrayed me.

I finally get to a small family store, and I got to get something to eat. I feel like I'm wasting away, but I must be very careful. I look in the window to check my appearance. I didn't know what made our eyes red, but that would give me away. I could hide my teeth, but that would give me away for sure. I head in, trying to keep to myself. The store is pretty much empty other than a few people not paying me no mind. I walk over and grab water out of the cooler and then grab a bag of chips and then a sandwich out of another cooler. As I head to the counter, I pass by and see some hair dye. I get the idea to try to change my appearance, so if I did run across Chris or my uncle, I would have a chance to get away without them noticing. I grab for blond since my hair was brown; this would make a difference. I make my way to the counter, keeping my eyes down as I pass everyone. I place my stuff on the counter, and the clerk rings it up.

"That will be twenty-four dollars maim," she says. I reach in and pull out my wallet and hand her the cash. She hands me my change, and I get my bag heading out without having to say anything.

When I get outside, I let out the breath that I was holding. I walk around the corner and sit on the curve, placing my backpack and bag beside me. I start with the water first, then finish off my chips and sandwich, which was yummy but a little bit of a challenge. It's going to take me forever to get used to these teeth. How in the world did he do it? I shove all the empty packages into the bag and push it into my backpack. I got to find a bathroom to dye my hair. I wasn't looking forward to it because I loved my long brown locks of hair. I walk around the corner, and I see the public bathroom sign. I head in and lock the door behind me.

I got to be quick, but this was going to take some time to do. I would hate to mess my hair up and make me more of a site to spot out. I pull the box out and read the instructions very carefully. I put the gloves on and massage the contents into my hair. I look in the mirror, and I look like an idiot. I hope this works. I place the little bag over my head, waiting for it to set while I timed it. The twenty-five minutes seemed to take forever, and I could only pray no one had to use the bathroom while I looked like this. Finally, it was time to rinse it out. I pull the bag off and place my head under the little facet in the bathroom. As the water runs over my head, I can see the coloring run down the drain. When I think it’s all washed out, I ring it out as best as I can. I pull out my brush and brush it out in the mirror. My brown hair was now blond, which made me look pale, but it defiantly changed my appearance drastically. After I get it, all brushed out, I pull out my hoodie and place it on pulling the hood over my wet hair. With one last look, I unlock the door and head out, leaving the store behind.

When I reach the next town, it's a small town with a lot of small businesses. The neighborhood was smaller than what I just came from, and I wondered what I was going to do about a place to live. I knew I needed to get a job, but that was going to be a little difficult with these dang teeth, but I had to do something. It's almost daylight, and I got to find a place to rest. Walking through town, I see a local park, and there are woods nearby, so I head in that direction. I step back into the woods where it looks like no one normally goes and set my backpack on the ground. I lie on the ground and use my backpack as a pillow. I drift off in a troubled sleep.

I wake with a jolt as my body jerks. Usually, I was always waking up with nightmares, but this time I wasn't sure what exactly woke me up. I stretch out with sore muscles and set up taking in my surroundings. It's still dark, and I'm still tired. I sit there for a little bit watching the stars and find myself slipping, falling, and tumbling in my dreams of what seemed to be a never-ending battle of love and hate for Chris. His hazel eyes that now are fire red haunt me. I can't wrap my head around what he told me, and none of this was making any sense to me. It didn't matter what he said we were, I was a monster, no different from the bloodsuckers in all the stories I read when I was a child. I didn't know what my future held, but it sure scared the hell out of me.

I see myself as if I was looking at another person. I'm wearing a red dress with spaghetti straps with a slit running up my leg. I'm going somewhere, but I can't see it. I follow in her wake as she heads to............ Chris! What is he doing here?

“Don't go, stupid girl,” I shout.

She pays me no mind as she runs into his arms. He pulls her close and glares down at her with his red eyes and fangs. He moves her hair and sinks his teeth into her neck, letting blood trail down her neck, then down to her dress. I turn away and run, leaving them in the distance. When the scene changes, I see these evil creatures that are chasing me, trying to kill me when I see my uncle in the distance. I stop and look for another route to take, and when I think I have just outrun them both, I run and see Chris. I stop with panic on what to do now. I'm surrounded by monsters with no possible escape. I watch them all coming from different directions and freeze in fear of which one will reach me first and rip me apart.

Panic sets in as I wake with arms grabbing me. My eyes spring open and its Chris, and he's got me over his shoulder carrying me like a sack of potatoes.

"Put me down," I yell as I kick my legs and beat my hands on his back. "Leave me alone!" I yell at him.

"You can't be alone right now," he says as his grip tightens around my thighs.

"You have no right," I yell.

"I don't care, Kristen, you can hate me all you want, you are vulnerable, and whether you like it or not, you need me," he says.

"I don't need you; I can make it on my own," I huff as I dangle from his shoulders.

"Oh yeah," he says, in one swift motion I'm set on my feet face to face with him.

He drops my backpack on the ground, and I'm stunned by his reaction. He reaches over and bites his wrist, letting the blood drip to the ground. My mouth goes dry, and I know I want to drink from him. I step back and cover my mouth.

"You are not playing fair," I say as my throat burns.

“Exactly, you are not going to be able to do this on your own, I will teach you," he says as he picks up my backpack, then hosts me over his shoulder again making me squall out.

"I can walk on my own, thank you," I yell as I hang upside down.

"I'm not taking any risks on losing you again. I've already lost you twice, and I will not do it again. I will tie you to me if I have to," he says as he marches on.

We get out of the wood line, and I see his car parked on the side of the road. He opens the back door to his car and slings my backpack in the seat. He closes the door, then reaches for the front passenger side door, once he opens the door, he puts me on my feet. With utter defeat, I climb in the front seat and give Chris a glare of disapproval. It doesn't seem to faze him as he reaches across me, buckling my seat belt. His scent hits me, and I close my eyes, trying to shut out my body's reaction to him. Shutting my door, I watch him walk across the front of the car heading to his door. He climbs in, starting the engine without even looking at me. Taking a glance, he pulls out and we're on the road heading to god knows where.

"So, I'm your prisoner now?" I ask.

"Kristen, you're not my prisoner, I just need to explain a few things to you, so you understand what's going on. You are overreacting, and I need you to know the truth," he says as a way of explanation.

"I think you have told me enough to where I have made my mind up on wanting nothing to do with you," I tell him, making him flinch.

"Try to keep an open mind," he says as he turns up a driveway.

"Where are we going?" I ask.

"My house," he replies.

"So why even pretend to be a teenager and befriend me, just to lie and betray me?" I ask.

"Think about it Kristen, if I told you the truth the first time, we meet do you think you would have even given me a chance to show you a part of this world. You would have exposed me and you leaving us venerable to the hunters that will not give up till they find us and wipe us out of existence," he tells me.

"Well, you could have at least told me something to hint around to it after you let me fall in love with you only to...... I say as he cuts me off.

"Stop Kristen, I know you are angry with me but don't push my patience," he says with a tone that shuts me down completely. My heart sinks as the Chris that was so sweet, and kind was now someone I didn't know.

Chapter Six, Awakening

I wake up, and I'm so relieved to finally be out of my nightmare. It was so different this time, Chris was trying to kill. I let out a breath, as I try to calm my nerves when my attention all a sudden is drawn to the sounds of the insects singing in the night. Then a beating sound drowns out everything else. It's a heartbeat that's beating fast with almost no breathing. Panic sets in as I sit up in my bed, drawing my covers tight around me. I dare not look because I'm afraid of what I will find. I let my eyes scan the room, and when I see Chris in the far part of the room setting on my vanity chair, I stop breathing. Then with the realization of what just happened, I find myself awake in my nightmares.

Tears run down my cheeks again, but I make no move. Was he one of the monsters that I was running from? Could he be one of them that wanted me at my uncle's house that night? Was he one of them that were in the basement ready to finish me off and finally found me? If he was, then why didn't he finish me off when we first meet, instead of letting me fall in love with him? My feelings are mixed towards him. I'm scared and feel betrayed by the one man I thought loved me. When I look closer at him, he looks distraught with a haunted look on his face. I can't imagine why he would be upset. He was the one that attacked me, and I'm not sure what he did to me because I'm not dead.

He stands up and starts moving toward me, and panic sets in. Before he can get close to me, I have wedged myself up against the wall to try to stay away from him. He stops mid-step; he looks hurt by my reaction. I really don't care how he feels, this man is a monster in its true form. He runs his hand through his hair, and when he looks back at me, the pain is there again, and his eyes blaze red.

"Stay away from me," I shout as I throw my hands up to defend myself.

He looks horrified, he slowly takes a step backward. My heart is racing, and all my senses are in overload.

"Please," he says.

"Don't," I shout. My throat goes dry as if it just became a desolate desert dying for just one drop of water. I grab at my throat as to try to stifle the flames that burn.

In my distraction, Chris manages to get right in front of me. He grabs me, and I don't have time to even protest or fight him. He takes my head and pushes it toward his throat, desire overtakes me. His blood, I want his blood, I want to have it......"No," I shove at him.

He pulls back just a fraction and bites into his wrist with his pointy teeth, my mouth waters. Why did he have to go and do that? I'm so confused, but he makes it so clear when he pushes his wrist to my lips. The blood runs down his wrist as he holds it in front of me. My mouth waters and the smell of his blood is overwhelming. I take his wrist into my mouth and suck, a frenzy sets in, I can’t get enough, it’s drowning me in a bliss that I had never felt before. I feel like an animal ready to consume him, all of him.

He pulls his wrist out of my hands, leaving me wanting more. He leans towards me and licks my lips, cleaning up his spilled blood. My mouth drops, and he leans back. He shifts off the bed, walking over to the window. He doesn’t look at me, just stairs out the window that reflects the golden locks of hair that hangs down the sides of his face. Reality hits, and I find myself angry at just the sight of him. "What did you do to me?" I demand.

He looks over at me with those hazel eyes of his that melt me from the inside out. He looks like Chris, my Chris, that I have always known, and it’s painful. I decide to let him explain what he just did to me, now that he finally snapped out of his maddened state.

I leap off the bed, darting toward him. He turns as I collide with him. We fall to the floor, with him on his back. I’m on top of him, hitting him in the chest with my fists as I cry. He lays there, letting me hit him, he never once tries to stop me.

“Why, why did you do this to me. I loved you, and you betrayed me like this. You're cruel.” I slowly stop hitting him as all the emotions overrun me. I’m angry, sad, and broken all at once.

“I’m sorry,” he says in a whisper. His eyes are full of tears as he looks up at me. His hazel eyes bewitch me, I can’t look at him. I get up and move to the other side of the room. I stare at the wall as my heart pounds in my chest.

I can hear him get up off the floor. He stands in the same spot, motionless. I can hear him cry softly. My heart breaks, I want to run to him, but I can’t. I feel myself trembling all over, I try to calm my racing heart, as my mind runs wild.

Time seems to stand still as the silence in the room is defining. He hasn’t moved or said anything since I moved off him. Every now and then, I can hear him sniff. I can no longer take the silence. I dart toward the door, only to be blocked by Chris.

“Leave me alone,” I shout at him. I got to get out of here, I can’t bear to be near him.

“Let me talk,” he says as he regards me with pleading eyes. Those damn eyes. I turn away from him, I can’t do this. The panic sets in, and I can only see the window. I take off in a fast run that takes Chris off guard. I jump, hitting the window with full force. The glass shatters as I go right through it. The glass cuts through my arms and legs as I clear the window frame. Shit! I hadn’t really thought this through. I’m now falling from my two-story bedroom window, with nothing to stop my fall. I hit the ground with a sickening sound. My arm lights up with pain, I roll over to see my arm twisted in a horrible angle.

As I get to my feet, I hear Chris jump from the window, landing only a few feet from me. I turn to see him walking over towards me with angry red eyes. I step backward, as my throat seizes up. I stumble back, but I don’t fall, Chris has ahold of my arm to steady keep me steady. In one fast motion, he has me in his arms. He doesn’t say anything as he walks toward the house. I know there is no way I can outrun him with my broken arm, and all the cuts on my body. He carries me up the steps to my room. He shuts the door with his foot before heading with me to the bathroom. He sets me down on the tub, giving me a look of anger that I have never seen before.

“Don’t move, I mean it, Kristen,” he says. He walks over to the sink, pulling the towel from the hook on the wall. He wets it, then walks back over to me. I sit quietly as he sets on the commode beside the tub. He takes ahold of my arm first. I winch in pain, as he starts cleaning off all the blood. I look at my arms and legs, I’m stunned with how bad the window cut me. I’m covered in blood, lots of blood.

He makes quick work on getting all the glass out of my cuts that run along my arms and legs. I don’t say anything, knowing he would probably scold me for the little stunt I just pulled. I was still mad at him for what he did, but the situation had me at a disadvantage. I stare at his golden locks that fall across his face as he leans over, working on my legs.

“Ouch,” I screech as he pulls out a big piece of glass.

“This is all your fault. What the hell were you thinking when you decided to jump out of a two-story window?”

I don’t say anything, I just look down at the floor. He stands, dropping the towel down at my feet. Before I have a chance to react, he has me on my feet. He starts to undress me, making my heart leap.

“What the fuck, Chris!”

“You’re a mess, you need a shower to get all the glass and blood off. I’m not taking any more chances.”

“I can do this myself,” I say as I pull the edge of my shirt out of his hands.

“Fine, I will be right outside the door, don’t pull anything. I will come in this bathroom, with you naked or not,” he warns. He walks out of the bathroom, shutting the door behind him. I can hear him lean against the door.

I pull off my shirt, very careful with my broken arm. The pain is intense with a burning, hot feeling. I try to keep it as close to a normal position as I can. I finish undressing, with a lot of pain. My arm is burning like it’s on fire. When I move my hand along the skin, it’s hot and red. I step into the shower, letting the hot water run down my head. I feel exhausted and want nothing but to wake up from this nightmare that seems so real. I watch the blood mix with the water on the bottom of the tub as it runs down the drain.

A soft knock on the door snaps me out of my trance. I look over at the door, waiting for Chris to come in. I grip the shower curtain as I watch the door.

“Kristen, are you ok in there?”

“Yes, don’t you come in here, I will be done in a few minutes,” I snap.

I finish washing up, satisfied that all the glass and blood is gone, I step out of the tub very carefully. I pull the towel off the hook that is beside the shower. I dry off as carefully as I can. Looking over the cuts on my arms, they are now almost closed. My mouth falls open. Tiny purple marks are on my skin, with some still fresh scratches. I know there were deep gashes on my legs and arms when I got in the shower. I remember watching Chris pull glass shards out of several deep wounds. I step over the blood and glass that is still on the floor to get to my bathrobe that is hanging on the bathroom door. I slip it on carefully, then walk over to the sink to brush out my hair.

I begin to brush my hair out a little bit rough, as I look in the mirror, a pale-faced girl looks back at me. I move my hair from my neck to see what he did to me. I still remember the pain, it felt like he was ripping my neck wide open. My neck has strange faint purple marks where I remember the pain. I run my fingers along the side of my neck, feeling the smooth skin.

What is he? What did he do to me? Is he a vampire? I’m running all this through my head when I hear my name. “Kristen.” My attention snaps toward the door. I reach over, locking the door. I step back, keeping my eyes on the door. My heart is pounding as the vision of vampires play in my mind. No, they are not real, no they can’t be real. Kristen, you have really gone crazy this time, I scream inside my mind.

“Kristen, don’t overthink things, let me explain,” he says through the door.

I feel sick to my stomach; my body feels so weak. I give in and slid down the wall, sobbing into my hands. I hear the doorknob rattle, and Chris talking. I don’t make out what he’s saying through my cries. The door shoves open, and Chris walks in. His eyes are stained from his tears, with a worried look.

“Kristen, calm down, it’s ok, I promise. Let me explain,” he says as he slowly reaches over, placing his hand on my knee. I can’t help the sudden uneasy, feeling his touch brings. I pull back out of reflex. His hand pulls back, he regards me carefully. Let’s get out of the bathroom, it’s covered in your blood, let me talk to you in the bedroom, please.”

He stands up, steps toward the door, waiting on me to move. I slowly get to my feet, slowly walking towards the door. When we get to the bedroom, I walk over to the bed. I set down, and my limbs grow heavy.

“How is your arm?”

“It still hurts, it’s been burning since I broke it.” I reflectively pull my arm to my chest.

“Can I look at it?” he asks as he holds his hand out. “Please, I will not do anything that you don’t want me to. I just want to make sure it’s ok.”

“It’s broke, there is nothing that you can do,” I say with a hateful tone.

“I know it is broke, it probably needs set before it finishes healing, it’s already healing fast,” he says.

“Fine, but if you do anything, I will scream bloody murder,” I warn.

“I promise,” he says as he takes my arm in his hands. Those strong hands that I loved to hold me. Now his touch brings me pain. His fingers move along my arm, and I want to pull away. He then let’s go of my arm. He steps back only a few feet, then looks at the shattered window. “I still can’t believe you actually ran through the window like that. Were you trying to kill yourself?” he asks as he looks back over at me.

“Honestly, I just wanted to get away from you, it didn’t matter if I lived or died,” I say with a little bit of hatred laces my tone.

Chris’s face falls, and he looks devastated. “Why, do you hate me that much? I know what I did was wrong, I hate myself for what I did, I was scared. I was scared that you wouldn’t except me for who I am and what I had to do. I was afraid you would leave me.”

"So, instead of talking to me, you just attack me like some dark scene out of a movie.”

“Kristen, I didn’t look at it that way. I didn’t plan this, I let my emotions control me. I grew weak and let my guard down. I wanted you in my world so bad that I didn’t think about how you would take it. We all have gone through this, so I wasn’t thinking.”

What are you?" I demand.

"We are Pure Bloods, you and me," he says as he turns back to the window.

"What does that even mean? You are not making any sense." My mind is running wild again. I can’t comprehend all this; the whole scene is a complete mess.

“You have to have an open mind to this," he says as he turns back to me.

"Fine, but if you even try to touch me......."

"Kristen, I will not touch you unless you want me too. I will not betray you ever again," he says with pain laced in his voice. This was enough betrayal to last a lifetime. He takes in a deep breath as he tries to think about where to start.

"We are Pure Bloods as I told you earlier, what that means is that I was not always like this. Before the awakening, you look, feel, and act like any other human would. When you are awakened, you look like me. Your traits of being a Pure Blood are asleep the whole time, so when you awaken, your human traits die, and your Pure Blood ones take over.

"Stop, wait. So, what you are saying is we are monsters, like blood-sucking vampires? Because that is what all this just reminded me of." I shout at him.

"Kristen listen, I will tell you everything, but you got to let me ease you into all this information, so you don't go into overload," he explains.

"I think it’s a little too late, don’t you? I want to know everything right now. No more waiting for this and that, I want it all," I yell at him.

He sighs and runs his hand through his hair. “We are not Vampires, but a unique race, I not sure how we came to be, but we are different, I promise. We are not monsters, but we are not human either. We still have our humanity, unlike half-bloods, that are what every human calls a vampire.”

"How did I not know? You were here in the daylight, and even ate regular food?" I ask.

“We eat regular food, and the sunlight doesn't bother us. I told you we are not like half-bloods,” he says.

"So why now?" I ask.

"Because I was waiting for you to love me for me and not because you had to."

"I don't understand, what do you mean when you say because I had to?"

"I will explain that later, you need to rest, your body has been through a lot.”

I flop back onto my pillows and cover my face with my hand. I'm so overwhelmed with everything that I begin to sob. Tears run down my cheeks as I cry.

"Don't cry. I know this is a lot to take in, but I will do as much as I can to help you through this. “Do you hate me?" he asks.

"No, but I'm confused about how to feel," I reply through my sobs.

"I opened you up to the real world that you belong in. I took the world you knew and destroyed it," he says. I sit up, and suddenly I feel bad.

"I don't know what to think about it all. I just wish I could have known about it first before it happened. Why could you not ask me if I wanted this or even talk about what you are? Why did you think it was ok to just turn me into whatever Pure Bloods mean," I shout as I wave my hands around in the air?

"I did what I had to because I could not take a chance of you changing your mind to be awakened. I thought it would have frightened you, I feared that you would have had no part of this world," he explains.

"Well I'm scared to death, and don't know if I want anything to do with you or your world" I shout at him.

“I feel like I have been running from everyone, and now the monster finally found me," I cry out.

"What do you mean you have been running from monsters?" he asks.

"I have not been totally honest with you. I lived with my uncle since I was a small child when my parents died in a car accident that left me alone. When you first met me, those injuries were from the man I thought was my uncle. He tried to kill me, and there were others. I don't know who they were. I never got to see their faces, I only heard their voices before I escaped,” I explain to him.

“They must have known who you were. They are called Hunters. They have been trying to wipe us out for centuries,” he says as his face fills with a concerned look.

” How did you know who I was?" I ask.

“I have known you since you were a child."

I jump up, face to face with him. "You're telling me that you have known me since I was a child," I shout.

He places his hands on my arms, making me jerk away from him. I walk over to the window and glare out into the darkness as my temper rises. "Were the last," he finally says.

"What?" I shout as I spin toward him.

"I told you that hunters were trying to make us extinct, and we are the last. I lost track of you after the accident, you were hurt from the accident. When I came back, you were gone from your bed. I have been searching for you since then," he says.

"I don't care if I was the last female on earth you should have talked to me first and been truthful with me. What if I had not chosen this for myself? It's my life, and I should have got to choose my own fate," I say with a sharp tone. "I need time to think about all this, and I just can't do it with you here," I manage.

"You want me to leave?" he asks with horror on his face.

"Yes, please, I think you have succeeded in destroying my life, so now you can leave me alone," I say with too much hate in my tone.

“That's fine, have it your way? You only see me as a monster anyway, so why do I even bother with you at all," he says as he storms out of the room.

I sit there numb, replaying everything that just happened. He is a monster I keep telling myself. He took your life from you and made you a vampire. I head into the bathroom to see what he did to me. I step in front of the mirror, and to my shock, I thought I would be covered in blood from what he did. I rub my neck where he bit me and I but don't feel anything. I should have a big gash, teeth marks or something there.

I move to the sink and look at myself in the mirror, and I'm stunned. There is no blood on me. How can that be? I felt like he drank almost all my blood. The only thing left to remind me of that night are faint purple marks where his teeth pierced my neck. I look at my skin, and it looks perfect. I don't even need makeup; this is a plus. I smile at myself for the first time, and my teeth make me freeze. I move closer to the mirror. I have fangs, teeth that vampires do. My finger runs over one of them and nicks my finger. In fascination, I watch the drop of blood form on my finger then drop into the sink. Out of reflex, I put it in my mouth and suck the blood off. It stops only seconds after I did it. A little purple mark only remains. Ha, another perk to this. Perfect skin, healing ability, and teeth like Chris.

“Vampire," I mouth at myself.

Now with everything that was going on already in my life, I had to deal with this. I felt like I was losing my mind. Times like these I wish I had my mom here to hold me and tell me everything was alright. I'm sure if what he is telling me held any truth in it at all, my parents would have told me about it. They would have prepared me for this. I was just slung into this with no warning at all. How could he not warn me? I replay Chris attacking me, and it hurts me. Everyone in my life that I have ever loved has attacked me. I don't want anything to do with him right now, and I don't feel any safer here than I did when I was at my uncle's house.

With a heavy heart, I head back into the bedroom and grab the backpack that I kept in the closet and place it on the bed as I dig some clothes out of the dresser. I pack a few clothes and then head to the bathroom once again to grab a few essentials. I put everything in my backpack and pull the phone out that Hannah gave me. I had talked to her last week, and I knew she had planned a trip down to see me, but I couldn't stay or have her in my life and endanger her any further. I place the phone on the dresser and zip the backpack up.

I go to leave, but the thought of not leaving Marie a note seemed cruel. She was so nice to take me in when I was a mess that I owed her a little bit of an explanation. I grab my pen and a piece of paper. "Marie, you have been so kind, and I will never be able to repay you for your kindness. You were like the mother I never had. I've got to head back and sort out my life, I hope you understand why I must leave so sudden. Tell Hannah hi, and I'm sorry I could not be here when she comes. Thank you, Kristen. I head downstairs as quietly as I can and place the note on the table. Walking out the door, I take one last look as I close it and head out into the darkness.

My emotions are all over the place with all the new changes that I have gone through since Chris turned me into what he calls a Pure Blood. I'm so torn, leaving Chris and Marie, but I know I don't belong in their world. Tears streak down my cheeks as my heartbreak comes back, rearing its ugly head. All the betrayal from everyone that I had ever loved was becoming too much for me to bear. I cry softly as I head down the driveway in the middle of the night.

Friday, February 19, 2016

Chapter Five, Betrayal

Chris puts the car in park in the driveway, like he has done every evening after school. I unbuckle my seat belt, then scoot over to him. I take his face into my hands and kiss him. His lips respond, igniting my desire for him. He deepens the kiss, letting his tongue finds its way into mine. I moan into his mouth, and he pulls back, leaving me stunned.

"Why did you stop," I say in shock.

"It's not you Kristen, I just don't want to go too fast," he says as his face falls, I can see that he is torn.

"I'm not like other guys, it’s not the right time," he explains as he pleads with his eyes. They look sad, and I find myself hurt. I have known from the start that he is different; it’s just a kiss. Maybe I read him wrong all this time. Maybe he’s not that into me like I am him.

When will it ever be the right time?" I ask as I move back over to my seat.

He sighs, "trust me when the time comes, it will be right and right now being not the time."

My frustration boils over as the rejection starts to consume me. I go to get out of the car, when I feel his hand grab me by the waist, pulling me back in. He turns me toward him, then pulls me over to him. His strength takes me by surprise. His hands find my face, and he pulls me to where we are touching foreheads.

"Don't read bad things in this. I just want it to be right, that's all," he says as he closes his eyes, and a sad smile plays at his lips.

I feel bad now, "I'm sorry; it's just that I have fallen in love with you." I gasp when I realize I just let my true feelings slip. I'm shocked that I finally got up enough nerve to say it.

I fell for him long ago; it probably was love at first sight. I held this secret in for so long, and now I just let it slip. His eyes spring open, and his eyes look almost on fire. He closes them again, and I sit there waiting for him to say anything.

"Say something," I urge, as I shift in my seat. I want to run. This feels so awkward. What if he doesn’t feel the same way. Did I just scare him off? I start to panic.

"That is what I was waiting for," he says as he leans over to me, taking my face into his hands. He then places a kiss on my forehead. I'm holding his hands that cradle my face. "That is music to my ears, I was hoping you felt the same way," he finally says.

"You love me too!" I say, almost in shock.

"Yes, I have for a while now. I just wanted you to love me, too," he tells me.

This is a revelation, and I'm now grinning from ear to ear. He pulls me to his chest and cradles my head. "You are so special to me. You will never know how much I love you," he says. I’m wrapped in his scent that is intoxicating, as I listen to his heart pounding in his chest. I don’t want him to ever let me go. I wrap my arms around him, pulling him closer to me when I hear my name.

"Kristen!” Shit, why does she do that? I pull away from Chris to see Marie waving at me from the porch.

"I got to go before she comes out here and pulls me out of this car. You know she will," I say with a laugh. He kisses me quickly on the lips before I get out of the car. I run toward the porch with pure adrenaline coursing through my veins at his admission to me.

I finish getting ready for bed. I grab my phone to send Chris a message. I’m thrilled that we took another step in our relationship. I love you. See you tomorrow. I send the text with a smile on my face. His text comes only a minute later. I miss you already. I love you too. See you tomorrow. I know I’m grinning like an idiot as I read his text message several times. I place my phone on charge next to the bed, then slip under the covers. I can’t wait until tomorrow. I close my eyes and drift off.

Screams rip me from my nightmare as the same images that I see every night haunt me. Trying to calm myself I slip out of bed to head to the bathroom like I always do, a moving shadow moves in the corner of my eye, freezing me where I stand. I slowly back as far away as I can in the opposite direction. I only come aware of the wall when it stops me dead in my tracks. I'm looking around for inspiration for a possible escape. My heart races as I start panting like a trapped animal ready to be had. I want to scream, but I'm too scared. It's them, they found me, I got to getaway. I got to run, but my feet are frozen. I have no way to escape this time, and if I scream, they will get me before Marie could come to my aide. If she would even recognize it from my usual nightmare screams.

My fear rises, knowing I have no other choice but to confront them. I find my voice, "Who are you? What do you want?" I choke out as I stay planted against the wall.

The figure of a man moves toward me, I'm in full-blown panic mode. Chris comes from the shadows, the moonlight lighting up his face. Everything evaporates, and I feel totally drained with relief that it's him. He's not saying anything as he approaches me. He’s not acting right. Something must be wrong. I catch a glint of red on his face making my heart leap, is he hurt?

"Chris, why are you in my room in the middle of the night," I ask as I move off the wall. He stops but doesn’t look at me. He doesn’t say anything. "Chris, talk to me," I demand.

I go to step in his direction to seek answers, but before I get even a foot forward, I'm pinned against the wall by Chris. He's got my wrist held with his hands, and his face is past my face leaning on my shoulder. His body is holding me in place, and I cannot move. I can feel his body tremble, but his sudden actions have me scared. The last time I had someone holding my wrists, was my uncle. I don’t like the feeling.

My adrenaline is at its peak, and my heart is pounding against my ribs. I try to calm myself down. "What's wrong?" I whisper.

I can feel his heart pounding in his chest, and he's panting. "Please talk to me, you're scaring me," I plead with him. I can only figure he is waging a war within himself because he hasn't moved. "Chris," I shout.

He jumps a little as if I had finally snapped him out of his trance. His words come out in a sad whisper, "Please forgive me for what I'm about to do."

"What?" I say, as my mind goes blank and fear spikes through my body.

He moves his head down in a fast motion toward my neck. He releases one of my wrists to grab my head to pull it to the side. I take the opportunity to try to push against him, but he's too strong. I freeze when a sharp pain slices through my neck. It burns and stings as if he was ripping my neck wide open. I cry out as the pain radiates from my neck. I find his hair and grab a handful to try to pry him off, but he only grunts and continues to suck my neck. I feel something warm drip down my neck, and the situation becomes like a nightmare. He's drinking my blood.

Am I still asleep in my nightmares? My Chris would never attack me like this.

"Please, stop! Chris stop! You're hurting me," I scream, pleading for him to stop.

He releases my other wrist as he wraps his arm around my waist, he draws me closer to him, holding me in place. His lips are on my neck, not the way I had ever imagined they would be.

"Why?" I ask in a soft whimper, as I grip his shoulders to try to keep myself steady, I can slowly feel my body grows weaker from the blood loss.

My legs are getting weaker, and I know if he doesn't stop, I'm going to die. "Stop this, you don't drink blood! What's wrong with you?" I beg.

He continues to suck on my neck, and I know it won't be long before this man that I loved so dear, takes me out of this world. Tears run down my cheeks as I try to keep the good Chris in my mind, not the monster that he's become that was now set on killing me.

"I love you," I say as a sob overtakes me. His body stiffens, then I feel his mouth leave my neck.

He doesn't pull back to where I can see him, which is a blessing, because I did not want to look at the monster he had become, all covered in my blood. I can't bear to see him like that, it would rip my soul apart.

"Kristen, trust me, I have to do this," he says almost in a whisper.

This didn't make any sense because now that he knew my true feelings, he was going to kill me. I was so stupid! A foolish girl with only a dream, and now it was going to get killed.

"Why?" I plead.

"It's your destiny," he says and then sinks his teeth into my neck again, making me scream out in pain once again.

I try pulling and pushing at him, but I have no strength now. I feel myself slipping into the abyss, and the darkness is getting closer. My knees give way, and my body slides only a fraction down his body before his arm pulls me back up. He continues to support my body with his arm that is wrapped around my waist. He cradles my head with his other hand as he continues to suck my neck.

He pulls away and shifts to where he's now carrying me in his arms. My head wobbles back and forth against his chest. He walks over to the bed, placing me down gently. The bed shifts with his weight as he sets down beside me. I can feel the tears still running down my cheeks as I cry. I look over at Chris, and it's like seeing him for the first time.

His eyes are fire red, which rocks me to my core. It looked like he was consumed by fire on the inside. His face is sad, he looks down at me, and his mouth is still stained from my blood. He reaches over to wipe a tear from my cheek, making me flinch in fear. I plead with him with my eyes. I can’t bear to be touched by him. His hands have hurt me, I want nothing to do with him.

"Please don't be scared," he says as he strokes my hair as if to soothe a wounded animal. I can only imagine what he sees in my eyes.

"Try to keep an open mind. I will show you a world that you never knew existed," he says as he sits up and pulls his sleeve up.

"What are you?" I ask with fear laced in my tone.

He says nothing but looks at me with sad fire eyes. He sinks his teeth into his wrist, and blood flows from around his mouth, leaving a trail down his arm. He pulls back and looks over at me.

"Please don't fight me," he says as he sinks his teeth back into his wrist.

When he pulls back, his blood runs down his chin. He scoops me up, and I'm face to face with him. He places his lips on mine, and my eyes grow wide. I'm so confused that I kick my legs and my arms try to push at his shoulders. He parts my lips with his tongue, the warm blood flows into my mouth with a metallic taste. I try not to swallow, but as he assaults my mouth, it slides down my throat, threatening to come right back up. His tongue continues to caress mine as his lips move. It's erotic but sickening at the same time. He finally pulls back, and his eyes still burn red, this time, I see the pain in them.

Only earlier he told me he loved me and now he betrayed me. He drops his head down, making his blond locks fall forward. "I'm sorry," he says with pain in his voice.

I say nothing, I have nothing to say to him. He looks up, and there are tears in his red eyes. Why would he betray my trust like this? I go to look away, only to be scooped into his arms. He buries his face into my neck, making me push him away.

"Don't," I say, I'm cut off as my body starts to jerk, my head goes back, and my arms and legs thrash around violently. I'm on fire, and all I can do is scream.

I can feel my body thrashing around, he must have known this was going to happen. I can't do anything but be a prisoner to my own body. Every cell explodes with fire as if I'm being ripped apart. My screams are deafening screams I had never heard before that claim this night. My head burns, and I find that I can't breathe. I try to suck air into my lungs, but they will not fill. I'm suffocating and burning from the inside out. I can't bear anymore, I want to die, I want it to claim me. I want this all to end. Everything goes black.........................

Chapter Four, Chris

I head outside to the backyard. There are different colored flowers arranged throughout the backyard. I make my way down the steps and into what looks like a garden. Walking down the rows of flowers, I can't help but run my fingers along the tops of each flower. I can only imagine how much time she has put into this garden. I round the corner and run smack into something solid. I stumbled backward and hit the ground.

"Are you alright," shouts a male voice. I open my eyes to try to focus on the figure in front of me. "That was a hard fall, I'm sorry," he says again.

Before I can say or do anything, he offers me his hand as my vision stops swimming. When our fingers touch, an electric spark shocks me making me pull back.

"Ouch... I say out of surprise.

"Static electricity," he mumbles.

I take his hand again as he pulls me off the ground. I feel the world tilt a little as arms wrap around me to sturdy me.

"I'm sorry; I must have fallen harder than I thought. I will be alright; just give me a moment," I say.

When my vision clears, I take in the guy that has me in his arms. He has long, sandy blond hair that hangs past his ears with hazel eyes that are staring down at me.

"Hi, I'm Chris," he says, taking the silent moment away.

"Oh...I'm Kristen," I reply. I step out of his arms and straighten my shirt.

"I've never seen you around here," he says in a cool tone.

"I'm staying with my aunt for a little while," I reply as I try to regain my composure.

"So, how long are you staying?" he asks.

Who is this guy, and why is he so interested in me? I can't tell him the truth behind the reason why I was here. I had to come up with a story and fast.

"I'm not sure how long I will be staying here. I know it will be for a little while," I tell him in hopes that would be enough information for him to stop all the questions.

"I think I know your cousin. I do believe her name is Hannah; she usually stays here during the summer," he says.

"Yeah, that's Hannah," I reply.

"Out of curiosity, what happened to your face?" he asks as he goes to touch my cheek.

"Oh, it's nothing," I say as I step backward out of his reach. That didn't last long; he was all curious again.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to be nosy. It just looks like it hurts," he says as his eyes soften. Now I felt bad for being so snappy that I wanted to tell him how my uncle wronged me, how he turned on me and did this to me. I couldn't let myself slip up.

"Yeah, it was an accident; that's why I'm here," I tell him.

"I'm sorry," he says as he steps closer to me. My heart almost stops at the closeness of him. I could smell his scent as some strange pull to him made me uneasy.

"No need to be sorry, it's fine," I tell him as I step back a few steps in hopes he didn't notice.

"So, what brings you here?" I ask.

"I do work for Marie from time to time. I was coming by to fix her porch in the back," he says. "If you don't mind, I would love for you to keep me company while I work on them," he says with a grin. I turn to head toward the back of the house before he can see me turn red.

I watch Chris head out to a building that I didn't even notice was there before. He steps in and then comes out with a thing of tools. He walks over to the porch, setting the tools down on the steps. He starts pulling and tugging at the steps, testing them, I guess. Some wiggle loose, and others don't.

He stands up, pulling his shirt off, draping it over the railing of the porch. My mouth drops as I take in his fine-cut abs, his broad shoulders, and smooth chest. I feel so guilty for looking at him. I turn my gaze toward the garden before he caught me staring at him.

None of the other guys ever had this effect on me, not like him. We just met, and I wanted to get to know him, even though I was supposed to be in hiding. There was something about Chris that had me drawn to him.

"Kristen," he calls out.

"Oh, yeah," I finally say as I keep turned toward the garden.

"Can you hand me that hammer," he says.

I turn around, walk over to the tools, and hand him the hammer, taking in his beautiful body. Crap, I know I'm blushing, and I know he just saw it too; his grin told me so. I turn my back to him once again, trying to take my mind off him.

"All done with the stairs," he says.

"Marie will appreciate that," I mummer.

"So, tell me more about yourself," he says.

"Not much to tell, really," I say.

"How long have you known Marie?" I ask.

"Two years, I met her when I moved here. I have met Hannah, but this is the first time I have met you," he says.

"My parents wouldn't let me travel, the car accident left them hurt, so they thought it would be easier for me to recover down here," I tell him.

"Boyfriend?" he asks.

"You’re a little nosy, aren't you?" I say.

"Sorry, I was just curious. I meant no harm," he says with a horrified look on his face.

I felt guilty as soon as it came out of my mouth; it was too late. I had already stuck my foot in my mouth. I had to do damage control before I ran him off.

"No, it's me that should be sorry. I've been under so much stress lately that it's got me on edge. No, I don't have a boyfriend," I tell him.

"Really," he says with a pleased look.

"Since you are so full of questions, what's your story?" I ask.

His eyes grow wide, making me regret my question. Maybe it was something he didn't want me to know.

His face softens, "well, let's see, I have lived here for about two years now. My dad and I move around a lot, with my dad being in the military. He's been stationed here for a couple of years, and then I'm not sure where he will go. It's a good possibility he will stay here; he seems to like it. My mom passed away about ten years ago from cancer.

That was it; he didn't want to talk about his parents. I knew how painful that could be. I lost mine before I could even remember who they were. School is your average boring school. Of course, I'm in my last year, so I might want to think about going to college," he tells me. "Your turn, he says.

Crap! What can I tell him that won't run him off? Maybe the bad stuff I will leave out? I can do this.

"Well, I'm staying with my aunt for a little while. I was in a car accident a week ago, leaving my mom in a coma, and my dad has been by her side since then. My dad decided it would be better for me to heal here. I'm in my last year too, but they said school could wait. They will let me catch up when I get back home," I tell him.

I kept it short. That shouldn't raise any suspicions, and it explains why I'm not going to school and my poor face. I know even with all this makeup, he can still see the bruises.

"Want some tea?" I ask, trying to change the mood.

"That would be nice," he says as he finishes nailing the last step.

I head inside the house, almost slump against the counter as my emotions seem all over the place. I was taken by him but confused being around him. One minute I was sticking my foot in my mouth, and the next, I wanted to know more. I knew I should keep my distance from him, but I couldn't keep my eyes off him. I found myself drawn to him, a feeling I have never experienced with anyone else. I wasn't sure why, since I had just met him today, I wanted to be near him.

I shake my feelings, finally walking over to the fridge to get the tea. When I stand and turn around, Chris is leaning on the counter of the sink. I drop the pitcher, tea, and glass shatter at my feet.

"I'm sorry," he says as he runs over, scooping me up into his arms to lift me from the broken glass on the floor.

I'm face to face with him only a moment before he sets me on the counter. He lets go of me takes a few steps backward. His facial expression is confusing.

"You ok?" he asks.

"I think so. I'm so clumsy sometimes," I say to apologize for my accident.

"It's my fault. I scared you," he says as he reaches down, examining my feet to make sure there are no cuts.

"Well, what's the prognosis, doc?" I say with a chuckle.

"You're ok," he says as he stands. "You stay put. I'll clean this up," he says.

I go to protest; he puts his hand up to silence me. He grins as he grabs the broom and dustpan from the kitchen closet. He has it cleaned up in a few minutes while I watch him clean up all the broken glass. He dumps the glass in the trash and then wipes up the tea from the floor.

"See all done," he says with a grin.

"Is there anything you can't do? I ask with a laugh.

"I don't know, maybe," he says as he comes to stand in front of me, making my heart stop.

He moves toward me, and I stop breathing as he gets face to face with me. He reaches over to the side of my face, where he tucks a piece of hair behind my ear. I catch my breath as he slides his finger from my ear down my jaw.

He moves closer as he pulls my chin up to meet his lips that come down on mine. I gasp as he wraps his arms around me, pulling my body to his. His lips move slowly on mine, taking me hostage. I run my hands into his hair; as I go to deepen the kiss, he pulls back with his forehead to mine.

"Sorry," he says as he still holds me.

"Why?" I ask. "I shouldn't have done that, I got to go," he says as he pulls away from me.

"What?" I ask out of confusion.

"Tell Marie I will be back sometime this week to finish up," he says without looking at me.

He's out the door and down the steps before I can get out the door. I didn't want him to leave, but before I can make it around the corner of the house, I hear his car pull out of the driveway. He's out of sight before I can get to the street. What just happened? I'm an idiot; I just ran him away with what. What did I do?

I try replaying everything in my head, and I come up with no answers at all. It was him that initiated the kiss, and then it was like someone dumped a cold bucket of water on him. He wouldn't even look at me. I felt crushed as I head back around the house to put up the tools that were still laying out, his shirt catches my eye, he left without his shirt, how strange.

I reach over, pulling it from the banister, looking down at it as if I had a piece of Chris still here. I can't help it; I lift it, breathing in his scent, which takes me almost to my knees. He smells so good, why was he acting so strangely? I shove the thoughts aside, put his shirt in my room, then return downstairs to put up the tools before Marie got back home. I put the tools back in the building and go back inside to wait on Marie to get home.

I hear a car pull up in the driveway signaling Marie has come home. I head downstairs as she unlocks the door and puts some bags on the table.

"I have more bags to bring in if you don't mind will you put some of it away," she calls as she heads back out the door.

I do as she asked, and my mind drifts to all the articles I read and what the guy's name, Chris said today. This would be too weird for it to be connected to me in any way. I'm miles away from my home, and for there to be some sort of similarities seemed too weird to happen. I finish and sit down at the table as Marie sits down across from me.

"So, how was your day?" she asks.

"It was fine; you have a beautiful garden. It looks like you put a lot of work into it," I say.

"Well, when you live alone like me, you tend to find things to do to pass the time," she says.

"Oh, and a guy named Chris stopped by to do some work on the porch, he said he would come back later this week to finish it up," I tell her.

"I wasn't expecting him till later this week. Chris is a sweet young man," she says.

"How much do you know about him?" I ask.

"He a nice boy, helps a lot around here with the things I can't do. I met him a few years back when I was out doing some shopping. I broke down one day, and he helped me out. Ever since then, he's come around to help me with things that need fixing. I cook for him, and we sit around sometimes chatting," she tells me.

"What about his dad, have you ever met him?" I ask. "Well, come to think about it, no, I haven't he's a military guy that travels a lot, so Chris takes care of himself pretty much. He seems fine with it, much more grown-up than the other boys his age," she says with a smile. "I'm going to turn in for the night if you need anything, let me know," she says as she heads up the steps.

I clean up in the kitchen then head up to my bedroom. I get ready for bed, and my mind won't shut down. I look over at Chris's shirt that's lying on the bottom of my bed. There was something strange about him. There was a pull to him that I couldn't understand, and for some strange reason, I was missing him. I barely knew him, and it was as if I had been around him all my life, something familiar.

I flop back on the bed, pulling his shirt to my face as I breathe him in, a soothing feeling washing over me. What made him so different from any other guy I had dated in the past? You're attracted to him, your idiot, I scold myself. That was no surprise. There still was something else to him that made him so different. Pulling the covers up around me, I settle in for a night, hopefully with no more nightmares.

My nightmares have returned, and I am once more submerged into this world that haunts me every night. Darkness surrounds me, and I cannot see anything but the shadows that dance around me. The sounds deafen me with the piercing pitch that it takes me to my knees. I press my hands to my ears in desperation to mute the sounds, the screams.

The scream rocks me from my knees, and I find myself once again in the middle of the shadows that taunt me. I'm looking around, trying to find an escape. They have me surrounded. The shadows close in, and all that remains are pools of blood. I'm in the middle of it, and it covers me. "Whose blood is this?" I scream as I try to wipe it, it only makes it smear more.

"Leave me alone," I scream.

I jolt up in the bed with my heart pounding, and my skin is covered in sweat. I try to ease my heart and get my bearings. My screams must have woken me up. Marie comes busting through the door again with a haunted look on her face.

"You alright? she asks breathlessly.

"Yes, just another nightmare. I fear that I'm going too pulled into them every night till my mind eases," I say out of apology.

"It's alright, dear, I will get used to them," she says as she closes the door.

I head to the bathroom and splash some water on my face to wake me up a little. The nightmares were starting to take their toll on me night after night. I've tried to figure out why I was having all these nightmares. Maybe it was something from my past. Was there a missing piece to my past that was trying to surface. I settle back into bed and fear I will be dragged once more into one of these crazy nightmares. I look over at the clock, and it's three o'clock in the morning, and I'm exhausted. I settle in and try to fall back to sleep.

When I wake, it's morning, and I wiggle out of my covers that are wrapped around me like a vine. Heading into the bathroom, I hit the shower to get ready for the day that I have no plans for. The shower is very refreshing as I step out and head to the sink to try to get myself cleaned up. My face is getting a little better. I still look very colorful. The dark bruises were fading to ugly yellows and browns. I put the cover makeup on, and it covers a little better this time. I finish by fixing my hair to hang around my face to hide it a little better. "Not bad, Kristen, "I say to myself.

I found myself hoping that Chris would come by sometime today. I had my doubts about how he left yesterday. I could still hope. The morning drug by with an agonizingly slow pace. I was getting bored out of my mind with nothing to do. Half the day passed, and I was just about ready to give up when I hear a car pull up in the driveway.

I run to the window and see Chris getting out of the car, an amazing car for a teenager. He must do a lot of odd jobs, or his dad spoils him, either way, he was here, and I couldn't wait to talk to him. I run through the house and stop by the mirror in the hallway to make sure my hair and makeup looks ok. My face was getting a little better each day, without the makeup, I would look hideous.

I hear a knock at the door, moments later, Marie answers it. "Hello Chris, glad to see you again, come in," she says.

"Thanks," he replies as he looks at me standing in the hall.

He breaks eye contact when Marie offers him a seat at the kitchen table. I want to go in there, but I'm scared of his reaction to what happened yesterday, was he rejecting me. My heart sinks, and I go into almost a full-blown panic attack.

"Kristen, come join us," Chris calls out. Maybe not, I had to get myself under control and fast. I take a deep breath and head in where Chris is talking carefree with Marie. I set down and watch them talk, Chris looks over at me several times with a smile that makes my heart jump.

"Well, if that's all, I've got stuff to do, you guys have fun," she says, leaving me alone with Chris, who looks over at me.

"Sorry about yesterday," he says.

"What was that all about?" I ask.

"I thought I stepped over the line with you, and I felt bad about it," he says.

"Really, it was just a kiss, you went running and even left without your shirt, who does that?" I say.

He smirks at me and lets out a small laugh. "Apparently me, Kristen, I see how you saw it, it's a little bit more complicated than that with me. I haven't had any serious relationships, and well, you got under my skin a little, I just didn't want to make you mad," he says.

My mouth does a head dive, and I'm stunned. "You have never had any serious relationships before, you're a senior and no serious relationship, I don't know if I should be happy or scared about that," I tell him.

He laughs again, and it's distracting. "Why are you laughing? I'm really confused?" I ask.

"With everything that happened with my dad dying and my mom moving around so much, I never had time for any serious relationships. I never did the whole date thing either," he says.

"You're pulling my leg," I say with a laugh.

His face gets serious, letting me know he was telling the truth. He's so intense that I get overwhelmed, leaving me to panic again. I have no idea why, I stand up quickly, dart out the door into the backyard, letting myself cry.

"Why are you crying?" he asks as he turns me around to face him.

I can't bear to look at him after what he confessed to me. I felt like an idiot. He puts his hand under my chin to raise my face up to his.

"Why are you crying?" he asks in a soft voice. I meet his hazel eyes that regard me with worry.

"I was upset about how things went yesterday, you had me really confused, and now you tell me all this, which makes me feel so foolish," I tell him.

"You were upset?" he asks.

"I thought you were rejecting me after we kissed," I confess to him.

"No, just the opposite," he says. "Please stop crying," he says as he leans down, kissing both my cheeks. I gasp as I look up and see Chris grinning at me.

"I'm so confused?" I say.

"I know, it's ok, I understand, I just want to get to know you," he says.

He takes me by my hand with that electric pull like before, leading me over to the porch. He pulls me toward the steps to set with him.

"Tell me about your parents and your childhood," he says.

"My childhood?" I ask.

"Yeah, I want to know everything about you, that's a good start," he says.

"Well, I grew up as an only child, and my parents are normal parents," I tell him.

"So, what kind of accident were you in that left you so hurt?" he asks.

"I thought I hid it well; it was a car accident that left me bruised up and my mom in a comma. My dad is staying with her until she wakes up. He sent me here so my aunt could look after me better than he could for now. He didn't want me to stress out over the whole situation. He said he would call if anything changed. He calls on a regular basis to give me updates. So far, nothing has changed. They keep me updated on a regular basis, it's until she gets better," I tell him.

"So, when she gets better, you will go back?" he asks.

"Yeah," I reply.

"Where do you live?" he asks.

I didn't want him to know. I wasn't planning on going back there anyway, so I didn't see any point in lying to him about it.

"Kentucky," I tell him.

He seems in deep thought until I give him a shove. "Sorry, I was just thinking," he says.

"About what?" I ask.

"I've never traveled with my dad there before, but all around it," he says as he snaps his attention back to me. "I have a question, would you consider dating me, I know you will go back home when your mom gets better, I would really like to go out with you," he says.

"You want to date me?" I ask with a shocked tone.

"Yeah, I've never met a girl like you before. I would really like to go out with you," he says.

"Ok," I reply.

That was totally out of nowhere, never in my wildest dreams would I have ever thought a guy like Chris would want to go out with an ordinary girl like me.

He leans over, placing a small kiss on my lips, making me gasp. "Want to help me with this porch, then we can go out for a bite," he asks.

"Sure," I say with a giggle.

We make quick work on the porch, fixing the steps and railing in record time.

"Nice job, you two," Marie calls out as she brings us out some tea.

I sit back on my butt as Chris finishes putting all the tools back into the toolbox. Marie hands me a glass, then Chris.

"So, what are you kids up to for the rest of the evening?" she asks.

"I think we are going to get a bite to eat in a little bit if that's ok," I tell her.

"Yeah, that's fine," she says as she sips on her tea.

Chris grins at me as he heads to put the tools up. How did I manage to meet a guy like him, my mind couldn't wrap around the idea that he was interested in me? He could see through my bruises and broken soul. He didn't judge me. He accepted who I was, and that made him special.

"I'm going home to get cleaned up, and then I'll be back to pick you up in say an hour and a half," he says.

"OK, sounds good to me," I reply.

Chris grabs me into his arms, placing a kiss on my lips. It's a quick kiss, still a very effective one. He heads down the driveway, gets in his car, and he's off. I dart back into the house to my bathroom to get freshened up. I reapply my makeup, straighten my hair, then change clothes before Chris can get back. I head downstairs to wait for him in the kitchen. Marie is sitting at the table reading of her books.

She looks up with a smile, So you and Chris are hitting it off nice. I must say I'm stunned at how well he has taken up to you. Hannah has tried for the past two years to get him to go out with her, he was not interested at all," she says.

"Are you serious, Hannah failed to mention it to me," I say in shock.

"I figured that much, she's too proud to admit that a guy turned her down, but he did. He's really not her type anyway, I wouldn't mention it to her," she says with a giggle.

"Oh, trust me, not a word from me," I say with a serious tone.

"Do me one favor, try to keep a low profile, you are still in hiding," Marie says.

"Ok, I will," I say as a knock sounds on the door.

Getting up from the table, I walk over to the door looking out the little window. I'm greeted by a smile by Chris. I open the door, and he strolls in, carrying a basket and a blanket draped across his arm. I can't help the grin that spreads across my face.

"I figured instead of going out, that a picnic would be nice. Shall we," he asks as he reaches for my hand.

I take his hand, and there's that electric feeling again. He leads me outside to Marie's garden and picks a perfect place. He sets the basket down and spreads the blanket out, motioning for me to sit. He sits down next to me, pulling the basket toward him. He pulls out some glasses with a bottle of coke. I can't help the giggle that escapes my lips.

"What's so funny," he asks with amusement.

"Well, most would have wine, but you have coke instead." I giggle.

"Yes, that's right, but we are underage, remember. I'm not breaking any rules," he says almost too seriously.

My face falls, and now I feel like I have just insulted him. "I'm sorry."

"I'm just kidding; it was funny," he says as his laugh rings out. It's infectious because I find myself laughing right along with him.

He places some fruit and sandwiches out on some plates. "Dig in," He takes a strawberry and pops it in his mouth.

"Did you do all this by yourself?" I ask as I place a grape in my mouth.

"Yes, is that not normal for you?" he asks.

"No, I just think it's a very sweet gesture that most guys I have ever known would never know how to do," I say before I think about what I just said. I bet I look mortified, but his face doesn't show it.

"I'm not like most guys, Kristen," he says.

"I'm figuring that out," I reply.

We eat and laugh at each other as we talk, it feels like we have known each other for a long time. He's carefree and sexy as hell with his smile and those hazel eyes. The time passed quickly, and it was getting dark outside. "I better go," he says as he stands up, offering me his hand. I take it, and we are face to face. His hand brushes my cheek, and I can feel myself blush. Leaning forward, he places a kiss on my lips.

"I had a wonderful time," he says as he steps back and proceeds to pick everything up.

"Can I see you tomorrow?" he asks.

"I would like that," I reply.

"Good, I shall see you tomorrow after school," he says.

He heads down the driveway placing everything in his car. He backs out, and his headlights disappear out of sight. I head inside with my head spinning.

Days follow, then turns to weeks as my injuries have healed on the outside, I'm still torn apart on the inside. I still have nightmares every night, which I have come used to. They are always the same, and the result is never changing. Chris comes up all the time to spend time with me. We spend the days at Marie's on her porch, drinking tea, and hanging out. It was so nice to feel like life was returning to a little bit of a normal pace. Marie joins Chris and me with her tea.

"So now that you have got better, what would you think about going to school here to finish up the year so you don't get too far behind," she asks. The idea is a shock a little, and Chris is grinning.

"You could enroll in my classes. I promise I won't let you cheat from me," he says as he winks at me.

"I think that would be really nice, but are you sure it's ok?" I ask.

"I'll get it all set up tomorrow for you," she says, leaving Chris and me out on the porch.

"I can't believe she's going to let me go to school here. I guess my parents are willing for me to finish here," I tell him, hoping I sound convincing.

He puts his arm around me and pulls me into him. "Yep, now I can show my gal off to everyone," he says in a conceded tone.

"Show me off, I bet that you have all kinds of girls that swarm you at school," I say in a picking tone.

"I'm offended, Miss Kristen, that you would think I would have any other girl but you. You better take that back," he teases as he starts tickling me.

"I take it back," I squall out.

My first day was like any other new school day. I was nervous, and the other student's stairs made me uneasy. Chris helped me to each class, walking me down the halls with his arm around me, carrying my books. And just like he promised, we had just about every class together, which made it easy. Weeks go by, and I have made a few friends, which was so nice. I found Marie letting me go out with Chris and some of the girls.

My life was getting better, but the nightmares still haunted me every night, which I could not shake. I couldn't figure out why I was having them now that my life was better. I wasn't scared anymore now that I had Chris and Marie in my life. Chris. I could only wish my deep wounds would heal soon before it drove me mad. Marie even moved her room downstairs so she couldn't hear my screams. I didn't want her to suffer like me.