DESI
Scout’s facewas buried deep in my chest as I stared up at the dark ceiling of her bedroom, post-sex.She was snoring lightly, and her body had gone heavy.
We had taken little to no time after I had given her the ring I’d bought her to undress each other and head to the bedroom. I worshipped her body like the goddess she was, and in return, she offered me the most intimate parts of herself, her body, her soul, and her heart.
“I’m sorry I was late.” I kept my voice low, afraid to wake her. “I’m sorry for a lot of things lately, but mostly about not seeing you as much as I want to. I’d give anything to be here every day with you.”
She sighed and snuggled deeper into my bare body.The look on her face when I gave her that ring was engraved in my mind. She was so surprised and overjoyed. It was a beautiful thing, being able to do that for her. I wanted to see her face like that all the time.Bitterness crept into my mind as the reality of my situation returned to the forefront of my mind.
Aleida.
She was the persistent thorn in my side.
I’d felt nothing when I’d proposed to her.
I thought I had her when her father confronted her about her Bloodshed lover.I had no idea she was cheating on me, let alone with an outcast of our community. I told her dad I’d think about it and left quickly with Aleida in tow. In the car, she confessed everything and begged me not to kill him.
“It’s just a fling! It’s nothing! Desiderio, please, don’t take this job. I’ll end it.”
I just drove. On and on, past both of our homes, out of the city, until my gas ran out. I filled my tank again and turned back to go home.
“A Bloodshed? A fucking Bloodshed?”
“It’s not what you think! He didn’t know suicide would make him turn. He was in a bad place and simply wanted out. He was miserable as a vampire until he found me. Just meet him, you’ll see!”
“You want me to meet your lover?” The audacity of Aleida was shocking, but not surprising. She was used to getting everything she ever wanted. “I don’t associate with Bloodsheds. Where did you even meet one?”
The vampire community was tight-lipped and small as it was. It was rare to find a vampire with ice-blue eyes. The risk they posed to the world if humans discovered they could possibly activate the vampire gene in them by suicide was too high to be welcomed.
“A dance club. He was hiding in the shadows. Most of his eternal life, he’s spent in hiding, but no more, Desiderio. They are just like Bloodborns. They’re misunderstood.”
“What’s there to misunderstand?” I pulled into my driveway and shut the car off. “He killed himself. He chose to become immortal, while we aren’t given that option. We watch all the people around us grow old and die, and he thought it was fun. I’m not misunderstanding anything.”
I stepped out of the car and tossed my hands up. “Go, go see your Bloodshed boyfriend. I don’t want anything to do with that sad sack of shit.”
“Desiderio!” she wailed.We fought until morning. I wasn’t entirely sure why.I begged her to leave me for him, but she was adamant that we could make it work.
“My father would never let me marry him. And I love you! I was just lonely. Turning before you has been miserable,” she complained. “Once we’re both vampires, things will be different. It’ll just be you and me again.”
But it wouldn’t be.I didn’t have the balls to tell her yet, but our future had nothing to do with her secret lover, but with mine.
So instead of telling Aleida the truth, I took the job her dad offered.
I looked at Scout, still so warm and soft. In ten months, this would all be gone. Warm embraces, day dates, dinner at her place. I kissed her hair and smelled the shampoo and hairspray.
“I wish I could take you with me,” I whispered.Despite feeling confident in her slumber, I only spoke aloud things that wouldn’t give my reality away. To her, I was probably talking about the work I told her was keeping me busy. To me, I was asking her to have vampire blood in her.
Impossible.
Eventually, I managed to fall asleep, and sometime in the morning, I awoke to the smell of sweet batter and bacon.I climbed off her mattress and slid on my discarded boxers. I should have packed a bag, but the entire day had gone so chaotically, I didn’t have time.
“More food?” I laughed and came into the kitchen, where she stood in front of the stove, wearing just a T-shirt, and flipping pancakes.
“I can afford food. Sit and I’ll get you a plate.”
“Merry Christmas.” I kissed her and ignored her demand in favor of the coffee pot on her counter. I grabbed a mug and poured myself a hot cup.
“Merry Christmas!” She threw up her hands. Along with her hands went her spatula and a pancake. It flew through the air and landed on the floor with a splat!I went over to embrace her from behind.
