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"Do you believe me?"
His hesitation told me everything I needed to know. I shot up from the bed, knowing that I shouldn't feel so disappointed. No one who hadn't lived these past few days could be expected to believe the fantastical tale I just told. Yet, I had been naively hopeful that Simon would be the exception.
He rose and grabbed my wrist before I could go anywhere. "Caitlin, I didn't say I don't believe it. It's just...I'm still trying to get over finding you. And now you're telling me that there are these things called vardogers trying to kill us? To take control of our bodies?"
I shook my head, not looking at him. "I know it sounds crazy. I know I sound crazy. I don't expect you to believe me."
Simon pulled me closer, lifting my head up by the chin and forcing me to look at him. He looked concerned and anxious. "It's not that I don't believe you. I want to believe you. I just..."
He trailed off, looking at me uncertainly. "It's okay," I said tightly, trying to push away my disappointment. "It doesn't matter."
"It does matter," Simon replied fiercely, his blue eyes flashing with emotion. "Do you know how crazy I've been these past two days? I was so scared something had happened to you. I thought I was going to go out of my mind when I read the letter you left behind. Sarah thought...she thought that you had hurt yourself. I didn't know what to think. I just knew that you didn't trust me enough to confide in me. You didn't let me help you."
Tears pooled in my eyes at the raw emotion on Simon's face. He looked hurt and vulnerable, but didn't he realize I was grappling with so much more? The balance of good and evil was at stake and evil was rapidly winning out.
"Simon, I'm sorry I didn't tell you what was going on. But can you at least understand why I held things back? You say you want to believe me now, but I know you don't. I can see it in your eyes. And the thing is, I don't blame you. I wouldn't believe it if I hadn't seen it with my own eyes. But the last thing I need right now is to have to try and convince you I'm not crazy. My aunt is missing. I saw her friend killed and now her body is missing. I've had Claudia try to kill me, shadows are trying to overtake my body and my visions are driving me to the edge! That's all I can take right now!" I knew I was getting hysterical, my voice getting louder and more frantic, but I felt raw and exposed. And alone.
Simon embraced me, stroking my hair soothingly. "Shh, it's okay, baby. It's okay. I'm sorry. I'm trying to believe you. Just give me time, okay? It's a lot to take in."
I nodded against his shirt, taking deep shuddering breaths, trying to calm myself. I was wrong. I wasn't alone. Whatever Simon may believe, I knew he would always be there for me. Right now, that was enough.
"Caitlin," he whispered. I raised my head and he gently wiped away the tears that I hadn't even realized were streaming down my face. I held my breath as he lowered his head, my eyes fluttering closed when I felt the first touch of his lips against mine.
I was surprised that I could still feel desire with everything that was going on, but it swept through me fiercely. I wrapped my arms around Simon's neck, leaning up into him and eagerly returning the kiss. His soft lips gently grazed against mine, the pressure increasing until his mouth was slanting hungrily across mine, his tongue tracing the outline of my lips.
He groaned when I opened my mouth, welcoming the demanding strokes of his tongue, meeting them with my own. All the weight I had been carrying melted away and all I could feel was the surety that this was where I belonged—in Simon's arms.
Simon broke the kiss, breathing heavily. His blue eyes glittered with determination as he gazed at me. "I love you, Caitlin. And I'll do anything to keep you safe."
My heart swelled at his words. Even with everything, Simon still loved me. That, like nothing else, made me believe there was a chance that I could save all of us from the darkness. I had to believe it was possible. Something as beautiful as Simon's love couldn't be destroyed.
"I love you too," I said tremulously. Simon's eyes darkened at my words and he leaned his head back down, kissing me until I was breathless.
We were both panting when we broke apart. Simon smiled at me wryly, gently brushing a thumb across my lower lip. "Somehow, I didn't imagine that we would be standing in your aunt's bedroom the first time you said that to me."
I smiled back at him, feeling happiness for the first time in the past few days. My smile faltered when I thought about my aunt.
"What's wrong?"
"My aunt. I don't know where she is. She sounded so scared and frantic on the phone."
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"Have you contacted the police?"
I nodded. "Lenore said they wouldn't do anything until she's been missing for 48 hours. Even then, what could they do? It's a little out of their capacity."
Simon simply nodded and I wondered if he would ever believe me. I broke out of his grasp abruptly when I remembered the floorboard I had been about to investigate before I hid in the closet.
"What are you doing?"
I didn't look up as I kneeled and continued my previous attempt at pulling the floorboard up. "There's a loose board here. I think something may be below it. I've looked everywhere for my aunt's journal but it's nowhere to be found."
"Here, let me try." Simon knelt down beside me, digging his car keys out of his pocket. He used the end of one key to burrow between the floorboards, wiggling it back and forth until there was enough room to slip the tip of the key underneath the floorboard. He pushed it up and the board popped out.
I quickly lifted the board, peering inside the cavity. It wasn't very deep but it was dusty, and I wasn't exactly ecstatic about sticking my hand into a dark hole not knowing what was in there, but I forced myself to plunge my hand in. At first, disappointment struck as I just felt cobwebs and a few other things, whose identity I didn't want to know.
When my hand closed around smooth leather, my heart jumped. I pulled it out and was rewarded with a leather bound book, the edges worn and the cover faded.
