61
“If you don’t say it he might think you don’t care and find someone to marry at the ball.”
Silence filled the room after my comment. It looked like Fiona was struggling on what to do. Finally she sighed, tugging at a piece of her hair. “Fine… I… I love Sebastian,” she rushed.
I shook my head, grinning like a maniac. It was fun playing Cupid. “Nope, say it louder.”
“I love Sebastian.”
“What? I can’t hear you?”
She glowered at me. “Really?”
“What?”
“I love Sebastian!”
Taken aback by her sudden shouting, I jolted back. Her face was completely red and her shoulders were heaving. Without warning, the door to the bathroom opened. I turned my head to tell the person it was occupied, but my breath caught when I noticed it was Sebastian.
How cliché…
“Oh my god!” Fiona cried, her eyes widening.
“Fiona,” he started, his face completely blank.
She turned on me. “Emily!”
“I didn’t know he was there!”
“Fiona!” Sebastian repeated, moving toward her.
“I’m sorry!” she cried, putting her hand down. “Excuse me-”
“Fiona, wait!” Sebastian demanded, twisting on his heel as Fiona disappeared from the bathroom.
I stared after her, my mouth hanging open. That wasn’t exactly what I planned. Sebastian was staring at me, flabbergasted. I shooed him with my hands. “Go! Go get her! I told you, Sebastian! Now get!”
After a moment he nodded, stepping back into the restaurant. With his hand on the doorframe, he paused, turning back to me. “Thank you, Emily…”
“It’s no problem,” I responded with a smile, mocking saluting him. “Go get her back.”
He grinned. “Vincent’s alone at the table. The waitress is trying to flirt with him.”
Nodding, I quickly hurried out of the bathroom, shutting the door after me. It only took a few moments for me to locate our reserved table. Vincent was sitting at his, crossing his arms, a grumpy expression on his face. Grinning at the sight, I slowed my pace to a crawl to keep him waiting. When he noticed me, he beckoned with his finger for me to hurry up.
“What took so long?” he demanded as soon as I was close enough.
“Oh, you know, just helping a friend out,” I responded with a smirk.
He frowned. “Don’t tell me…”
“Don’t you think Fiona and Sebastian are meant to be?”
He dropped his head back and groaned. “I knew it.”
“What? You should be happy for them!”
“I am,” he told me gruffly, avoiding my gaze, “but I also know what this is going to cause. I’ve had enough trouble for a lifetime.”
I stuck out my chest. “Good thing you have plenty of those.”
He rolled his eyes. “Whatever. This is a good thing I guess. No more awkward tension between the two.”
“Don’t you think they’re just so cute together?” I gushed excitedly. “It’s like a fairytale! They get to live together happily for forever! You know, because they’re both vampires! If Fiona was still a human, she’d die…” I trailed off, realizing my words. An uncomfortable feeling washed through me. Human’s died…
.
.
Vincent seemed to be guessing my thoughts. “Are you afraid of dying?”
His question took me by surprise. “Huh?”
“Are you afraid to die?” he repeated.
“Oh, um, yeah. Who isn’t?” I responded, cupping my elbow with my hand. “It isn’t a pleasant idea, but it happens to everyone.”
He hummed his response, his sapphire eyes smoldering into mine. “Do you want to die?”
My heart skipped a beat. What was he thinking? Was he planning on asking me if I wanted to become a vampire? Was that what was hidden behind his words? “N-no I don’t, but I-I mean I guess I have to one day. I hope it’s when I’m old and wrinkly.”
“I see,” he said, grinning. “Old and wrinkly? Ew. I won’t want you then.”
“Hey!”
“It’s true.”
I fake scowled at him. “You could be at least friendly about it!”
“You want me to lie?”
“You’re so annoying!”
“Wouldn’t it be creepy if I said I wanted an old woman?” he pointed out, giving me an eye roll. “Think about that seriously, Stupid.”
Crossing my arms, I let out a huff of annoyance. “Whatever. I don’t want to think about getting older. I’m still a ripe, prime seventeen year old.”
Vincent suddenly grinned maliciously. “Jail bait, huh?”
“How old are you again?” Was it mean that I couldn’t remember?
“I’m-”
“In human years!” I added quickly.
He smirked. “Nineteen. I do believe I told you that before.”
“I forgot,” I admitted bashfully. “Sorry.”
“Don’t apologize,” he told me, reaching over to gently knock his fist against my head. “Humans have weak minds.”
I wrinkled my nose at him. “I don’t, remember? You can’t erase my mind.”
He shrugged. “You’re a Blue Blood, remember? You’re already different than everyone else.”NôvelDrama.Org owns all content.
“I still age the same.”
“Yeah.”
My stomach twisted. Yes, I still aged the same. That meant I’d look much older than Vincent one day. When I was thirty, he’d probably still appear to be at the same age as he was now. But I couldn’t become a vampire. I couldn’t change into one of them! I didn’t belong with them. But…
“What?” Vincent demanded when he caught me staring at him.
“Do you want- ah!” I gasped, cutting myself off. I couldn’t ask him that! What was I doing? What was I thinking? There was no way I was ever going to become a vampire! Even if Vincent wanted me to change… it just couldn’t happen! “Sorry, it’s nothing,” I finished lamely.
He gave me a suspicious look. “You sure?”
“I… Yeah,” I murmured, sending my eyes downcast. “It’s nothing important…”
“Whatever.”
“Vincent?”
“What?”
“Would you like me even if I was thirty years old?”
He cocked an eyebrow. “No?”
I chuckled in relief. “Oh, okay.”
“Why would you even ask that?”
.
.
“I just figured if you were like Edward I’d be too creeped out to keep dating you,” I explained.
He scoffed. “Please don’t ever compare us. You would have to be crazy to be attracted to an old lady.”
“What if you really loved me?”
“I couldn’t ever love you that much.”
I gaped at him in disbelief. “Wow! You really are a jerk!”
He snickered. “Yeah, and?”
“I can’t believe you! That’s so mean!”
“Look,” he said flatly. “If I really loved you, do you think I’d let you continue living on as a human?”
I opened my mouth to reply to him, but found I couldn’t say anything. For some reason, I felt disappointed. Did that mean he didn’t love me? No, I thought, shaking my head. Of course he didn’t love me. We’d just become a couple. That would be silly…
But still I felt a little put out.
“Of course,” he continued when he realized I wasn’t going to say anything, “you’re still a little young, so I’d wait until your face matured before I did anything.”
“Yeah, we wouldn’t want you looking like a pedophile,” I remarked slyly, smirking again.
He shot me a dirty look. “I don’t look that old.”
“Or do you?”
“If I did, would you really think I’m handsome?”
“Who said I thought you’re handsome?”
“You don’t have to say it. It’s obvious. I’ve looked in a mirror before.”
Laughing, I shook my head at him. “Try not to be too pompous.”
He suddenly flicked something at me. “Here.”
I glanced down at the table, startled to see a red rose on it. For a moment I was too stunned to move. “A rose?”
“Haven’t you read the story? A Rose for Emily?”
I shook my head, picking up the fragile flower. “This is unexpectedly romantic.”
“It was Sebastian’s idea.”
“Figures.”
“Doesn’t it count that I went along with it?”
Well, since it was Vincent… “It does,” I decided. “I wouldn’t expect you to come up with something like this. What’s the story about?”
He smiled wickedly, an amused glint to his eyes. “An old lady sleeping next to a dead body.”
Immediately I tossed the rose away from me. “Ew!”
He chuckled. “I’m kidding, it’s just a creepy love story. That’s just the ending part.”
“What do you read?” I muttered, snatching up the rose again. It didn’t relate to the story… and it was too pretty to waste. “Thank you though.”
“Your welcome,” he mumbled, looking away from me. “Oh look who it is,” he said before I could comment about his embarrassment. “The future King and Queen have returned.”
Following his gaze, my eyes landed on the two vampires who, to my great satisfaction, were holding hands. My heart jumped a little in joy. Fiona caught my gaze and grinned happily. I just smiled back at her.
“Have our drinks came yet?” Sebastian asked, trying to act like nothing happened. “It’s been awhile.”
“No, they haven’t,” Vincent told him. “It’s a good thing too. Maybe you’d like to share one with Fiona instead.”
Sebastian scowled at his brother while Fiona blushed. I nudged Vincent in the side disapprovingly. He just laughed to himself.
“I’m sure you wouldn’t mind sharing one with Emily, since you two have shared spit before,” Sebastian retorted casually, obviously proud of his smart comeback.
This time it was Vincent who glared at his brother while I felt my face heat up. I could tell it was going to be a very long night.
__________________________________________