by Mary Abshire
A wave of heat swept over me. I blinked and turned my head. Jeremy's body was close to mine as he peered out the window.
"Looks like we'll be landing soon."
"Yeah," I said softly.
"Did you sleep well? You looked pretty calm."
"I did," I said.
My phone buzzed in my purse and caught Jeremy's attention. He reached down and snatched my bag quicker than I could.
"Give me my purse," I said, irritated.
He dug inside and withdrew my cell while I tugged my bag from him.
"Hey!" I reached for it and he yanked it out of my reach. Damn him. My blood heated as my irritation rose. I wanted to punch him.
"Who's calling you, Jessie?" His finger slid over the screen.
"It's probably Drake. Give it to me."
Jeremy held the phone out of my reach as he stared at it. The man was incorrigible. And he wanted me to run off with him?
"Well, well. It is Drake. And he says he is forty-two minutes away."
Leaning over him, I seized the phone.
He gripped my wrist, instantly burning me. "Care to explain what's going on?"
"He destroyed Dimitry and jumped the next flight out of Paris. He's leaving the VETOV."
His cold eyes glared at me while the heat singed my flesh. "When were you going to tell me?"
"I wanted to wait until we landed." I swallowed hard.
"Why? Why wait?" he asked behind clenched teeth. "Do you think this is a game? I offered to give you a new life and take you away from everything."
The pain in my arm intensified. I glanced down and saw my flesh turning from pink to red. "You're hurting me, Jeremy. Please, stop it."
"Are you playing me for a fool?"
I met his gaze. "My life is not a game. You know how much I love Drake. I always have. My heart yearns to be with him."
"You belong with me," he growled.
I painfully chuckled. "Belong with you when you burn me? When you threaten to kill me? When we constantly argue?"
He tugged on my arm, intensifying the pain.
"You're fucking hurting me," I said, louder.
He let go and I cradled my sore arm. The skin where he'd touched me was rose-colored with white blisters. Fucking asshole!
Lights above flickered, then an announcement came through the intercom. I heard the attendant's voice, but the words were unclear to me. Jeremy I continued to stare at each other. His heated, angry expression troubled me. I began to ponder more and more how he would react to Drake. Seatbelt secured, the plane started descending.
Jeremy leaned into my face. "He's a vampire. He only wants you for one thing. Well, maybe two. He's not any different from the rest of them." Sweat trickled down from his temple.
"You are wrong," I said in a calm voice. "He is not like them."
He sat back in his seat. "What do I have to do to prove to you that you belong with me?"
I stared deep into his eyes. Was he serious? Did he not hear me? How many times did I have to repeat what my heart longed for?
"I don't love you, Jeremy. You are a good friend. A friend. Can't you understand that?"
He chuckled. "I understand that if the bloodsucker was out of the picture, you'd gladly curl up in my arms."
I shook my head. "No. That is not true. I don't love you. You can't make me love you."
"Yeah, we'll see." He shifted his attention away as the plane descended more.
"What?"
He didn't respond. I stared at him, waiting.
The flight attendant appeared from behind us, in the aisle. She checked our laps and stopped. "Ma'am, you need to put your bag under the seat."
I quickly turned off my phone and obeyed her instruction. She'd moved on before I returned to sitting upright.
Clenching my hands in my lap, I thought about Jeremy's words. Was he threatening to destroy Drake? I couldn't let the demon do it. I had to stop him.
"You can't make me love you. If the feeling isn't there, it never will be. And if you hurt the man I love, you hurt me. I will never, ever forgive you if you harm him."
He stared straight ahead without blinking. I hoped my words sank into his thick skull.
The plane landed with a little bump and a quick break. My heart pumped rapidly, excited to see Drake soon and fearful to find out what action Jeremy would take against him. I hated to lose Jeremy as a friend, but if he couldn't understand I wanted to be with Drake, then I would turn my back on him.
The minute the lights flickered off, Jeremy rose and darted to the front of the plane. Passengers quickly stepped in the aisle to gather their belongings. I was blocked from pursuing Jeremy. Holding my purse under my arm, I waited for the line to clear. By the time I stepped into the terminal, Jeremy was nowhere in sight.
"Shit," I mumbled to myself. Had he left me that quickly? I didn't think he would, but he had. Maybe he had heeded my warning and decided to leave Drake and me alone.
Gnawing on my lip, I strode to one of the plentiful arrival and departure screens. Drake's flight wasn't far behind mine, so I searched for the next flight coming in from Paris. Once I spotted it, I found the gate number.
My anxiety rose as I headed down the long walkway, reading the signs. I couldn't wait to be in Drake’s arms again. Finally, we could settle down together. While I'd hoped Jeremy had left, the lingering heated energy had me checking for him everywhere.
The aroma of coffee drifted in the air along with a feeling of warmth. I stopped in front of the coffee shop and scanned the area, wondering if the touch of warm energy was from Jeremy. The airport was almost empty with only a few passengers strolling by with their bags and luggage on wheels. I still didn't see Jeremy, but I suspected the source of power I was sensing emanated from him.
In an effort to avoid an upset stomach, I purchased a bottle of water. As I set my purse on the counter to pay the cashier, the straps of my purse fell on my sore arm. Instant pain hit me and I cringed. The female cashier in a green apron commented on my burn and recommended I get it bandaged. After I paid for my water, I tipped her and left.
Once I located Drake's gate, I sat in one of the vacant seats. Carefully, I slid my throbbing arm out from my bag. The white blisters on my forearm were ugly and appeared ready to burst. I really did need to bandage it.
While I waited for Drake, I sipped on my water. The presence of warmth continued to tickle my flesh. I searched several times for Jeremy and never found him. I prayed he wasn't waiting to start trouble. I didn't want to lose Drake.
The soreness of my forearm was bothering me. Digging in my purse, I found the bottle of aspirin. I popped a couple of pills in my mouth, then washed them down. As I returned the meds, I gathered my phone. Warning Drake about Jeremy seemed like a good idea. I sent a text message to my vampire lover.
Outside, the sky slowly changed from a deep darkness to an indigo color. Once Drake arrived, we'd have less than an hour before sunrise. We'd have to stay the night in the city.
My cell buzzed, capturing my attention. The message from Drake told me to stay alert. I silently chuckled. Yeah, like I wasn't.
The time ticked by slowly. Anticipation rushed through my veins as I anxiously waited. When I saw Drake's plane crawling toward the gate outside, my heart leaped with joy.
I rose, purse in hand instead of over my arm to avoid more pain. After I trashed my empty water bottle, I paced around the lobby. My nerves were a tangled mess. I started to shake a little. I'd waited so long to be with Drake, to spend my life with him. I could hardly believe the sudden turn of events. The dream seemed just that, a dream.
My heart hammered excitedly as people stepped from the open door. One last time, I scanned for Jeremy, wondering if he would jump out at the last minute. Heaven help him if he did. I'd strangle him with my bare hands if he tried to hurt Drake.
As I turned to the terminal exit, Drake strode in. My soul sang a harmonious song as his gaze found mine. He smiled and it didn't take long for my eyes to fill.
A tear rolled down one of my cheeks as he drew nearer. Dreams can come true. When he finally made it to me, I wrapped my arms around him and squeezed my body tight to his.
"I refuse to spend another minute without you," he said softly into my ear.
Our lips mashed together and we kissed as if was our first time, passionate, longing, needing more. He was mine and I was his. Our love was our strength and we would endure through all the challenges we had to face.
A strong surge of heat blew over me. I broke off our kiss and peered around Drake. Through the lingering passengers, I spotted Jeremy approaching. The ill intent on his face warned me of danger and my happy expression suddenly turned upside down.
Drake noticed my change of mood. He twisted around to face Jeremy. "Stay behind me," he told me.
Jeremy balled his fists and strode forward. His cold glare gave rise to my fear he wanted to fight Drake. I couldn't let him.
I stepped around Drake. "Don't, Jeremy. Please, don't."
"Jessie"—Drake placed his hand on my shoulder—"get behind me."
But I didn't move.
Jeremy stopped a few feet in front of me. His gaze fixed on mine. He extended his arm toward me and I nearly flinched. "I came to say goodbye." He redirected his attention to Drake. "And good riddance."
Confused, I glanced at his hand and then him. He wanted me or Drake to shake his hand? No fucking way. I shook my head.
He lowered his arm and smirked. "I wouldn't touch it either."
"I'm leaving with Drake," I said. "Please, don't make this difficult."
"I won't." He inhaled a deep breath and scrubbed his hand over his forehead. "I care about you, Jessie, and to prove it, I'm walking away. We're done. In another life, we will meet again."
My breath stilled. Had I heard him right? He'd decided to leave me?
"Jeremy…I…" I struggled for words.
Drake stood by me and tugged me closer. His cool energy soothed and refreshed me. "I wish you the best, Jeremy. Somewhere out there, you will meet the right woman."
A smile spread across his face. "I already have." He looked pointedly at Drake. "Take care of her for me."
"I give you my word," Drake said with a single nod.
He stepped back and our eyes met one last time. Raising his hand, he waved goodbye. A tear rolled down my cheek as I waved back. Then he turned and walked away.
Drake snaked an arm behind my back, then planted a kiss on my cheek. "He did the right thing."
I breathed in his wonderful rosemary cedar wood scent and embraced his tranquil energy. Losing Jeremy as a friend was difficult, but necessary for all our sakes, and sanity. The man my heart yearned for was in my grasp. I was more than ready to spend the rest of my days with him.
"Let's go," Drake said. "I booked a room at a hotel for us."
Arms around each other, we headed out of the airport. While part of me felt sad to leave behind my friends and the life I once knew, the other part of me rejoiced to have my soul mate with me. Together, we could conquer any problem.
The End
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