by Mina Carter
CHAPTER FORTY-TWO
SIX MONTHS HAD passed since the fateful incident with Matt, and Laurel found herself still looking over her shoulder. Matt was completely MIA, and the cops had no idea where he was. He had the mind of a cop, so he was laying low and not using any of his credit cards. He hadn't returned back to his house, which was under constant surveillance. He had completely fallen off everyone's radar, but Laurel knew he was watching and waiting for the right moment when she let down her guard.
She had spent a few weeks changing her name from Jane Walker to Laurel Parker on every piece of identification. The process had been long and arduous, but she finally felt whole with her real name.
When Laurel had woken up in the hospital six months ago, she had regained some of her memory back. Most of what she remembered was non-distinct things like her favorite foods, style of clothing, how much she loved Sebastian. But most of her memories were still behind a dark cloud in her mind. Occasionally, she would get a picture in her mind, and if she concentrated hard enough, she was able to hold on to it and decipher it.
Laurel was eager to ask Sebastian for more of his blood, but the subject was a touchy one since he was afraid of the effects on her. Every time she drank from him, she regained a piece of her memory. But along with it came an excruciating headache that sometimes would last for days. It was as if her mind was rejecting her past. She was able to regain some of her memories on her own, but it was a frustratingly slow process.
Sighing, she reached over the counter and fixed some of the garland that had fallen down during the day. It was a few weeks before Christmas, and Laurel had spent the better part of the week decorating her store. She had a newfound love for the holiday season.
A buzzer for the door sounded, and Laurel's eyes darted up. It had been Detective Robbins' idea to utilize a system that in order for someone to get into the store, Laurel had to push a button to unlock the door. That way there wouldn't be any surprise visits from an unwanted visitor, namely Matt.
Sebastian stood outside the glass door. Laurel reached over under the counter and pushed a button. He walked in and smiled, taking her into an embrace. He had been overprotective, to say the least, over the past six months. He dropped her off at work in the morning and picked her up at night, and he stopped by the store several times a day to check on her. But it was a compromise considering he didn't want her to go to work at all. And it was all because he knew the same thing she did --- Matt was coming back. It was only a matter of time.
"Are you ready to go home?" he asked.
Laurel nodded. Her home was now Sebastian's house. She didn't mind that arrangement at all, because she quickly found that she couldn't possibly stay in a house she was almost murdered in. "Let me get my things," she said.
She popped into the back room and bundled herself up in a coat and scarf. It had been freezing earlier in the day, and she was sure the temperature had drastically dropped since the sun went down. Lastly, she grabbed the strap of her purse. She fished the keys out from inside the purse as they walked outside, and she locked the door behind them. Big snowflakes fell from the dark sky, and Laurel wrapped her scarf around her face tighter. Sebastian wrapped his arm around her as they walked home, giving her a light squeeze. The town was lit up for the holiday season, and the streets looked beautiful covered in snow.
Once they were inside Sebastian's house, he helped remove her coat. She hung her purse alongside her jacket and scarf on the coat rack. "Did you remember anything else today?" he asked.
It was a question that he regularly asked her, and her answers were usually fifty-fifty. "I remembered one Christmas morning when I was a child."
"Oh?" he prompted.
"I can remember waking up really early, and the whole house being dark. I snuck down to the Christmas tree." She smiled. "I remember opening one gift in particular. It was a doll that I really, really wanted. I ran back upstairs and woke up my parents. They weren't as enthused as I was." She laughed.
Sebastian pulled her into his arms and kissed her forehead. "Now that sounds like a wonderful memory." Then his brow furrowed. "No headaches?"
"No." She hesitated and then said, "Even with the headaches, it's worth gaining the memories."
Sebastian released her and walked into the kitchen. "It's not worth it when I have to watch you in so much pain, Laurel. The last time earned you a trip to the emergency room for two days." He closed his eyes. "My blood is not helping you."
Laurel chased after him. "Yes, it is!" she protested.
Sebastian opened the refrigerator and sighed. "Do we have to fight about this every single day?"
She crossed her arms across her chest. "We wouldn't have to fight about it if you would just give in."
Sebastian cracked a smile and handed her a bottle of water. "Sure," he scoffed.
Laurel took the water. She was thirsty, and it wasn't fair that Sebastian could read her every thought and know what her body was craving. She opened the water and sipped at it as she walked into the living room. She didn't want to fight with him. The stress in their lives was enough without adding in arguments.
Sebastian sat on the opposite end of the couch from her. He flicked on the TV and pretended to be interested, but she knew better. Laurel slowly crawled over to him and straddled his lap. She put her hands on either side of his face and kissed his lips. "I don't want to fight with you," she whispered.
His hands rested on her thighs. "I don't want to fight either," he responded. He lifted the hem of her t-shirt, but then he paused. His fingertips outlined a scar on her stomach from where Matt had stabbed her.
Laurel could see and feel the hurt and anguish coming from him. She knew he felt guilty, but he had saved her life whether he wanted to believe it or not. "Sebastian, I'm all right," she reassured him.
He looked up at her. "I don't want to ever lose you."
"You won't."
"But I can lose you as long as you're still human," he insisted.
Laurel stared at him for a few moments. Was he suggesting what she thought he was? "Sebastian," she said, her voice just above a whisper.
"We could spend eternity together. You'll never be sick. You'll live forever…with me." He paused. "We wouldn't have to worry about Matt hurting you ever again."
Laurel's head was spinning. She barely knew who she really was, and now he was asking her to choose between becoming immortal or staying human and perhaps losing the love of her life. After all, that was the inevitable outcome of staying human. Sebastian would go on living forever. She released a shaky breath. Maybe he was having second thoughts. Why would he want to stay with a human anyway? She wondered if this was Sebastian's way of telling her goodbye. "I don't want you to leave me," she declared.
Sebastian cupped her face in his hands. "I will never leave you. I am here forever. If you don't want to become what I am, I respect that decision. I will be there for you no matter how sick you are or how old you are. And I will be the last person you see when you die if you choose not to become immortal. I love you, Laurel, unconditionally."
His words sank in slowly, and she realized she would lose him eventually even if it were because of her own demise. On the other hand, she could become a vampire and stay young and live with him for the rest of eternity.
"Don't decide anything right now. Just think about it," he suggested.
She nodded, not knowing what else to do or say about the matter. She wished she knew what her decision was before she lost her memory. She knew deep down she wanted to become immortal, but she was afraid of the consequences. However, the biggest consequence not to turn could be to lose Sebastian, and she didn't want to make the wrong decision.
* * *
Two months passed, and there was no sign of Matt. Knowing that danger perhaps wasn't lurking at every corner, Laurel found it was getting easier to relax and enjoy life.
One morning in late February, Ashley entered the store with the biggest smile on her face Laurel had ever seen. Ashle
y had been happier than usual since she had started dating Gavin. "What's your good mood about?" Laurel asked.
Ashley walked behind the counter and flashed a diamond ring on her left hand.
Laurel screamed in chorus with Ashley in excitement. "You're engaged! When did this happen?"
"Last night! He took me out on the lake and proposed to me right there on the boat." She put her hands over her heart and sighed. "It was so romantic."
Laurel smiled. "So when's the wedding?"
"Three and a half weeks."
"Three and a half weeks!" Laurel blurted. "How are you going to pull that off?"
"Well, I was hoping that my amazing best friend would help me." She hesitated. "And I'm also hoping that you'll say yes to being my maid of honor."
Laurel leaned over and grabbed Ashley, hugging her tightly. "Of course!"
"We booked the wedding at the lake where he proposed. There is a huge reception hall, and a big outdoor gazebo overlooking the lake. It's going to be perfect."
"Well," Laurel said, motioning to the computer, "let's get started."
CHAPTER FORTY-THREE
THE NEXT FEW weeks were a blur as Laurel kept busy with the wedding plans, the store and her maid of honor duties. She was thankful for the distraction, however. Only a handful of times had she actually thought about Matt and everything that had happened.
The weekend before the wedding, Laurel planned a surprise bachelorette party at her house. She invited the bridesmaids and some of Ashley's friends and relatives.
Laurel glanced at the clock. Ashley would be arriving any moment for what she thought was going to be a quiet movie night with just the two of them.
A knock sounded at the door, and Laurel quickly answered it. Ashley walked in as all of the girls in the dining room yelled, "Surprise!"
Ashley jumped. "Oh! You guys!" She looked around at all the bachelorette party decorations that Laurel and the girls had spent all afternoon setting up. There were plenty of naughty decorations and goodies shaped like the male anatomy.
Ashley hugged Laurel. "And I thought we were just having a movie night."
Laurel smiled. "Go and enjoy your party."
The house was soon filled with laughter and talking. As the party carried on in the living room, Laurel refilled a bowl of pretzels in the kitchen as one of Ashley's friends set out more napkins and plates.
"I bet you are excited for your own wedding," Jessica said. "Did you set a date yet?"
Laurel shook her head. "Not yet. We haven't really discussed it with everything else going on. I've really been focused on Ashley's wedding."
Jessica nodded. "I can understand that." She patted her pregnant belly. "As soon as you get married, everyone will start asking about when the baby is coming."
Laurel stared down at Jessica's round belly, and a sense of sadness ran through her. She would never get to experience that. And until that moment, she hadn't grasped the idea of how important it was to her to have children. She knew what her future with Sebastian would be, and children would never be a part of that. The realization hit her hard. Tears formed in her eyes, and Laurel promptly excused herself.
Once outside, the night air filled her lungs, and she sighed with relief. She had been excited to start a family with Jack, but they had never gotten the chance. Now her life was completely changed and heading in a different direction --- a direction that could lead to immortality and never living a normal human life.
"Laurel," a voice said.
Sebastian was crossing the yard towards her. She turned away and quickly dashed the tears from her eyes. When she turned back to him, she plastered a fake smile on her face.
"What's wrong?" he asked.
He could always see right through her. "Nothing," she lied.
He closed his eyes and sighed. "I was listening," he confessed.
A frown slowly formed on her lips. "I wish you wouldn't have been."
His hands gently cupped her face, and his gaze met hers. "I'm sorry that I can't give you everything that you want."
"You're everything I want." She leaned up and kissed him. "I just really haven't considered all the pros and cons I guess," she said quietly.
He wrapped his arms around her. "If you ever don't want this life with me, please tell me. I don't want to live without you, but I'll find a way if you don't want me."
She inhaled his cologne as she breathed deeply. His arms around her were all the reassurance she needed. "I'll never not want you," she said.
"There you are!" Ashley called from the porch. "I wondered where you disappeared to."
Sebastian broke the embrace. "Sorry, Ashley. I had to steal her away for a few minutes."
"No boys allowed, Sebastian," she joked. "Come on, Laurel. Everyone wants to cut the cake."
Laurel smiled at him and said, "I'll be over after the party."
"I'll be waiting."
There was something about the tone of his voice that sent a shiver through her. His promise sounded seductive.
* * *
As Laurel was cutting the cake, a knock sounded at the door. "I'll get it," she said. When she opened the door, a cop in full uniform stood on the porch. Laurel's stomach dropped.
"Ma'am, we've had several noise complaints," he said.
He was tall and muscular with blond hair poking out from under his hat. Laurel didn't recognize him from the local police department. "I'm sorry, officer. We're just having a small party."
"What kind of party, ma'am?"
"A bachelorette party."
"Mind if I come in to check it out?"
Laurel stepped aside as the officer entered. She could not believe someone had called the cops over a small get-together. "I don't think we were being very loud," Laurel protested as she followed him into the dining room.
The cop pulled an iPod and speakers out of a black bag and set them on the counter. He pressed a few buttons, and the music started pumping as all of the girls began to scream, whoop and holler in the living room. "If you ladies don't settle down, I'm going to have to cuff all of you," he said, pulling out a set of handcuffs. Laurel's eyes were wide as he slapped the cuffs around her wrists. "I guess I will just start with you." He winked and motioned for her to follow him, but she hesitated, pulling back on his grip.
He whirled around. "Are you resisting an officer, ma'am?" he asked, sternly.
Before Laurel could say anything, he picked her up and slung her over his shoulder. He carried her into the living room, smacking her ass hard in the process. Laurel let out a loud yelp at the stinging sensation.
The girls were all laughing by the time he set Laurel down in a chair. "I'll be back for those cuffs later," he warned. His eyes searched the room. "I need to know where the bride to be is."
Several people pointed toward Ashley, who was sitting in a chair in the corner of the room. As Ashley received a provocative lap dance, Ashley's cousin, Tracy, leaned over to Laurel and said, "Some of the girls went in with me on the stripper." She smiled from ear to ear.
Laurel grinned nervously and stared down at the handcuffs. She hoped that Sebastian wasn't listening to this part of the festivities. Sebastian wasn't really the jealous type, but he was the insanely overprotective type.
"I need those back," the officer said.
She looked up to see the stripper standing above her. His shirt and hat were gone. He was all muscle with a few tattoos scattered on his chest and arms. He teasingly dangled a small key out of her reach and gestured that he was going to stick it down the front of his pants.
"No!" Laurel choked.
He grinned and tugged on her arms to help her stand. He placed Laurel's locked hands around his neck and proceeded to bump and grind against her to the music. All of the girls screamed in delight, but Laurel just closed her eyes and prayed that Sebastian wouldn't bust the front door down.
"You're not married yet, girl! Have fun!" Tracy yelled.
Laurel smiled and tried to relax. After a few minutes of danc
ing, the stripper finally unlocked her cuffs. Laurel rubbed her wrists, thankful to be free. She watched as he walked over to someone else in the room, and she breathed a sigh of relief.
The rest of the party went as planned even with the interruption of the stripper, which Ashley seemed more than delighted to have. When the house was finally empty, Laurel locked it and left, planning on cleaning up in the morning.
As she crossed the yard, she noticed a light on in the living room of Sebastian's house. Laurel walked through the front door. Sebastian was in the living room flipping through channels on TV. He looked up as she entered the room. "How was the party?"
"Good."
His features darkened. "How was the stripper?"
Laurel stood still and hesitated. "Uh…he was…okay."
"Just okay?"
She shifted uncomfortably under the weight of his gaze. In an instant, he was standing in front of her. She gasped at the unexpected movement. He looked down at her. "I think he liked you."
Laurel rolled her eyes. She realized Sebastian must have been listening to the entire party. "He was paid to like everyone."
"But he gave you a lot of attention." He paused. "I could hear your heartbeat. I think you liked him as much as he liked you."
She shook her head. "I was nervous."
His fingers slowly trailed over her full lips and made their descent slowly down her neck. They lingered over her jugular. "Are you nervous now?" he asked. His lips grazed hers. "Your heart is beating so fast," he whispered.
"Yes," she breathed.
His hands skimmed down her body and cupped her bottom, which still stung a little from the hard slap earlier. "I can't believe he dared to touch what is mine," he said, giving her a squeeze. "It was a very good thing that I wasn't over there."
