He looked haunted, empty. “She got to you didn’t she? She scared you or said something to convince you that we’re all like her. But we’re not. She may be the stereotypical vampire but most of us aren’t like that. I promise. Please don’t do this to me,” He said pleading. I could see his pain in his eyes his longing to have me forever and now here I was denying it to him; breaking his heart like so many others had in his past.
“Yes, Selena spoke to me. And yes she scared me. But I think I came to this conclusion earlier and I just hadn’t realized it yet. I’m sorry if I’m causing you pain. I don’t want that. I do want to spend my life with you. I want you to know that. I just want to spend it as a mortal.”
“I’ve never heard of someone refusing to become immortal after they meet their soul mate. Usually you want to live with them forever,” he said his face becoming dark and brooding. His eyes dilated to complete blackness except for a silver line around the outside of it. For the first time Jonathon looked like a vampire. For the first time I was scared of him.
He turned towards the wall and did something. I realized with a start that he had opened the ancient window without a sound. I thought of the window at my house that Selena had come and left through.
“Well if that’s the way you feel,” he said climbing onto the window ledge in a crouch.
Before I had time to react or say anything he fell from the window and out of my life.
Chapter Twenty: The End
“No. . . No . . . No Jonathon! Come back! Don’t do this to me! Jonathon!” I screamed into the silent night shaking my head back and forth. Tears came pouring from my eyes and just as suddenly as the tears had come anger replaced it. Pure anger. I saw a dark figure dart out of the yard and over the old stone fence. I watched him leave me. “Damn you Jonathon!” I screamed as loud as I could into the night. “Damn you for the rest of your miserable life!” I screamed. I put my leg on the ledge to jump after him.I felt cold, stone hard arms come around my shoulders. I pushed feebly against them. Sadness replaced my anger. “Jonathon…” I croaked, my voice raw from my yelling.
I kept pulling at the arms that encompassed me. I only wanted Jonathon’s arms around me. The arms pulled me back away from the open window.
“Get off. Get off of me,” My struggles were useless so instead I turned into dead weight.
I looked into the eyes of the person holding me. It was Joseph. Diana was behind him.
“Kylie, he’s gone.”
“No! He can’t be! Let go of me!” I said spitting on Joseph’s white shirt. He didn’t even flinch. My struggles were starting up again.
“Kylie, Jonathon is a dramatic creature. Let him come around,” Diana said in her most calming voice. Almost too calming.
“Don’t you dare use your mind tricks on me! It’s my fault he’s gone! I have to go get him!” I screamed in her face. “Let me go!” I screamed in Joseph’s face; spit flying onto him in my anger.
Diana went over and closed the window locking it.
“I’ll let you go if you stop fighting me,” said Joseph. I instantly went limp. He let go after a minute’s hesitation.
“We have to go get him!” I yelled to both of them. My hand pointing to the window. They both had their arms crossed over their chests and were shaking their heads back and forth. They really looked like brother and sister.
“I have to find him… It’s all my fault… I have to find him. I have to,” I said sitting on the edge of the bed. I put my arms around myself like I was holding myself together. “This can’t be the end. It just can’t,” I mumbled hysterically. The tears were coming faster and heavier now. They sat down by me. Joseph on my right and Diana on my left. “How could he?” I sobbed. “How could he do this to me?” I sobbed again. Diana put her arms around me laying my head on her shoulder.
“I don’t know Kylie. I honestly don’t know. But it’s okay to cry.” And I did. I sat there just the three of us a long time. Diana held me and Joseph rubbed my back.
“Why are you guys being so nice to me? He’s your brother.”
“Yes, but you’ve become like our sister. We love you,” said Diana tears in her eyes that she could not shed.
“We don’t want to lose you Kylie,” added Joseph.
“Thanks you guys,” I said.
“Any day,” they both said simultaneously. We all laughed but it was short lived.
“Do you think he’ll come back?” I asked; my throat catching.
“Of course he will,” said Diana.
“You just have to give him time. You gave him quite a shock. He just has to change his plans. That’s all,” said Joseph with a shrug.
“What plans?” I asked.
Joseph gave a weak chuckle. “Don’t even humans have a plan for their life? What they want to accomplish,” He said rhetorically.
They were being so nice to me. I thought they would be mad. After all it was my fault that their brother left. I was such a horrible person I should be put to the guillotine.
“When do you think he’ll come back?”
“I don’t know Kylie. I don’t know.” Diana said.
I looked at Joseph and saw the wet spot on his shirt. “I’m sorry I spit on you, Joseph.” He looked down at his shirt like he hadn’t even noticed.
“It’s fine,” He laughed. “I guess I deserved it after all the things I said to you. But I was only joking,” He chuckled.
“Yeah I guess you did deserve it,” I smiled grimly.
I hugged them both. “Do you guys mind . . .? I need some alone time.” I saw them exchange a glance.
“I guess that would be all right, just don’t do anything stupid,” said Diana.
“I won’t.”
They got up and left. Diana poked her head back through the door. “If you need anything we’re right down the hall. Joseph’s room is the door next to mine on the right.” Diana said. I nodded as she closed the door.
I counted to twenty in my head. Then I started crying. I had been holding back while they were here but now I let the tears fall willingly. I curled myself into a ball on the bed. Why did he have to leave? How could he do this to me? I loved him. I thought he loved me too. We’re soul mates! Why does everyone always leave me! My dad left, my brothers, my mom, and now Jonathon. How could this be happening again? It’s not fair! It’s just not fair! Why does everybody hate me? I thought as the tears came harder than before; if that were possible. Was I such a burden on everyone that they all left me?
I let out a choking sob that caused me to lose my breath. I cried harder.
I was vaguely aware of the door opening. I was engulfed in cold but soothing arms and long blonde hair stuck to my wet face. Diana had heard like the whole house probably had.
“It’s okay my sister just let the tears come freely.”
“Why does everyone hate me?” I sobbed repeatedly.
“Nobody hates you,” She repeated to quiet me as she stroked my hair to soothe me. She was sitting Indian style on the bed and had moved my head so it was resting on her leg like a pillow.
After what seemed like forever I pulled myself into a sitting position. I wiped at the last tears on my face. I knew my face and eyes were red and puffy.
“I’ll tell you what. How about I fix you a nice, hot, relaxing bubble bath?”
I nodded my consent. A bath would be nice.
I sat in the warm water contemplating how my life had turned out this way. A couple more tears leaked out but other than that I just sat there.
I got out a put on the night gown Diana had left for me. It came up to me neck and glided down to the floor. It looked like something out of the Victorian era.
I settled myself into bed when there was a light knock on the door. “Come in,” I said. Diana stepped inside. “Now you knock,” I said.
She came over to stand next to the bed. She was dressed in a night gown almost identical to the one I was wearing.
“I thought maybe I could stay the night with you.”<
br />
I didn’t think it was necessary but her offer warmed my heart. Obviously she was worried about me.
“Yeah come on,” I said sliding over to make room for her. She climbed in next to me.
We turned the lights off and settled in for the night. We both lay on our backs staring at the ceiling.
Out of the darkness her voice sounded. “Kylie, I really want you to know that you’ve become a sister to me. To all of us. Even Danny and Mason. We don’t want anything to happen to you. We all love you.”
“Don’t try and make me feel better.”
“I’m not. I’m just telling you the truth.”
“How could he leave me?” I whispered.
“I’m sure he has his reasons. He probably just needs to think things through. It’s quite a shock. I’ve never heard of anything like it.”
“So, you heard about me not wanting to be a vampire.”
“Yeah, we all did.”
“So, is it rare for one to refuse all of eternity beside their soul mate?”
“Rare? It’s unheard of. In all my years I’ve never heard of someone refusing to become a vampire once they’ve met their soul mate.”
“So, I’m the first case?”
“As far as I know yes you are.”
I rolled over to go to sleep. Hopefully.
I traced an ancient crack on the ceiling in my mind. I tried calming myself. I counted backwards and when that didn’t work I counted sheep. Diana seemed to sense my anxiety.
I finally fell asleep to her quiet peaceful humming.
It wasn’t until morning that I realized I hadn’t received a note.
Chapter Twenty-One: Searching
I moved through my morning routine without realizing what I was doing. Diana wanted to drive me to school but I insisted that I would be better off if I drove myself. But really I had a plan. A plan that needed to be put to action immediately and I would not let Diana or anyone else interfere with it.
I got into my BMW and was immediately comforted by the soft purr of the engine. I backed out of the complicated driveway carefully and started on my way to school. With a sudden jolt I realized I had not received one of Selena’s disturbing notes. I felt relieved but surprised. I had thought after her visit she would become more daring. I thought it was too much to hope for that she had gotten what she wanted and was done with me. I knew in the deepest pit of my heart that she wanted me dead and wouldn’t stop until I was.
The pain of Jonathon leaving last night was not completely gone but I did feel a little better. Better enough to think there was something suspicious about the whole thing. Jonathon leaving the way he did, Joseph and Diana comforting me, and then the strangest thing of all no note. I found it all very suspect. There was something going on here and I wanted to get to the bottom of it.
When I told Jonathon about my decision I figured he’d be upset. But I hadn’t thought he’d be so drastic. I knew it would come as a shock and be something we would have to discuss further but how could he just leave? Jonathon was not a hot head so I couldn’t understand what made him so angry? Upset? Whatever it was it wasn’t normal for Jonathon.
Maybe the whole Selena thing had been eating at him and my decision was just the fuel to the already burning fire in his heart. After the conversation I overheard last night I knew that Jonathon had been aware of Selena the whole time. I couldn’t help but feel hurt that he didn’t want to kill her. I would have thought that with my safety in question he would have wanted to eliminate the problem. It’s all so confusing and unfair. But now is the time to focus on the plan.
My plan was to sneak out of school after lunch hopefully without anyone seeing me. Getting caught was not part of the plan.
I pulled into a parking space by the art department where I knew there was an exit without a camera. I got out and walked into the school. It was going to be a long morning.
My first class was awful. Looking at Jonathon’s empty seat was extremely painful. A sharp pain kept shooting across my chest and I sat through the entire class holding the stitch together. I couldn’t live like this. Now that I had found Jonathon I needed him like I needed air. It was such a cliché but it was the truth. He was the one for me. Without him I was incomplete. I felt like a part of my soul had been ripped away and I was slowly bleeding out.
My next class was a little better with Isaac.
Isaac could see that I was upset and he did his best to cheer me up. I was greatly relieved when he didn’t ask me why I was upset. At one point he nearly got me in trouble because he was making fun of Ms. Capet and I started laughing in the middle of a lecture on cells.
But at the end of class Isaac said the worst thing possible. . .
Isaac stopped looked around the hallway and then turned and looked at me.
I dropped my head and looked at the floor staring at his black combat boots. Slowly I brought my head up studying his outfit just to have something to look at besides his eyes. Tucked haphazardly into his boots was a pair of black ink wash jeans. A plain white t-shirt was somewhat tucked into his jeans and held there by a black studded belt. The ensemble was tied off with a dog tag hanging around his neck. Finally my eyes landed on his blue ones. He shook his head to get his dark hair out of his eyes.
I sucked in a breath anticipating what was coming.
“Where’s Jonathon?” He asked; swaying on the balls of his feet. I could feel my eyes beginning to water and had a fleeting thought of running to the nearest restroom.
“Oh, um. . . .” I racked my brain for anything. “He’s uh. . . Visiting family. . . Somewhere. I can’t really remember the name of the place.”
“Oh,” he said sounding disappointed as he began to walk again.
At lunch I sat down at our usual table with a clang. Diana, Danny, and Mason were already there. The empty seat next to me was a dreadful reminder of everything. Instead of eating my lunch I just picked at it while avoiding the pity gazes from Diana, Danny, and even Mason.
I got up to throw my uneaten lunch away.
“Are you okay?” Diana asked when I sat back down.
“No,” I said bluntly running my fingers through my hair as I thought of a plan of escape.
The bell rang and I hurried through the crowd.
“Wait! Kylie wait,” came Isaac’s voice.
“Uh oh,” I whispered under my breath. I turned around and saw him jogging to catch up to me. I looked around for a source of escape. Isaac was getting closer. I’d have to act now.
I dashed into a bathroom just as I heard him say, “Kylie wait. I’ll walk you to class.”
The door closed behind me and I let out a sigh of relief. I counted out two minutes in my head before opening the door.
There were a few people still in the hallway but luckily there was no sign of Isaac, Diana, Danny, or Mason.
I walked out of the bathroom at a hurried pace. I made it to the art hallway with no interruption. I turned down the hallway that led the art department. The exit was straight at the end.
But something I glimpsed from the corner of my eye made me stop. I turned and looked at it. I let out a gasp. The painting was of me and obviously painted by Jonathon. It looked like I was in an old building. The floor was covered in dirt and there I lay in it, matted in dirt and dried blood. From the look on my face I appeared to be dead. I put my hand to my mouth to stifle a sob.
I tore my gaze away from the painting and sprinted out the door just as the final warning bell rang. I got into my car and left the school without a backward glance.
But where would I go? I hadn’t planned what I would do if I managed to make it out of school. I hit my hand against the steering wheel in frustration. Where could I find Jonathon?
The only thought that came to my mind was his mother’s garden. The last lingering imprint of his mother’s life.
I resolved to try and find the garden. I seemed the most likely place to find Jonathon.
I drove around trying to remember how to get t
here. But seeing as when he had taken me there I had been on the back of the vespa I hadn’t exactly been looking for landmarks to lead me back to the place.
After three hours of no success I gave up and headed home. Diana was waiting outside for me and she looked livid.
Her arms were cross and her normally peacefully beautiful face was contorted in rage. I closed my car door, locked it, and turned to face what was to come.
“Where on Earth have you been?” asked Diana shaking with anger. I opened my mouth to answer but she stopped me.
“We’ve been worried sick! How could you just leave like that? Ditch school? How could you of all people be so reckless? We’ve been looking for you everywhere.”
“I’m sorry,” I said with my head down. And I really was genuinely sorry.
In a softer voice she said, “We thought you were dead.”
“Well I’m not!” I said angrily. “I’m not a child. I can look after myself,” I added. I started to walk away.
“Where were you anyway?” she asked. I looked back at her.
“Just driving around. I needed to clear my head,” I said and it was mostly the truth. She just nodded.
I trudged up the ancient wood steps and to my room. I collapsed onto my bed. What was I going to do? I needed Jonathon back. I had never felt so hollow inside. Not when my family fell apart or when my mom nearly died. This emptiness was horrible.
I got up and walked over to the window Jonathon had jumped out of. I put my hand on the cold glass and leaned my forehead against it. I couldn’t help but feel that the weather was echoing my inner turmoil. Before I could stop them tears began to run silently down my cheeks.
“Jonathon, come back. Please come back. I’m sorry. So sorry. Please Jonathon, please come back,” I began to choke on my own words as I begged the roiling dark storm clouds. I knew Jonathon was gone and I didn’t know if when was going to come back or if was ever going to come back.
Fallen (Fallen Series Book 1) Page 20
