by Dawn Gray
"Are you going back to Julian?" He asked me.
"Maybe, when the time is right, but not right now," I replied and watched him nod, then leave the room, closing the door behind him. I closed my eyes and fought back the tears, trying to be as strong as I could.
Michael looked in on me later that afternoon and I smiled at him, but I knew that he could feel my pain. I waved to him, and he nodded and closed the door behind him as he left.
I packed as many of my clothes that I could in the back of my old car and then turned and looked at Julian, who was standing against the driver's side door. I grabbed at whatever was left on the ground, miscellaneous items that I was taking home with me.
"You don't have to do this, Ash." I heard him say. I sighed loudly and then reached over to grab the clothes on the hood of the car and he took my hand. I looked over at him and stopped. His green eyes looked deep into my soul, a place that I couldn't even look at right now. I was too confused. "You haven't really had enough time to heal."
"No, Jules. I've had plenty of time. I'm leaving because I don't want to hurt you or your brother," I replied and then walked over and picked up Jack's car seat and put it in the car. When I backed out of the car, from the back seat, I felt strong arms around my waist. I wanted to protest, to move away, but Julian put his chin on my shoulder and then kissed my neck. "I won't be gone for long, just enough time to make sure that Jack's okay."
"If you need me, I mean anything ..." he said and stopped. I turned in his arms and faced him, putting my hands on his chest.
"I know. All I have to do is think about you, and you'll be there," I whispered and kissed him softly on the lips. He smiled and I touched his cheek.
"Did you say good-bye to Quinn?" He asked me. I smiled at him.
"He's with Lauren." I smiled at him. Julian looked at me oddly. "After the last month, the two of them have been getting closer, um ..., they really like each other."
"And, you're okay with this? After all, you and Quinn were ..."
"Yeah." I smiled at him and backed away holding his hand. "I'm fine with it. They're both my friends and if it makes them both happy, then this is what I want."
"What about ..."
"Us?" I finished for him. He smiled and shook his head.
"Michael," Julian said and looked up at the third floor window.
"He'll know how to find me if he really needs to see me," I explained, and then pointed to my head.
"Oh, I forgot about that." He laughed. I stepped away, watching the nanny put Jack in the car seat. He put out his hand, as if to touch me, and stepped closer. "Ash?" He asked. I turned and watched his hand drop. "What if I need to find you?"
I smiled at him as I opened the driver's side door and put my right foot in and grabbed the wheel. "If you ever need me, just whisper my name and I'll be there." I climbed in the car and smiled at him as I closed the door. I waved to him as we began to make our way down the driveway. In the back of my mind, in almost a whisper, I heard Julian's voice whispering to me, telling me that he would be right there waiting. One word seemed to break my heart.
Ashley.
One Year Later
Summer Time
I drove in to the park, slowly, watching for the many pedestrians that seemed to be walking through. I pulled up slowly to the parking lot and looked over to my left at the large three-story house that sat just beyond the trees. I turned off the car, and sat there with butterflies spinning in my stomach. I had to get out and get going or I would sit there all day and my jitter little son wouldn't have anything to do with that.
Jack ran on ahead as we approached the house, looking exactly like it had before the fire. I knew that Quinn and Lauren would be out on his boat somewhere sailing around the ocean, but not even leaving their back yard. The house had been restored and the park had again been opened to the public. They even gave tours of the house, led by Michael, who got a thrill off watching the young women that visited climb the steep back stairway that lead from the kitchen to servants’ quarters.
David had left the house. Though totally acquitted of any wrongdoing because he had, in the end, saved my life, he became a chairman of the board of trustees to the estate. Julian, who I had seen but not heard from in the last year, was around this place somewhere.
When I entered the house, three older women greeted me, and asked me if I would like a tour, but Michael quickly dismissed them and grabbed ahold of my son, kissed me on the cheek, pointed me in the direction of Julian's office, then took off with Jack to play in the game room.
I walked down the hall, towards the door that Michael had pointed at, and then I sighed. This was going to be harder than I thought. I opened the door and was greeted by his secretary who asked me who I was and why I wanted to see him. All I told her was my name and she smiled and walked towards the door.
"No, wait," I said stopping her before she went in. "I...I want to surprise him myself, if you don't mind. I'll let myself in."
She nodded and walked back to her desk. I took a deep breath as I stood in front of the door, then opened it slowly and slipped in. Julian sat in the middle of a large desk, covered in papers, looking down as some sort of document that was in front of him. His room looked like what used to be the library, but my memory had been a little shaky after my loss of blood by Victor's hands.
"Ellen, I asked not to be disturbed," he said without looking up. I stopped walking and stood behind the chair, smiling.
"If you'd like me to leave ..." I started, making his head snap up from the papers. I stared him directly in the eyes, getting lost in that green and unable to move from where I stood. His face was pale, like he was sick, but his eyes lit up the room. I pointed to the door, moved my mouth to say something, but nothing came out and I finally dropped my hand. "Hi."
"Hi," he said and stumbled to get up from his seat. "Wait, you're not supposed to be here until next week."
"I could leave if you want." I smiled at him, knowing his response. He shook his head and stepped closer to me.
"No, no, by all means, stay." He smiled, still a little unsure if I was standing there or not. "I don't know what to do."
"What do you mean?" I asked him. He stood only two feet from me, closing in on my space, his presence, literally taking over.
"Do I hug you, kiss you, and if I do, is that going too far?" He asked me. I smiled at his childishness.
"Do what comes naturally to you, Julian," I whispered at him, not sure about what I should do either. Suddenly, his arms were around me and his lips touched mine tenderly. I sighed when he backed away, missing the kiss that I had not felt in a year. "For you, that would be natural."
"Too much?" He questioned. I stepped back and sighed. "What?"
"Not enough," I replied and looked at him. "Before we ...I went after Victor, you wanted me to make a choice, and I did, but it wasn't the choice that I should have made. I should have stayed here. I should have stayed with you."
"Stay here now, raise Jack with us. We'll help, you know we will," he said and grabbed my hands. "You are our Queen ..."
"No," I said stopping that sentence. He looked at me oddly. "I don't want to be Queen and I don't want Jack to be prince and I don't want to choose a King. I want to be a woman, with a beautiful son, in love with an unbelievable man, who I want to spend eternity with. That's it, that's all I want."
"There's someone else?" Julian asked. I smiled at him and shook my head. "But, you just said ..."
"I know what I said, Jules, and you know what I meant, so stop being dumb and don't try to make me tell you it again," I said and looked out the window at Jack and Michael, who were rolling around on the grass. Julian's hands touched my arms and he pulled me close to him.
"This other man?" He asked me. I smiled at him. "Do I know him?"
"Intimately," I replied.
"Would I like him as a friend?"
"Probably not."
"Is he possessive?"
"He has his moments."
&n
bsp; "How does he feel to you?"
"Very, very right," I replied and turned towards him. I put my hands on his chest and looked up into his childish face. He gazed into my eyes and we were trapped in each other.
I knew this was where I belonged. I knew this nine years ago. I know it so much more now. He leaned down and touched my lips gently with his.
171
Table of Contents
The Vampire Legacy; The New Queen Rises
Midpoint
