by Anya Nowlan
“Two month’s rent, and a little extra. Call it a vampire tax,” he stated, giving her a curious look.
Kayla stared at the money, wondering if she was really going to let herself be bought like this. Truth was, she needed the cash. And there was something else broiling in her brain, picking up steam ever since that thought about vampires being real making a great headline story popped into her mind.
If I could prove vampires are real, I wouldn’t even need Stan’s approval.
“How do I know you’re not going to eat me in my sleep?” Kayla asked, but she knew her resistance was already wavering.
As unbelievable as this all was, her mundane problems still remained. She needed money, and a roommate, and a way to finally prove herself as a journalist. And here was Ezra, a walking, talking way for her to get all of those things.
“Sweetheart, if I wanted to eat you, I would have already. Not to be creepy, but you couldn’t really stop me. But as I said, you don’t have to worry about that,” Ezra replied.
Kayla knew Ezra was right. The man had super speed at his side, for Christ’s sake. Who knew what other tricks he had up his sleeves? If he had wanted to hurt her, he could have, ten times over.
So maybe he is just looking for an apartment? And a bride…
“Maybe we can figure something out…” she trailed off, not even believing the words coming out of her mouth.
“Great,” Ezra beamed at her, as carefree and jovial as ever while Kayla was working hard to keep her hands from shaking. “I therefore claim you as mine, Kayla Clarke, so you will fall under my protection, our souls intertwined for the journey to come,” he said, the words sounding like a poem one had learned a long time ago and was now recalling and reciting in the most mundane way possible.
Kayla’s eyes widened as the meaning of Ezra’s declaration hit her.
“I meant we can figure out something about you living with me, not about being your bride!” she exclaimed. “What did you just do, what does it mean that you claim me?” she asked, panic starting to settle in.
“Oops, I must have misunderstood,” Ezra replied, way too innocent. “Well, in human terms, I guess I would say we are engaged now.”
Kayla blinked at him, now truly at a loss for words as the ground seemed to be tilting beneath her feet.
I need a drink. And it better be a lot stronger than coffee.
6
Ezra
“This place is nice,” Ezra remarked, looking at the high ceilings and the airy vibe of Kayla’s apartment.
The colors and decorations were muted and subtle, and it looked much cozier than the villas and castles he was used to. It was a nice change of pace.
Kayla was still standing near her door, looking like she wanted to bolt instead of show him the place. He was surprised she had even agreed to bring him to her apartment. Then again, she had already taken the money.
He knew he had just given her a lot to process, and he hadn’t been very gentle about it. But Stephen hadn’t left him with a lot of choices and Kayla intrigued him. Ezra told himself he claimed her out of necessity alone, but the truth was, he was looking forward to getting to know her better.
And since he needed her cooperation in order to convince Stephen and any other vampire he ran into that he was serious about turning her, this whole apartment situation was pretty perfect. They would live together, as couples tended to do, and Kayla would get something out of the deal in the form of a generous rent payment.
Very slowly, Kayla finally stepped inside, closing the door after her. She didn’t look particularly excited to give him the tour, No, her expression was more resigned than anything. “I didn’t agree to be engaged,” she said. “Does that even matter to you?”
The disappointment in her voice stuck a chord with Ezra and he gestured toward the couch, hoping she would join him and that his explanation would smooth things over. Despite pressure from Stephen, he wasn’t about to turn someone who didn’t want to be turned.
“Don’t worry, Kayla, this is just temporary,” he replied, watching her hesitantly sit down on the other side of the couch.
Ezra nearly gave in to the urge to reach out and wrap an arm around her shoulder.
He thought better of it, though.
“You see, my Maker, that is the vampire who turned me, has given me an ultimatum, basically. I need to start offering the gift of immortality to worthy humans, or he is going to cut me from his line. You don’t know what that means, of course, but let me assure you, it’s not good.
“So, he sent me off to find myself a bride. Now, I’m somewhat of a bachelor and taking care of a new vamp is not my idea of a good time. But I need to show Stephen, my Maker, that I’m serious about this. Now, I’ve pretty much moved in, I’ve claimed you, what’s more serious than that, right?” he asked, earning a weak nod from Kayla.
“We play this game for a while, until I can make up a reason why it’s not working out, we break up and both go our separate ways. How’s that sound?” he finished, studying her reaction.
“So, this whole claiming me thing isn’t real?” Kayla asked, perking up somewhat.
“Oh, it’s very real. As far as any other vampire is concerned, you belong to me. But you don’t have to think about it like that. You can see it more as a… business deal.
“You play along as my betrothed as I convince Stephen I’m preparing to turn you, and I’ll make sure the rent is paid, even after our arrangement ends,” Ezra replied. “Does that sound reasonable?”
“You could have explained it like that before you decided we should be vampire-engaged or whatever,” Kayla pouted, but Ezra could tell her anger was starting to fade a little.
“I’m bad at thinking things through,” Ezra shrugged. “But you’ll probably figure that out soon enough, dear fiancée,” he grinned, earning an eye-roll from Kayla. “See? You’re warming up to me already.”
The sun was barely up when Ezra had finished moving his stuff into Kayla’s apartment, careful not to disturb her as he did so. He could hear her breathe, deep and peaceful, in her bedroom, as he slipped into the kitchen.
He knew it was only a matter of time until she woke up for work, so he started prepping for breakfast. Ezra himself didn’t need the nutrition, being on a liquid diet and all, but he thought he should do something nice for his bride-to-be after upending her life.
It was selfish of him to involve Kayla in his scheme to please Stephen without actually becoming a Maker, he knew that. But it had been selfish of Stephen to force him into that kind of responsibility. That didn’t make what Ezra was doing right, by any means, but putting some of the blame on his Maker did make him feel a little better.
It’ll be fine. I won’t interfere with Kayla’s life if I can help it, and we’ll both come out of this mutually benefitted, he told himself, opening the fridge he had taken the liberty to stock earlier.
As he got out the eggs and bacon, he could hear Kayla’s alarm beeping in the master bedroom, followed by the sound of her tossing and turning before shutting it off. There was a soft groan as her feet hit the floor, and she shuffled into her bathroom.
Now that she was awake, Ezra turned on the stove and got out a pan, making quick work of treating Kayla to a delicious meal.
They do say breakfast is the most important part of the day, he mused, pouring out a glass of orange juice and setting in on the counter.
By the time Kayla padded into the kitchen, he was all but done cooking and was plating her a pile of scrambled eggs, crispy bacon and some toast. Kayla’s eyes widened at the sight of him behind the stove, and she hesitantly sat down at the counter.
“Good morning,” Ezra said, sliding the plate of food her way.
Clad in fluffy pink pajamas, with her hair in a messy bun and her bangs hanging in her face, she just as cute as he remembered, and Ezra couldn’t help but smile. He still hadn’t figured out why he found Kayla so special, but there was definitely something about her that kept drawing him i
n.
Flicking her hair out of her face, she looked at the food, and then at Ezra. Her hazel eyes were remarkably clear, despite her otherwise sleepy appearance, and Ezra couldn’t help but stare.
“Good morning to you, too,” she replied, picking up a fork and twirling it between her fingers. “And thanks for the breakfast. I’m always too lazy to cook in the mornings,” she said, giving him a small smile.
“Anytime. I have to win you over somehow, don’t I?” Ezra winked at her.
“Bacon is definitely a good start,” she replied, picking up a piece and taking a bite. “Aren’t you going to have some?”
“I could, but I don’t really need to,” Ezra said, turning off the stove and sitting down opposite her. “Undead, bloodsucking creature of the night et cetera, et cetera…” he trailed off with a flourish of his hand.
“Wait, do I need to invest in some thicker curtains or what?” Kayla asked, looking concerned as she glanced over at the apartment’s huge windows.
“No need,” Ezra chuckled. “Being exposed to sunlight does wear me out, but I don’t burst into flames or anything. Thanks for worrying, though. Good to know you care.”
“This is the weirdest breakfast ever,” Kayla remarked. “I never thought I would be discussing the effects of sunlight with a vampire.”
“You better get ready for a weird ride, then,” Ezra replied. “Because this is just the beginning.”
7
Kayla
Scooping some scrambled eggs onto her fork, Kayla was feeling more awkward than ever. Ezra was flitting around the kitchen, totally at ease, cleaning up the dishes he’d used while making small talk. At the same time, Kayla was having trouble getting her food down, despite it being delicious.
I’m engaged to a vampire, she thought to herself, wondering if that statement would ever not sound totally insane.
Now, the fact that Ezra was the hottest man she had ever laid eyes on only served to complicate things. She couldn’t be attracted to a vampire, could she? He didn’t seem to be the evil, climbing through your window in the middle of the night type of vampire, but then again, she barely knew him.
Not having to worry about making rent was great, but that peace of mind certainly came with a cost.
I feel like this whole arrangement would be easier if he wore more loose-fitting t-shirts, she mused, watching Ezra’s muscles bunch and ripple as he reached to open a cupboard.
Despite the markedly odd turn her life had taken, though, she still had to live her life like nothing was going on – go to work, chat with colleagues, hope Edgar’s coffee preferences hadn’t changed overnight – all while trying not to blurt out vampires are real! and getting herself committed.
“Breakfast was great, thank you,” Kayla said, once she was done with her meal.
“What are fiancée’s for,” Ezra grinned.
“You’re really getting into this fiancée role, aren’t you?” Kayla commented.
“The realer this thing between us looks, the better. I wouldn’t put it past Stephen to have his people check up on me here in Cleveland. And I have to say, I’m having more fun than I thought. I haven’t cooked in ages. Still got the skill, though,” he replied, leaning on a counter and studying her closely.
Feeling the weight of his gaze on her made Kayla uneasy. The way he looked at her was so intense, like the ceiling could collapse in the living room and he wouldn’t even notice. Kayla wasn’t sure if anyone had ever looked at her quite like that.
With that thought, her mind drifted back to Seth. She hadn’t heard from him since he moved out, and she didn’t know whether to be relieved or not. If he had contacted her, she wouldn’t have known what to say, or maybe she would have said too much, rambled on about how much he’d hurt her.
In any case, being ignored by someone you thought you were going to spend the rest of your life with stung.
Did Seth ever look at me like Ezra is looking at me now? she wondered, trying to recall.
“So, where is my bride-to-be off to now?” Ezra asked. “I should probably know where you work.”
“WBTV,” she replied. “It’s the local news network. I’m a production assistant.”
When Ezra leaned over to take her empty plate and almost brushed his hands against hers, she quickly added “I should be getting ready,” and all but ran out of the kitchen.
Confused and flustered, she retreated into her bedroom, happier to go to work than she had been in a long time. Anything that distracted her from the handsome vampire now living under her roof was good.
“Hey, you,” a familiar voice said, as Kayla was busy typing up an e-mail confirming some guests for the morning show.
She looked up to see Melanie, her coworker from the art department stroll up to her little desk. Tall and lean, with a wild mane of reddish-brown hair and black, horn-rimmed glasses, Melanie was one of the few friends Kayla had made in WBTV. Most of the people she dealt with were too busy climbing the corporate ladder to cultivate any sort of relationship with a lowly PA, but Melanie was different.
“Melanie, hi,” Kayla smiled, swiveling around in her chair to face her.
“I was so busy with the new set design yesterday I didn’t even get a chance to swing by,” Melanie sighed, but there was a smile on her face. “Come on, let’s go get some coffee in the breakroom and you can tell me all about how your cohabitating is going,” she said, gesturing for Kayla to follow her.
Taking a deep breath, Kayla got to her feet, rushing to catch up with Melanie’s long steps. She didn’t know if she was ready to talk about how Seth unceremoniously dumped her, but then again, bottling things up inside couldn’t be healthy, either.
And if there ever was a great shoulder to cry on, it was Melanie’s. Endlessly supportive and not afraid to tell it like it was, she was pretty much the perfect friend for Kayla, who had the bad habit of making excuses for people.
The breakroom was mostly empty when Kayla and Melanie stepped inside, lunch having ended a couple of hours ago. The only people there were a couple of interns hurriedly filling their paper cups with coffee before rushing off.
Kayla grabbed two cups from the cupboard and filled them with coffee before they both went to sit on a couch pushed up against the back wall, away from the entrance.
“So, don’t keep me in suspense. Has Seth finally stopped using that amazing apartment of yours as a crash pad or what?” Melanie asked.
“He has,” Kayla admitted. “In the sense that he moved out.”
Melanie almost spat back the sip of coffee she had been taking, her eyes wide as she brushed drops of coffee from around her mouth with the back of her hand.
“He what?” she asked, loud enough to make Kayla glance at the door to see if anyone was passing by and could overhear.
“He needs space,” Kayla replied, making air quotes around the last word.
“That man does not deserve you. Never has,” Melanie said firmly, shaking her head. “I thought with the whole moving-in together thing that he might have gotten his shit together but this… Kayla, I’m so sorry.”
“I should have seen it coming, I guess,” Kayla sighed, tracing the rim of her mug with her finger. “I was only fooling myself into thinking this time it would be different.”
“It’s not your fault that you wanted to believe this could work out,” Melanie replied. “Although, I have always told you I think he’s an ass,” she added, raising a brow at Kayla.
“Yeah, you made that no secret,” Kayla couldn’t help but laugh. “The way you would always glare at him when we hung out together… I’m pretty sure he was terrified of you.”
“As he should be,” Melanie nodded. “I might still track him down and kick his ass.”
“Not necessary, but I appreciate the sentiment,” Kayla chuckled.
Melanie fixed her with a more serious look, her coffee forgotten as it sat in her lap.
“But how are you, really?” she asked. “And what are you doing at work? You shou
ld have taken a sick day and crawled into bed with enough ice cream for an entire kindergarten.”
“I can’t really afford to take many sick days, especially with Edgar as my boss,” Kayla said, and she and Melanie exchanged a look that said neither of the women were a big fan of Edgar. “I need this job more than ever if I intend to not go broke paying for that apartment.”
She was fine for now, with Ezra living with her and being very generous about it. The stack of money he’d left on her table was way over what his half of the rent was, not to mention he had fully stocked her fridge in the time she had been sound asleep.
But Kayla got the feeling this wasn’t at all a permanent solution for him, and even though he had offered to keep paying rent even after moving out to repay her for playing along with the whole vampire bride thing, she knew she couldn’t take him up on that offer.
It just wouldn’t feel right, taking his money like that.
“Hold up, are you saying Seth stuck you with the whole rent?” Melanie asked, and it was clear her offer to kick Seth’s ass was becoming more serious by the minute.
“It’s fine,” Kayla waved a dismissive hand. “I already got a new roommate, so at least I won’t be homeless quite yet.”
Melanie shook her head at Kayla, pulling her long legs onto the couch.
“There is such a thing as being too nice, you know,” she remarked. “I, for one, would be planning Seth’s murder right about now, but that’s just me.”
Kayla thought about that. It wasn’t that she hadn’t been angry at Seth, or that she still wasn’t angry. Her anger was just buried deeper, boxed away inside her under a layer of hurt and regret. And what good would somehow punishing Seth do for what he had done? It wouldn’t make him come back…
“I still care about him,” she shrugged, staring into her coffee, now getting cold.
“Oh, honey,” Melanie said, placing a hand on her shoulder. “You need a rebound, stat.”
