Chapter 12
Dedication
At the game, we score some great seats in the first few rows at centerfield, right behind the home team bench. We all enjoy football; it’s a great contact sport. The excitement of attending my first high school game is building up in me, or maybe it’s just the excitement of seeing Nathanial again. We join the crowd as they jump to their feet and cheer while the team runs on the field, ripping through a big paper banner the cheerleaders have made for them with markers and poster paints. The entire team is hungry for the first win of the season, and the excited and screaming crowd is pumping the energy they need right their way. Nathanial leads the team to centerfield, and once again, he astounds me.
Feeling a dull poke in my side, I turn to find Danika elbowing me. “What?”
“He’s looking through the crowd for you. Gawd I wish it were me he was looking for.”
Ignoring her last statement I look up at him, and then, out of nowhere, he stops and drops his helmet right in front of me. His mouth is hanging open like a Saint Bernard staring at a steak. I don’t know how else to react so I just smile and wave, as my heart nearly leaps out of my chest.
He smiles back and mouths, “This one is for you, gorgeous!”
I can hear him breathing the words ever so softly above the crowd’s cheers. Keeping him at a distance is going to be harder than I ever expected. I’m experiencing feelings I’ve never had before. I feel giddy about Nathanial’s reaction to me tonight and excited to watch him do what he is so passionate about, what he loves. I have such a feeling of confidence and pride, and it seems Wenham is giving me a sense of security that I haven’t felt in decades. I even feel like it may be okay to let Nathanial in, at least a little. That way, I can keep an eye on him and make sure he remains safe. I’m overly protective of him, even though I cannot explain it. Can it be true? Could he be the one? We only met last month. Is that what they mean about love at first sight? About finding your soul mate? No, it couldn’t be. I don’t want him to be a part of this. I want nothing more for him than a long and happy life, free from danger, secrets, and drama. Why does he confuse me so much? I have never experienced such conflict within myself before.
Constance whispers, “It’s meant to be, my dear. If you fight it, things will just be worse. This is what he wants as well.”
Once again, Alexander shares my thoughts with the others. “How can he want this? He doesn’t even know what this is!” I reply.
“He will,” she confirms.
“I see it, too, Sophia. Your souls match perfectly, like no match I have ever seen before” Matilda adds.
I sigh and turn to watch the game, but in spite of all the action on the field, the sidelines and in the stands, I mostly watch Nathanial. I can’t help wondering if my family could be right, if Nathanial really is my soul mate. Are we meant to be together? I just can’t understand how he could ever want this. I would not wish this kind of existence on anyone–and that’s all it is...an existence and not any kind of life.
“The game is going great,” Isaac observes.
Everyone is excited as the halftime whistle blows. The halftime show begins, and in the backdrop behind the band and the cheerleaders, the bright orange numbers on the scoreboard shows that our team is up by fourteen points.
“Wow! Those cheerleaders are really good,” Alexander says with a sadistic smile.
“Are you kidding me?” Matilda smacks him upside the head.
We all chuckle and Alexander jokes, “Come on, darling. We have been together over a hundred years, and you still get jealous, how cute.”
“My love, there is a difference between jealous and annoyed,” she smirks. “It is a thin line of course, but it may be a line you want to avoid walking on.”
Florence shakes her head. “I don’t know about you two, but can we please just enjoy the rest of the game?”
In less than an hour, the game ends, and our team is victorious by thirty points. This is just what Wenham High needs for its morale.
“I can’t believe Nathanial made five touchdowns! He was on fire tonight!” I exclaim, bursting with unbridled excitement and pride.
The entire crowd starts chanting his name, “Nate! Nate! Nate is great!” as the other players parade him around on their shoulders. The local newspapers are snapping pictures and preparing for interviews.
I’m so happy for him and the team. He looks even better than he usually does, if that is even possible. Nathanial is so happy and excited, and his eyes are sparkling with joy. I never imagined they could shine so brightly, but as he looks at me, his eyes light up like bright blue shooting stars dancing across the sky. I stand next to my family as we all watch this magnificent man who is hailed a hero by his teammates and the onlookers. But I can’t let him in, and this is going to be one of the hardest things I have ever faced.
“And we will all be here with you, sis.” Alexander wraps his arm around my shoulder.
The team parades in front of us. Nathanial pats the shoulders of his teammates to put him down. I watch as he pushes his way through the crowd and runs up to me. He wraps his arms around my waist and swings me around. I melt into his strong sweaty arms.
When he finally places my feet ever so gently back on the ground he kisses my forehead and with his index finger lifts my chin up ever so slightly so I am looking right at him, right into him, and he into me. “You are my lucky charm, you know. Now I can never let you go.” He smiles.
“I doubt that,” I reply.
“I gotta hit the showers. Will you wait for me?”
“I wish I could but I have plans with my family tonight, and they’re kinda important. I’m so sorry, Nathanial. I wish I could help celebrate your victory.” I pout, knowing once again I’m not being fully honest. We need to be clear headed for tomorrow, so I don’t want to cloud my mind with Nathanial.
“No worries gorgeous. It won’t be the same without you there, but maybe we can catch up on Monday,” he suggests.
“I’ll see you Monday then...and congrats. You were amazing out there tonight.”
“Aw, it was nothing. I was just showing off for a pretty girl.” We both chuckle, and he gives me another hug and runs off to the dressing room to take of his pads.
This is it. Every time I see him, I let him in a little more. I can’t fight it much longer. Maybe Wenham is the wrong place for us. I am starting to wonder if we should leave and find another place to settle for a few years. I truly don’t want to hurt Nathanial, but it seems like no matter what I do, he’s bound to face some pain on account of me.
There I go again, flipping back and forth with my emotions. I wish I could just decide what to do and stick with it. He just has me feeling so many new things that I don’t know if I am coming or going. I can’t wait for this day to be over. Maybe I will be able to clear my head. I just need to be alone and think, maybe read a little. That always helps me when I’m at a crossroad.
“Sophia, we all know you are worried about this boy, but we all agree he is okay. I have never encountered such good in a person in all my years. You have nothing to worry about, and everything will work out. Don’t be afraid to let him in a little. He may like what he finds, and you may as well,” Constance tries to reassure me.
I decide to try to relax about the situation a little. A few more things to deal with and then the day will come to its end.
It’s just so hard. After knowing Nathanial for only a few short weeks, I can’t get this boy out of my head. He is truly incredible, and that’s why I think I need to keep him at a distance. Nathanial McCord is intended to do great things, and he’ll never find those things if he is tied down to me.
“Sophia, you are the most incredibly insecure immortal I know. Most hold their head high and have such confidence but not our little delicate Sophia, always worrying and concerned about others,” Alexander states.
“I am not delicate! I just can’t understand why anyone would want to be friends with someone like me. It’s
better to keep others at a distance. That way no one can get hurt.” I yell. I close my eyes for a short moment and collect myself; I’m able to calm myself easily. “Don’t worry about me anyway. There are more important things to deal with right now. You can hire me a shrink later.” I joke, trying to lighten the somber mood I’ve brought upon everyone.
“She’s right. We have things to deal with now and we can talk about this later,” Florence says.
I’m grateful we are the only ones left in the stadium and others can’t hear our conversation over the celebrating cheers echoing from the parking lot. The last thing we need are stories floating around the grapevine.
Once we leave the stadium and get in the car the excitement of seeing Ms. Edwina tomorrow rises in me. It is almost palpable. It has been a long time and it is more than overdue. We agree that maybe we should have contacted her and her family when we first decided to move back to the area. I reminisce of our time with Ms. Edwina, one of the most intriguing women I have ever known. She is more understanding, knowledgeable, and caring than anyone in the world. If Ebony turns out to be half the woman her Grams is, she will make it very far in this life.
Danika says, “I don’t understand why or how our family is such good friends with a witch. I thought you said vampires don’t get along with other supernatural beings.”
“Ms. Edwina is different. Her family has always been allies with vampires of our kind–the ones that choose to live civilly and not bring harm to the mortals,” Florence explains.
It’s not really that we don’t get along with supernatural’s, it’s just many believe they are the superior race.
Elijah adds, “She is very old fashioned. She always knows where we are and always sends us Christmas and birthday cards. We enjoy having someone to keep in touch with, and all of us send her letters throughout the year. We are aware of the difficulties of her life, but we do not truly understand the struggles she has faced. This will give us the chance to catch up and reminisce as well.”
I already like Ebony, even if I worry too much. Therefore it will be nice to meet the rest of her family and deal with all our secrets out in the open. I hope Ebony is as understanding as her Grams. It would be so nice to have someone at school that I could trust with the truth. For so long, it has seemed like my family against the world. Now maybe, just maybe we will have a confidante.
Immortal Embrace Page 12
