“I have to say, I’m kinda with Devon on this. Trinity was just a nasty person,” Savannah commented.
“You didn’t get to see her die. You didn’t get to talk to her and see her and—”
I stopped, my stomach knotting and my chest swel ing painful y with memories of Trinity.
“What happened? Exactly.”
“Aisha was crazed. Trinity fed on her a few too many times. Like Summer. I don’t think Trinity knew what it could do to humans when you keep feeding on them.”
“Oh, she knew,” Devon assured bitterly.
“Wel , regardless, it caught up with her and it cost her both her grandmother’s life as wel as her own.”
“Trinity caused a lot of heartache during her miserable existence. It was only a matter of time until it came back around to bite her.”
“Um, Ridley,” Savannah interrupted uncertainly. “Why is it that I can sort of see you?”
Savannah’s question drew everyone’s attention to me.
For an instant I was confused, but then her observation brought my increasing thirst to the forefront of my mind. I felt the burn creeping up into my throat and I turned to Bo.
“Why would I need to feed again so soon?”
“You can’t forget that your body is stil adjusting. It could take weeks for your metabolism to slow down to a more normal rate for a vampire. Plus, you’ve had a lot of emotional stress today. That’s very taxing, especial y for a woman.”
“I didn’t realize that we had room in our circle for male chauvinists,” Savannah griped. “I suppose we’re just not smart enough to figure that out. Is that it?”
“You know that’s not what I meant. She’s under a lot of stress and women feel more. You know that.”
Savannah frowned, but said nothing, unable to argue with the truth.
“Wel , I guess that means that we’d better go,” I said to Bo.
“So, what are you going to do? Go find someone to, like, drink their blood?”
Savannah’s question made me feel ashamed of myself. I was like some kind of parasite or criminal that had to take what most people were unwil ing to give freely. My cheeks stung with embarrassment.
“No, she feeds from me,” Bo volunteered. “She can’t even stand the thought of feeding from animals. Ridley’s proof that becoming a vampire does not make you a monster.”
With that, Bo took my hand and tugged as he turned to leave. As far as he was concerned, this visit was over. I looked back at him, squeezing his fingers in silent gratitude for his defense of my character.
“Sorry. I didn’t mean it like that, Ridley. Real y. I’m sorry.”
I smiled at Savannah, even though she couldn’t see it very wel .
“Eh, don’t worry about it. It’s new to me, too.”
“I’l see you later, though, right?”
“Yep. Just give me a cal when you want to come out and I’l be sure to be...wel -fed.”
Savannah grinned.
“I have dangerous friends. How cool am I?”
I laughed. She would see it that way.
“Very cool.”
“Devon, come by any time.”
“Where is it that you’re staying again?”
I gave him the address and explained about the drive being al but hidden. He knew the area and promised to stop by. With that, Bo and I made our exit.
We hadn’t gone very far when Bo stopped and took my face in his hands.
“Are you in very much pain? Do you think you can make it home, or…?”
Looking into his gorgeous eyes and being surrounded by the scent that turned my stomach to mush, I was sure I’d never love another person as much as I loved the man standing in front of me. He was so caring, so gal ant, so passionately in love with me that I could al but feel it seeping into my skin through his fingertips. And, truthful y, nothing had ever felt so good.
“I can make it. I’m okay,” I assured him, reaching up to lay my hand over his. “Thank you for what you said to Savannah.”
Bo shrugged.
“Why thank me? It was the truth.”
“I guess I just didn’t realize that you saw me that way.”
“You’re perfect and that’s exactly how I see you. You’re warm and compassionate, you’re strong and capable.
Everything about you makes me want to be a better person.”
Even as my cheeks flushed with what little blood was left circulating in my body, I felt my heart swel to the point of bursting at his words.
“I can think of a thousand reasons I don’t deserve you and that just makes me love you that much more.”
“It’s no more than I love you,” I said quietly, mesmerized by Bo, by his touch and his eyes, by the sweet magic of the moment. I was captivated by the sheer pleasure of his words, especial y knowing that, in al likelihood, he’d be gone from my life one day.
“Ridley, I’m going to find a way to work al this out. I won’t leave you to spend eternity alone. Time can come and go, but I’l never leave your side.”
I wanted so desperately to believe him, but I just didn’t see a way for that to happen. Rather than letting facts ruin the moment, though, I simply nodded in agreement.
“There’s nothing I want more.”
His eyes scanned my face, as if he was taking in every fading detail and committing it to memory.
“I love you, Ridley Hel er.”
He said it with such conviction, such sincerity, I couldn’t help but smile as my heart fluttered around in my chest.
There were no words that I needed to hear more than those.
“I love you, too, Jonathan Bowman, Boaz, Bjorn, whoever you are that stole my heart. Whenever it is that I final y die and leave this world, I’l die loving you.”
Bo dipped his head and brushed his lips over mine in the most loving, heartfelt kiss we’d ever shared. It was tender and sad and it said al the things that we both knew deep down, but refused to speak aloud. It said that forever might not come for us. It said that our days were likely numbered and that our ending might not be so happy. It said that we have now—right now—and that’s it. We have no promises for tomorrow, only right now and we had to seize the day, the hour, the moment.
When he leaned back and our eyes met again, volumes were spoken, though neither of us said a word. Instead, through our silence, we were agreeing to leave it unsaid until later.