Blood-Red Tear (28 page)

Carefully he turned me around.
“I told you to live, and experience all of the things other girls your age are doing. I am not stupid enough to believe that kissing other males is not one of those things,” he told me, lifting my chin with his finger so I was looking up at him.

“It
is you I long to be with,” I assured him. “No one has ever made me feel the way you do,” I whispered.

He smiled.
“I know, but I have to consider your age and what your parents want, so for now it is goodbye once again.” He cradled my face between his large hands and kissed me again. “Goodbye my Amado Uno.” In a blink he was gone, and the ache in my heart that always came when he left began. This time, though, I shook off the depression I felt and went to find the one responsible for Aidan’s visit. I trudged up the stairs to the next floor and walked to my parent’s room. My mother opened the door immediately, and I knew she had heard me coming.

“Can I talk to Dad?”

Before she could answer he was beside her, looking concerned. “Is everything okay?” he asked.

I threw myself at him and hugged him tightly.
“Thank you. Seeing Aidan was the best gift you could have given me for Christmas.”

“Honey
, all I ever want is for you to be happy,” he told me, hugging me tightly.

I knew how much it had cost him to allow Aidan to come see me
, so I didn’t tell him that only being with Aidan would ensure that.

Chapter
Twenty-Five

    It snowed heavily the week between Christmas and New Years, so I decided not to go out and celebrate. I told everyone I just wanted to stay home and rest my arm but, in reality, I was missing Aidan and couldn’t bring myself to muster up a festive mood like everyone else. My parents hesitantly left for a few hours to attend a fundraiser my mother’s charity held every year, and Paul was in his suite of rooms with Beth celebrating a quiet New Years Eve together.

I was alone in the game room, sleeping through an old movie, when I felt something cool against my cheek and opened my eyes to find Aidan kneeling on the floor next to the sofa, his fingers brushing my cheek, looking like a dream come to life.

   “Happy New Year
,” he whispered, leaning in to kiss me. Automatically I twined my arms around his neck and he picked me up, then sat on the sofa with me draped across his lap. He stared at me intently, like a starving man in a dinner, and I couldn’t help but wish I had on some make-up and something more than a T-shirt and shorts.

“You’re beautiful,” he said softly
, hearing my unguarded thoughts.

“I’m a mess,” I told him.

“What
am I going to do with you?” he said, shaking his head with a smile.

“Just stay with
me,” I whispered, laying my head on his shoulder.

He sighed.
“Why are you home tonight? I spoke to Paul and he told me you were here at the house, and I was worried. You should be out with your friends having fun, not here by yourself.”

“It’s snowing
, and I didn’t really feel like celebrating without you,” I told him honestly.

“
Katie, you need to experience life as you would have if you had never met me. I swear I will wait for you. Nothing you could ever do will change how I feel about you,” he told me.

I was so tired of hearing everyone tell me what I needed.
“I am not a child anymore, Aidan, I want you! It has not and will not change. You and my father need to realize that.”

“Your father
wants you to have more time, and I promised him I would give it to you. I respect him too much to dishonor my vow.” He brushed his fingers through my hair, looking distraught. “Please try, okay?”

“I try every day,
but when you are not here it is as if a piece of me is missing,” I told him, wrapping my arms around his waist and leaning in to feather his neck with kisses

“I know how you feel,” h
e whispered, his words catching in his throat as I nibbled his earlobe. He leaned into the curve of my neck, his cool lips brushing against my warm skin, making me tremble. I waited with bated breathe for his next move. His teeth brushed the exposed flesh of my neck and he whispered, “You are getting way to good at this. I think your Dad should lock you up. I have to go.”

He moved away suddenly but I grabbed his han
d. “Don’t go yet,” I pleaded.

“I must
, the temptation of being here with you is too much.” The meaning of his words dawned on me, and my hand went to my throat. “I see you finally understand.” He chuckled but it was not a happy sound.

“Is it always difficult
?” It was probably a dumb question but I had to know.

“When things get…” he pau
sed, looking for the right word, “intense, it gets very hard to resist. Lately your desires are making it harder for me to resist more than just your blood.” He watched me closely as I absorbed what he said, then snorted with disbelief when I made no comment. “You should run or scream. I just told you I wanted your blood and your body, yet you stand there looking at me with nothing but trust.”

I moved close and leaned into him, nibbling
his bottom lip. “You won’t ever hurt me,” I assured him. He pulled me to him, his demanding lips moving over mine, his tongue prying my lips apart and plunging inside my warm, willing mouth. Heat built low in my belly and instinctively my body moved against his, rubbing, my hands touching, my mind filling with lustful thoughts I had never before felt. Those thoughts shocked even my own senses and I pulled back suddenly, startled by my own desires. I wanted things with him I had never entertained doing with anyone else, and he looked as startled as I felt as he read my mind like an open book.

“I need to go
now
!” He pulled away, staring down on me with onyx eyes, and I knew things had gone too far. “Happy New Year,” he bit out then was gone.

I placed a finger to my lips and stared at myself in the large mirror in the wall
, taking in my flushed cheeks and mussed hair with wide eyes. I knew all about the birds and the bees, and that my desires were quite normal, but I was shocked by the intensity of need I felt for him. Terrified, for the first time, that he was right, that in a moment of temptation I would give him exactly what he craved. Myself: body and soul. 

*****

“I just got in; do you want to go to Kelly’s or something?” Orin asked when he called the next morning.

I knew he had just gotten home and was eager to see me
, but I was still too caught up in missing Aidan to want to spend time with another guy. I didn’t want to hurt his feelings so I lied. “I’m not feeling well; do you think we could go another day?”

“Oh
, yeah, that’s okay,” he answered, but I knew he didn’t really feel that way; I could hear it in his voice.

“I’ll see you at school on Monday
, alright?”  

“Oh… yeah
, see you later.” He hung up the phone, and I fell back asleep until my mother knocked on my door a short time later and woke me.

“Katie
, you have company.”

“Who is it?” I asked as she opened the do
or.

“It’s Orin
, he seems rather upset. I think you should see him.”

I really didn’t want to,
but I knew I needed to tell him what was going on: that I loved someone else. And that, although I cared for him, I couldn’t be more than a friend. So I got up, dressed, and walked downstairs, dreading the conversation to come.

Orin
was standing in the foyer, his body tense, his eyes darting around the area nervously as I stepped down from the stairs and walked to his side. “Do you think we can go for a drive so we can talk?” he asked.

I nodded
, knowing I owed him at least that. We did not talk as he drove through town. He pulled into the lot in front of the local park and we sat in silence, both of us unsure how to start the conversation. Orin, though, found the words first.

“Look
, Katie, let’s get to the point. I know there’s someone else.” I couldn’t have been more startled and I suppose it showed, because he rushed to explain. “I can see the look you get sometimes when you think about him, and after you’ve seen him you are sad for days and you lock yourself away from everyone.” I started to protest but he stopped me. “I know you think you hide it well, but it’s easy for me to see.”

“I’m so sorry, Orin.
I really do like you, but he is...” I laid my head back on the seat, closing my eyes, unable to explain exactly how it was Aidan affected me.

“Do not misunderstand
my intentions; I’m not giving up on you. I still want to see you. I just can’t bear to see you try so hard to hide what you are feeling. I just wanted you to know that I am aware of him. That way we can be honest about why you don’t want to be with me when you’re sad.” He reached over and took my hand in his, leaning closer.

“I don
’t want to hurt you and I know how this will in the end, so it’s better to finish this now.” I turned my face from him so he would not see the tears in my eyes, but he reached out and turned it back so he was staring into my eyes.

“Hey
, I’m a big boy. I know what I’m getting into, but it’s a chance I want to take.”

“Y
ou do not understand. I will never get over him, I belong with him,” I said, trying to make him see reason, but he just smiled.

   “It’s my life. Maybe he is what you want now
, but give me a chance. You never know what can happen.” He brushed my lips with his own and squeezed my hand. “Only a fool would leave you unattended, but if he is willing to take that risk, then I will fight for you. Just say you’ll give me a chance to change your mind.”

“I
t isn’t fair to you,” I told him, but he played a card I had not anticipated he would use.

“You
at least owe me a chance for not telling me sooner,” he said, using my guilt to get what he wanted.

I caved despite my reservations.
“That was dirty, but I will still see you.”

“That’s all I ask.” H
e leaned over and kissed me again, wearing a look of relief when he pulled away.

It was
too cold to walk in the park so we went to Kelly’s and played pool. We talked and carried on with friends until it grew late, and everyone began to leave. Orin asked if I was ready to go and I nodded, taking his offered hand shyly and allowing him to lead me to his car.

W
hen he pulled up to my house, neither one of us rushed to get out in the cold and he took my hand in his, letting his finger slide against my palm. “I missed you,” he said, breaking the silence.

“Y
eah, right,” I teased. “You probably had beautiful girls hanging all over you.”

“None that compare to the angel I left behind.” I blus
hed and he chuckled softly.

Awkward silence reigned until the light on the front porch turned on
, signaling it was time to go inside.

“Are you sure you wouldn’t rather be friends?”
I asked again.

“What I feel for you is not fri
endship,” he said, getting out of the car.

I was at a loss for words as he helped me from the car and
walked me to the front door. Before I could think of any response, he gave me one long searing kiss then got in the car and drove away.

*****

That night I dreamed of Aidan. We were together in the gazebo wrapped in each other’s arms, enjoying the beautiful star filled night, content just to be together when out of the blue Orin appeared on the steps before us, his face flushed with anger.

“Let her go, Vampire!” h
e yelled to Aidan.

Aidan hissed
, rising to his feet to stand before me.

“You can’t give her the life she deserves
. She’s human, for you to be together you will have to change her and make her like you. Do you want her living the way you do. Hiding what she is, moving around all of the time, and having to drink others’ blood for the rest of her existence? If you loved her at all you would want what’s best for her! You would let her go,” Orin spat out.

Aidan turned and looked down on
me with sorrow-filled eyes. “He’s right, Katie.  You deserve the life you would have had if you had never met me.”

I shook my head
, unable to believe he was willing to walk away from what we had, but before I could argue, I found myself in Orin’s arms as Aidan walked away, his head hung low and his shoulders slumped in defeat. I screamed for him to come back, made to follow him, but Orin held me in his iron grip, laughing at my desperate attempts to get free, refusing to let me go until Aidan was gone. When he finally released me I sank to the ground in utter disbelief, while Orin stood over me, a triumphant gleam in his eye, a wicked grin upon his lips.