The Masquerade (23 page)

"Thanks," Ben said, holding a set of car keys in his hand.

Jesse cleared his throat. His eyes were still on me when he
spoke. "I'm sorry."

His tone was sincere but it was his eyes told me he regretted the night's previous events. Still, there was a small note of resentment in his voice. Ben's decision had not been popular. He wanted to live
and I was standing in the way. I couldn't blame him for that reason.

I couldn't answer him. I swallowed and responded with a small nod. Ben took that as his cue and motioned to the car I hadn't seen before. The sleek black muscle car was parked in the grass beside the gravel.
It was an older build that I didn't care to identify. I knew cars well, but tonight was not the night to show off.

Ben unlocked the door and I slipped inside. Without a word,
he walked around to the other side, slid in and started the car. The rumble of the engine vibrated through the floorboard beneath my feet. I took note of the purr and the interior design and predicted a Chevelle. It was hard to tell in the dark. I consumed myself with the model of the car to pass the time. I
stared straight out the windshield without sneaking a glimpse at Ben. I couldn't with fear that I might give in to him.

He drove out of the woods and turned onto a couple streets
that I immediately recognized. Camouflaged by a barrage of trees, his house was only a few streets away from mine. How had I never noticed it? He pulled up to my driveway and killed the engine. The throaty rumble would catch the attention
of my neighbors if they were home.

We sat frozen. Neither of us moved for several moments. I drowned myself into the darkness of the car, waiting to disappear. Ben's eyes bore into something through the windshield, his expression unreadable.

"Is your mom home?"

I shook my head without moving my eyes from the dashboard that I had been focusing on. I should have said something, but I couldn't find the courage to open my mouth. I wasn't ready to talk yet. Every attempt I made
to speak, the words ended up snared in my throat.

"Are you going to be okay?"

My hand found door handle and pushed it open. "Thank you for taking me home," I said quietly. My feet hit the pavement, but
before I could climb out of the car I felt his hand capture my forearm.

His intense eyes found mine when I turned to him. "Answer me, Ella."

"How am I supposed to be okay?" I responded, my
voice barely a notch above a whisper.

He nodded, his eyes hardening to blue steel. He worked the muscle in his jaw while I waited for him to speak. "I can't change what I
am."

"I know."

His hand slid down my arm until he held my own in his. His fingers slipped through mine and he grasped my hand as though to remind me of every intimate moment we shared together. I wanted to sigh in the simple touch
of our hands. Skin against skin, a connection that drove me insane until I fought for more. Tonight, my hand was limp in his. I couldn't fight this time.

I watched him swallow. "I'm not right for you."

"No, you're not," I agreed trying to swallow the lump forming in the back of my throat. My stomach clenched as the words left my mouth. I couldn't push away the feeling that I was lying to myself. Something
inside of me was screaming in protest.

"But this," he raised our joined hands, "feels fucking right." His eyes flashed to mine. "I know I can't have you and I don't blame you for wanting out, but I'm not going to stop
protecting you. It's my fault the Undead are looking for you and I promise I won't stop until I know you're safe again.

I sat there stunned. He was still going to protect me even if I didn't choose to be with him. "Why?" I asked him, my voice
hoarse. The tears threatened to come back which meant I needed to get the hell out of that car.

"You know why?"

We were quiet, gazing into the other's eyes, desperate for a
way out. I wanted this to end. I wanted to go back a few short hours, when I didn't know the truth. When I wasn't aware of how far I'd fallen. For once I caught myself before I hit the bottom and I had good reason to back out.

A single tear slipped over my cheek and trickled over my
chin. Ben's eyes followed it, pain breaking into his hardened stare. "Goodnight Ben," I whispered before I pulled my hand out of his.

I got out of the car. As I shut the door, I heard Ben
respond, "Goodnight Ella."

My heart wrenched as I felt the weight of the night crash over my shoulders. I turned away from the car. I could feel Ben's gaze follow me to my front door. Then, I heard the sound of his engine. In a moment, he was
gone. I unlocked the door with the spare key that was amazingly still in my back pocket. I wasn't sure of the time, but the sky was gradually fading into a lighter blue to welcome the morning.

More tears stained my cheeks when I shut my door behind me. My back fell against the wood and I slid until my butt hit the floor. I choked back a sob. My chest felt as though it would cave in with each breath. My head fell into my hands as I cried. The reality of the night, the creatures I'd been
exposed to seemed part of a nightmare that I would eventually wake up from. I prayed I'd wake up, but I continued to sit on the floor with the taste of my tears on my tongue until the dim morning light began to shine through the
windows. I never woke up.

The sound of my phone ringing pulled me from the darkness. My hand smacked against my nightstand as I fumbled for my cellphone. Finally, I grasped the vibrating piece of shit that woke me up. I turned my head to the
side on the pillow so that I could put the phone to my ear.

"What?" I croaked.

"Ella?"

My eyes snapped open at the sound of Ava's voice on the
other line. "Ava?" I pulled myself up to a sitting position. My neck was stiff and the skin on my bandaged shoulder burned. I pulled the phone away from my mouth and winced.

"I was going to ask if you're still good to babysit
tonight, but you don't sound too good. Are you okay honey?"

"Oh!" I exclaimed, my eyes darting to the clock on my nightstand. It was Saturday. I promised to babysit Ava's daughter, Mallie, at six. It was a quarter past five already. I'd slept almost twelve hours.
"Yes, of course. Six o'clock right?"

"That would be perfect. Are you sure you're okay?" The concern in her voice was comforting. I loved Ava and it touched my heart
knowing she cared about my wellbeing. I'd only known her for the past two years I worked at the diner but we formed an instant bond. She was like my second mom. Her daughter Mallie was the baby sister I never had.

I forced a laugh. "Yeah, I'm fine. I just woke up from
a nap. I'll be over there in a few."

"Thanks, Ella!"

I gave a faint smile at the excitement in her voice. Josh was probably taking her somewhere really special outside of Covington. On date
nights, the sassy four year old expected me to bring a DVD from my Disney movie stash and a bag of giant marshmallows that I even got a little bit excited thinking about. Not tonight though. Tonight I would wear a fake smile and
pretend everything was okay. I would pretend Ben never came to Covington. I would tell myself that zombies were works of fiction. The wound on my shoulder came from my two left feet.

.

After I showered and changed I went downstairs to find
another note from my mom taped to the counter. She left for work just before I woke up. I was surprised she didn't wake me, but also relieved. Missing her meant one less excuse I would have to give in regards to my lethargic behavior.

My movements were not my own as I maneuvered around the kitchen. I had my purse packed with junk food and movies. Before I worked most nights at the diner, I had a regular babysitting job for most of the people in
the neighborhood. I missed watching over kids and now it was mostly Mallie who I cleared my nights for.

I locked up the house, got in my car, and drove. I didn't turn on the stereo. I didn't hum a tune under my breath. I sat in silence with
my eyes glued to the road. I pulled the car off one of the main streets and onto a dirt path that brought me directly to their house. They lived in a nice, newly renovated house with two stories and a koi pond in the front yard. The
woods surrounding the clapboard house seemed to envelope the house with serenity.

I bit down on my bottom lip and steered the car around the bend. I fought back the trepidation that the woods now filled me with. I could scratch running for my life, through the woods, in the dark, off my bucket
list. I wasn't going near them anytime soon.

I parked my car off to the side of the driveway and quickly slipped out of the front street knowing Mallie was waiting for me by the door.
Sure enough, when I rounded the corner of the house to their front porch, the door stood wide open with Mallie standing in the middle of the frame dressed as Pocahontas.

"Hi Ella!" She exclaimed without moving away from
the door. "Guess what?"

I stopped and put my hands to the hips. "If you say chicken,"

"Chicken butt!" She shrieked.

I clamped my hands against my ears and waddled past her into
the house. "Every time," I stressed and Mallie laughed. I felt her tiny hands grip the sides of my sides. I spun in response and listened to her shriek with laugher as I picked her up and swung her around.

Ava stepped into the room. I noted her long, dark red hair that was pulled back into a loose bun and her sleek black cocktail dress. I shot her a grin and a nod of approval, which she returned with a little curtsy. Josh, a real estate agent/local musician, came into the room dressed in a black
suit and kissed Mallie on the cheek.

"Be good for Ella," he said to her, shot me a friendly smile, and attempted to hurry Ava out the door. "We're going to
be late, Babe."

Ava raised her hand over her shoulder and waved him off. She smiled at me. "Miss Mallie can stay up until the movie's over." Her eyes moved to the little girl in my arms. "Which means right after the
movie. No but's, and's, or pretty please with sugar on top."

"Okay mommy," Mallie drawled, playing with a strand of my hair that she curled around her index finger.

"We should be home around midnight." Ava looked up
at me. "Thanks again Ella."

I smiled and managed to shoo her out the door with Mallie's help. After the back door was locked, I set Mallie down, and turned to face the kitchen that was open to the living room.

"Ellaaa," Mallie toyed with my name the way she always did. I loved hearing my name come out of that little girl's mouth.

"Mallieee," I teased. She put her hand to her hip
in response and gave me the look that told me to stop being ridiculous. I laughed at the serious, adult like expression on her face. "Oh Mal, there is just too much sass in this house between the two of us."

She waved her hand and blinked many times, as I had known
her so well to do. "I know." I handed her my purse and she quickly pulled out the movie I'd stashed in my bag. She examined the DVD case in her hands. I watched her eyebrows rise. "Oh, I
love
Hercules."

"I couldn't pass up that hunk," I admitted, shrugging my shoulders.

"He's
so
delicious," Mallie expressed. I choked back a laugh in response to her diction that she managed to pick up from
me.

My mind drifted momentarily to Ben. A frown fell on my face instantly just as Mallie turned away from me to put the movie into the DVD player. I bit down hard on my tongue trying to ignore the sharp pain in my
chest as I imagined his strong, calloused hand holding mine. The feel of his touch made me shudder. I swallowed and shook my head to push the thought away.

I didn't realize how long I was standing in the middle of
the kitchen until I heard Mallie calling my name, telling me the movie was starting. I blinked and walked into the living room to find Mallie sitting on the couch, mesmerized by the Muses on the television screen. I didn't have the heart to tell her that the actual Muses, as told in Greek Mythology, were not
five sassy black women.

"Ellie Bellie, what's wrong?"

I used to curse my name for the countless nicknames people managed to tag with it. There's something about short and simple names that
everyone feels the need to add something extra because it has a ring to it. Just when I thought I'd heard them all, Mallie always came up with another. Only, I didn't mind them coming from her. She could call me Fred for all I
cared.

"Nothing sweetie," I assured her. I pulled the bag of jumbo marshmallows from my purse and tossed them onto Mallie's lap before I settled down beside her on the couch.

Mallie's wide, hazel eyes searched my face. "Are you
sad?"

I turned to her, frowning. "Do I look sad?" She nodded. "Well, big girls get sad sometimes."

She frowned. I could tell by the way her nose scrunched up
that she didn't like my answer. "But why are you sad?"

I never lied to Mallie. If she asked me something I told her the censored truth. Children are the best to talk to. They never judge you with
whatever leaves your mouth and their responses are honest.

"You know how every girl has a prince charming?" I asked, remembering the stories her mother told her about true love. Ava was a hopeless romantic. She told her daughter that every girl in the world had her
own prince waiting to rescue her.

"Well, I found my prince but we're not going to live happily ever after."

"But he's
your
prince."

I tried to swallow, my throat suddenly dry. "Yes, he is."

"And is he handsome?"

I laughed. "Yes, very much so."

Mallie frowned. "Why won't you live happily ever
after?"

I turned to the television, silently contemplating the irony of the situation. I couldn't tell my best friends, but I could talk about my relationship drama with a soon to be five year old girl. "Sometimes,"
I began, "being a prince isn't enough. Sometimes they're not good for princesses like you or me." I shut my eyes, trying to prevent the tears from forming. "So we have to let them go."

Mallie turned her attention back to the movie without saying
anything. She laughed at a scene between Pain and Panic. It brought the smile back to my face. Her laughter was light and carefree, free of the treacherous weight that I carried as child. I never had her charismatic smile.

"The Beast was bad."

I frowned. "What?"

She looked at me. "Bell loved the Beast even when he was being mean. He was big and scary too, but he was still a prince." My
mouth fell open at the analysis the little girl had made. "They lived happily ever after."

I wished I could tell her that Ben wasn't exactly the beast she was thinking of, but my own mind stopped me from doing so. I loved him, despite
what he was.
That
scared me. What kind of person was I to love a monster? I wasn't supposed to love at all. I'd gotten so used to being hurt that I forgot what it felt like to put my trust in someone else's hands.

"I'm going to make popcorn," I said and stood up in an attempt to put my mind somewhere else.

"With chocolate chips?"

I whirled back around. "Who do you think I am?"
Mallie stared at me blankly. "Yes, chocolate is always a yes."

She grinned and turned back to the movie. When I was back in the kitchen I pulled a bag of popcorn from the pantry and stuck it in the
microwave after removing the annoying plastic wrap. When my hands grasped the container filled with chocolate chips that Ava kept in the fridge, a chill ran down my spine. I froze. The eerie feeling sank into the pores on my skin. I turned, swallowing my fear, and faced the living room.

"Mallie?"

She didn't answer. I darted around the bar counter to see the fluff of her brown hair draped over the armrest. Her eyes were glued to the screen. Clearly, she was incapable of responding. I sighed in relief at the
sight of her small form, sinking comfortably into the leather couch. When I turned back to the kitchen, my eyes caught something that stood behind the glass window of the back door.

I spun to the side to see a man outside. His eyes, black as
coal, glared into mine. The container of chocolate chips fell from my hands and toppled to the floor. A scream left my mouth before I could stop it. The man's expressionless mask twisted into a malicious grin. His teeth were stained with
a dark liquid that made my stomach churn at the sight. The glass door was locked, but I shot around the kitchen table and pulled the second door shut. He smiled at me as I shut the door in his face and twisted the two locks. My chest
heaved. I turned around, listening to the sound of Mallie's cries.

"Who is that, Ella?"

As if to answer her question, heavy beating against the glass of the screen door jolted me away from the entrance. I imagined his fists
pounding angrily against the glass. I backed away from the door and dashed over to Mallie. I swung her into my arms and pushed her head into my shoulder as though that would shield her from the noise, if nothing else to hide her from
my panic stricken expression.

My stomach dropped. The beating on the door traveled around the house instantaneously, hitting all the windows, rattling the shutters. Eyes wide, I realized there was more than one. Their beating moved around the
perimeter of the house. They were fast. I didn't want to believe it, but my gut told me they weren't human.

I ran to the kitchen table where my purse hung over one of the chairs. With my free hand I fumbled through it until my hands brushed over
the rubber case. I frantically pushed the buttons on the screen until I found Ben's contact. I pushed send without hesitation or further thought.

"Ella, I'm scared." Mallie whimpered into my
shoulder.

"It's okay. We're going to be okay," I murmured into her hair, trying to calm her down, but my own hands were shaking as I waited for Ben to pick up, praying he would.

I sighed in relief when I heard his voice after the third
ring. "Ella?" He sounded confused, but there was a hint of urgency in his voice. He knew I wouldn't be calling unless it was an emergency.

"Ben," I said his name over the loud thunder of
their fists slamming against the glass. "I need you."

"Where are you?"

I gave him the address that Mallie could recite backwards. "Ben, there are people outside and I think they're like you." I
couldn't tell him anything more over the phone. Mallie was in hysterics. I needed her to believe we were going to be okay.

I heard the rumble of his motorcycle's engine in the
background. "I'll be there in a minute."

I barely heard him. Someone's voice drifted down to the first floor from somewhere upstairs. I heard Ben shout my name through the phone while Mallie cried harder. The phone slipped out of my hands and smacked
against the floor. Fear struck me, like pins and needles pricking every inch of my skin. They were in the house.

Hoisting Mallie up in my arms for a better grip, I dashed into the living room where I could look up to the second story balcony. No one
was there that I could see but I heard his voice again. He called my name this time. The two syllables a chilling whisper as it wavered above me, taunting me. Mallie quivered in my arms. My heart ripped into two, hearing her pleas for her
mommy. She was so little and so scared. In that moment, I vowed nothing would happen to her.