7. Chapter Seven
Chapter Seven
Amelia
I blinked, trying to process the words that had just left Finn’s mouth.
He is a vampire! I thought.
A startled laugh escaped me before I could stop it. Beside me, Sienna snorted, crossing her arms with an amused shake of her head.
"You’re kidding, right?" Sienna said, looking between Finn and Aidan.
Finn’s face remained stone-cold; his fists clenched at his sides.
"A vampire?" I repeated, my laughter fading into nervous disbelief. "Finn, that’s insane. Vampires don’t exist."
Aidan remained silent, his expression unreadable. But something about the way he stood—tense, guarded—made my stomach twist.
Finn didn’t waver. His eyes flicked to Aidan, then back to me. "You think this is funny?" he asked, his voice low and sharp. "You really think I’d make something like this up?"
I felt a small chill crawl up my spine.
Sienna nudged me. "I mean, it’s kind of ridiculous, right?" she chuckled. "What’s next? Werewolves and witches?"
Finn exhaled harshly, his patience clearly wearing thin. Then, before I could react, he moved fast.
In one swift motion, he yanked the car key from his pocket and stabbed Aidan in the neck.
"Aidan!" I screamed, my stomach twisting in horror.
Sienna gasped, stepping back.
Aidan stumbled, his hand flying to his throat as dark red blood poured from the wound.
But then, the next second—it stopped.
I froze.
The deep, gushing wound in Aidan’s throat sealed itself right before my eyes.
The blood that had spilled onto his skin and shirt remained, but the injury itself. Completely gone.
"What… the hell…?" Sienna’s breathing hitched.
I took a shaky step back, my chest rising and falling too fast.
"Believe me now?" Finn turned to me, his voice hard.
"Aidan," I said, my voice barely above a whisper. "What… what did I just see?"
He held my gaze, something unreadable in his eyes, a plea, a warning. Finally, he exhaled and stepped forward.
"Amelia," he said, voice low. "I need you to listen to me."
I flinched and took a step back.
"Don’t," I whispered. My head was spinning. My body felt disconnected from my mind. This couldn’t be real. This had to be a trick, a hallucination, something.
Finn moved in front of me, his hand gripping my arm protectively.
"You stay the hell away from her," he growled at Aidan.
Sienna stood frozen beside me, her mouth opening and closing, but no words came out.
"I never wanted you to find out like this," Aidan’s jaw clenched.
"This explains why I was confused on the day of the fire incident. Your clothes were torn and blood all over you but not a single scratch on you," my voice rose despite the panic constricting my throat.
"Amelia at least hear me out …" Aidan pleaded.
"This isn’t happening," I muttered, backing away further. "This isn’t real."
Aidan took another step toward me, his expression unreadable yet laced with urgency. "Amelia, please, just let me explain."
I shook my head violently. "No. No more lies. No more secrets!" My voice cracked as I pointed toward the door. "Get out."
"Amelia…"
"Out!" I shouted, my pulse thundering in my ears.
Aidan’s expression intensified, his lips parting before he stopped, shoulders dropping as a flicker of pain crossed his face.
But I couldn’t let him speak, couldn’t risk listening, so Aidan exhaled sharply, glanced at me one last time, and walked out into the night.
I turned to Finn, my chest still heaving. "You too," I said.
"What?" Finn blinked.
"I need time," I said, my voice hoarse. "I can’t deal with this right now. Just… leave."
Finn hesitated, glancing toward the door as if considering whether to fight me on this. But then he nodded stiffly. "Fine. Just know you can’t shut me out, Amelia."
He didn’t wait for a response. He simply turned and left.
Silence filled the room.
For a long moment, neither Sienna nor I spoke.
Then, she let out a long, shaky breath. "Holy. Shit."
I sank onto the couch, my hands trembling as I buried my face in them.
Sienna sat beside me, still wide-eyed.
"Did that just happen? Like, for real? Because I swear, I thought vampires were just in movies."
"Yeah… me too," I let out a weak, breathless laugh, one that held no humor.
We sat there for a few more moments, the weight of what had just happened pressing down on us like a physical force.
"I just… I just need to be alone right now," I sighed.
"Okay. But if you need me…" Sienna hesitated before nodding.
"I know," I whispered.
I shut the door to my room, crumbled under the weight of it all. Curled beneath my blanket, and prayed for sleep, but it only got worse.
Flames roared around me, searing my skin. I was trapped, bound by unseen forces.
Aidan stood before me, his face shadowed, eyes glowing eerily.
"You should have listened, Amelia," he whispered, his voice echoing through my mind like a scream.
Dark figures emerged behind him, their fangs gleaming in the firelight. Their hollow eyes locked onto me with terrifying hunger.
"Stay back!" I tried to scream, but my voice was barely a breath.
They didn’t stop.
Pain tore through me as flames erupted across my skin. I was burning. I was dying.
"Aidan!" I shrieked.
His eyes widened. "Amelia!" He lunged forward; arms outstretched.
The fire surged higher, blocking him. He growled in frustration, trying again.
"No! Hold on!"
"Aidan, help me!" My voice cracked with agony.
"I’m trying!" He struggled, his body trembling.
The creatures closed in.
"Aidan," I whimpered.
"No! Amelia!" He roared, fighting against the unseen force restraining him.
The last thing I saw before darkness swallowed me was his face, helpless and filled with pain.
I woke up screaming.
Sweat drenched me as I gripped the sheets, shadows looming before my door burst open.
"Amelia!" Sienna’s voice was frantic as she flicked on the light. She rushed to my side, eyes wide with panic. "What happened? Are you okay?"
I gasped, chest heaving, the fire's phantom heat and Aidan’s gaze lingering, but it was just a dream.
"Yeah… yeah, I’m fine." I swallowed hard and nodded weakly.
Sienna didn’t look convinced. "Amelia, you were screaming. I thought someone broke in or something."
I forced a shaky laugh, running a trembling hand through my damp hair.
"It was just a nightmare."
"Do you… want to talk about it?" Her eyes softened.
"No…I just need sleep." I shook my head.
Sienna hesitated, but eventually, she sighed. "Okay. But I’m right down the hall if you need me."
I nodded as she left, then lay staring at the ceiling, knowing sleep wouldn’t come because the nightmare felt too real.
Sleep refused to come, so I pushed off the blankets and padded barefoot to the living room, where Sienna sat curled up, typing on her laptop, her face lit by the screen’s glow.
"Working?" I asked softly.
She jumped slightly, then turned toward me with a knowing look. "And you’re not sleeping," she said, closing her laptop halfway.
"I tried," I sighed, sinking onto the couch beside her.
"Nightmare still messing with you?"
"That… and everything else." I pulled my knees up, wrapping my arms around them. "I thought coming out here might help clear my mind, but it’s worse."
"You’re still thinking about him," Sienna studied me, tilting her head.
"Both of them," I swallowed hard.
Her brows lifted slightly, unsurprised, as I wrestled with the fear, uncertainty, and insanity of it all, unable to shake thoughts of Aidan’s smoldering intensity and Finn’s steady conviction.
"God, I think I might be falling for both of them," I covered my face with my hands.
"Both?" Sienna blinked.
"Yeah," I groaned.
She set her laptop aside and turned to face me fully. "Okay. Let’s unpack that. You’re saying that even after Finn basically told you Aidan is a literal monster, you still have feelings for him?"
I hesitated. "I don’t know what to believe. I mean, I saw what happened with my own eyes, but" I sighed. "Aidan doesn’t feel like a monster."
"Amelia, he healed from a stab wound in seconds. If that’s not a monster, I don’t know what is," Sienna gave me a pointed look.
"Then why does it hurt to push him away?" I hugged my knees tighter.
"And Finn?" Sienna exhaled, rubbing her temples.
"He’s…" I hesitated, searching for the right words. "He’s always been there. He looks at me like I’m the only thing that matters. But…"
"But he doesn’t set your soul on fire like Aidan does," Sienna finished, raising an eyebrow.
I bit my lip, unwilling to admit she was right—Finn was steady and grounding, but Aidan was a storm, wild and irresistible.
"So, you’re basically in love with two men. One who is good for you, and one who might literally suck your blood in your sleep," Sienna sighed.
"That’s not funny," I shot her a glare.
"A little funny," she smirked.
"What the hell do I do, Sienna?" I buried my face in my hands again.
She was quiet for a moment, then shrugged.
"You figure out what you really want. And fast. Because something tells me this love triangle? It’s only going to get messier."
"I want both of them in my life," I whispered, almost afraid of my own words.
Sienna’s eyebrows shot up. She studied me for a long moment, then shrugged.
"So… have them both."
"What?" I blinked; certain I had misheard her.
She leaned back against the couch, crossing her arms.
"I’m serious. Polyamory is a thing, you know. Some people don’t just pick one person. They love more than one, and they make it work."
"You’re joking," I let out a humorless laugh.
"Not at all." She tilted her head. "Think about it. You’re clearly torn between them, and forcing yourself to choose might just make you miserable. But if they’re both willing…"
I stared at her, my mind spinning.
"You really think Finn and Aidan would just… agree to share me?"
"Well, I don’t know about Aidan, but Finn gives me ‘I’d-do-anything-for-you’ vibes. And Aidan? He’s stubborn, but if he loves you enough, he might consider it," she smirked.
"That’s insane. They hate each other," I shook my head.
"They don’t have to love each other," Sienna said casually. "They just have to love you."
"I can’t believe we’re even having this conversation," I exhaled, rubbing my temples.
"Welcome to the modern world, Amelia. Relationships don’t have to be one-size-fits-all."
I stayed quiet, my mind a whirlwind of emotions.
"Look," Sienna said, leaning forward, "you don’t have to decide anything right now. But if you want both of them, you need to be honest with yourself and with them."
"And what if they say no?" I swallowed hard.
"Then at least you’ll know where you stand, instead of tearing yourself apart trying to choose," she gave me a knowing look.
Just as I was about to say something, my phone buzzed on the couch beside me.
I glanced down and saw Finn’s name glowing on the screen. My stomach fluttered as I hesitated before unlocking it.
I can’t stop thinking about you. I know you said you needed time, but I’d love to take you to dinner tomorrow. Just the two of us.
I swallowed hard, rereading the message as warmth spread through my chest. Even after everything, he was still reaching out, still fighting for me.
"Well? What does lover boy want?" Sienna nudged me.
I rolled my eyes but couldn’t hide my smile as I read the text aloud.
"Oh. My. God. He wants to woo you over dinner," Sienna gasped dramatically, clutching her chest.
"Sienna, please," I snorted.
"No, no, this is adorable. My best friend is out here collecting men like infinity stones while I can’t even get one to text me back!" She grinned mischievously.
"That’s not true." I laughed, shaking my head.
"It is so true," she groaned, tossing a pillow at me. "Meanwhile, you have two ridiculously attractive men completely obsessed with you."
"It’s not that simple," I bit my lip, staring at the message again.
"Oh, it’s very simple. You’re out here thriving, and I’m just sitting here being your emotional support bestie. Seriously, Amelia, how does it feel to live my dream?"
I chuckled, but as Finn’s message lingered, Aidan’s face flashed in my mind, unshakable, and I knew this was getting messy with no clear way out.
Sienna leaned back against the couch, watching me closely as I stared at Finn’s message.
"Okay," she said, crossing her arms. "So, are you going to dinner with him?"
I sighed. "I don’t know."
"You should go," she said, nudging me. "See how you feel around him. Maybe it’ll help clear things up."
"Yeah," I murmured, though my mind was elsewhere.
"There’s something I’ve been wondering, Amelia," she said slowly. "And I don’t know why I didn’t think of it sooner."
"What?" I turned to her, confused.
She hesitated again, then leaned forward, lowering her voice as if someone else might hear.
"How did Finn find out Aidan is a vampire? There’s no way on earth a normal human being would have suspected Aidan being a vampire. Something’s not right. It takes a monster to know another monster, don’t you think? "
"You think…" I swallowed hard. "You think Finn could be…" My pulse quickened.
"A supernatural being too?" Sienna finished, her voice barely above a whisper.