18. Eighteen
Eighteen
S aturday has arrived and I’m a walking stereotype. Picture every brooding vampire ever depicted in literature and film and there you have it. Erin is sleeping soundly in my bed, and I’m sitting with one leg crossed over the other in a chair opposite, simply watching her.
The sun is ascending and soft rays dance across Erin’s face. My mind has been a mess for days, and sleep has eluded me. I’ve done my best to hide my current state from Erin, and for the most part, I think I’ve been successful. The handful of times she quizzed me, I blamed my mood on work.
The image of Mack talking to Erin in the bar is still etched in my brain. My mother’s voice echoes again in my ears, telling me to give Erin my trust. That’s easier said than done, especially when I’m about to reveal something to her that might send her running for the hills, or into her ex’s arms.
Sitting here is only amping up my anxiety. I rise from the chair and gently place a kiss on Erin’s temple. If I’m to get through today without a nervous breakdown, I need to find some peace. There is only one way for me to do that.
Leaving a note at the breakfast bar, I head to the garage. My bike is sitting there just waiting for me to take her out. Traffic is minimal at such an early hour. I have no place in mind. I just need to feel the rush of the ride.
Further down the coast, blue and red lights distract me. Glancing in my side mirror, I see the police car cruising behind me. Pulling over, I hop off the bike and remove my helmet. Dana steps out of the car. She has a tired smile; I presume she has been on shift all night.
“Hey, early for a ride, isn’t it?”
“Couldn’t sleep,” I reply. Dana has been true to her word. She’s only expressed support and has allowed me to vent some of my worries over the last several days.
“Want to grab breakfast?”
“Sure, meet you at Bennie’s?”
“I’m right behind you.”
Bennie’s Diner is twenty minutes away, but it’s worth the ride over. The pancakes are to die for. Over the years, Dana and I have used it as a place to decompress.
We sit in our usual booth with our usual order of coffee and pancakes. “Long night?” I ask.
“Yeah, too long. I think I’m ready for a change.”
“You mean give up the badge?”
“Yeah. David makes enough money for the both of us, and then some. I’m tired, Amelia. Tired of all the bullshit that comes along with the job. ”
“What would you do? I can’t see you sitting around all day, Dana.”
“We’ve started discussing a family.”
Placing my cutlery down, I give Dana my undivided attention. Dana and David enjoy their freedom. This is the first time Dana has hinted at settling down with kids. “Is that something you want?”
Dana nods. “Lately I’ve been feeling broody. David loves kids, and I think we’re in a good place.”
“I’m happy for you both. Truly, I think you’ll make fantastic parents.”
“Thank you, sweetie,” Dana replies, squeezing my hand. “Now, do you want to talk about the real reason you were driving your bike at the ass crack of dawn?”
“My mind won’t shut off. I’ve tried everything, but today… today is probably going to be one of the biggest tests of my relationship with Erin. It’s also going to determine my future.”
“That’s a lot to process. What’s your gut telling you about Erin and her reaction?”
“I don’t know if I can trust my gut. That’s the problem.” I laugh mirthlessly. I’ve never trusted myself less than I do at this moment.
“Do you want to know what I think?”
“Sure.”
“Erin is in deep, Amelia. I know I reacted badly when you told me, but after that, I watched her. She might be human, but she is pulled to you like a vampire would be. Erin may need a few days to let the truth sink in, but I believe she will be okay with it.”
“God, I hope so, Dana.”
“When is the big reveal? ”
“Lunch time. The whole family will be there.”
“Have faith in her, Amelia. Don’t presume to know what Erin will think or feel. Trust her to love you enough to stay.”
“Love me. Dana, we’ve barely begun dating.”
“Timelines aren’t relevant in this, you know that. Okay, so you and Erin are a little different, but the feelings are still there. Tell me you don’t love her.”
“Dana, she consumes me entirely. I can’t breathe when I think of her not being by my side. But I understand why I feel that way. What if Erin believes her feelings aren’t real, that they’re just a manifestation—”
“Stop, Amelia, just stop. If you don’t start giving Erin some credit, no matter how she takes the news, your bonding will be unsuccessful because you still doubt her.”
We fall silent as I try to wade through the cesspool of thoughts lodged in my head. “I don’t want to lose her,” I whisper, my eyes slamming shut, trying to stop the falling of tears stinging my eyes.
“You won’t. As long as you give her your all, Erin will stay.”
We part ways half an hour later. Thankfully, Dana changed the subject and distracted me with tales of her recent calls. The sun is up now, and Erin will be awake. Suddenly, the distance between us is too much. Revving my bike, I set off for the penthouse. I need to make love to Erin; I need us to have that connection before we go to lunch.
Erin is lounging in the bed still when I arrive. She’s wearing one of my t-shirts, which drowns her petite body. Her hair is a mess on top of her head, and she’s got sleepy eyes. The coffee she’s clutching in her hand is slowly bringing her into the world of the living.
“You’re back,” she rasps, her voice laden with sleep .
“Just a quick ride. Stopped for breakfast at Bennie’s with Dana.”
“Everything all right?”
“Dana was talking about leaving the police.”
“Wow, do you think she will?”
“I believe so.” Shucking my clothes, I stalk towards Erin. Her eyes shimmer with want as she scans my naked body.
“Well, good morning,” Erin purrs when I reach the bed, taking her coffee cup from her hand.
“Morning,” I mumble into her neck. She smells of the sweetest cherries. My mouth explores her skin slowly. Erin’s hands caress my back as I maneuver myself on top. Her legs open and I rest my torso between them, feeling her pussy, already wet with desire.
“I want us to come together,” Erin gasps as I rock against her.
“Mmmm,” is the only noise I can make. Already I’m fighting the urge to climax. Her folds gliding against my own are a sensational delight. I can feel her clit begging for more.
Our pace increases as excitement overshadows control. My hair falls, cocooning us in an intimate world of gasps and moans. Our eyes are locked as our bodies move to the rhythm of our pounding hearts. “Harder,” she cries, her body vibrating as I push more. Erin cries out my name, which sends me soaring into oblivion.
“Wow,” Erin pants. “That was unexpected.”
“I couldn’t help myself,” I murmur.
“I wouldn’t want you to.” My head is laying on her chest, I can hear her heart beating. Closing my eyes, I listen and commit the sound to memory.
The Loch house is eerily quiet when Erin and I arrive. The silence is doing nothing to dispel me of the anxiety pinballing around my body.
Taking my hand, Erin stops us just inside the entrance. “Amelia, is everything okay?”
“Perfectly,” I reply calmly. “Getting hangry,” I grin. Erin’s eyes tell me she doesn’t believe me.
Rounding the corner to the dining room, we are met with a table of sullen Lochs. “Wow, who died?” Erin mutters.
“Family,” I greet.
“Hello, love. Erin, how are you?” Mother asks.
“Very well. Is lunch ready?” The conversation is too polite. Every member of my family looks uncomfortable.
Mother serves lunch, and silently we all begin eating. Ten minutes in and Erin’s knife and fork clatter to her plate. “Okay, what’s going on? Did someone actually die because this is one morbid lunch?”
My first reaction is to chuckle. I love that Erin doesn’t censor herself around my family. But I soon stop laughing when I see every eye now focused on me. Shit.
“We can talk after lunch,” I say, earning a scowl from Lucille.
“No, I’d prefer to talk now, Amelia.”
Sitting at the dining room table feels far too formal. “Maybe we could adjourn to the sitting room. ”
“Good idea,” Father comments. Without another word, chairs scrape back and the entire clan siphons into the sitting room.
“Erin, why don’t you take a seat there, dear?” Mom is pointing to the single seat in the corner of the room. My family squeezes onto the remaining couches. I remain standing, fiddling with my hands by the door.
“I’m seated. Now what’s going on?” Erin looks from my family to me expectantly.
I look at my parents, unable to speak. My mother gives me a reassuring nod. Oh shit, here goes nothing. “Erin,” I start. My voice is not confident in the least. “There is something I wanted to tell you, but it will require you to be… open-minded.”
“I like to think I am anyway,” she grumbles. “But, okay, go on, my mind is way open.”
“Right, well, okay.” Words are escaping me. I wrack my brain, trying to formulate a sentence that doesn’t make me sound nuts. “Okay, so… oh, hang on, wait there one second.” It occurs to me that maybe I don’t have to find the words. In the family office is a record of our family tree, our bloodline. We also keep ancient texts about our species. Maybe if I present them to her, Erin will come to her own conclusion.
I dart for the door, noting the many confused looks pointed in my direction. I don’t care. This is the first time I feel confident that I can explain things properly to Erin. The office door creaks open. I hear footsteps behind me. Unsurprisingly, Lucille barges in with a look that tells me she wants to rip into me. I raise my hand. “Luce, just help me,” I say, pointing to the texts and books.
Lucille picks up on my train of thought and nods. Together, we collect as much as possible before heading back downstairs. Everyone is exactly where they were minutes ago. Erin is raising her eyebrows at me. I stop in the middle of the room and drop everything to the floor. “Erin,” I say, a little out of breath. “I need you to come here and read through all this.” I wave my hand over the pile of books.
“You want me to read that?” she clarifies.
“Yes, please. Read it all and then we’ll talk.”
With a quick glance at my parents, Erin rises from the chair, takes a few steps forward and then drops to the floor. With one more look at me, she picks up a record of our family tree.
Stepping back, I lean against the wall and watch. Erin meticulously reads each document, pausing now and then to look at me and then my family. We are silent as she pours over everything on the floor.
My heartbeat is a runaway train. I watch on tenterhooks as Erin closes the last book on the floor. She stares at the ground for a few seconds before rising to her feet. Turning to me, she regards me silently. I can feel sweat pooling at the base of my spine. “Amelia,” she begins, and I am almost sure I am about to pass out. “Are you trying to tell me you and your family are vampires?”