Chapter 12 #2
I smiled at him as the server brought us water. I was thirsty, and I gulped down half of it after she’d taken my drink order.
“What were we talking about?” I asked when she was back out of earshot.
“I said you’re not to leave here without me.”
I smiled at him. “Right. I hadn’t planned on it. Hmm, I should probably call my dad anyway.”
Auris nodded. “I’ll excuse myself, then.” He stood, then kissed my cheek. “Enjoy your meal and your phone call, my sweet.”
He left quickly, though without rushing. I didn’t turn to look after him. I didn’t want to make myself wish for him to stop, turn around, and not leave, which was childish. No, it was romantic, but romance seemed as distant as childhood.
I took another sip of water before I pulled out my phone and called my dad.
The conversation was like most of our talks, really just an exchange of signs of life and broad updates about significant things that had happened, which consisted of him telling me about a nice date night he’d had with Don while I talked about my photography and avoided mentioning the handsome vampire whose company I was currently keeping.
Then we talked about the news for ten minutes, during which I muted myself so I could place my order.
Before we hung up, I switched to a video call so he could see me not working all the time with his own eyes. He demanded that every now and then, and he’d caught me in front of my computer with my work open a few times.
That was my phone call, pretty much like every other phone call with him.
I’d wanted to tell him what was new on my end, that I’d met a vampire, and I was allegedly mentioned in a prophecy about him.
I wanted to tell my dad the vampire had told me he loved me.
Dad and I had given up on saying that to one another at some point, and I didn’t even remember when.
I just knew I hadn’t been able to say it to anyone for a long time, maybe never.
I couldn’t tell my dad any of that without it getting too emotional, and we had an unspoken agreement not to do that.
When the food arrived, I ate slowly and tried to work through what had happened to me over the past few days.
My feelings for Auris…those were so new, but they felt right, like lining up the perfect shot.
Everything with him was so easy it scared me.
And yet, I remembered the night I’d met him, the violence.
I didn’t think for a moment that he would ever be violent with me, but that was a world I had no experience with.
I didn't know what to make of having come so close to it.
While I ate my Buddha bowl, I kept my phone in one hand, searching for what the church had to do with violence. Forced conversions of indigenous children was among the first things I found, but I skipped past that and the ever-present abuse scandals and went to the Inquisition.
As I was reading and looking at some old drawings, I realized my shock at seeing priests with weapons might’ve been my own error. Historically, they didn’t seem to have shied away from violence.
And then there were the crusades. I hadn’t even been aware of how long they’d gone on for or how much fighting and violence there had been. There was Friday the 13th too, the day the Knights Templar had been massacred.
I ate the last of my food and was about to reach for the notebook in my bag so I could write some of this down when I felt a light touch on my shoulder. Auris. He slipped back into his seat, a warm smile pulling at his lips.
“Ethan. I missed you.”
I checked the time on my phone. “Barely half an hour.” I put the device down and looked into his midnight eyes. “But I missed you too. What did you find out?”
“Hmm, I’d much rather hear about you. How’s your father?”
I shrugged. “He’s fine. He went on a date with Don. They had a good time.”
“Don?”
“His boyfriend. I like him.”
Auris nodded and apparently filed that information away. “You’re not very close to your father, are you?”
“I love him, and we talk regularly.” Auris nodded, and I didn’t feel the need to elaborate. “So?”
He steepled his fingers in front of him, the sharp nails catching my attention once more. “My disappearance from where you found me has not gone unnoticed, though they seem to still be waiting for me to return to my house. Or my lair, as I’m sure they would describe it.”
“Did you actually see anyone watching? I mean, did you just go back? What happened?” I’d been fidgeting with the saltshaker and only noticed when Auris reached for my hand, stilling me.
“I didn’t go back. I have people here who keep an eye on things for me, and of course I have cameras in and around my house.”
“That makes sense. People like Gloria?”
“Yes.”
A wave of emotion hit me, and I didn’t know where exactly it came from. I let out a breath to release some of the sudden tension. Auris, uncaring if anyone saw, had moved and was now kneeling at my side, holding my face. He examined me, his eyes intent.
“I’m fine, really,” I said, my breath hitching.
His eyebrows twitched into a minute scowl. “Shock can creep up on you, but I have you, so don’t worry. We should go back to Brightam. Are you done eating?”
I nodded. “I’ll just head to the restroom.”
I did. When I went to wash my hands, I remembered the other restaurant and what had happened in the restroom between me and Auris. I was panting before the water turned off, all while my eyes had glazed over as if I were about to burst into tears.
We left quickly after that, and I tried to ignore the looks people gave Auris. I liked that no one could really see my face, not with me wearing a mask, not with him outshining me.
Back at the cottage, Auris helped me out of my jacket and shoes, then put me on the couch and wrapped me in a blanket.
“Why did you decide to become a photographer, Ethan?” he asked as he walked to the kitchen.
It took me a long while to process the question, the images from that night still haunting me.
“I…always liked taking photos. Worked during college, you know? Taking photos. Wedding photos, other events, that type of thing. Then I decided I could make a living doing it when I managed to sell stuff through my website.”
I heard him going through cabinets and looked over.
“I’m making you some tea,” he said.
“But you’re a vampire.”
“That doesn’t keep me from making a cup of tea for the man I love when he’s distressed.”
“I’m not distressed.” But I was. Fuck, I was.
“What was it like, the first time you got paid for a job?”
I leaned back and pulled the blanket tight around my shoulders.
“It was good. I didn’t think they would pay me in full, really.
Not because I did a bad job, but because I had no experience and didn’t really know what I was doing.
It was a wedding anniversary, fifty years.
Seemed like such a long time, but they looked really happy together. ”
“Oh, a golden anniversary? That’s rare.”
“Yeah, I guess. That’s right, they had golden decorations everywhere, and I had to make sure not to get any bad reflections or too much tinsel and whatnot in a shot.”
He came back with a large mug, steam rising from it. “Here.” He handed it to me, handle out so I didn’t burn myself on it.
“Thanks.”
He sat, putting an arm around my shoulders and pulling me close. “Ruby.”
“What?”
“It’s the anniversary I’m looking forward to. They’ll go so well with your hair and eyes.”
I sipped some of the tea. He’d put sugar in it, which I normally didn’t like, but right now, the sweetness was nice. “What, rubies will?”
“Yes, the ones I’ll be gifting you. You have the eye for beauty, so don’t tell me you can’t see that.”
I huffed. “I’m behind the camera, not in front. Who cares if I’m decked out in rubies?”
Auris smiled at me and pulled his phone out, aimed it at me. “I care, and you’re not behind the camera for me.”
“Oh, come on, I’m a mess.” I tried to hide behind my mug.
“You’re a gloriously human mess. Look at me, Ethan.”
Which was when he took a picture of me. I didn’t really have any right to complain since I was the king of taking random photos of random stuff and turning them into a series, but…I pouted. He took another picture.
“You can’t be serious.”
“I am. I need a new phone background. I don’t change them as much as I would like to, but I would adore seeing you whenever I have to look at my phone.”
I snorted. “Flirty vampire.”
“That’s right. So are you feeling a bit better?”
I shrugged. “I guess. Sorry. I don’t know what happened.”
“You had never seen violence like that before, that’s what happened. No one is supposed to get used to it, and your body was letting you know.”
“Right.”
“Would you like to sit with me and talk some more? I’d love to hear about your college years, if you’ll tell me.”
I nodded. “Sure, we can do that.”
Auris nodded and went over to the fireplace to stoke the still-warm embers and build a new fire on top of them. I watched, fascinated by him, but also worried. I never wanted to see him tortured or hurt again.
A shiver ran down my spine, but that was when Auris struck another match and lit the kindling. The flames grew until there was almost no cold left in the entire house.