Total pages in book: 111
Estimated words: 105144 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 526(@200wpm)___ 421(@250wpm)___ 350(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 105144 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 526(@200wpm)___ 421(@250wpm)___ 350(@300wpm)
“How long have you been a vampire?” I ask and then shovel the whole thing in my mouth.
“My one-year anniversary is in two weeks.” She smiles, fangs already drawn.
“Cool. I think?” I say with my mouth full. I hold up my hand, letting her know I’ll talk once I’m done chewing. “It’s one of those things I’m not sure how to respond to,” I tell her honestly a few seconds later. “Like, is this a good thing?”
“In my case, yes. I wanted to be a vampire. I felt like I was meant to be something greater than human since I was just a kid. Not that you’re not great or anything,” she quickly backpedals.
“I like being average,” I say simply and pick up another cheesecake. “And eating dessert.”
She smiles again, flashing her fangs. “Okay, I just gotta ask, how did you meet Xavier Malus?”
Now I’m smiling. “I was his favorite stripper at the club he frequents. None of the other girls were brave enough to give him a lap dance, ya know, because he’s a vampire.”
“O-oh. Well, good for you.”
I take a bite of the little cheesecake and just nod. “Yeah. Paid off.” I wiggle the fingers on my left hand as Xavier speeds over.
“My wife is quite the jokester,” he says, hand landing on the small of my back. It’s all for looks and to keep up the ruse that we’re in love, I know. Yet, his touch does something to me—again.
Dammit.
“So you didn’t meet at a strip club?”
“Are you saying I look like a stripper?” I ask.
“What? I…no…y-you said…” she stutters.
“I’m kidding,” I say and then turn, looking at Xavier. “We met through family. My father did business with him.”
“And I knew as soon as I saw her,” Xavier continues. “That she was the most magnificent woman I’ve ever met.” He says it in such a way I almost believe him.
“Awww, you guys look so good together.”
“Thanks,” I say, beaming. “I can’t wait to see what our kids will look like!”
The young vampire gives me a look, flicking her eyes from me to Xavier and back again. “Y-yeah.”
“My love,” Xavier starts, letting his hand sink a little lower on my back. “There is someone I’d like you to meet.”
“Nice talking to you,” I tell the young vamp and take Xavier’s hand.
“Having fun?” he asks softly as we walk across the room.
“I’m trying to stay entertained. Are you going to tell me to stop making shit up?”
“Actually, you should tell everyone here a different story. Keep things interesting. Or maybe they’ll think you’re insane.”
“Both.” I bob my head up and down and then Xavier and I laugh. “I deal with hard things in a, uh, weird way, I guess. Dark humor.” I shrug. “Could be worse, I guess.”
“Yeah. Could be.”
“What other hard things have you dealt with?” He opens French doors leading to a balcony. I’m about to say something sassy back, assuming he’s making a dick joke by saying “hard things” but his face is serious.
“How much time do you have?” I let out a breath and walk to the railing. We’re in a high rise building and the balcony gives a pretty view of downtown Charlotte. “You summarized it earlier. I’m a witch raised by demon hunters. And up until like right now, I thought they saved me.”
“Would it change how you see yourself to learn the truth?”
“You say that like you know the truth.”
He crosses the balcony, stopping just inches from me. “I think you do too.”
Inhaling, I look away. “Do you ever think about how life didn’t turn out the way you thought, but if all those horrible things hadn’t happened, you wouldn’t be the person you are? Maybe it would be a good thing. Or maybe…maybe it wouldn’t. Maybe your heart had to get broken a few times so it could be put back together just the right way. And maybe some of those pieces were crushed beyond repair because they weren’t supposed to be in your heart to begin with. Maybe the universe did it for you because you weren’t capable of reaching down and ripping it out yourself. It had to take total devastation to get rid of the rotten parts, but we get so used to things, even things that hurt, that removing the festering wounds feels empty and like something is missing. And on some level you know it’s bad, but every time the wind blows through that emptiness, you’ll do anything to feel whole.”
Tears prick the corners of my eyes at the end of my ramble and Xavier gently reaches up and wipes one away before it has time to fall. My heart is in my throat and I want nothing more than for him to pull me close and kiss me—again. I want the world to fade and all my thoughts to be consumed with how good he can make me feel, and how I can take care of him in return.