I awake with an hour to go until dusk. Looking at my phone, I see Jack has left me a voicemail. A good indicator of his interest level.
“Hey night owl, not sure what time we will be wrapping up tonight. Could be a late one. Call me when you finish your obligations for the day, so we can coordinate.”
I set down the phone and plant my feet on the ground. Opening the door to my bedroom, I walk through the dark hallway and descend the stairs. The lamps in the living room are on. I’m not the only one up early. Walking in, I see Annie reclining on the velvet sofa, pillows propped up behind her reading a book. Vampires do love a good book.
“What are you reading so early?” I ask my friend.
“A yummy romance. Look at this hot guy on the cover.”
She holds the book cover toward me.
“Definitely hot, and a fireman, bonus.”
Sitting down, I pull her feet onto my lap.
“I feel like I haven’t seen you for weeks,” Annie says. “Things must be going well with Julien… I mean Jack.” She smiles and raises her signature eyebrow.
“Funny, and yes. Things are going well in that department. What have you been getting into lately?”
“Unfortunately, not much. I’ve been bored, and you should feel terribly guilty about it. I’m thinking of taking off for New York, for a bit. With both you and Alexandre occupied, I guess I’m due for a change of scenery.”
“A change of scenery sounds like a great idea. And as far as feeling guilty, apparently, you’ve forgotten the four years you spent with a certain German vampire, whose name I could never pronounce. You were practically tied to the man’s hip, or some other appendage.” We both giggle.
“What can I say, I have a soft spot for German guys. Alright, we are both guilty of putting sex above our friendship, on occasion. I forgive you.”
“We have so much to talk about, I don’t even know where to begin,” I start.
Before I can get any further, Annie says, “You know it isn’t possible to have a long-term relationship with a mortal, not without revealing what you are. A couple of weeks is one thing, much longer and they can’t help but get suspicious.”
She pauses, adding, “And let’s call the situation what it is, Mills. You think this man is Julien and based on an unproven fact, you’ve fallen in love with him. Not hard to do, when you never stopped loving Julien in the first place.”
I feel annoyed, begin to contradict her, but stop. I have fallen in love with Jack, rapidly. Another similarity between the two men. I fell for Julien in the course of three, incredible days. However, I know Jack isn’t Julien. At least that’s what I keep telling myself. It’s hard not to see my old love, when Jack is his spitting image. It’s all a little confusing.
“What would you do?” I ask with my head down, picking at her sock.
“You know what I’m going to say. Break it off. It’s going to get very messy, if you don’t.” She considers something, “Knowing you the way I do, I’m sure you won’t, you can’t. In that case, you should reveal yourself in a way that is somewhat dramatic. He’ll never believe you, unless you show him something he can’t deny.”
We sit for a few moments in silence. She’s right. I want Jack in my life. The only way to do it, will be to tell him everything. Having never revealed myself before, I have no idea how to go about it. Personally, I’ve only ever known a few vampires, and I don’t know any who have unveiled themselves to a human.
There are no rules against it that I know of. But, according to Alexandre, there’s a lot I don’t know. I have to wonder why he has kept me in the dark all this time. I have been far too complacent.
After several moments deep in thought, Annie says, “You could cut yourself and force him to watch it heal. Of course, this will likely traumatize him to no end, which could be amusing. You should also brace yourself for the fact he may not accept you. This isn’t a life for everyone.”
“Amusing for you, this is far from funny for me,” I say, “This is all very sound advice and I appreciate it, but there is also something else going on.”
I relate to her what happened with Alexandre, show her the note, and then tell her about James.
“Whoa. Let’s start with Alexandre. Do you think this is a vampire thing, or a love thing?”
“Love thing? As in, Alexandre is in love with me? Don’t be ridiculous. It’s a vampire thing. A male, alpha vampire thing.”
She doesn’t look so convinced. “I wouldn’t be so sure of that. Alexandre has kept you close to him and he’s never left you alone for more than a few days at a time. I’ve observed him before when you’ve described a hook up. He doesn’t like it, but for some reason has always kept it to himself. Jack is clearly more than a hookup.”
“Alexandre is protective, and always has been. It’s part of our history. You know how he visited me in my dreams as a mortal. If he wanted more, he would tell me. I don’t know if you’ve noticed, but he isn’t exactly a wallflower. Besides, he’s with Kathryn, at the moment. Not exactly the behavior of a man in love with someone else. They must be holed up somewhere in the city, right now,” I reason.
“Nope. She came banging on the door late last night, drunk and looking for him. It was just another fling for him, as they all are. She seems to be taking it hard, though. I felt bad for her. I even invited her in, but she refused.”
“I’m not surprised. Alexandre could never be serious about anyone for very long, not even me. Don’t forget that we were together, and he never batted so much as an eyelash when I ended it,” I reply. “I suppose James will be happy to have his star back.”
“Whatever you say, my friend. I love you, but you’ve never been able to see Alexandre very clearly.”
Annie goes back to her book, as I wander upstairs. There is no need to continue the conversation. Annie can think what she likes. I know she is wrong. I call Jack, leaving a voicemail letting him know I am free anytime, and to call me when he’s off for the night. I decide to soak my tension away in a hot, steaming bubble bath.
Stripping off my clothes, I turn on the tap. A bubble bath is one of my all-time favorite ways to relax. I sink into the bubbles, as the tub fills. Just as I turn off the flow of water, the doorbell rings. Please tell me that isn’t Jack, here already. It’s not quite dark yet, which means Annie can’t open the door. I hear light footsteps, then Annie pokes her head into the bathroom.
“Your man is at the door, and it’s still light out,” she whispers, even though there would be no way for him to hear us.
“Damn.” I get out, grabbing a towel. “How long until the sun is down?”
“About twenty minutes.”
I jog into the bedroom and grab my phone, hitting Jack’s number. He answers right away. “Shouldn’t you be filming?” I ask, a little more abruptly than I mean too.
“Millicent, the most terrible thing has happened.”
I can hear from his cracked voice, it’s bad, and my stomach drops. I’m completely thrown off with no idea what to say.
“Kathryn was murdered. Her body was found in Bonaventure Cemetery this afternoon.”
I’m stunned into silence. I think of the black-haired beauty, whose green eyes sparkled with life.
“Millicent?” Jack brings me back, “Can you let me in? I’m standing outside and feel a bit awkward.”
“I’m not home,” I stammer, trying to think fast, “had to run out. Can we meet somewhere? God, Jack, I’m so sorry.”
“I’ll just wait for you here. I don’t want to be around anyone, but you, right now.”
With my preternatural ears, I hear him sit down in the wicker rocking chair.
“Of course, that was stupid of me. I shouldn’t be too long, I’m on my way back, now.”
We hang up. I can’t help but be touched that he wants to be with me, when he is clearly grieved, and in pain.
Kathryn’s death makes me think of Jack. More specifically, how vulnerable he is. How vulnerable Julien was. It takes almost nothing to end a human life. If Jack wants zero to do with immortality, how can I possibly watch him become frailer as time passes? I have a sense of history repeating itself; love affairs, murder, and death. All I ever wanted was a simple life, a simple love. This is anything but simple.