Page 32
Story: Ache For Her
“A month!” I blurted. A few people in our section of train turned to look at me, but there weren’t very many. I lowered my voice anyway. “Only a month?” I looked at her with more appreciation. Maybe that was why she hadn’t initially bothered me like Galen had. They were so obviously together, which begged a lot of questions to creep up my throat, but I bit them back. “I bet Galen is way older than that.”
Her tinkling laugh filled the space between us. “You would guess right. He’s been around a long time.”
“And Simon?” I cringed as soon as I said it. Why had I asked that? I didn’t care. I was going back to my old life where I would stay and be happy. Where I could pretend that things didn’t exist like vampires and people who abused others for fun, and—
“Didn’t Simon tell you?”
I leaned back in my seat, letting thoughts of Simon fill me. I’d tried putting a barrier up, but it just wasn’t working. It only succeeded in making me feel exhausted. “No. He was very cryptic about it.”
“Well, he’s not as old as Galen. I don’t know exactly how old he is. Simon or Galen would have to tell you that.”
“I know Simon met Galen when he was still human, but I’m guessing now that Galen was not. He was a vampire already?”
Kayleigh nodded. “I’m surprised Simon didn’t tell you all this.”
Why? I wasn’t. “He doesn’t like to talk much, and he was pretty intent on getting revenge on my grandfather.”
“Yeah, but…”
She trailed off, and I watched as she fretted over her lip. “But what?”
“It’s just that it’s obvious Simon has feelings for you. I mean, I’m as shocked as you are right now. I didn’t think he had an ounce of humanity left in him to be honest. If you can’t tell, Simon and I aren’t exactly the best of friends.”
“Is he friends with anyone?” I muttered dryly. It seemed highly unlikely given the kind of person he was.
“Galen,” Kayleigh said resolutely. “He and Galen have a bond that—even though I understand it—still baffles me.”
I turned my head to watch the scenery whisk by. Trees and rivers. Lakes and mountains. The journey would be a long one back home, but at least I was free from the restraints Simon had put me in. No one liked to be forced to do anything, especially me. “What’s it like being with a vampire, anyway?”
“You know that already,” she said, her voice serious.
I froze. She was right. I’d been with Simon, and not just when he was forcing me either. We’d been together on our own terms, and because we both wanted it. I doodled on the glass with my finger.
“Do you like Simon?” she asked, genuinely curious.
I laughed at that. She asked as if she would be surprised if I’d said yes.
“I don’t mean anything by it,” she said automatically. “I can tell he’s different with you, so it’s possible, but—”
“Unlikely?” I guessed. I thought long and hard on what she asked. Mostly, I knew the truth, I just kept trying to find reasons to deny it yet came up with nothing. The truth was, even when he tortured me, I enjoyed it. It may have started out maliciously, but by the end of everything, both of us found a sadistic pleasure in it. “I do,” I told her.
I wasn’t looking at her, but I could feel her body respond. “Galen was right then.”
I turned to her. “About?”
“He said Simon only needed someone like me, someone who could show him that even though he is what he is, he’s not soulless. Their…activities…may be different than we’re used to, but look at the things we—well, humans—do for survival. Can we really say that we’re—you’re—,” she said, correcting herself again. “….better than them?”
“But the Feeders?” I said, my voice rising. “It’s disgusting.”
She nodded. “I thought so, too. It was my biggest hurdle, but I can tell you that the Feeders like being where they are. They came from worse situations. They’re happy having a home and being fed and clothed. They’re basically given everything they want, and in return, they just give up some of their blood and mostly have fun doing it.”
I tried to picture it in my head, but it just wasn’t working. “But you,” I whispered. “Do you do things with them?”
“I only drink from them,” she said. “Galen, too. He used to partake in every single way, but when he found me, he didn’t feel the need to find pleasure in them because he had me.”
“So, both of you only feed from them?”
She nodded. “It’s kind of like going to the grocery store except you never have to leave your house and the items just kind of willingly fall into your lap.”
Her tinkling laugh filled the space between us. “You would guess right. He’s been around a long time.”
“And Simon?” I cringed as soon as I said it. Why had I asked that? I didn’t care. I was going back to my old life where I would stay and be happy. Where I could pretend that things didn’t exist like vampires and people who abused others for fun, and—
“Didn’t Simon tell you?”
I leaned back in my seat, letting thoughts of Simon fill me. I’d tried putting a barrier up, but it just wasn’t working. It only succeeded in making me feel exhausted. “No. He was very cryptic about it.”
“Well, he’s not as old as Galen. I don’t know exactly how old he is. Simon or Galen would have to tell you that.”
“I know Simon met Galen when he was still human, but I’m guessing now that Galen was not. He was a vampire already?”
Kayleigh nodded. “I’m surprised Simon didn’t tell you all this.”
Why? I wasn’t. “He doesn’t like to talk much, and he was pretty intent on getting revenge on my grandfather.”
“Yeah, but…”
She trailed off, and I watched as she fretted over her lip. “But what?”
“It’s just that it’s obvious Simon has feelings for you. I mean, I’m as shocked as you are right now. I didn’t think he had an ounce of humanity left in him to be honest. If you can’t tell, Simon and I aren’t exactly the best of friends.”
“Is he friends with anyone?” I muttered dryly. It seemed highly unlikely given the kind of person he was.
“Galen,” Kayleigh said resolutely. “He and Galen have a bond that—even though I understand it—still baffles me.”
I turned my head to watch the scenery whisk by. Trees and rivers. Lakes and mountains. The journey would be a long one back home, but at least I was free from the restraints Simon had put me in. No one liked to be forced to do anything, especially me. “What’s it like being with a vampire, anyway?”
“You know that already,” she said, her voice serious.
I froze. She was right. I’d been with Simon, and not just when he was forcing me either. We’d been together on our own terms, and because we both wanted it. I doodled on the glass with my finger.
“Do you like Simon?” she asked, genuinely curious.
I laughed at that. She asked as if she would be surprised if I’d said yes.
“I don’t mean anything by it,” she said automatically. “I can tell he’s different with you, so it’s possible, but—”
“Unlikely?” I guessed. I thought long and hard on what she asked. Mostly, I knew the truth, I just kept trying to find reasons to deny it yet came up with nothing. The truth was, even when he tortured me, I enjoyed it. It may have started out maliciously, but by the end of everything, both of us found a sadistic pleasure in it. “I do,” I told her.
I wasn’t looking at her, but I could feel her body respond. “Galen was right then.”
I turned to her. “About?”
“He said Simon only needed someone like me, someone who could show him that even though he is what he is, he’s not soulless. Their…activities…may be different than we’re used to, but look at the things we—well, humans—do for survival. Can we really say that we’re—you’re—,” she said, correcting herself again. “….better than them?”
“But the Feeders?” I said, my voice rising. “It’s disgusting.”
She nodded. “I thought so, too. It was my biggest hurdle, but I can tell you that the Feeders like being where they are. They came from worse situations. They’re happy having a home and being fed and clothed. They’re basically given everything they want, and in return, they just give up some of their blood and mostly have fun doing it.”
I tried to picture it in my head, but it just wasn’t working. “But you,” I whispered. “Do you do things with them?”
“I only drink from them,” she said. “Galen, too. He used to partake in every single way, but when he found me, he didn’t feel the need to find pleasure in them because he had me.”
“So, both of you only feed from them?”
She nodded. “It’s kind of like going to the grocery store except you never have to leave your house and the items just kind of willingly fall into your lap.”