Page 75 of Vampires of Eden

Lord Cherrington pushes me over the edge every time. It’s like, I’m increasingly okay existing in this strange, Oliver-less world. I don’t feel gutted and miserable all the time like I did in the early days. I’m not thinking about him constantly and I haven’t burst into tears in weeks.

All of this feels like progress.

That is, until Lord Cherrington shows up and knocks me off course. Interacting with him is exhausting, then I find myself rushing out to Nantshire—to the woods, the peace and quiet. To the kind vampires here who accept me and listen.

Daniel’s narrow face, dark hair and milky-lilac eyes flash in my mind yet again. Haunting me like they did when I was fourteen. When I’d lie awake at night replaying his performance in my mind, over and over. The moonlight and complex melodies. The billowing curtains and the magic in the autumnal air.

I enjoy talking to and spending time with him, but I’ve obviously ruined that. He didn’t try calling me again after I refused to answer my mobile the second time. He never texted me back to say that he accepted my apology, either.

I’m not sure where we stand. It’s giving me low-grade anxiety—like an impending storm on the horizon.

Roland and Kat have left me alone in the house because they’re out shopping for clinical supplies. Where are they getting all this money from? Earlier this week, I noticed brand-new light fixtures in the bathrooms—not to mention the new laminate flooring in the hallways that they had installed last weekend.

I’ve been donating to the cause where I can, but they’ve obviously found another investor. Asking about it feels awkward, so I keep quiet. They were so adamant about not accepting sponsorsfrom outside of Eden when we started. Have they changed their minds? Or did they find someone local to help fund these improvements?

Daniel has taken care of sanding and staining all the kitchen chairs in my absence. Damn, he really does work fast. With those done, I focus on the table since he hasn’t touched it yet.

The monotonous rhythm of sanding is calming as I work and the house is dead quiet. Roland bought an automatic sander to make the bigger jobs like this go faster, but Daniel is right. I work slowly. Carefully. I don’t want to make mistakes and I enjoy the process because it soothes me.

When I’m completely done sanding the top surface and all four legs of the table, I decide to take a short break before I do the pre-staining. Daniel may have finished the chairs, but I’m determined to at least pull my weight and finish the table today.

Outside on the back patio, the weather is sunny and bright. Giant billowing and puffy white clouds linger in the sky like ships waiting to dock. Lifting my arms up, I stretch, welcoming the warmth and sunlight on my face.

The birds are singing and fluttering between the trees, which are filled with new and tiny green leaves. It’s incredible to see this process so clearly out here in the countryside. The gradual but undeniable blossoming of nature and the transition from death to life.

A new beginning.

The front door inside the house opens and shuts. My assumption is that Kat and Roland have returned. But a moment later, a familiar electricity bristles across my arms, shoulders and back. Shivering, I turn. My heart jumps into my throat as I wait. Knowing who’s coming. Knowing who’s there.

A minute later, Daniel is at the back door, staring at me through the screen. His expression is unreadable, but as my body tenses, my assumption is that he’s angry. I’m about to get the telling off that I’ve been shamefully avoiding.

This is it.

The storm has arrived.

CHAPTER 18

Daniel

This is absolutely ridiculous.

As I step out and onto the patio, Alexander looks at me like he’s an abused animal and I’m about to hit him. I can’t believe he just up and ran away from me like that—then ignored my phone calls. What the hell?

“Hey,” I say. And that’s it. He lifts a palm in what looks like defense, then launches into what I mostly perceive as a paranoid rant of an apology.

“Look, I’m sorry about what happened the other day, alright? I don’t know what that was or why—but it was gross and uncalled for, I know, and… I’m definitely not some purebred who’s trying to control or influence you—oranyone. It was a weird fluke and I… If we could forget about it, that would be great because I promise it will never,everhappen again.”

Astonished, motionless, I take in his pleading and anxious expression.

His eyes alighted for me.

If ever there was a sign that he harbors some undeniable attraction toward me, this is it. My nature is weak, but deep inside myself, I can feel it stirring and thawing when I’m around him.Becauseof him. If I were physically capable, I have no doubt that my eyes would have responded to him in that moment.

They would have alighted for him, too.

Taking a step forward, I ignore his strange speech and cut to the chase. “Alexander, do you like me?”

He draws back, blinking. “N-no.”