Page 99 of Vampires of Eden

“Why are you nervous?”

Because I’m unquestionably, painfully attracted to him and I know that’s the absolute last thing he’d want from me. Can I say that out loud? He’d kick me out of here so fast. It would make everything awkward and uncomfortable. For both of us.

“I don’t know, maybe switching over to the neutral source is… I’m still adjusting,” I tell him. It could be the truth? Ever since that day, when I sensed him so clearly through the muck in my mind, I can’t stop thinking about him.

Daniel is like a symphony playing over and over again in my head. A sophisticated, richly complex sonata with multiple movements and a commanding presence. Mozart’sPiano Concerto No.24 in C Minoror Beethoven’sPathetique. Darkness and sorrow interwoven with hope and light. He’s mature with a ferocious intellect. And yet, sometimes he offers this gentle kindness that’s soft like velvet.

It's reckless to think of him this way. But I do, lately. In the same way that my eyes spontaneously alight when he touches me, I can’t help myself.

Scrutinizing me, he’s silent for several beats before he sighs. “Alright, well, let me know if I can help at all.” He nods in the direction across the hall. “The bathroom is there. We only use this bathroom if we have guests, but otherwise it’s all yours. I have my own bathroom upstairs and Leoni has hers in the master suite.”

“Sounds good.”

“And this is your room.” Daniel turns the knob and leans against the door to open it. Inside, the first thing that grabs my attention is a colorful patch-work quilt covering the cozy-looking bed. A bedside table holds a funky antique lamp and there’s a large window with its curtains pulled aside to reveal the same spectacular view of the vineyard and snow-capped mountains.

It's modest, neat and eclectic. “I love it,” I tell him, taking everything in as I turn on a shabby threadbare and dark teal rug in the center of the room. A leafy potted plant and a row of books are set on a shelf just above a desk that’s situated in the corner near the window. I notice there’s a gift-wrapped package on top of the desk.

“Did someone leave this in here by accident?” I ask, taking hold of it and turning toward Daniel.

Casually, he sits on the old-timey trunk at the end of the bed. “No, Rabbit. That’s for you. A welcome present, from me.”

Helplessly, I smile at the nickname. “May I open it?”

“No. You should leave it in the box forever—like a time capsule. We can bury it out back together later, then open it one hundred years from now.”

“You’re such an asshole.” Snickering, I tear off the wrapping, which looks like the comics section of the local news in Seze because all the dialog bubbles are in Spanish. Setting the paper aside, I pry the flaps open. There’s something folded inside. I place the box on the desk and pull out the material. “It’s a t-shirt?”

“It is.”

I hold it up, taking it in. At first, there’s nothing but white space, but then I flip it around. When I see the graphic, I laugh. There’s a black music score printed on the front, but a cat is climbing up the staves and knocking down the notes. There’s a pile of them at the bottom of the shirt and underneath the cat where its already succeeded in ruining the music.

“This is perfect! How hilarious.”

“I thought it suited you,” Daniel says. “I’m glad you like it.”

“It’s phenomenal—I didn’t bring anything to the house with me to thank you for letting me stay, that was thoughtless.”

“You don’t always have to give something just because you’ve received something,” Daniel says. “I saw it and thought of you. Simple.”

Pulling out the desk chair, I sit down with the shirt in my lap. “Well, thank you for thinking of me.” My heart feels warm from his presence and considerate gift. As I glance around the room, I exhale a sigh. “It feels like I’m following in Oliver’s footsteps. First, spending so much time at the safe house, and now I’m actually staying here for a couple weeks.”

Danny leans back with his palms behind him. Making himself comfortable. “Not what you expected?”

“No, not at all. I didn’t know what would happen after he left. At the time it was like… standing at the edge of the world above a void. Just emptiness. Purgatory.”

“And now?”

“Now it’s good,” I say, lifting and looking at the shirt once more. “Really good.”

“Do you think you’ll also leave Eden someday, like Oliver?”

Lowering the shirt, I shake my head. “Nah. Eden is my home and I love it—despite all its problems. There are too many vampires here that I care about. That’s definitely one of many things that Ollie and I didn’t have in common. The intense desire to ‘travel the world’ like fucking Gulliver.”

Daniel shakes his head. “You and these references.”

“You get them every time, though.”

“I do. But Oliver also wanted to leave because of the designer, right? The first-gen.”