first thing I did the next day was get up early and take a shower. There was no lying around without any makeup and having frizzy hair today. I still didn’t feel like myself, but healthier and clearheaded. When I finished, Marcus was awake and waiting for me. He was seated on the side of the bed with a concerned look on his face. I was confused. Usually I was the one with all the worries.
“About last night…” he started as I walked closer. I was wearing one of the tie-dye summer dresses that Ash had brought me. It wasn’t exactly my style. I’d had my fill of the hippie look in the sixties. I did want to look decent for Marc and the dress was the best of my limited wardrobe. Unsurprisingly, he didn’t seem to notice the extra effort. Men are so oblivious sometimes.
As he spoke, I took a seat beside him. I felt extremely uncomfortable, even more so than when I first saw Marcus after I’d made love to Antonio. “Last night was good.” I said before he could continue.
He gave a small laugh and seemed to relax a bit, taking my hand in his. “Yeah, it was. I mostly just wanted to make sure you were okay with it.” He ran his other hand through his hair, before glancing toward his nightstand. The relaxation was brief and he looked anxious once more.
“I’m sorry.” I blurted out, figuring his unrest was from me sleeping with Antonio.
Marcus gave a small nod, turning back to look into my eyes. “I know.” We were both new at talking about our feelings with each other and this was one hell of a starter conversation. “I’ve never known such pain as when I was forced to watch…that. Then again, I’ve never fallen in love like this.”
He looked so young, fragile and innocent, undamaged by time. “It was a mistake.” One that I hoped I wouldn’t make again, despite how pleasurable it was. “I’m not going to make excuses about why.” I shook my head. My calm impressed me. I had pictured this conversation going much differently.
“You don’t have to make excuses. I’m not naïve. I know why. It’s like a crime of passion, heat of the moment deal. I get it. You thought I was dead and he’s your long lost lover. You wanted to piss that old vamp off, too.” The volume of his voice went up briefly before he shut his eyes and took a deep breath. “Don’t forget, I read your journal the night all your stuff was packed.”
“Yes. I remember.” I nodded, suddenly wishing I’d have just bared my fangs and then tried to explain. Of course Antonio had suggested I let him read the journal. It would be painful. Passive aggressive vampires. Ugh!
His gaze drifted back to the drawer once more and he opened it, pulling out a small ring box. It couldn’t be what I thought it was. There was no way he was going to ask me to marry him. What man in their right mind would do that right now? After what I’d just put him through.
“Crimes of passion have lesser penalties than something premeditated.” He smiled faintly and I looked from him to the box then back up at him with a quirked eyebrow. “If the same crime were to be committed again, it would be a deal breaker. Just throwin ’ that out there.”
My heart was pounding in my chest. Part of me was hoping it was a pair of earrings in the box, but another part was hopeful that it was an engagement ring, that this boy really did love me enough.
“It won’t.” My response was more whispered than I meant it to be.
Marcus lowered himself down to one knee beside the bed and opened the box. The ring was white gold with a band lined with diamonds and a Tahitian pearl focal point. Beautiful and expensive. I felt about as nervous as he looked. “I actually bought this the day after we met. Real love can happen fast, I believe. I was riding through town that morning after
“About last night…” he started as I walked closer. I was wearing one of the tie-dye summer dresses that Ash had brought me. It wasn’t exactly my style. I’d had my fill of the hippie look in the sixties. I did want to look decent for Marc and the dress was the best of my limited wardrobe. Unsurprisingly, he didn’t seem to notice the extra effort. Men are so oblivious sometimes.
As he spoke, I took a seat beside him. I felt extremely uncomfortable, even more so than when I first saw Marcus after I’d made love to Antonio. “Last night was good.” I said before he could continue.
He gave a small laugh and seemed to relax a bit, taking my hand in his. “Yeah, it was. I mostly just wanted to make sure you were okay with it.” He ran his other hand through his hair, before glancing toward his nightstand. The relaxation was brief and he looked anxious once more.
“I’m sorry.” I blurted out, figuring his unrest was from me sleeping with Antonio.
Marcus gave a small nod, turning back to look into my eyes. “I know.” We were both new at talking about our feelings with each other and this was one hell of a starter conversation. “I’ve never known such pain as when I was forced to watch…that. Then again, I’ve never fallen in love like this.”
He looked so young, fragile and innocent, undamaged by time. “It was a mistake.” One that I hoped I wouldn’t make again, despite how pleasurable it was. “I’m not going to make excuses about why.” I shook my head. My calm impressed me. I had pictured this conversation going much differently.
“You don’t have to make excuses. I’m not naïve. I know why. It’s like a crime of passion, heat of the moment deal. I get it. You thought I was dead and he’s your long lost lover. You wanted to piss that old vamp off, too.” The volume of his voice went up briefly before he shut his eyes and took a deep breath. “Don’t forget, I read your journal the night all your stuff was packed.”
“Yes. I remember.” I nodded, suddenly wishing I’d have just bared my fangs and then tried to explain. Of course Antonio had suggested I let him read the journal. It would be painful. Passive aggressive vampires. Ugh!
His gaze drifted back to the drawer once more and he opened it, pulling out a small ring box. It couldn’t be what I thought it was. There was no way he was going to ask me to marry him. What man in their right mind would do that right now? After what I’d just put him through.
“Crimes of passion have lesser penalties than something premeditated.” He smiled faintly and I looked from him to the box then back up at him with a quirked eyebrow. “If the same crime were to be committed again, it would be a deal breaker. Just throwin ’ that out there.”
My heart was pounding in my chest. Part of me was hoping it was a pair of earrings in the box, but another part was hopeful that it was an engagement ring, that this boy really did love me enough.
“It won’t.” My response was more whispered than I meant it to be.
Marcus lowered himself down to one knee beside the bed and opened the box. The ring was white gold with a band lined with diamonds and a Tahitian pearl focal point. Beautiful and expensive. I felt about as nervous as he looked. “I actually bought this the day after we met. Real love can happen fast, I believe. I was riding through town that morning after
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