'Please don't,' I said quietly, 'don't leave me.'
'Why?' he demanded again, his eyes searching deeply into mine.
I swallowed hard.
'Because…because I'm afraid you won't come back,' I finally whispered, dropping my head so he couldn't see my eyes. 'Just like the others….'
'Alexis,' he murmured, lifting my chin with his thumb to look me in the eye. 'Lexi…I'm not like the others, but I do have to go now.'
The corners of his mouth twitched, like he wanted to smile, but his eyes were dark, serious. And when I felt that crack in my heart again, I knew it didn't hurt because I was scared of who he was. It hurt because I was afraid to lose him. I jerked my face away from his hand and ducked under his arm. I didn't want him to see the betrayal and sadness quickly rising to the surface.
'Fine, if that's what you want,' I muttered, my back to him.
'Yes, it's what I want,' he said and the crack grew larger, making my breath catch. 'Because if we're going to the store, I think I should have a shirt on. I promise I'll be right back.'
And, just like Mom, he was out the door, shutting it behind him before I could respond.
I spun around and slammed my fists against the door. How does he do that to me? I could imagine the huge, smug grin on his face.
'Who are you, Tristan Knight?' I asked the empty house as I slumped against the door.
Chapter 10
After a minute or so, I finally straightened up and locked the door. If he comes back, he'll have to beg me to come inside! Then I stomped to my bedroom to change out of my own blood-stained clothes. I never heard the motorcycle come or go, but Tristan was back by the time I'd washed the dried, matted blood out of my hair and dressed. He sat at the kitchen table, waiting for me, when I skidded to a stop in the doorway.
'How did you…?' I asked with wonder, looking at the front door I knew I'd just locked and back at him.
'You should really lock the doors when you're home alone,' he said.
'I did!'
He nodded at the back door, off the kitchen. 'Are you sure?'
I groaned. 'Don't do that to me! For a second there, I thought you could just magically appear out of nowhere, too!'
He chuckled. 'Are you ready?'
'Absolutely. I need some explanations before I go insane.'
The phone rang just as we reached the front door. I considered ignoring it, but thought it could be Mom, needing us to bring something. Tristan followed me back to the kitchen.
'Alexis, honey, you can't come here,' Mom said when I picked up. 'You and Tristan both need to stay away.'
'Why?'
'The media is here,' she said, as if that were enough explanation.
'And…so?' Since we supposedly hadn't been there, they wouldn't have anything to ask us.
'Honey, you both just need to stay out of it. Owen and I will finish up and I'll be home as soon as I can.' Her voice was firm and I knew there was something more she couldn't tell me. 'We'll talk about everything when I get home, okay?'
'Promise?'
'I promise, honey. You deserve to know. Can you please start a pot of coffee? We'll need it.'
'Yeah, sure.' I hung up and headed for the coffee pot, telling Tristan about the media.
'Hmm…yeah, wouldn't be a good idea,' he said, leaning against the counter. 'We need to stay under the radar.'
'Why?'
'You and I, well, we don't need to be broadcasting we're together. Certain… people …don't need to know,' he said cryptically. I stared at him, waiting for an explanation. 'You'll find out soon. Tonight. Just wait for Sophia.'
I groaned with frustration and impatience. Coffee grounds spilled everywhere as I sloppily scooped them out of the can and practically threw them into the filter basket. I took a deep breath to calm myself and thought of a question I could ask and not have to wait for the answer.
'So, what kind of medical training do you have, anyway?'
'Well, um, to be completely honest…pre-med and some med school.'
I looked at him, confused. 'How did you do all that already? You're only twenty, right?'
He grimaced. 'Um, yeah, about that…'
'What?' I asked with trepidation, quickly realizing this wasn't such a safe topic after all.
'Well, uh…you know how Sophia doesn't age?'
'Yeah.' I waited for him to finish, but he just looked at me with his eyebrows raised. 'You…? No way! '
He smiled weakly and shrugged.
' Really? So how old are you?'
'Well, um…' I'd never heard so many 'well, um's' come from Tristan, never seen him so uncomfortable. He really didn't want to tell me. '…I was, uh, born in 1743, but I don't like to think of it that way. I prefer to be somewhere between nineteen and twenty-four…for a very long time.'
My mouth dropped as I held the coffee pot in mid-air. What the…? Then several things flew through my mind… his quick reflexes and uncanny physical abilities on the basketball court…his travels all over the world…he could heal…his strength…how he appeared in my kitchen when there was no reason the back door would be un locked…the fire in his eyes…Mom at the store, stressing how much blood there was…. I inhaled sharply. He sucked my blood!
'Oh! Oh, oh, oh !' The coffee pot shook in my hand and then I felt it slide through my fingers, but I was in too much shock to do anything but watch it fall. Just before it hit the floor, Tristan's hand darted down and caught it. I jumped back several feet. 'Oh, holy crap ! You are a vampire!'
He looked at me and something flickered in his eyes.
'Alexis,' he said as he set the pot on the counter, 'don't be absurd.'
' Absurd?! ' I shrieked, backing away from him. 'I know vampires. I read and watch and research and write about them all the time. And you have all the characteristics! Well, except the pale skin. And you can go out in the sun. And you don't have fangs or anything. But maybe those are just myths….'
'Alexis, are you listening to yourself?'
I stopped and stared at him. And then I realized what I said and knew he was right. It was quite absurd. But the whole night was completely absurd.
'Are you listening to your self?' I shot back. 'All night long…all these things about you…. Or are you making them up, still thinking I have some fantasy to be with a vampire?'
He chuckled. 'I promise you, that's not what I'm doing. Please stop thinking such nonsense.'
'Well…' Frustration overwhelmed me. 'I'm sorry! But this night is completely crazy! What with almost being killed and you and everything else…I mean, I'm totally freaked out! At this point, I'm not sure what to believe!'
'Do you know how you weren't killed?' he asked calmly.
'Yeah, I know…you yanked us off the ladders. That doesn't mean anything. If vampires really exist…well, if you are one, then I know you'd be a good one.'
'I didn't yank you off the ladders. Not the way you're thinking, anyway. Last I checked, vampires couldn't do this.' He flicked his hand and somehow I flew the eight or so feet between us and was suddenly in Tristan's arms. My breath caught and my heart stopped beating. ' That's how you and Sophia didn't end up under the car.'
'How…did you… do that?' I croaked.
'It's a special…ability,' he said quietly.
'Don't let go of me,' I whispered, 'or I might pass out.'
