He hated that she experienced such a traumatic event, but he still didn’t understand why she shut them out. “Why didn’t you come home or at least let us know you were alive?”
Maya bit her bottom lip and ducked her head. “At first, I was too scared to be around people. I was worried that I’d attack one of you, or you would somehow see right through me and know I was different. And then, as more time passed, I was scared to return because I was gone for so long. I was afraid of what you would all say and do, and I didn’t know what to tell you about why I’d gone missing. I couldn’t stand seeing the hurt and betrayal I knew would be on all your faces. I told myself every day that I would stop being a coward and go back, but then…”
“What?” Dante prodded when her voice trailed off.
Maya sighed and met his gaze again. She wiped away the tear streaking her cheek. “And then I read Mom’s obituary and learned Dad had already passed and I… I was too late.”
After all this time, Dante still hated to see his sister cry. In the past, he would have hugged her and told her a joke, or threatened to beat someone up to make her laugh. Now, despite the fact he still loved her and always would, he couldn’t bring himself to do any of those things. She was not the person he remembered; he wasn’t sure she was ever the person he’d believed her to be.
“I was still alive,” he said.
“I was scared,” she whispered.
“Of what?”
“That you would hate me.”
And he was saddened to realize a part of him did hate her for what she put them through. She couldn’t have told them the truth about her disappearance, but she could have returned at some point. Julie had faced it with her mom, but Maya had chosen to hide instead.
“Even if you didn’t stay, you could have come back or called to let us know you were alive. Yes, we would have been pissed and upset, but we also would have been so happy, and Mom and Dad wouldn’t have been so broken.”
Maya winced and bowed her head. He waited for her to say something more, but she didn’t. Her silence only annoyed him more.
“Mom and I watched the cancer eat Dad alive. We cried together, we prayed together, and throughout it all, I wished you were there to help us get through it. And then, he was gone.”
Unable to sit anymore, Dante rose and paced over to the mantle. His nails dug into his palms as he resisted the urge to smash the pictures of the smiling, perfect family built on the ashes of his family.
“I was the one who found Mom,” he said.
A jolt of surprise went through Cassidy as she stared at Dante’s rigid back. They’d shared a lot since meeting each other, but he hadn’t revealed this horrible secret to her. She doubted it was something he wanted to revisit, and she didn’t blame him.
Her heart ached for him as her chest constricted. He’d endured so much in his lifetime, and though she understood Maya’s terror over what happened, she glowered at the woman. Most of the unnecessary suffering he endured was because of her.
Cassidy tore her gaze away from Maya. Being angry at her was pointless, especially when Dante was mad enough for both of them. Cassidy almost rose to comfort him but stopped herself. This was between him and sister; if she could slip out of the room without them noticing, she would, but that was impossible.
“Oh, Dante,” Maya breathed. “I’m so sorry.”
Dante rested his hands on the mantle as he stared at the pictures. The smiles and joy in these pictures were real. Maya loved Lewis, and he loved her. Their children were adorable; she’d built a new life, and he didn’t fit into it.
“I’m glad you found happiness here, Maya,” he said, and he meant it.
Despite his shock and fury, he was thrilled she was alive and happy. He turned back to focus on Cassidy. She was paler than normal as she looked between him and his sister and back again. When he smiled at her, she smiled tremulously back.
“We should go,” he said.
Cassidy started to speak as Maya launched to her feet. “Please, don’t go!” Maya blurted. “I’ve missed you so much over the years. I’ve thought about you every day and wondered what became of you. Before you disappeared, I picked up my phone every day to call you, but then I always chickened out. I never suspected you had become a vampire too. If I’d known—”
“But you didn’t call. I understand you were frightened, and what happened to you was horrific and brutal. I wish it never happened, or that I’d been there to protect you, but I’ve wished that every day for years. However, you could have done so many things differently, and you didn’t. I’m not saying we’ll never see each other again; I’d love to get to know my niece and nephew if you’ll let me, but I have to get out of this house.”
“Of course, I want you to know them!” she blurted. “Take a walk with me. We’ll get out of the house together. The children will be okay on their own for a bit, and Lewis will be home soon.”
“Where is Lewis?” Dante asked.
“He went to pick up more blood for us,” Maya said.
Dante ran a hand through his hair and tugged at the ends.
“A walk sounds nice,” Cassidy said. “I’ll stay here to make sure the kids don’t burn down the house.”
“They already tried once,” Maya said with a small smile that succeeded in coaxing one from Dante too.
“Oh, I’m sure,” Cassidy said. “If they’re anything like my siblings and me, they’ll try again.”
“Please, take a walk with me,” Maya said. “The gardens are lovely
