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Later that day, after some moments of rest between spending time with Gran and Mum, I started to feel more human again.
‘You know, it’s nice seeing you both but please don’t feel like you have to stay here all day.’ It was bad enough my mum had to travel here and miss out on work. I knew she had been worried sick about me moving to my grandparent’s. But I didn’t want her to lose her job.
‘I don’t want to leave you, sweetheart,’ she said, tenderly.
‘Why don’t you both get some fresh air? Go and do something else for a while. You don’t have to stay here and just watch me sleep.’
‘We have planned to go out for dinner,’ Mum told me. ‘Your dad is with your grandfather. Don’t worry, the four of us will be making use of our time whilst we are visiting you.’
She stroked my cheek, and though her touch was light and gentle, it really hurt. I didn’t know how badly I was injured.
‘Do you have a mirror on you?’
My mother fished through her handbag and found one. She held it in front of me with a look of concern on her face. As I moved my head in different directions, I saw the massive bruise on my cheek and a black eye along with a few scratches. Daniel had made me look worse for wear.
‘Guess I’m ready for Halloween then!’
The Doctor popped his head through the door with a polite grin on his face.
‘Erm, sorry to interrupt ladies, but my son is waiting out here to see Grace.’
Mum and Gran looked at each other and then giggled.
‘Of course, we will leave the love birds to have some alone time.’ Laughed my Grandmother as they gathered up their things and made their way to the door.
‘Have a lovely time this evening,’ I called after them.
For a moment I was alone. I took a few deeps breaths. I was feeling anxious about seeing Ben in the state I was in. I looked a right mess and my hair hadn’t been washed for a good few days, strands of it stuck to the side of my face and it felt greasy. As soon as he entered the room, I felt the tears welling in my eyes, it was a struggle trying to fight them back. He looked just as upset as I was when he saw how I looked.
‘I will leave you both to have some privacy.’ Ben’s dad shut the door.
Ben sat on the nearest chair by my bedside. To begin with I couldn’t look him straight in the eyes, I was too ashamed of my how I looked.
‘Grace, look at me please.’
I shook my head and I couldn’t hold back the tears any longer, they fell and fell down my puffy cheeks.
‘Please don’t cry, I’m not great at emotions as it is.’ He gently wiped the tears away from my face, and their salt and his touch stung my wounded cheeks.
‘I’m sorry, I just feel so ashamed of myself.’
‘You’ve nothing to be ashamed of, Grace. I probably shouldn’t tell you this, but I have seen you practically naked.’
My shocked eyes were immediately on him now, with that revelation.
‘I’m exaggerating, but it wasn’t far off. One evening when I was watching over you, you accidentally kept your curtains open and I saw you in your underwear.’
‘Oh, how embarrassing. If I had known I was being watched, I would have made sure my curtains were closed!’
‘I’m sorry. And don’t worry, I had a glance but then looked away,’ He giggled a little. Then his expression changed to a serious look. He had bought a little get-well-soon teddy for me in a shape of a white wolf and he placed it into my lap on the bed.
‘Aw, thank you, he is so cute!’ I was so touched. ‘I guess I can always keep a part of you with me.’
‘I’m glad you like it, but there is something I need to tell you Grace.’
I froze for a moment as he sounded quite cold compared to how he’d been speaking to me.
‘I’m sorry to say this but I need to keep away from you.’
‘What?’ The tears started falling again. ‘Why are you saying this?’
‘I can’t let you get into any more danger. I’m worried I may lose control of myself getting closer to you. I don’t want to hurt you.’
My heart broke into a thousand pieces.
‘Daniel is still out there, and I need to go after him.’
‘What do you mean he is still out there? I thought you destroyed him?’
‘I almost did, but I couldn’t kill him. It’s not in my nature to kill someone. Especially when that someone is one of my kind. I can only protect you but I can’t kill unless I really have to.’
‘Please don’t leave me.’
‘I’m going to spend the evening with you, but then it has to be goodbye.’
‘I don’t care about what you do with me, I know you won’t hurt me. I know you care about me just as much as I care about you.’
‘It is because I care, that I have to stay away.’
He touched my cheek and began to heal away all the bruising across my face, I was too stunned to move knowing that after that night, I would never see him again.
‘I do love you Grace.’
He kissed me softly. It was so lovely to feel his lips on mine again. But not long after the kiss, my body was craving sleep. I wasn’t sure if this was part of Ben’s healing powers or if I just needed the rest. But the next time I opened my eyes, it was the early hours of the next day and
