Dried and Dying Roses (BWWM)

Thirty: The Clerk

©2015 ALL RIGHTS RESERVED TO _MACC_ (ANIA JOHNSON)

Thirty

Isaline's family took the fact the she was no longer human pretty well.

Of course they had questions- some she couldn't answer- but more than the vampiric part of the story, they wanted to know where Isaline's savior was.

"I figure he's at home," Isa shrugged, not able to keep the scowl off of her face.

She had barely been able to function since Adrian had left, and that was only a day ago. After he left, she had tried to stay strong, tried to go on about her day, but the physical need to have him near her constantly was getting to her.

There was two emotions that Isa had been ping pong-ing back and forth between: anger, and pain. The pain came more often, a wrenching feeling in her chest that made her feel as if someone had taken her heart in their hand, and was constantly twisting and twisting at it, making Isa feel as if she was going to pass out at any moment. The anger came any time she thought about him, and she had been trying to force him from her mind.

Isaline was more so hurt than anything.

She had woken up that night, after a particularly vivid dream, crying for him, screaming for him. It seemed weak, but Isa was quickly learning that Adrian was her rock now, he had been for the week and two days that Isaline had been awake. He kept her sane, grounded, but when he couldn't be steady in her life, it threw everything off for her. Isa felt like a child with a flighty guardian, except her guardian was a vampire who had saved her life and changed her, and he was her boyfriend, not her guardian.

Her boyfriend knew her well enough to know that she was new to this , she shouldn't be in this alone, just because she said she loved his mother. She did love Annaleigh. The woman, before Isa had died, had become like a second mother to her, coming to visit her at home and at her store, going out to lunch, dinner with her, and just being an amazing person in general. Annaleigh loved Isa like she was her own, and Leigh had told her that.

Isa had told the woman she loved her plenty of times, and the same with Nicole. She didn't see why that had upset Adrian as much as it had, but Adrian was Adrian, and his temper was unpredictable, so Isa tried to not overthink it.

Her family was filing out when Marie lagged behind, taking Isa's hand in her own. Isaline looked up at her mother, who was shaking her head, her hazel eyes watering as she took Isa's face in her hands, "My baby doesn't have my eyes anymore," She whispered, caressing Isa's cheeks with her hands, "You're still the most breathtaking thing I've ever seen, either way."

Isaline loved her mother with everything in her, and when the two weren't arguing back and forth, their relationship was amazing. Isa would do anything for Marie, and for Keith too.

"I love you, Momma," Isa said quietly after her mother had pressed her lips to Isa's nose.

"I love you too, little girl," Marie murmured, smiling at her daughter, "You tell that man of yours that we are all thankful, and we can't wait to see him again to thank him in person. What he did for you, that was a blessing for this whole family."

Isa nodded, resting her forehead against her mother's, "I know, Momma, and I'll tell him."

With a couple more kisses and a promise to see them soon, Isa watched her family drive off, standing in her doorway before letting out a loud sigh, grabbing her purse, keys, and phone, and locking up before heading to her car.

Adrian had been taking care of her bills, and paying Ryan a bonus to take over her store for her until he was capable to do so herself, so her first stop was the bank, so she could pull out some money to pay him back. After that, she had to do some grocery shopping to restock her refrigerator.