Master of Vampirism (Part #2) ✔️

Chapter 28: Broken fantasies

William stretched in his purple tights on the lawn behind campus. A deep crease settled between his brows. He wasn't his usual positive self.

I looked at him from the wooden bench while procrastinating the beginning of our fighting lessons. Despite the purple tights, he looked serious and focused.

And I knew something was off.

"What's wrong?" I sipped my bloody protein shake. "I haven't heard a single Shakespeare quote in the past hour."

"Shakespeare was delusional." His legs slid into a split.

I arched my eyebrow, "I do not think he'd be too happy to hear you say something like that."

"Well, he was." William leaned forward, resting his upper body on his leg and I had no idea how someone became this flexible. "And his delusions affected me. I allowed myself to believe in love."

Oh, damn, he was becoming dramatic.

"Is this about Sheila?"

"I have ended my relationship with Sheila."

"Ah, I've been meaning to ask you about that, but the raging hoard of vampires distracted me." I mumbled. "Sheila said you left her because she wasn't a virgin. What the hell, Will?"

William looked at me, "It is the most common reason for ending a relationship, is it not?"

"Uh," I frowned, "Perhaps in the fifteenth century."

His eyes widened, "Oh, so what is the most common reason?"

I shrugged, "Partners are too different and cannot compromise? But wait, does that mean you didn't actually break up with Sheila because she's not a virgin?"

William sat in a normal position, "Sheila is human. And if she's close to me, she's in danger."

My shoulders slumped, "So, you lied to her?"

"I did." William shrugged. "I came to the conclusion that it would be easier this way."

His words made me inexplicably and disproportionally sad. A faint pang bit my heart.

"But... you said you loved her more than anything." I said. "You said you would never leave her."

William walked over to the bench and sat beside me, "And that was selfish of me. While she's with me, she's in danger."

For some reason, hearing this felt like hearing my parents were getting a divorce. No matter how ridiculous they were as a couple, I believed in William and Sheila. His love just seemed so pure and honest.

"You should have told her that." I pointed out. "She thinks you're an idiot that broke up with her because she's not a virgin."

"I'd rather she thinks that. Anger is better than sadness."

"No, it's not." I said. "You have to be sad first if you want to move on. Anger just makes you fixate."

William's dark eyes slid over me, "She will move on quite easily. She does not love me the same way I love her."

"You don't know that."

"I do." His voice was stern. "Leave it be, Chloe."

Like a teenager watching Notebook for the first time, tears gathered in the corners of my eyes. It wasn't just about William's relationship with Sheila, it was also about my relationship with her.

They truly were right. I was selfish and self-centred. During this entire cult vampire fiasco, I've never thought about how hanging out with me affected Sheila. She was in that bar because of me. Vampires were in this town because of me.