The Reborn (The Reborn trilogy book 1)

Chapter 18

The talk

We drive for about ten minutes. The air quiet and thick the whole time. Lola takes a left and I suddenly know where we're heading, our spot. When she turns the car off the sudden silence of the engine becomes deafening.

"So, you were a vampire." She starts. Her hands on the steering wheel and eyes facing forward. It comes out as a statement but I still answer it like a question.

"Yup."

"How old are you really? If you don't mind me asking."

"Sixty-nine." I chuckle. "My mom would have had a fit if she heard me answer that. 'A lady never reveals their age.' She was full of all these lady-like rules." I say, remembering fondly.

Lola smiles shyly, looking at me for the first time. "Well, you look good for your age."

I can't help it, I crack up laughing, Lola joining in with me. "I'm the definition of a cougar."

"Nah, you're more a leopard."

We take a moment just smiling to each other.

"I am truly sorry that I didn't tell you but ..."

"You were scared."

I close my eyes and nod. "Yeah, when we first got together, I thought, 'she's better off not knowing that vampires exist.' Then when you told me you were a hunter ... well let's just say a situation like today was what I was nervous of. Plus, I was so afraid of losing you. Less than a year ago you would have killed me on sight. I've had regular nightmares of that the past two weeks. I didn't know what the rules would be for someone like me who was a human turned vampire turned human again."

"It's not something you just say over your morning coffee." She chuckles quietly.

"No, it's not."

"I understand the worry of not knowing how to tell someone about vampires." Lola says, rubbing her hands on her trousers and blowing out a calming breath. "For years I've debated over telling Matty. Not letting anyone else get too close because I hate having this secret. Then I met you and couldn't stop myself from getting closer to you." Lola says, resting the side of her head on the headrest, looking into my soul. "I'd like to say that I wouldn't have killed you on sight when you were a vampire, but I can't. I'm sorry it's causing you nightmares. All I can say is I won't let anyone harm you now." Then she flashes me her cheeky grin and pokes me on the nose. "Although if you piss me off there are no guarantees that I won't off you."

I choke out a laugh, realising that tears are pouring down my face. When did that happen? She wipes her thumbs under my eyes. "I've fallen so in love with you Connie. What I didn't know doesn't change that. It just gives me the chance to learn more about you."

"I love you too."

She leans forward and kisses me. A full of passion kiss. For a few minutes there is only her lips on mine, her hands in my hair. Those sweet lips that just told me she loved me deliciously wrestle with my own. Her tongue sending tingles through my body as it tangles with mine. Oxygen becomes a distant thought in these moments but eventually it always becomes a necessity.

Pulling away she has a look on her face that screams she's thinking of something. "Mrs Dodd's grandmother."

Talk about a turn off. "I know I'm older but I'm not that old."

"Funny. No, when she visited, she thought you were an old student of hers."

I nod, ah, this is where she's going. "That's because I was. Do you remember the story I told you?"