Forever Alone... Or Not

Chapter 23

POV: Nicco

I don't remember much after that. Someone yelled my name. Then, hands. The rest is black. I woke up in bed, the one in the room that wasn't mine. The sheets were damp with my sweat.

Bethany told me I was out for an hour. Not long, but she was still worried. They sat on the edge together, Bethany and Sariha that is. Michael was nowhere to be found. Almost immediately they asked why I was in "his" room. I avoided their questioning stares.

"Can you give us a moment, hun?" She asked her significant other. Who agreed and left quietly. After watching her leave, Bethany's eyes took to my face again. Subconsciously, I lifted my hand to scratch my chin. There was something on my skin. I scratched it off in flakes, brownish-red flakes. Oh, I remember spitting up blood. "It's happening already hasn't it?"

I couldn't answer her. Admitting it to myself is one thing, but to another -my sister at that- is...completely different. I don't want her to worry. Sadly, it's in her nature too. Tears pricked at the outer corners of her eyes.

"Bethany..." My voice, yet soft scratched against my throat. As I sat up to comfort her my body cracked and groaned.

"You can't die." The tears trickled down her cheeks. Her lips turned into a quivering pout. Seeing her like this, sad and in pain, it ruins me. I used what strength I had to get as close to her as possible. "You can't die." She repeated.

"It'll be okay." Of course, I couldn't promise anything. There was nothing usual about this. Usually, after a mate rejection or death, a vampire can last for a fairly long time before their descent into madness. The thing is, Michael hasn't even officially rejected me. Maybe...maybe it's because I was the one who (informally) rejected him. I was the one who had a major freakout and told him to stop. Told my parents I wouldn't accept him. Then left him in that hallway all alone. It's my fault, and I'm paying the price.

"I don't understand, why is this affecting you so quickly?"

"I don't know." My voice cracked like I was a hormone-ridden teenager. Or just an utter disappointment of a vampire. "I don't know."

For a long time, we sat there. The air around us was stale. She cried into my shoulder. My shirt was undoubtedly stained red. I couldn't cry, not in front of her. I bit my lip and stared at the carpet. What will happen to Bethany if I die? She can handle herself, obviously. But it's been just us for so long. Our only support was each other. If I do die I hope Sariha will be enough for her.

Following her departure, I made a few calls.

—------------

There he stood. As requested by my family, he was in an all-black suit. Similar to what we wore during the Assise meeting. This time his coat was short, the same length as his button-up, which he refused to tuck into his pants. Everything was tight but looked loose in a chill, relaxed way. That hair of his that is normally hanging over his eyes was slicked back into a tiny ponytail with the sides neatly combed. He looked really good. But, he still had to wear that god-forsaken collar.

"Are you ready?" He shook his head and held it out. His eyes avoided mine.

"Can you?" The collar was simple. Black leather, maybe half an inch wide with a Lozenge-shaped jewel embedded in the middle. I picked it out. As much as I resent the idea of him being my belonging, I wasn't going to let my family pick it out. If I had, it probably would have been a dog collar instead of the choker-looking one I picked. He and Sariha have worn chokers before, so I thought if it looked like one it would be less uncomfortable.

Instead of a verbal response, I just nodded, probably taking far too long. Did I really want to put it on him? No. But I wasn't gonna tell him that. My stomach quivered with the release of the breath I didn't realize I was holding.