Love is Darkness

Chapter 12 London, England

The phone rang and Valerie reached for it,enjoying the happy realization that nothing hurt when shestretched. She was healed from Lucas' blood. It had worked. Savedher life and she wasn't a vampire. She didn't want to dwell on ittoo much.

"Hello?"

"Val." Jack's voice soundedgravelly and tired. Jack didn't speak, the moment dragging outuntil she heard him say her name in a devastated way.

This is the call.

She just knew it. Something about thesilence, the pain in his voice. She spoke in a whisper, "Is healive?"

"He's not gonna make itVal. The damage is too severe. I know he wants to see you beforeit's too late." His voice trembled at the end and she knew he wasjust as upset as she was. Maybe more since Nate had been a fatherto Jack in earnest, whereas she'd been a reminder of his lost loveand a liability that needed to be honed and cajoled.

She'd been work whereas Jack had been hishope. She got out of bed, already at the closet grabbing hersuitcase.

"Where are you?" She askedtrying to think about practical things.

"Italy. Rome."

She almost screamed, furious that she'd evenhave to ask. Of course it was Rome. Where she'd been last night.Where she had almost died. Did he know? Had he seen her?

"What's thehospital?"

"Sant'Andrea. I'll see yousoon, Val." He hung up and she hurled the phone at the wall,overcome by rage and sadness.

Hastily, she got ready and went downstairsto the street. She found a cab easily and had him take her toStansted Airport where the next flight left in three hours.

Lucas could get her there instantly. Shecalled him and left a message. Where the hell is he?

She felt betrayed. He'd promised her thathe'd take care of Jack and her father and he hadn't. Part of herknew that was unreasonable, he was in the middle of a coup, withpotentially no allies and fighting for his own life but she wasstill angry.

The next few hours passed in a haze. Shetried to read a few magazines on the plane but it was pointless.Images of her father, conversations had, moments where he'd beendisappointed ran through her mind.

His voice.

His expressions.

Gone forever.

The way he used to tuck her in at night whenshe was little, or the way he hunched his shoulders when he was mador irritated with her.

Most of her memories were conflicted. They'dlet each other down, but that didn't mean she didn't love him.Maybe she should have made more effort, tried harder to let himknow how much she cared, that even though she kept apart from himshe did love him.

Would have, could have, should have.

The airport outside of Rome was busy,everyone seeming to be in just as much of a hurry as she was. Shewaited for her taxi and tried to focus on the drive instead of hergrief. The taxi driver had a death wish, smoking and swearing atthe radio in Italian as he careened down the streets like they werea ball in a pinball machine.

She knew some of the words he mutteredbecause of Jack. Like when he'd cut his finger preparing dinner andhad to get three stitches, or when she'd tried to sneak out and goto parties. All the memories of her life seemed to wash throughher, and by the time she arrived at the hospital she was atrembling mess. She got out of the taxi at the hospital and walkedto the front entrance.

There was a bench outside and she recognizedJack sitting there, hands clasped and head down as the world wenton around him. She called to him and he looked up, brushing a handover his cheek to wipe away tears. He came towards her and openedhis arms, gripping her tightly.