Twilight Imagines

31. Guardian (Riley Biers)

(Published May 31, 2024) 

   To say that I had gotten myself drunk would not be an exaggeration.  The earth seemed to sway beneath my feet and my brain felt like it was floating away on me.  I never got drunk, and even my intoxicated self knew that this was going to end badly.  I let out a small gasp as I reached for a nearby lamppost to keep myself from falling over.  Giggling for a reason that escaped me, I glanced up to attempt to find my car.  Not that I could drive like this, but the backseat would be a good place to lay down and not fall over anymore.  
   My slightly unfocused vision spotted a small blue car across the street.  Had I parked over there?  I must've.  Cautiously releasing the lamppost, I managed to stumble off of the curb and make it to the pavement without falling.  
   Just a few more steps, I thought to myself as I carefully placed one foot in front of the other.  Unfortunately, my eyes were on the pavement and not the oncoming traffic, which I found out there was when a horn blared loudly at my shuffling figure.  I barely had time to gasp as I felt myself being yanked backwards quickly.  Stumbling again, I found myself turned around and pressed against a solid chest.  Blinking twice, I glanced up at my hero.  My drunken brain was playing tricks on me, because the guy I saw was Riley Biers, my boyfriend who had disappeared long ago.  
   "Well, that's how I know that I'm really, really drunk," I stated with a shake of my head.  "You look just like my boyfriend." 
   "Oh?" 
   He sounded just like my boyfriend, too.  I pushed at his arms, trying to free myself from the hug that wanted to feel familiar, but wasn't.  
   "Yeah.  I have a boyfriend, so you just keep yer hands to yerself and nobody has to get hurt." 
   "Let me take you home, at least." 
   I squinted at the man before me, but the face was still Riley's.  Well, almost.  There was something off about him.  Something different.  
   "Nope, I can get there myself.  Thank you for the rescue, but I'm a fine person.  Definitely not heartbroken and intoxicated." I waved him off, turning back to the now silent street.  
   "Why do I not believe you?" 
   My eyes squeezed shut tightly, trying to make his voice go away.  Willing the stupid memories to go back to the walls I had tucked them behind.  If I was just going to hallucinate him every time I got drunk, I wasn't ever going to drink again.  It hurt too much.  My heart had started aching inside my chest, causing my hand to cover it to make sure it was still intact.  
   "You must be smarter than me.  I believed he was alive for months." I paused, my hand still pressed against my chest where my heart was squeezing inside of me.  "But he's not.  He would've come back by now." 
   I stepped back out into the street, suddenly feeling the urge to get away from this stranger who would likely take advantage of a drunken idiot like myself.  Sadly, he followed me.  His hand found my elbow, keeping me from tipping over again.  He was nice, at least.  
   "What if what happened to him changed who he was, and he can't ever come back?" 
   Stopping mid-step, I turned to face him.  He looked down at me with dark eyes that held a look of regret in them.  Dark eyes that weren't his.  That's what was different.  His eyes.  
   "Then he's a loser.  We're a team, we can work through anything.  Either he gave up on me or he gave up on himself.  Either way is failure." 
   I blinked back tears as I turned away from him once again.  I wasn't going to be able to get away from him, especially not in the state I was in.  So, I walked over to the curb in front of my car and flopped down on the small patch of grass separating the sidewalk from the road.  Lying on my back gave me a beautiful view of the stars.  The big dipper shone brightly despite the street lampposts, bringing back another memory.  A memory of our first camping trip together where we sprawled out on a blanket on the beach and traced constellations with our fingers until our hands bumped into each other.  That was all it took for him to entwine our fingers and hold my hand for the first time.  Tears spilled down my cheeks, and I let them.  I hadn't cried over him in a while, and it wasn't like anyone could judge me for it right now.  Not with how many drinks I had downed.  
   The Riley wannabe laid down on the grass beside me silently.  Neither of us spoke for a long moment.  Between my woozy head and my screaming heart, I wasn't sure I could say anything coherent.  I pressed my palm to my heart again, willing it to calm down.  
   "I miss you." 
   The words slipped from my lips in a whisper without my consent.  It was surprisingly quiet, so I hoped that he hadn't heard it.  When his hand gently brushed against the one I had left resting in the grass, I knew he had.  I closed my eyes again, swallowing a sob.  It wasn't him.  Riley was gone.  This guy wasn't him.  
   Jerking my hand to my body, I rolled onto my side facing away from him.  Tears dripped down my cheeks, landing on the trimmed grass blades beneath me.  I heard him move behind me, so it wasn't a surprise when his cold hand came to rest on my shoulder.  
   "Anya, look at me." 
   Had I told him my name?  I didn't remember if I had.  
   "Please." 
   I rolled back onto my back and found him almost hovering over me, he was so close.  His familiar face was filled with a sadness that I recognized.  He was Riley, but he also wasn't.  So, I frowned at him.  
   "What do you want, sir?" 
   "I want you back." 
   "I don't know you.  I'm hallucinating." 
   The grin that appeared at my comment was way too familiar to be a strangers.  It had to be Riley.  A sob came out in a strangled gulp fashion as I bolted up into a sitting position and threw my arms over his shoulders.  I tucked my face into his neck, breathing in his new scent that was so sweet yet so odd.  Silently, he wrapped his arms around me and pulled me even closer.  He felt right, but also not right at all.  It was the same body, just more solid and colder.  What had happened to him?  
   I hit him on the back with my palm, which probably felt more like a pat with the amount of strength I put behind it.  "Where have you been?" 
   "I've been around," He said slowly as if unsure how to answer the simple question.  "Mostly I've been watching you." 
   "Creepo." 
   My arms refused to release him.  I had missed him too much.  
   "Why are your eyes a different color?" 
   "Because I'm a vampire." 
   I pulled back and looked him right in the darkened eye.  There wasn't a hint of teasing on his flawless face.  His hand slowly rose, brushing back my disheveled bangs from my face just like he always had.  Examining the new color closely, I gave a small nod.  
   "I like it," I decided.  "It makes you even more unique." 
   He managed a forced grin.  "You're drunk." 
   "So ask me tomorrow.  I'll give you the same answer." I shrugged.  
   "I won't be here tomorrow." 
   "What?" My eyes widened with panic as I tightened my grip on him.  "You can't leave me again!" 
   "I can't stay, Anya.  You'll get hurt." 
   "Bite me.  I can't lose you again, Riley.  You can't leave me again." 
   He gently pulled my hands free from around his neck with a strength that I couldn't over power.  I could read the pain on his face, but also the stubbornness in his eyes.  He wasn't staying.  
   "You can't leave," I whispered again.  
   "Like you said, you're hallucinating." His voice cracked with emotion, proving to me that this was killing him as much as it was me.  "I was never here." 
   "Damn it, Riley, I need you!  I've been a mess without you.  If you have been watching me, you know this.  I don't have to prove it to you!" 
   "You need to move on," He argued.  
   "It's been over a year.  Don't you think I would've moved on by now if I was going to?" I pointed out.  
   He couldn't argue with that.  "I don't want to hurt you." 
   "You're going to either way." 
   "Wow, thanks," He rolled his eyes at my bluntness.  
   "Just try?  Please?" 
   "No.  I love you too much to risk your life." 
   Getting to his feet, the man who held my heart captive gave me a soft smile.  "Call your brother for a ride home." 
   And with that, he was gone.  
   I glared at the spot where he had been standing.  Well, if he spent his time watching me, that just meant I'd have to get into a lot more trouble in order to get him to show up.  I could do that.  At night, obviously, since didn't vampires turn to dust in the sun or something?  Guess my night life was going to get a lot crazier now!  
   Flopping back down on the grass, I gazed up at the stars again.  Was I crazy?  Yes.  But I loved him with all my heart and I wasn't about to let him get away from me, vampire or not.  Besides, what could go wrong?  He had likely been one for a year now, meaning he had to be in control somewhat.  He didn't kill me tonight.  It'd be fine.  
   "I love you, Riley Biers." I whispered into the night, knowing he could hear it if he was nearby.  I just hoped he returned the confession.  Because he was going to have to be in love with me to put up with the crazy stunts I had in mind to get him to rescue me!