A Darker Love

Chapter Sixteen- The Realization Sinks In

I got out my biggest rucksack and packed some of my favorite outfits the next morning, feeling refreshed and ready to go. Dad was still asleep and enjoying his day off but I was up bright and early at seven, eager and ready to go. I couldn't wait to get on the road and Caleb even said we stop off in New York city which I've always wanted to visit. It was sort of half way between Stonewell and Pittsburg so he said he'd book a hotel for us there so we could make a day of it and go sight seeing and try the famous foods it had to offer. I wasn't a big fan of really greasy food but I wanted to try everything from the pizza cones in the street to the triple layered club sandwiches in cafes.

It made me excited just thinking about it and I couldn't wait to find out what Caleb had been keeping from me as well. Our eyes had connected in the grill when we first met I knew there was something different about him, he was unlike any guy I'd ever met before. He was compassionate and he genuinely cared about me but he was also fiercely protective and hot headed which I guess could be a bad thing? I still couldn't work out how he did it, how he stopped Kai's fist and what scared Kai and his friends so much that made them run away screaming and how he always managed to convince people to do what he wanted like some kind of mind control. There was something about him, something... inhuman.

Now that I thought about it when we were climbing the jungle gym at the bonfire was he as agile, like a cat only better and faster and he pulled me up with him like I weighed only a feather. His face changed when he saw blood too like he was a monster and he craved it, it looked like he had to use all the strength he had not to give in to... Suddenly the pieces suddenly fitted together in my head like a jigsaw. Powerful strength, extremely agile, mind control, craving for blood... No. He couldn't be.

The rucksack fell out of my hands and landed on the floor with a huge thump as the realization set in. I sat on the bed and rubbed my eyes, planning my next move and deciding whether I wanted to go on this trip or not. Did I really want to go on a trip with a monster who could hurt me and tear me apart? No, he wouldn't do that to me, would he? He had been fine so far, if he didn't care about me then why would he meet my dad? But what if all this was just to get me alone with him on the road so he could... No. I don't think he'd go all the way and meet my dad just to kill me. Maybe I never loved him at all and he had put all these thoughts in my head so I'd go out with him. Then it hit me, there had been reports of animal attacks in this town on and off for centuries I knew because I'd looked into his town's history for a high school project, that had to be vampires. Bodies all drained of blood, it couldn't be a coincidence.There hadn't been reports of an attack for years now so maybe that meant he wasn't one? No, that didn't explain the strength and the mind control... I had watched Twilight so maybe he drank animal blood? I knew the whole thing was fake but I then again I thought that vampires were fake until now...

I heard a gruff sigh and heavy footsteps and immediately knew that Dad was up and he had a bit of a hangover. I was too worried about Caleb to go out and see him so he came into my room to see if I was up.

"Hey sleepyhead." He said opening the door. "Are you ready yet?"

"Almost." I said with a shaky smile.

"Are you nervous?" He came over and sat on the bed.

"A bit."

He hugged me and I fell against his soft sleeping gown. "You could just not go and stay with your old Dad."

I laughed and rested my head on his shoulder.

"Come on, get ready. You don't want to be late." He smiled and got up. about to walk out.

"Hey, Dad?"

"Yeah?" He stopped and turned round.

"What do you think of Caleb?"

"What?" He laughed.

"Truthfully, what do you think of him?"

"Well, I think he's a nice boy and he obviously really cares about you."

"You really think so?"

"Yeah and if you want to date him, I'm reluctant as your father but I would be okay with it." He gave me and cheesy smile and then walked out, leaving me confused and wondering whether any of my emotions were real.

I got dressed into some black skinny jeans with a white tee and converse. I decided to meet Caleb and tell him to explain everything to me then decide if I wanted to risk my life going on a trip with him. I sat on the counter and ate the toast Dad had made for me anxiously, it should have been warm and buttery but it tasted like cardboard in my mouth. Dad made us both coffee and then we had a fight about what to watch on tv like two bickering little kids.

He grabbed the remote off me and switched the channel back to Storage Hunters, it was a repeat that they showed almost every morning.

"We've seen this almost a million times! It's on every morning!" I grabbed the remote and changed the channel back to Catfish and sank back into the comfy leather with a satisfied smile.

"Well you might have seen it but I haven't." He snatched it back and changed it back.

We had this fight into the doorbell rang and make us both jump, me more than Dad. I took a deep breath and then opened the door to a tired looking Caleb, smiling his cute smile that always made me fall for him. I didn't return the smile and grabbed my rucksack, saying goodbye to Dad and then going into Caleb's car.

He laughed. "Someones in a rush."

"What are you?" I looked at him, trying to look fierce and angry but I couldn't do that to him. I liked him too much, no. I was in love him with him...