What Meets The Eye

Chapter Ten: This Isn't You

We sat on the dock quietly, taking in as much of our surroundings as we could. Things were different now, after we had kissed. It felt like we had an unbreakable bond between us that had just been formed. And as for Jason, he was the least of my worries.

"It's getting late," Damian said, checking his phone for the time.

I didn't want to leave. I wanted to stay here with Damian forーforever.

"I should get you back before your parents think I kidnapped you," he laughed, standing up and shaking his wet feet off.

I did the same reluctantly. We walked back to his car with our shoes in our hands, leaving a trail of wet footprints behind.

We sat back in his car and he drove me to the hospital so I could be with my family.

He parked in a stall near the lobby entrance and opened the car door for me.

We stood facing each other outside the hospital doors.

"I had fun tonight," I smiled.

"Me too," he smiled back.

Damian's head shot towards the hospital doors and his eyes instantly filled with worry.

"What? What is it?" I asked, concerned. What did he hear?

"Your mom," he said as he ran into hospital with me trailing at his footsteps.

We took the elevator to my moms floor and ran to her room. The door was shut, but I could hear something loudly clattering to the floor. Why were none of the nurses or doctors checking in on my mom?

Damian and I rushed into the room to reveal chaos. Jason stood in one corner of the room, and my mother cowering in the other. Trays, stands, and hospital machinery strewed on Jason's sides. My mother must have thrown them at Jason to protect herself.

As soon as we had opened the door, Jason's head flashed to look at who had entered the room. He looked at Damian and said, "Leave."

I instinctively felt urged to exit the room, but Damian grabbed my arm, forcing me to stay. Jason looked at Damian with curiosity, probably confused why Damian didn't do as he had asked.

I looked at my frightened mom in the corner. Her eyes were full of desperation as she shook her head, saying, "You shouldn't have come in."

"Jason, you're not thinking straight. It's your lust talking. I know what you're going through. I can helpー" Damian began.

"No, it's all of you who aren't thinking straight," Jason said hysterically, shaking his head with wide eyes. "When I turned, it was like a wave of relief just washed over me. I had no worries. For the first time inーforeverーI felt free." This wasn't the Jason I knew, he was far from it. Even with me around him, he wasn't acting even remotely close to my ex-boyfriend.

Damian had tried to stop Jason, but he wasn't succeeding at it.

"Jason," I said softly, stepping out from behind Damian's protection.

Jason's eyes turned toward me and they softened from a dark reddish brown color to a warm brown.

"You don't have to do this," I said, trying to calm him. "This isn't youー"

His brown eyes darkened. "Yes, but this is me, Gwen. Turning into a vampire has made me realize that I don't need anyone. I'm a different person now. I'm no longer Jason Stanley: the nice guy with a thing for Gwen Darkley; I'm the new Jason Stanley. I can make my own decisions and do whatever the hell I want."