Sorry

seven

abia kamin

The fight with Hadlee created unnecessary tension within the group. Tension I was not willing to entertain. I found myself spending more time with Mateo, getting to know him for him. Not the vampire side of him, just him. We avoided all topics relating to him being a vampire which made things easy. Mateo had a dry sense of humour but still made me have some good laughs. He was showing me a side of him that he didn't let anyone else see. His soft and sensitive side. But I had questions that needed to be answered.

"I did some research," I bit my lip, innocently watching his muscles flex. Dumbbells in hand, he grunted as he lifted them up while he finished his reps.

I should not have been surprised when I found out how smart Mateo was. But every time we studied together, it was him helping me more than I was helping him. I needed help with my take home quiz and he offered it, but was more focused on his workout. I could admit that the view was nice. Laid on a blanket by the infinity pool, a waterfall trickled into it. It was a rhythmic sound. A garden was to the left, filled with fruits and veggies that I was tempted to pick and eat right there and then. The view of Mateo exhausted from his workout was an even better site.

"Vampires burn in the sun. It's mighty sunny right now," I adjusted my sunglasses. He set the dumbbells down, smiling at me in the process. The smile I was obsessed with. The smile that could make all my bad feelings go away. I think I like it because he doesn't share it with many people.

"We're still talking about this?" Mateo was acting like this was something I constantly talked about. But it was a week ago. "I have a daylight ring. Crafted by a special witch. It allows me to be in the sun."

The word witch left his lips to blissfully. Like witches are something of his everyday life. But the idea of witches had remained in only television shows for me. Who was I to expect for witches to be fiction when apparently vampires were real.

"I saw the blood bag in your bedroom. You don't drink from actual humans? You don't kill people?" I had a hard time saying it, but I knew he was going to have a harder time explaining things to me.

"When I first turned, I always drank from the vein." From the vein. In other words, he used to suck blood straight from someone's body. He slowly paced, making sure to keep himself close. "I tried to be frugal. Made sure I was in control and didn't kill them in the process. It was hard and most times I failed. When you drink from the vein you are at your full capacity. So much power and control. All your senses are completely heightened. Which is great, except for when you're in a room full of humans and all you can hear is their hearts beating. Everything was a temptation. After the situation with Ju...with my friend, I switched to blood bags," his head went down in shame, like he failed her. Switching prior could have saved her. But beating himself up about that would not bring her back.

I valued his honesty. He was transparent with me and refrained from sugar coating. But hearing that he had taken people's life did not sit right with me. Innocent people dying for him to have a meal.

"So it's easier now? You don't get tempted as often?"

He laughed, his hand going into his damp hair. "I thought things were easier. But like I said, everything about vampires are heightened. That includes my emotions. When I'm with you is when I feel the most powerless. I've learned to muffle out the sounds of hearts but your heart beat drives me absolutely insane. Your smell is...hypnotic to say the least. Every time I kiss you all I want to do is drive my teeth into your neck. I want to have your warm blood wash through my mouth and the fact that I'm not allowed to makes me go crazy," his arms crossed, looking down at me like his newest meal. Mouth watering and tear jerking.