Shatter

5. Meeting The Family

    So we are all eating dinner when my mom looks at me, smiles and then looks at him.

    "So Ash, my daughter told me that you know about her now." 

    "Mom" I give her a warning look.

    "No it's fine. Yes she told me and I would never say anything about her. I love her for who she is. It scared me to death at first though I won't lie."

    "That's good." Then she gives him 'the look'. "But know this, if you ever hurt my baby girl. I will make you wish you were never born!" Then she gives him the black eye look. It's the death look, when we turn our eyes black. 

     "Yes ma'am, I understand. But I would never hurt her." Then he smiles at me and says that line I hoped he wouldn't. "I would rather die then hurt or lose her." Oh no, I feel the memories coming back.

    "Okay let's get desert." I quickly change the subject. That was getting way too intense. Everyone just looks at me and my mom understands.

    "Yes let's get some desert. Luna would you mind helping me?" We get up and go to the kitchen. 

   "Mom was that necessary?."

    "You know what happened last time. I don't need to remind you."

    "Yes I could never forget that. But when he said he would rather die, I started getting flashbacks from that day." It hurts to remember how it happened. I can't help it and the tears fall down my face. Then of course, Ash has to walk in right then.

    "Hey is everything okay? Why are you crying?." He walks over and puts his arm around me, looking worried.

     "Yes I'm fine sorry. We were just talking." My mom looks at me, then at him.

    "Honey you need to tell him." 

    "Tell me what?".

   I sigh knowing she's right. "The last boyfriend I had, he cheated on me. But while we were dating, the vampire lords found out he was human. They killed him before I could save him. I had to watch him die in front of me. Even though I hated him for what he did, it still killed me. I had to watch him bleed and saw the light leave his eyes. That's why I tried to stay away from you. I can't protect you if you're with me and I can't go through that again." Now he's hugging me and I cry a little.

    "I'm so sorry. We can do this. It will be okay. You won't lose me." I look up at him, he looks so determined and sure.

    "How?"

    "I don't know but we will."

    The next day we go to his house to ride the horses. When we get there we go inside to meet his family 

    "This is my mom, dad and sister." Then he looks at them. "This is Luna."

    We say hi and shake hands. Then go back outside to his barn and see the horses.

    "The white one is Spirit and the black one is Shadow. Which one do you want to ride?"

    "Can I ride Shadow?"

    "Of course."

     Then we get saddled up and go for a ride around his property.

    "You've ridden before haven't you?"

    "Yes, we would ride the neighbor's horses. She had four at a ranch not far from here." 

     We just ride around in silence as I follow him down the trials. It feels so safe and mundane, I wish it could always be like this.