In this life

Chapter 14

Breathless, we laying on my bed together for the second time that day. The sun was starting to set outside. The sky through my window had turned beautiful pinks and oranges, making the soft clouds glow yellow. I moved toward Daniel and placed my head softly on his chest and ran my hand over his stomach. He was laying with his shoulders resting on my pillows, one arm behind his head, the other wrapped around me.
"Y'know...." I spoke quietly "There's something that has been playing on my mind....."
"Oh...?" He manoeuvred his head slightly to try and see my face. Rather than looking at him I kept my head still.
"I dunno.... It's just that.... On my birthday, I made a wish...."
Daniel rested his head back again and stoked my shoulder, "I know".
"But that's just it though" I turned to look at him, resting my chin on the back of my hand "How do you know...?" He looked at me but didn't answer "and the rose you left on my car... The message.... It's said 'Once upon another life', what does that mean...?"
Daniel sighed, "I heard you".
"What?" I was confused "But I only thought my wish, I didn't say it out loud"
"I know"
I laughed "I'm so confused". I laid my head back down. "Ronnie thinks I wished you into life"
"And what do you think?"
"I think that's impossible. It's ridiculous" I paused "there must be some other explanation"
"What might that be?" He spoke gently.
"I wish I knew" I laughed
"...I think a tiny part of you already does...." his hand stopped stroking me.

There was silence.

My mind went back to the night Ronnie had stayed to watch movies with me and my thoughts of Daniel that evening. I frowned, my mind was racing. In the space of a few seconds I thought of how I'd questioned Daniel's strength...the look on his face when he held that man from the ground the night I was attacked and I remembered his snarled teeth and his eyes were dark and... I thought of his is speed, the way he could move so fast...faster than I could see... When he made me invite him inside...'Invite me in'... I had flashbacks of moments that I had brushed aside. They were suddenly adding to my fears... I remembered being in my kitchen that first night and he warned me not to tempt him into devouring me for his own evil pleasure, I remembered the look in his eyes as his thumb pressed against my neck....feeling my pulse... I thought of the sound he'd made as he ran his teeth down my neck the first time we had sex... I thought of when we met today and he told me he'd been waiting for a hundred years... I thought of how I'd joked with him when he told me he was one hundred and twenty-seven years old... I thought of how he had heard my silent wish.... My heart pounded in my chest.
Cautiously I sat up. I turned to face him. My breath was caught in my throat. I was scared of my own mind. Daniel was frozen to the spot, staring at me with anticipation, he was poised for my next move.
No words came to me. I started to tremble.
"Say it" he whispered
I opened my mouth to speak but nothing happened.
"Rosie..." Daniel raised his eyebrows in the middle and moved very slowly towards me. He held his hand to my face, I flinched away and moved to distance myself further down the bed. Daniel's expression was one of panic.
"I promised I'd never hurt you.." He whispered.
I was breathing heavily, unsure of what to do.
"Say it Rosie. You know"
"You're a..."- my voice faulted. He watched me intently. -"a.... Vampire..." I breathed, frozen in fear.
"...yes..."
"Oh god!". My heard stopped in my chest, my hand came up to my mouth. I wanted to move, to get away from him as fast as I could. But there was something keeping me from going. There was an emotion in his eyes, begging me not to run. We stared at each other in silence.
"Say something Rosie, please" he begged, moving towards me. This time I didn't move away. He tenderly took my hand from my face and held it, placing his finger under my chin "I would never hurt you Rosie" his voice was adamant. Somehow I believed him.
"How is this possible...?" I could bearly hear my own voice.
"Do you really want to know...?"
"I need to know...."
He tilted his head and sighed gently. "Ok..." He said "I'll tell you whatever you want me to" he lowered his eyes to my body "but, I think we are both a little too naked for this conversation" he smiled at me "let's get dressed first ok?" He smoothed my hair. I nodded.

***

In my living room, I'd sat at one end of my sofa hugging my knees to my chest. Daniel was stood in the doorway. His hand was in his hair. He looked uncomfortable. I couldn't take my eyes off of him.
"Can I sit next to you?" He asked without moving.
I nodded, but as he came to take a seat I pulled my feet in so we didn't touch.
"Please don't be afraid of me"
"How can you ask that?!"
He looked at the floor. "Ok, so... What would you like to know?"
I hesitated trying to put the millions of questions I had into priority order. I cleared my throat.
"How long have you been this way?"
He took a deep breath "Since 1916" He looked at me "in Vampire terms I guess I am still very young" he shrugged a half smile.
"How... What happened to you?"
He took another deep breath and sat back, resting his head on the sofa, looking up at the ceiling.
"In 1914..." As he started to explain as I listened intently "England was at war. Thousands of men volunteered to fight for this country. I hadn't" he paused and rubbed his hand over his face "My recently widowed sister was gravely ill and I'd taken on her children. Once she died I was all they had. I couldn't leave them." He looked so sad. I wanted to wrap him in my arms, but I kept still, letting him tell his story. "By 1915, I shared the care of those children with an elderly couple who lived next door. They took us in and would look after them so I could work on their farm to earn enough money to get us by. That's where I met the love of my life"- my heart ached and I felt a pang of jealousy, I shifted in my seat uncomfortably  -"She was beautiful" he sighed, "she had a smile that could light up the darkest corners on my soul. She had the kindest heart and made me feel alive. We would work the farm in the daytime and at night we would make love under the stars... In the barn... Down my the river... She was my world. I loved her completely. I had plans to marry that woman..."- My heart ached, I couldn't help but feel jealous.
"-But..." He lifted his head and looked down at his hands -"I never got the chance to"
"Why not..?"
"By 1916, the government was calling for more men to enlisted, to fight in the war. They were preparing for the Battle of the Somme, I guess. Not that we knew then what was coming." He picked an invisible piece of fluff off of his jeans "So I signed up. Safe in the knowledge that my future wife would take care on the children while I was away" He looked to me with a heavy heart. I reached out for his hand. He lowered his eyes and took it. As he continued he gently stroked my knuckles with his thumb....
"The day before I left, will haunt me forever, I remember it like it was yesterday......."