The Lost Girls (Chris Cerulli Vampire Story)

Chapter 24

I had already wanted to punch Danielle in the face, but it reached a fever pitch when she tells me, "That's a good girl and just so you know Chris is at the South Hill Cemetery visiting Carly. So, you should run along and go find him."

I clenched my hands into fists, but I decided against hitting her and hurried to leave. The scent of burning bodies stayed with me as I sped off into the night, it was a constant reminder of Danielle's threat. I kept having to blink back tears while I searched for the graveyard. The whole time I could feel the wooden stake I had intended for Danielle digging into my skin, almost like it was taunting me.

The moon was high in the sky when I finally came across the South Hill Cemetery. I got off my bike and left it at the entrance. I moved past the headstones, watching for any sign of Chris. I found him underneath the swaying branches of a weeping willow tree, kneeling in front of Carly's grave plot. 

I didn't know what else to say, so I quietly called out, "Chris?"

His head snapped up in my direction and his expression softened once he realized that it was me. He rose to his feet and dusted off his jeans before asking, "How did you find me?"

I decided not to tell him that Danielle was the one to clue me in on his whereabouts. "I knew that this was where Carly was buried and when I couldn't find you anywhere else, I figured this would be a good place to look." 

He nodded in understanding and explained, "I come to visit her from time to time. I haven't been out here in a while, but today was the anniversary of her death and I felt that it was about time I came back around."

A lump grew in my throat, thinking that they might share that date soon. He shifted his gaze back down to her tombstone and I could still see the shadows of heartache that lingered on his features, maybe Danielle was right. I would be giving him a break from all the pain he's had to deal with from being around vampirism. I took in a shaky breath and reached around my back, my fingers brushing over the stake.   

"Are you alright, Ashlyn?" Chris questions watching me closely.

I dropped my hand and admit, "I honestly don't know anymore."

He frowned and stepped over to me, wrapping his arms around my short frame. He rested his chin on top of my head murmuring, "I'm so sorry."

I snaked my arms around his torso and pressed my face against his chest, breathing in his rich scent. His fingers rubbed gently into my back as he asks, "What do you say we head back to my place?" 

"Alright," I say and he lets go of me, to simply take my hand in his and lead me out of the cemetery. 

I decided to let him drive the bike on the way back, my mind was too muddled to focus on anything. I clung to him the whole time, trying my best to memorize the feeling of his solid frame. More tears blurred my eyes, hating that I was truly considering this. I kept reminding myself that I was doing this to protect my family, but that didn't stop the agony from tearing at my insides. I had never felt this strongly about another person that wasn't a part of my family, but even then, this felt like something more.

I made sure to pull myself together when we reached the place he called home, but I could tell that Chris knew that there was still something wrong. I managed to make it up to his room before a tear slid down my cheek.

He took a seat in front of me, cupping my jaw whispering, "You need to tell me what's wrong. Please let me help you."

I promptly wiped the moisture away from my face. "It's nothing you can fix."

I furiously rubbed at my eyes, uselessly fighting against my crying. 

He caught my hands in his saying, "Stop, you're allowed to cry. You don't have to fight it." 

I began to shake as I tell him, "Chris, I can't make you understand. I don't want to do this, but I have to. I don't have a choice anymore."

He moved me into his lap, holding me to his chest. He slowly ran his fingers through my hair with his free hand. He pressed a feather-light kiss to my temple, which only kept my crying going. I didn't deserve his gentle treatment or his kindness, not one bit.

"Is there anything I can do to make you feel better?" He asks as he gazes at me, searching my eyes for any sort of answer.

I don't know which of us leaned in first, but as soon as our lips met I felt the tension leave my body for a moment. My hands lifted to hold his face as I deepened the kiss and he didn't hesitate to return the urgency. His fingers tangled into my hair and the other tightened its grip on my side. His lips started to trail down my jaw and all the way to my shoulder as he pushed my leather jacket out of the way. I let my jacket slip off of me carelessly as I sighed at the sensation of Chris softly sucking a bruise into my skin. My hands lowered to tug Chris's t-shirt up and he hastily yanked it off before giving me another heady kiss. 

A few minutes later, he pulled away as his hand continued to cradle my head. His golden-brown eyes almost appeared to shine as he breathes, "I love you."