Darkly Devoted (Book 1, 2, 3)

OTF Chapter 20 - Living Without

Chapter 20

-Two years later -

AFTER RETURNING home, Vivienne wasn't sure what to do with herself. Enough time had passed that she didn't feel comfortable returning to high school. In the end, she had Julian forge some papers for her so that she could attend the local college. Allison soon joined her. It was a good way to get back into a routine and to spend time with people her own age again.

Vivienne even got a side job working at a local smoothie store. She was still determined not to take Blake's money. Taking it would mean finally accepting that he was dead. She also couldn't take the cameo necklace off her neck either. She often had nightmares about that final night where she would wake up clutching the necklace. Eventually, she let Allison draw her out of her shell. They went to a party that was hosted by a fraternity on campus. There, Vivienne bumped into Daniel again. He was a Junior now, studying accounting. He said he was glad he finally saw her somewhere, which wasn't the library.

Daniel asked her out, but she said no. He was insistent and asked three more times. Finally, Vivienne said yes. By then, Allison was dating a frat boy named Peter. She had joined a sorority on campus too, one of the ones with the prettiest girls that parties constantly. Allison insisted on a double date. Together, they went to a local pizza place and ordered one pepperoni pie to share. Vivienne wore her usual uniform those days, a black t-shirt over dark denim jeans. Allison was still flamboyant as always, wearing a silky red dress with fishnet stockings.

Daniel got a taste of how much things had changed when they walked in the pizzeria together.

"Daniel," Allison snapped. "You will take Vivienne's coat when she sits down at the table. Then you will pull out a chair for her. Or you can go and jump off a bridge."

Vivienne did have herself a laugh at that, the first one she had in a while. Daniel turned red and walked away to use the men's room.

"I think he is going to pretend he didn't hear that," Vivienne said. "Old habits die hard, huh?"

"Tell me about it," Allison muttered as she glanced at the cameo necklace on Vivienne's neck. Beside her, her handsome frat boy boyfriend was busy playing fantasy football on his phone. He reminded her of Sero. "You know, you don't have to date Daniel. I've been thinking it over. I think Daniel might not be right for you. You need a boy who will make you happy, truly happy. I saw the way you looked that last night, how you couldn't keep your hands off....off him. I was so jealous back then, but now I see. That's the kind of love I want for you, as your best friend."

"Thank you, Allison." Vivienne then stared into the bubbles of her soda. If she tried, she could almost pretend it was the champagne flutes, and they could go back in time to that night. Vivienne struggled to return to the present, to the dim, greasy pizzeria. "I think most people don't find that kind of love once in a lifetime, never mind twice. I'm happy with Daniel. I don't think my heart can handle that kind of pain again."

"Daniel isn't the right person for you," Allison said, playing with her straw. "I see that now. All those years I spent with him, I used to resent him for his love for you. I thought my friend Vivienne deserved so much better than a demon. Now that he's gone, I look at you, and I see the same yearning, and I think I finally understand, I shouldn't have tried to come between you two."

"I don't blame you," Vivienne said. "I love both of you. If I have anyone to blame, it's myself for my own blindness. I thought I could use the Segais for what I wanted but all along, it was using me."

Allison reached out and took Vivienne's hand in hers. "If he were alive, he would want you to be happy, to move on. The man I knew was evil but not selfish. I knew he wanted to be with you, but he never forced me to tell him where you were. He knew your life was better off without him. Now, it's time for you to go live that life to the fullest, in honor of his memory."