Vampire Bride

Chapter Twenty Nine: Part One

Charlie

All I can remember is the look on Morgan's face when I stopped into work yesterday. She tried her hardest to keep a neutral look. One minute she looked terrified and the next she had a wide smile across her face. Maxwell refused to let me stay any longer than a few hours, but I only made it an hour because I couldn't stand Morgan following me around, ready for me to drop dead.

As if coming home would be any better. My once bright, airy home now resembles a cave with its dark curtains and blinds. I have to have almost every single light on within the house to be able to walk the halls.

"I'm going to go work on some things. I might not be able to be at the office, but Morgan is still going to need my help." I get up and cross the room in hopes of leaving Maxwell behind, but as soon as I pass the couch, he starts to get up. "You. Stay. I'm going to open the curtains to let the sun blind me one last time...okay?"

"Charlie, if you start the transition while you're in there, I won't be able to get to you. It's best if I come with you or keep the blinds closed." I hear his words, but the look on his face says it all. He feels guilty, and overprotecting me is his solution.

"Well, you can just leave me on the floor until nightfall then."

"It's not that easy. The sun will begin to harm you immediately."

"Well...then it'll just end this before it even starts, which is probably for the better." I regret saying the words as soon as they're spoken, but deep down I can't help but to agree with them. I'm not a pushover and never saw death as an answer for any of my problems, but sadly it's a solution for this situation I'll never be able to get myself out of.

Before I can take one more step, Maxwell is in front of me with his hands harshly gripping my upper arms. The cold look in his eyes reluctantly causes fear to creep into my nerves. His voice is flat and cruel as he lectures me. "If I ever hear you imply or joke about killing yourself again, you will never leave my side. I will become the worst person you can imagine from such irresponsible banter. Do you understand me?"

I yank my arms out of his firm grasp. "And what the hell would you do about it exactly...lock me up? I'll be just as strong and conniving as you, there would be no way to trap me against my will," I say just as heartless.

"You won't have all the power you think you're going to have right away. Strength and influencing donors is something that comes with age and practice. It's quite different from your movie vampires. If you want me to speak in your Hollywood terms, newborns are weak. Ending this won't be as easy as you think either. It takes much more than a few seconds in the sun to kill freshly turned vampires, resulting in it being extremely painful. The real world is very different from fantasy, Charlie."

I walk away, refusing to let him scare me. I won't be scared.

"I'll do whatever it takes...I'll always do whatever it takes. I love you more than you can imagine and protecting you from harming yourself needs no second thought. You can think of it as cruelty, but I think of it as caring," Maxwell bellows at me as he follows me through the halls that lead to my home office.

"What you really want to say is that you let it happen once and you won't let it happen again," I say as I make it into my office. Hurriedly, I whip the curtains open to stop him from entering. Tears fill my eyes as I stare at his pained expression. I didn't mean to be so...mean, but there's no taking back my actions now. I stare at him in the middle of the sun-filled room.

He places his hands on the doorframe, leaning backward to remain out of the light. "You should want to live, Charlie. If not for me, then for yourself at least."