Fate (The Edge of Forever) (14 page)

Chapter 6

The Crazy Vampire

After our sexual escapades, Grayson and I took a shower. We crawled into bed holding each other as we drifted off to sleep. Around
 3:30 in the morning, my cell phone alarm went off, signaling my departure. I shuffled out of bed, being careful not to wake Grayson. I dressed in the spare clothes I brought with me. They were a short flowing black skirt and a white button-up top. Hunting through his living room, I tracked down all my clothes from the club, shoving them into my bag and set it by the door. I strode back into Grayson’s room and stood there for a moment just admiring him while he slept. He looked peaceful. He was no longer the successful businessman the world knew. Here, he was simply Grayson. Leaning over, I placed a light kiss on his forehead. 

He began to stir. “You’re leaving?” he asked.
 

“Yeah. I gotta get back before it get too close to sunrise. I’ll come back after they go to sleep, if that’s alright.” He gave me a look that said, of course, don’t be an idiot.
 

“There’s a key in the mug by the door. I want you to have it.” His features were soft as he spoke.
 

“Really?” I asked, excitement creeping into my voice.
 

“Yeah. I don’t want you waking me up to crawl back into bed with me anymore,” he laughed. I hit him in his shoulder, causing him to laugh harder. Without warning, Grayson wrapped his arms around me, pulling me down into bed with him. He kissed me so deeply that I forgot my fake hostility.
 “I want you to have it so you can come and go as you please. I want you to feel comfortable here. And if you weren’t so worried about my human scent clinging to your clothes,” he said sarcastically, “I’d even give you a drawer here.” He reached up, cupping my face. “You are important to me, Gabriella.” 

I leaned in, pressing my lips lightly to his. “I love you too, Grayson,” I whispered against his lips. His face flushed with surprise then switched to hunger. I put my hand against his chest stopping him. “Save that look for when I get back.”
 

“Fine,” he grumbled. I climbed out of bed and blurred to the door. I found the mug sitting on the table by the door. Dumping the key into my palm before shoving it into the front pocket of my bag, I headed out the door.

When I got back to the nest, Anton was leaning against my bedroom door. “You just keep showing up later and later. You’re lucky your mother is out. I’m sure she would not be pleased.” Irritated that I had to climb out of my boyfriend’s warm bed to deal with this, I rolled my eyes. “Whatever.” I spouted, trying to lean around him to get to my doorknob. 

He moved blocking me. “Not so fast. What’s your hurry?”
 

“It’s almost five in the morning. I’m tired. So please move the hell out of my way.” I tried to push past him, but he didn’t budge.

“Have you thought about what we talked about?”

 
I knew he was referring to the night I got drunk on sorority girls. “No,” I spat. 

“And why not?” he asked calmly.
 

“Because there is no reason to. I don’t desire you, Anton. I just wish you’d leave me alone.”
 

He inhaled a deep breath. “Well that is not going to happen.” He shook his head. “Honestly, Gabriella, it would just be easier for you to accept my offer, for I am not the type to give up.” He paused, “I run this nest of vampires. I am a master vampire which means I have power you can’t even begin to imagine. You think I got all that by taking
no
for an answer.” He shook his head, leaning into me. Then he froze. His eyes darkened with an anger I didn’t understand. It seemed to come out of nowhere He grabbed my upper arms pulling me against him, burying his nose in my neck. 

“What are you doing? Get off of me!” I shoved hard against him, sending him several feet down the hall. I gaped at him. Anton was a four hundred year old vampire; there was no way in the world that I should have been able to overpower him. He got to his feet, clutching his chest where I shoved him like it hurt, then blurred back pinning me to the door with his body.
 My heart was pounding in my throat. 

“You smell like a human,” he hissed in my ear. My heart was going double time. I tried to look anywhere but at the pissed off vampire in front of me. “You fed tonight.” He stated more than asking. I nodded. “Say it!” he demanded through clenched teeth. He couldn’t tell if I was lying if I didn’t speak.
 

“Yes.” I gave him a sideways glance, watching his eyes dance over my face. He stepped away from me and I sighed in relief.

“I will have you, Gabriella. And I’m a very patient man.” He took a step towards me. I squeezed myself closer to the door, almost as if I was trying to sink into it. “I am also a very jealous man. So remember this, if anyone claims you before I do, they will suffer greatly, for you are
my
prize.” He turned blurring away down the hall.

I quickly shoved open my door and ran into my room. I doubted he’d come back, but I didn’t want to risk it.

 I sank onto the bed thinking over what Anton said. My burst of strength against him was temporarily forgotten. He must be suspicious. He was sniffing me a lot lately. I worked with humans, so it wasn’t unusual for me to have their scent cling to me. He couldn’t differentiate between men and women, could he? I hadn’t been stopping by Shawn’s to let him sniff me out to make sure I didn’t smell like Grayson. Maybe I had been foolish to think that a simple shower would hide his scent. I couldn’t risk Anton finding out and hurting Grayson and he would if he ever figured out I slept with Grayson, or worse that I loved him. And I did love him. Grayson accepted me for who I was and loved me for all the things that most people would turn away from me for. I would do anything to keep him safe from Anton, and that included removing myself from his life. Even if it meant I would live the rest of my immortality alone, because I knew there would never be another person for me.

The sun rose, and with it my anxiety. I felt like I was cruising on autopilot. My body knew what to do even though my mind wouldn’t process. I repacked my bag with a change of clothes then headed out the door. I don’t know how much time passed between the walk from my apartment to Grayson’s. It was not a short walk, though it did seem like I stepped out of my apartment and stepped into Grayson’s. Almost as if I had teleported there.
 

I reached into the front pocket of my bag, pulling out the key Grayson had recently given me. The whole evening seemed like a lifetime ago. Opening the door, I placed the key back into the mug where I originally found it. I wouldn’t need it after all. The thought caused my stomach to flip and I had to fight back the tears that were threatening to fall.

The sun was barely touching the living room. Setting my bag down, I climbed onto the couch, wrapping my arms around my legs. Tears began glistening down my cheeks. I brought the death threats from a four hundred year old, crazy ass vampire with me when I came into Grayson’s life. Hopefully, they would follow me when I walked out of it. If Grayson had no connection to me, then there was nothing that would connect him to Anton.

I knew it was the right thing to do, even if the idea of leaving him made me sick. I couldn’t be selfish and risk his life to keep him with me. I cried harder. I sobbed until sleep overtook me where I dreamed about Grayson and the happily ever after we would never have.

Chapter 7

The Break

Warm hands whispered against my face; soft, unrecognizable words in my ear slowly coaxed me from sleep, beckoning me back to the real world where all my problems awaited.

“Gaby, baby, wake up.” My eyes fluttered open. They were dry from the tears I had shed. Grayson was squatted down in front of me. His face, covered in early morning stubble, was soft and full of kindness which broke my heart more. He was dressed in jeans and a white T-shirt. “Why didn’t you climb back in bed with me when you got back? It was empty without you.” His fingers tucked some of my loose hair behind my ear. I wanted to relish in his touch, but I couldn’t. I grabbed his hand, slowly pushing it away.
 

“I’m sorry. I had a lot on my mind.” His brows furrowed with concern as I released my grasp on his hand. He had some bruising around the gash on his cheek. The bite mark I left looked more like a hickey. I tried to ignore the memory of it as it came flooding back, and the desire along with it.
 

“If there is something on your mind, you know you can talk to me about it.” He sat next to me on the couch, pulling my hand into his lap. I took a deep breath, trying to inhale courage, but breathed in his scent instead. I pushed away from him knowing that if I remained close to him, I’d never be able to do what needed to be done. Standing, I walked to the glass wall behind the couch. The sun had risen enough while I slept that it was now filling the living room with a midmorning glow.
 

“I do need to talk to you about something. It’s important.” I heard him readjust on the couch, turning in my direction.
 

“Okay,” his voice full of concern yet hesitant.
 

I turned to face him. “I can’t see you anymore.”
 I blurted it out because I didn’t know what else to do.

His eyebrows scrunched together. He paused for a long moment before speaking. “Something happened when you went home last night, didn’t it.”
 

I took a deep breath, trying to hold back the tears threatening to shed. I had cried so much already and I knew there would be more later, but right now wasn’t the time. “No. I just...” I closed my eyes trying to hold them back, “I don’t
want
to see you anymore.” I swallowed trying to calm myself. 

“Why are you doing this? Something happened that you’re not telling me.”
 

I exhaled deeply. “What happened was you said you loved me. In the moment, I said it back but I shouldn’t have, because I don’t.” I took a breath continuing. Tears had begun cascading down my cheeks. So much for waiting until later. “You are a human. I’m not. We are two completely different species. It was never going to work and I was foolish to think it would. I just wished I ended things sooner, before you developed feelings that I can’t possible return.” The tears were coming heavy now. My face was flushed as I tried to hold back the sob that was knotted in my throat. He stood, slowly making his way across the room until he stood directly in front of me. I looked down at his stomach, not wanting to see his face, but Grayson grabbed my chin, tilting my head back until I looked at him. His gray eyes were red, brimming with emotion. They searched my face before resting on my eyes.
 

“You are a bad liar, Gabriella,” he said through clenched teeth.
 

“I’m not lying,” I breathed. It didn’t even sound believable to me.
 

“Yes, you are. I just don’t know why,” he said, his voice cracking with emotion.
 

I closed my eyes, pushing as much feeling into my words as I could. “I don’t want to be with you anymore, Grayson,” my voice shook at that point, but I forced myself to go on. “I don’t love you.” The sobs were breaking through now. I wasn’t even trying to hold them back. I didn’t wipe away the tears. I didn’t breathe through the hiccups. I just gave myself over to the emotion. I thought maybe if I said enough hateful things, he’d let me go. “Our entire relationship was a mistake.”
 

Grayson shook his head. His hand slipped around my waist. I pushed against him, but not really wanting to escape so I didn’t use my full strength. I wanted to touch him, to feel his nearness, but I knew it would be a mistake. But knowing and wanting are two completely different things. “I know you love me, Gaby.” He kissed me passionately. Grayson’s kiss did nothing to strengthen my resolve. He started kissing his way down my neck and my treacherous body betrayed me. My head fell back giving him better access. My fingers tangled in his hair gripping him closer. I could feel his hands run up my back, under my shirt. A moan escaped my lips. Hearing it reminded me what I was doing. If I didn’t end things, Grayson’s life could be in danger. I felt Grayson’s hand slid up my thigh. I pushed against his chest, still not as hard as I could. My mind was saying stop, but my body was saying don’t.
 

“No, I don’t want...”
 

Grayson cut me off. “Shut up Gaby. I’m tired of listening to your lies.” His fingers pushed aside my panties, sliding effortless into me. My head fell back as I cried out in pleasure. I felt my fangs slip out. “You’re so wet. I see how much you don’t want me.” Grayson took a step, pinning me between him and the back of the couch.

His finger slid slowly in and out of me. My spine arched, using the back of the couch as support. My mind went blank of everything except the pleasure he was causing me. I couldn’t remember why this had been a bad idea. I only knew how perfectly right it felt.

His other hand worked on the buttons of my shirt. After some trouble, he pushed it aside and with a quick snap of his fingers, he undid my front clasp bra.

Grayson’s head dropped down claiming one of the hardened peaks. He pulled my nipple between his teeth, flicking his tongue back and forth, sending me into a frenzy. He withdrew his fingers and I cried out from the loss. He switched to my other nipple giving it just as much attention. Later on, when I would think back on this moment, I would realize that Grayson was not giving me an opportunity to back out. He knew that if my head cleared for even a fraction of a second, I could pull myself out of the moment. He kept my body bombarded with pleasure.