Unrequited (10 page)

The Wallace’s had heard every word of Ashton and Will's argument and never pretended they hadn't. Calvin Wallace, as usual, kept no topic off limits. He had become a fixture around Will's house. The kid could talk endlessly about anything and everything. Sometimes he wanted to ask Will about “vampire stuff,” but usually he wanted to know Will's opinions on everything from cars to video games. Recently he had even started asking questions about girls.

“How many girlfriends have you had?” Calvin asked while Will was grading papers.

Will lifted his eyes from his work and looked at the gangly green-eyed boy sitting on the couch.

“Let me think. If you're talking about real girlfriends, the kind you date for a long time, then I have had exactly one.” He knew this statement would get an interesting response.

“One, you've only had one? I would have figured you'd at least had, like, five hundred girlfriends.” Calvin looked at Will with more than a little disappointment.

“First of all, five hundred girlfriends are way too many no matter how long you've been alive. Secondly, yes, I had one girlfriend. She was a lovely girl I knew before I became a vampire. Back then we called it 'courting,' and she and I had been courting for several months. If I
hadn't changed, I would have probably made her an offer of marriage, but we all know what happened.” He went back to correcting the sloppy essay before him.

“Did you love her?”

Will didn’t have to think about his response for very long.

“No, Cal, I didn’t love her. I don't think I really knew what love was all about back then, and in those days you weren't able to get to know a young lady very well while you were dating. At the time, when I made my change, I was sad that I had to leave her behind. After a while though, I realized she and I never really did suit. So I guess it turned out for the best.” He wondered if his young friend's curiosity had been satisfied.

“Yeah, I think it did turn out for the best. If you weren't a vampire, then I wouldn’t have ever got to know you.” Calvin stood and started to walk toward Will's kitchen. “Plus, you wouldn’t have been able to fall in love with my sister.”

“Ashton Louise Wallace.” The sound of her name brought Will back to the present. He smiled and clapped as she accepted her diploma and walked back to her seat. He looked to the audience and saw Elaine and Frank beaming proudly. They really should be congratulated. Not only did they accept their daughter for what she was, they provided love and guidance for the person she should become, regardless of her lifespan. Faced with the same situation, he didn’t know many people who could handle things as well as the Wallace family did.

***

Rolling her diploma in her hand, Ashton could scarcely believe graduation had finally come. On her first day at Belle Ridge, the time to this day seemed endless. Yet, here she was, sitting with her classmates and preparing for the next chapter in her life. She tried to concentrate on the speakers, but her thoughts were a jumble of excitement and fear. In a way, the world here seemed very safe. Nobody suspected she was different, and everything in her life was accomplished with a certain amount of ease.

What would happen at college? Would she be able to find the same feeling of belonging and comfort? She was eager to find out. Her mother's advice on staying in her “timeline” had lingered in Ashton's mind. For as long as possible, she wanted to take a typical route in life. For now, that meant college.

“I present to you, the newest graduates of Belle Ridge High School,” Principal Moore said loudly into the microphone, and the whole crowd burst into applause.

Ashton stood with her class and smiled and waved at everyone who had come to cheer them on. Graduation was over.

“We are so proud of you.” Elaine rushed to hug her daughter.

“Thanks, Mama. I can't believe it's actually over,” Ashton said as she turned to hug her father.

“One thing ends and another begins. You are on your way, kiddo,” Frank said as he gave Calvin a gentle nudge toward Ashton.

“Yeah, on your way to college…so can I have your room?” Calvin didn’t so much hug Ashton as he put her in a headlock.

“No, you can’t; she’ll be home for holidays and breaks,” Elaine answered before Ashton could say a word.

Sarah and Aimee came running toward Ashton.

“Ladies, congratulations.” Frank gave each of the girls a hug, and Elaine followed quickly behind.

As her parents congratulated the girls, Ashton scanned the crowd and found Will's eyes. As soon as their gazes met, he looked away. Will had given her distance. Even when they were forced together for school functions, he maintained a polite distance. At first she had felt victorious, as though she had won a battle. As time passed, however, she found she missed him. The more she tamed her inner struggles, the more she realized that battling Will had been a mistake. Part of her anger and fear came out of feelings she didn’t want to acknowledge. She would see the way he helped students try to solve problems in and out of class. She noticed that every single day he brought a hot coffee to the janitor, and thanked him for the messes he would have to deal with. She saw so many things that finally made her see beyond the good looks and carefree attitude that had been responsible for her initial attraction. Will Leighton was a kind man. For all the traits Ashton might want in a potential partner, she discovered through Will, that kindness was the most important.

She had lied that night in her bedroom. She had told Will her feelings for him had never changed, when in fact, her feelings for him had long been there, and they were growing. It was her stubborn resolve that hadn't changed, and had driven her to hurt him and send him away.

There were things that needed to be said between them, and she was determined to say them tonight.

“You're still coming to my house to get ready for the party, right?” Aimee was talking to Ashton.

“Definitely, I just have to run home and grab a few things.” Ashton and her friends had planned to attend the school-sponsored graduation party. It was tradition in Belle Ridge for the graduates to have a party at the Ripley Barn. The barn was a beautiful old historical sight, and the perfect place for large gatherings. Inside was music and food, and outside were paths that led to a pond and a gazebo. The whole evening would be chaperoned, of course, but the kids were all looking forward to it.

Ashton was especially looking forward to the party. Over the past few months, she had settled into her new life. For the most part, she felt like her old self. She had friends, she participated in activities, and she had even finished decorating her room. Sometimes she would go whole days without even thinking about vampire stuff. She had finally been able to get a taste of the life Will had told her was possible.

Will had impacted her and helped her, in spite of her attempts to push him away. Tonight she would tell him and thank him, and if she had the courage, she might tell him about the feelings she'd tried to fight for so long. Ashton knew he was scheduled to chaperone tonight, so she would have to find a moment and take him aside. Somehow, telling him at the party seemed easier than going to his house or having him come to hers.

“I heard Jackson is bringing a date tonight. Are you gonna be all right, Ash?” Sarah asked as the girls primped for the party.

“I'm fine. Jackson and I never really clicked right. I really hope he finds a nice girl. I really do.” Ashton was sincere. Ever since their breakup, she had felt a lot of guilt where Jackson Truitt was concerned. He had unwittingly been a pawn in her game to prove everything was normal. In the process, his heart was bruised, and she felt terrible about it. At school he had always remained polite, which somehow made her feel even worse. It was her utmost prayer that Jackson would find a girl he could love and would love him back.

“I'm glad we decided to be each other's dates,” Aimee chimed in. She was on a “boys are stupid jerks” kick ever since she caught her boyfriend, Jason, kissing another girl a few weeks before.

“I'm glad, too. Y'all have been such good friends. I can't imagine what I would have done if I hadn't met you.” Ashton gathered her friends into a group hug.

Chapter Thirteen

Ripley Barn looked magical. The huge double doors were pulled open, and the high ceiling beams were draped with lights. The floor had been cleared for dancing, and bales of cloth-covered hay were positioned around the edges of the room. Everyone wore their best outfits as they milled around a table of picture-perfect refreshments. If Ashton didn’t know better, she would think she was at a party given in some long-ago time. There was something very nostalgic about the entire scene.

“I see Jason over there; come on!” Aimee pulled Sarah and Ashton toward the doors of the barn.

“I thought you hated him?” Sarah asked.

“I do, but we have to stand near him so he can see how much fun I'm having without him. Come on.” Aimee walked intently.

The girls stood by the refreshment table and tried to chat in a way that would make Aimee seem as though she didn’t care about Jason's presence. The whole scene was so “high school” that Ashton laughed and found herself enjoying the night more and more.

The music had started, and people slowly started taking to the dance floor. Just as the song switched to a slower pace, Will walked by Ashton and her friends.

“Mr. Leighton, I mean, Will, now that you aren't our teacher anymore, care to dance?” Sarah shocked everyone by asking. Sweet, mild-mannered Sarah was the last person Ashton thought would be bold enough to dance with a teacher.

Will stopped and smiled.

“Why I'd be honored, Sarah, and I hope you two ladies will also honor me with a dance tonight.” He slightly bowed and spoke to Aimee and Ashton.

“We will,” Aimee practically shouted and grabbed Ashton's arm in excitement.

Will and Sarah walked to the dance floor.

“Well, I can just absolutely die now. Dance with Will Leighton? This has got to be a dream. Way to go Sarah for making this happen!” Aimee was chattering excitedly. It wasn't every girl that got to dance with the best-looking teacher in school.

Ashton was a little less than enthusiastic. If it had been just any guy, she wouldn’t care, but this was a dance with Will. As much as she hated to admit it, there was something real between them, even if neither of them could really say it out loud. The thought of dancing with Will made Ashton feel slightly dizzy. Excusing herself, she went outside to get some air.

***

Will was enjoying himself. Sarah was a nice girl, and he had known she'd always had a crush on him. Teachers heard more gossip than students realized, and Will had heard more than once that all the girls at school had a crush on him. It was harmless, and he knew the crushes wouldn't last beyond graduation. So he would dance with a couple of them and give them something to giggle with their friends about. The unexpected turn in all of this was the thought that he would soon get to dance with Ashton. When he made the suggestion, she didn’t seem to shirk. Could she be ready to call a truce?

Sarah's dance ended, and Aimee quickly ran to take her place. The music had picked up, and Will tried to match the moves of all the kids on the dance floor. Try as he might, he just couldn’t deal with modern dancing. With all the advances the world had made, dancing was the area Will felt had declined. In his day, dances had names and steps. Now it just seemed like a bunch of jumping and inappropriate wiggling.

The music finally stopped, and Will thanked Aimee for the dance and sent her on her way. He stopped to greet a few students who were vying to be his next partner, but he politely moved past them in search of Ashton.

She wasn't in the barn, so Will walked outside. There were small gatherings of students standing near the doorway, but Ashton wasn't part of any of them. Pausing, he lifted his face toward the sky and closed his eyes. He could feel her, just as he always could when she was near. Opening his eyes again, he headed for the path to the pond, knowing she would be at the end of it.

Rounding the final bend in the path, he saw her. Ashton stood facing the pond. The only light was the moon as it reflected off the water. The music could still be heard in the distance. Will stopped a few feet from her and waited.

Slowly, Ashton turned toward him. Her hair was down, and though he'd seen it before, it still took Will's breath away. Many times he'd dreamed of running his hands over the beautiful waves falling past her shoulders. Her skin was luminous in the moonlight, and her dress seemed to twinkle like the stars. In the barn, he had noticed it was the color of pink champagne, but out here it was more than that. The dress sparkled with magic.

“Is it time for my dance?” Ashton asked quietly.

Without a word, Will walked toward her. As if on cue, a slow song wafted from the barn and reached them. Will put one hand on Ashton's waist and with the other he took her hand in his. Slowly they swayed to the music. Neither of them spoke.

Will felt as if he'd been waiting for this moment for a hundred years. This moment with this woman was all he would ever want in life. He said a silent prayer to the heavens, begging God to grant him this one wish. To grant him Ashton. In all the years since his change, Will had never made requests for himself, but tonight he did. Tonight he prayed with all his heart that Ashton would return his love, for he knew he truly loved her.

He had known from the beginning he would love her, and in spite of her early actions, he had fallen in love with her still. Observing her for the past months, he felt like he was seeing the real Ashton, and she was lovely. She was caring to everyone around her. Many times he had seen her including some of the lesser popular students in her activities. She was always quick to thank anyone who helped her, whether it was the cafeteria worker or a student handing out papers. There was an innate sweetness in Ashton. Once she had quit fighting the world, her divine light was able to shine through and touch everyone she met. She was beloved by her family and her friends and loved by him.