Love is a Two Way Street

I spent my afternoon like I usually did: at the coffee shop. Whether it be the Java down the road, or the Starbucks where I met Edwin, I was there everyday. Today I chose to go to the second one, whether it was because of the chance to maybe see Edwin, or because they had good cappuccinos.

Probably both.

I closed the door of my Mercedes carefully and looked around. I didn't know what I was looking for, nor why I was looking, but I was. I approached the alleyway carefully and looked inside to make sure Edwin wasn't seducing some poor woman there. Little did they all know they would end up dead the next minute.

Except for me anyway.

The coast was clear, so I hurried through the alley and into the coffee shop itself. I ordered the usual and sat down at the usual spot. No changing things up for me. Giving up Edwin was the most change I had ever gone through and I had never liked it one bit.

I chatted with a few guys about random unimportant things for a few hours before one boy in the corner caught my eyes. He smirked, seeing I was staring at him. He stood up suddenly and walked out the door. I immediately followed him out.

I had obviously been gone for a considerable amount of time because the moon was up and glowing eerily in the midnight sky. The stars twinkled, but not even the sight of that made me forget why I was out there. I walked cautiously into the alley, aware that it was entirely pitch black and it would be next to impossible to be able to see in the area.

“Edwin?” I choked, looking desperately everywhere as I screamed at my eyes to adjust to the lighting. I needed that more than anything at that moment. “Eddy?”

The night was as quiet as it was dark as I heard no response. I reached around, trying to feel for anything that would help me. My fingertips grazed brick and I made my way to a nearby wall. Pressing my back to it so he couldn’t pop up behind me, I scanned the area, still only able to make out the silhouettes of a few things close to me.

“Ed, please stop!” I cried, terrified. He wouldn’t...kill me, would he? I hoped not. That thought didn’t help my heartbeat settle in the least as I tried desperately to find the vampire in my midst.

Suddenly, a body appeared before me as my breaths got shorter. I was near screaming when a hand found my mouth to block any noise I might make.

“I suppose wisdom doesn’t always come with age, does it, Jade?” he snickered, freeing my mouth. I breathed quickly, trying to catch up on my air intake. “Lovely day for a stroll, isn’t it?” he joked. “So what have you been up to, my dear?”

“Nothing. You?”

“Eh, killing people and such. You know, the usual. So who’s the new boy toy now? I see you are in a serious one. So you give it all away to this human goon, but none for Edwin.” He inhaled the air around me and his nose wrinkled in disgust. “You smell terrible. I know that scent, Jade.”

“I know you do, Ed,” I admitted.

“I thought you could find someone better to give away your purity to, not Gage.”

“Don’t do this, Edwin. I already feel terrible enough without you helping! You know it wasn’t right: what we were doing.”

“Jade, why don’t you see that I don’t care? Don’t you get it? I love you! Damn it, I love you, Jade!” he yelled at me.

We couldn’t continue with our conversation anymore because my phone went off. I stared at my pocket as the cell phone in it rang continuously. I grabbed it and felt Edwin’s body heat—or cold heat anyway—on me as he pressed himself to me. It was all I could do to remain faithful to Gage. Especially when he started nibbling my ear.

“Hey, baby,” Gage said as soon as I picked up the phone.

“Hi, Gage,” I replied, trying to keep my voice even as Edwin did terrible manipulating things to my poor body.

“Can you come home? I miss you.”

“I’m on my way,” I told him as Edwin nipped at my neck. Oh my goodness!

“Okay. Hurry back. I love you.”

“Love you, too.” I hung up and breathed heavily as Edwin bit my lip repeatedly.

“Jade, you can bet you will see me again,” Edwin told me, a whisper against my lips as he drew blood.

“I don’t want to see you again.”

“Angels shouldn’t lie,” he told me. And he was gone just like that.

I drove home in silence, trying to clear my thoughts before I returned to Gage.