Forever (Fallen 3)

I didn’t move. I didn’t speak. I was frozen.

“Nothing can ever happen to you! You are my first priority!” He said into his hands. “I can’t lose you! I can’t sentence us to death! I can’t do it! But I’ve already done it! I’m so sorry!”

I finally found my voice. “Why would you lose me? Why would we die? What’s going on?”

“The prophecies,” he whispered so low I thought I misheard him.

Chapter Ten: The Prophecies

I closed the distance between us and sank to my knees in front of him. I tried to pry his hands from his face but it was useless.

“Tell me,” I pleaded. “What on earth is going on? Stop keeping me in the dark! I deserve to know the truth.”

He began to rock back and forth and I worried that he was having a nervous breakdown. After a few minutes of silence he looked up. “I’ll tell you. But the whole family should hear this too. I’ve only spoken to Patrick about this and it’s time everyone knows.”

“Okay,” I stood up and brushed the gravel from my pants.

“I can’t put this off any longer,” he whispered, his head still in his hands. “Why us?” he asked the ground. Finally he stood. Slowly, he met my eyes. “I apologize for my behavior. It was not my intention to frighten you. I was taken by surprise.”

“I’ll remember to never take a vampire by surprise ever again,” I said sarcastically.

He flinched like I had slapped him and guilt pooled in my stomach. “I am so very sorry. I hope you can find it in your heart to forgive me,” he whispered.

“You really scared me.” I hated to admit just how much he had frightened me.

He looked down at the ground and shuffled the gravel with his foot like a little boy. “I know and I’m sorry. It’s just… The thought of what could happen… I don’t want it to be true…”

“What to be true?”

“The prophecies,” he said again. “You’re bleeding,” he added.

I looked down at my nicked arms. They were starting to throb now and knew it would bruise. “It’s nothing,” I said so he wouldn’t feel bad.

“It’s not nothing,” he snapped. “I did that to you. How could I? How afraid you must be of me? You must think you married a monster? What am I saying? I am a monster!”

“You’re not a monster,” I whispered. “And you’re already forgiven. I love you too much to stay mad at you but just promise to warn me the next time you’re about to lose it?”

“I will do everything in my power to ensure that there never is a next time,” he said and his hand came up to cup my face. “I’m so sorry.”

“I know,” I leaned into his cold hand. We headed back to the car. He didn’t attempt to hold my hand and I didn’t take his either.

Once back to the car he dug around in the glove compartment and pulled out a first aid kit. “With you being human I wanted to always be prepared. I just didn’t think that I would be the cause of your injuries,” he opened the box, pulling out anti-bacterial ointment and some white gauze bandages.

Gently he cleaned my wounds and applied the ointment before wrapping both my arms in the bandages. He secured them with tape. He looked at my arms sadly.

“It’s okay,” I whispered.

“No, it’s not. No matter how long I live I’ll never forgive myself for my behavior earlier. And I hurt you! I can’t believe I lost it like that.”

“You’re only huma-” I started to say and caught myself.

“You were going to say human weren’t you? Well, I’m not. I’m a vampire. A monster.”

“Oh, please stop with this self-deprecating crap already! I’m sick of it. You’re just Jonathon. And I love you. Vampire, human, it doesn’t matter. I love you.” I smiled, “Even when you throw a stone bench.”

He grimaced. “Let’s go. It’s time you and everyone else learned of the prophecies.”

The car ride back home was extremely awkward. Jonathon and I had always been comfortable with silence but on the way home it was anything but comfortable. I stared out the window trying to get away from the tension I could feel radiating from his body.