eavesdrop again to see if they would mention the incident at the bridge. Eve had nearly died after all, but nothing was said. How was that not a bigger deal?
Lucien leaned back against the tree and thought back to the sensation he had experienced when he’d touched Eve, how warm he had become. There was something familiar about it, and the more Lucien thought about it, the more he convinced himself that he did know Eve, but he couldn’t pinpoint from where.
Eve’s front door opened. Charlie stood next to her in the doorway, his hand resting on her arm.
“Despite the bad day,” Charlie said, “progress was made. You’re happy about that, right?”
Eve stared into the night, looking anything but happy. “He still has some serious walls. I saw it in his eyes.”
Who is she talking about?
Maybe something else had happened after Lucien left her at the bridge. Whatever it was, she seemed even more upset.
Before Charlie left, he wrapped his arms around Eve and gave her a long hug that made Lucien squirm.
“Don’t blame yourself,” Charlie said when he released her.
Eve nodded but still looked pained.
Shortly after Charlie drove away, Eve escaped outside and climbed to the roof from her back porch railing. She didn’t lie down like last time. Instead, she cradled her knees to her chest and her whole body shook as she quietly cried.
Lucien hated seeing her so upset, and it hurt him more than he could express or understand. He wanted to reach out to her, to comfort her, but he couldn’t get his body to move from the tree. Somehow he felt he had caused the pain, but that was impossible.
When Eve had exhausted herself, she lifted her head to the moonless sky and inhaled a shaky breath. She wiped the last of the tears from her cheeks and rolled her shoulders back as if she’d found an inner source of strength. Her eyes closed briefly, but when they opened, her gaze focused in Lucien’s direction, eying the tree that concealed him. Lucien sucked up closer to the tree’s trunk, but a moment later, she turned away and climbed off the roof.
Finally he could move. And he moved fast. Emotions he never thought he’d feel again cracked something deep inside him, and what oozed from the crevices was frightening. What was he thinking, allowing himself to grow close to a woman he barely knew?
Lucien drove back to the hotel angry and bitter, and he didn’t leave his suite the whole next day. He wanted to prove to himself that he could stay away from Eve, but that one empty day lasted longer than the last ten thousand. The walls of the hotel room seemed to have grown smaller, and he paced the floor feeling more animal than vampire.
By 5:00 a.m. the following morning, he drove straight to Eve’s house. He didn’t even bother parking blocks away. Instead, he parked directly in front of her house, surprising even himself. It was time to face her, to once and for all strip the air of mystery surrounding her. Then maybe his life could return to normal.
When the car came to a stop, Lucien knew she wasn’t there. There were no sounds coming from within the home, and there was something on her porch. He got out of the car and stepped closer to get a better look.
A blue piece of paper was taped to her door. He squinted, then stumbled when he read the first word:
Lucien
.
His hands dropped to the hood of his car.
How did she know my name? Impossible!
Whatever emotions he had been feeling were replaced by anger. He walked to the porch and ripped off the note.
Lucien,
I will be gone for five days. I’m sure you have lots of questions. Please meet me for dinner when I return at 8:00 pm.
Sincerely, Eve
Lucien dropped into the porch chair, unable to move until well after the sun sank below the horizon. His mind was full of all kind of thoughts, but none of them made sense.
Had she known I was following her all of this time? She must’ve.
Games were being played, and he was the pawn.
He stood up and paced back and forth,
Lucien leaned back against the tree and thought back to the sensation he had experienced when he’d touched Eve, how warm he had become. There was something familiar about it, and the more Lucien thought about it, the more he convinced himself that he did know Eve, but he couldn’t pinpoint from where.
Eve’s front door opened. Charlie stood next to her in the doorway, his hand resting on her arm.
“Despite the bad day,” Charlie said, “progress was made. You’re happy about that, right?”
Eve stared into the night, looking anything but happy. “He still has some serious walls. I saw it in his eyes.”
Who is she talking about?
Maybe something else had happened after Lucien left her at the bridge. Whatever it was, she seemed even more upset.
Before Charlie left, he wrapped his arms around Eve and gave her a long hug that made Lucien squirm.
“Don’t blame yourself,” Charlie said when he released her.
Eve nodded but still looked pained.
Shortly after Charlie drove away, Eve escaped outside and climbed to the roof from her back porch railing. She didn’t lie down like last time. Instead, she cradled her knees to her chest and her whole body shook as she quietly cried.
Lucien hated seeing her so upset, and it hurt him more than he could express or understand. He wanted to reach out to her, to comfort her, but he couldn’t get his body to move from the tree. Somehow he felt he had caused the pain, but that was impossible.
When Eve had exhausted herself, she lifted her head to the moonless sky and inhaled a shaky breath. She wiped the last of the tears from her cheeks and rolled her shoulders back as if she’d found an inner source of strength. Her eyes closed briefly, but when they opened, her gaze focused in Lucien’s direction, eying the tree that concealed him. Lucien sucked up closer to the tree’s trunk, but a moment later, she turned away and climbed off the roof.
Finally he could move. And he moved fast. Emotions he never thought he’d feel again cracked something deep inside him, and what oozed from the crevices was frightening. What was he thinking, allowing himself to grow close to a woman he barely knew?
Lucien drove back to the hotel angry and bitter, and he didn’t leave his suite the whole next day. He wanted to prove to himself that he could stay away from Eve, but that one empty day lasted longer than the last ten thousand. The walls of the hotel room seemed to have grown smaller, and he paced the floor feeling more animal than vampire.
By 5:00 a.m. the following morning, he drove straight to Eve’s house. He didn’t even bother parking blocks away. Instead, he parked directly in front of her house, surprising even himself. It was time to face her, to once and for all strip the air of mystery surrounding her. Then maybe his life could return to normal.
When the car came to a stop, Lucien knew she wasn’t there. There were no sounds coming from within the home, and there was something on her porch. He got out of the car and stepped closer to get a better look.
A blue piece of paper was taped to her door. He squinted, then stumbled when he read the first word:
Lucien
.
His hands dropped to the hood of his car.
How did she know my name? Impossible!
Whatever emotions he had been feeling were replaced by anger. He walked to the porch and ripped off the note.
Lucien,
I will be gone for five days. I’m sure you have lots of questions. Please meet me for dinner when I return at 8:00 pm.
Sincerely, Eve
Lucien dropped into the porch chair, unable to move until well after the sun sank below the horizon. His mind was full of all kind of thoughts, but none of them made sense.
Had she known I was following her all of this time? She must’ve.
Games were being played, and he was the pawn.
He stood up and paced back and forth,
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