"Changed" Chapter 8

Chapter 8:
“Let's Sleep till the Sun Burns Out.”
(The Used)

I figured that I should take Nicholas' advice and use this free time to think. Everything happened so fast today; I never had the time to let it all sink in. I started by listing all the major events first. Everything that happened began to run through my head. I decided to simplify the list as much as possible. This list was narrowed down to two things: I found out I was a vampire, and I met Nicholas.

I started with the latter, I was now a vampire. At first this knowledge had scared me. As I thought about it more, I realized I was almost… relieved. The thoughts that I had had about the men working at the Chinese restaurant had scared and repulsed me. Finding out that there was an explanation for all of this made me feel more...normal. I laughed out loud at the idea of me being a vampire as normal.

I saw Nicholas' eyes shoot open and quickly shut again. I realized I would have to be quieter with my thoughts if I wanted only “me” in my head. The next thing I thought about was my attacker. My maker. I wondered if I would ever see this man again. Ever get the chance to look at him with my new, ‘vampiric’ vision. What I wanted most was to talk to him, to try and understand why he did this, and why to me.

My mind fell to my family then. I hated what I was doing to them. When I was younger, I would always morbidly wonder how people would react to my death. Now, thanks to my new vampire ability to have visions, I know. Even though I had had many more pressing things to think about today, my mind was never far from that first vision. The way my mom's body shook with the grief of losing her only child, the hardened face of my father. It looked like he had aged ten years since the last time I had seen him which in actuality was less than a month ago. All of this was because of me. Because I hadn't been paying attention to where I was walking. I was too wrapped up in my thoughts about Ryan.

Ryan. My boyfriend. I can’t believe that the same night he admits his true feelings for me; I have to disappear from his life forever. This was just my luck. I knew him. He was going to blame himself for what had happened to me and I hated that. I never wanted to cause him pain in any way. Then I remembered what I had done today. What I had done three times. I cheated on Ryan. I always swore to myself I would never do anything like that. As shocked as I felt at my realization, for some reason I couldn't make myself feel that bad.

I looked over at Nicholas' perfectly still and beautiful body lying on the couch and remembered why. I let myself, for the first time to really and fully feel how much I liked Nicholas. How can I feel this strongly after such a short period of time. That must have been about the twentieth time I had asked myself that question today. It had taken me months to feel strongly about Ryan at all. Even after all that time, my feelings for Ryan were nothing compared to what I felt for Nicholas. He had done so much for me in less than twenty-four hours. He had taken my hand and guided me through this new existence. Bought me clothes when he realized I had nothing, helped me give my family closure by faking my death, fed me as soon as he saw how thirsty I was, saved me from hurting other people and myself in the process, and even gave me a place to stay because I had none. Above all else, he cared for me. I knew that.

I continued to stare at this perfect creature. Then, without really thinking through what I was going to do, I rose from the bed and slowly walked toward him. Up close he looked even more incredible, if that was possible. I knelt onto the floor near his head and gently placed my hand on his shoulder.

His eyes shot open, the immediate look of concern was evident. He quickly hit the pause button on his I-pod and pulled the earphones out. “What’s wrong Charlie? Do you need anything?” He asked me as he sat up on the couch.

“Not really. I was just wondering...why did you decide to sleep on the couch instead of the bed?”

He looked confused but answered, “You’re my guest. It has been a while since I was human, but I clearly remember at least some of the customs. You are always supposed to offer your guest the best accommodations you have. So, I gave you the bed,” he answered, still slightly confused.

I spoke quickly so he couldn't read it in my mind first. “Yes, but why didn't you want to sleep with me in the bed?”

“I never said I didn't want to.”

I just sat there quietly, waiting for him to continue. He took a deep breath, “Charlie, you are still questioning my feelings for you. I know that human women tend to be insecure about relationships. You have only been a vampire for a day, so it’s natural for you to still have those inclinations. However, my feelings for you haven't changed, I am almost certain they never will. I like you a lot, please don't doubt that. Now as for the sleeping arrangements, I was merely trying to be polite. A gentleman would never dream of inviting himself into a lady's bed,” he finished with a mock scandalized look.

“I'm inviting you,” I said daringly, holding my hand out for him to join me. He began to stand up, but paused before he took a step towards the bed.

“May I ask, why the sudden change of heart?”

I averted my eyes from him; just because I could admit my need for him to myself, didn't mean I necessarily wanted to say it out loud. He put his hand under my chin, forcing my eyes up to his.

“Please, tell me Charlotte,” he asked in that perfectly smooth voice of his. Damn. How did he know how to break me already?

“I took your advice and thought about everything that had happened today. I realized every good part of this day was because of you. Being with you makes me...happy. I want to spend my first night as a vampire, sleeping with you.” As soon as I was done, I broke eye contact. It was a lot for me to say all of that out loud. If I had to stare into his deep, grey eyes so full of caring any longer I might have combusted from an emotional overload.

He smiled down at me, “That's all I needed to hear.” Then he walked over to bed and stood beside it with his hand held out, waiting for me to get in first. I walked over and he unexpectedly scooped me up into his arms, gently placing me in the middle of the bed. Then he climbed in after me, laying his head only inches from mine and draping his arm around my waist.

“Was that necessary?' I asked. But how could I be annoyed? A guy just literally swept me off my feet.

He shook with quiet laughter, “Would you rather I didn't do that anymore?”

“No, I guess not. It was just unexpected. That’s all.”

“So, do you want to go to sleep?”

“No. I think I would rather hear more about you.”

“My life is rather boring. It would be much more interesting to hear about you.”

“I disagree.”

“I don't.”

“This is getting us nowhere.”

“Then give in.”

“Nice try. I have a better idea; lets each ask the other twenty questions. That way we are both satisfied.”

“I always thought asking someone twenty questions was supposed to be a bad thing.”

I suddenly realized that even though he knew more about this life than I did, there might be something I could teach him too. He was a vampire, living alone in Manhattan. There was definitely some pop culture I could enlighten him about.

“Most of the time when people say twenty questions it is a bad thing, but only because the person doesn’t want to answer that many questions. If two people are willing participants, then it’s not a big deal.”

He just looked at me amazedly, “I think that is the first time I've learned something new in decades. You were right about being able to teach me as well. So, ladies first?”

“Ok...do you have a middle name?”

“No. It wasn't a popular custom when I was alive.”

“Do you have a favorite type of music?”

“Everything I listen to I like almost equally, but if I had to choose I would probably say modern alternative rock.”

“Why did you move to New York City?”

“Elizabeth and I moved here about two hundred years ago. We wanted a change and we were hearing positive reactions from people that had come here. We chose the city because we were sure we could stay anonymous here.”

“Okay, if you weren't in love with Abigail, why were you going to marry her?”

“Back then, people didn't usually marry for love. They married for social status, and to please their parents. If they later fell in love, it was a rare blessing. Not many people looked for love back then.”

“Are you looking for love now?”

“I wasn't”

I waited for a minute, hoping he would finish his answer. When he didn't I whined, “Aw, come on Nicholas. Don't make me waste another question on this topic. Please just answer it completely.”

He looked away from me for a minute, staring up at the ceiling, “I'm afraid to say too much Charlie. Part of me doesn't want to say anything that might scare you away. The other part doesn't want to say something tonight that I might not be as sure of in the morning. I don't want to hurt you, so I will answer your question as best I can without doing that. No, I wasn't looking for love. I have been hurt in the past, and I didn't want to go through that again. It was a very dark time in my life. I was perfectly happy with my life two days ago. I didn't think I needed love anymore.” He stopped there, the look in his eyes told me he already thought he said too much. I on the other hand, only yearned for more. Realizing that I wasn't going to get much more information without upsetting him, I went on.

“Who hurt you?”

“I thought that that would have been obvious. Elizabeth and I were together for a very long time.”

“What happened between you two?”

“Are you sure you want to know? I know women tend to get jealous over the most ridiculous things.” I just rolled my eyes at him. “Fine. Like I told you before, we were together for a long time. We were very much in love. Toward the end, she began to get restless with me. I assumed I wasn't enough for her, but I had always believed I didn't deserve her, so I let her do what she wanted. Then she disappeared for a week, without contacting me at all. I found out that she had left the country with another man, well vampire, and no one knew when she would be back. I left the night I found that out. I knew things between us were over and that I couldn't drag this out any longer. Since then she has tried to rekindle the flame we once had, but I won't let her. I don't return her feelings anymore. We have stayed close despite our sordid past. That’s about it.”

I couldn't speak for a minute, a million thoughts running through my mind. I felt anger towards Elizabeth for what she had done to him. How could anyone in their right mind leave him? He shook his head at my thoughts but chose not to comment. I moved on.

“Have you ever been with anyone besides Elizabeth?”

“In what way?”

“There is more than one way?”

“Charlie. You were a young woman in the twenty-first century. Don't play games, did you mean have I ever been in another relationship? Or have I ever been intimate with anyone else?”

If my heart still beat, it would have stopped at his words, “Vampires can do that?”

He just laughed, “Of course, silly Charlie. Why wouldn't we be able to be intimate with other vampires?”

“I just didn't think...well, we are dead, so...the mechanics...I didn't...”

He just laughed, “Maybe I’ll explain it to you some other time,” my eyes fluttered down to his chest at the mention of his promise. “You only have ten questions left. You had better make them good ones.”

“Both.”

“Excuse me?”

“I asked if you had been with anyone besides Elizabeth and you asked me 'in which way'. Well, both ways.” I explained.

“Oh.” was all he said. He took a deep breath and finally answered, “Elizabeth was the only relationship I have ever had and she is the only woman I have ever been with, in any sense of the word. “

That shocked me a little, I'm sure girls threw themselves at him left and right. Not wanting to waste a question, I moved on, “Do you know any other vampires in the city?”

“Elizabeth and I have had a few very close friends for many years. They are mutual friends of ours. I will take you to meet them one day if you wish.”

“Are there a lot of vampires here?”

“There aren't a lot of vampires in the world, but there are enough. This city, however, is like a magnet for them. I assume they flock here for the same reasons Elizabeth and I originally came.”

“What is your favorite place you have ever visited?”

“That would have to be Thailand. Their culture fascinates me, and their country is beautiful.”

“How is a human changed into a vampire?” That was a question I had been wondering for a long time now. I was surprised at how much restraint I had had to not burst out with that question first.

“It all has to do with hunger, and venom. When a vampire is hungry, they can easily feed off of humans without their venom spreading into them. A human can only be changed when a vampire bites them but isn't hungry. When it isn't for the purpose of feeding, our bodies know it is for another reason, and the venom is released. A vampire knows when they are hungry and when they are biting for no reason, other than to change.” The look in his eyes was one of disgust. I could only imagine he was thinking about my attacker. Up until now, I thought that it might have been an accident, my being changed. Now I knew, my maker had done this to me on purpose.

I didn't know if I could process any more information, but I pressed on, anxious to finish my half of the game.

“Can vampires be killed?”

“Yes. Like I told you earlier, no human could ever be strong enough to pierce our skin, or 'beat us up'. If we were to be shot, the bullet would pierce our skin, but it wouldn't hurt much. Our biggest concern would be to remove the bullet before our skin could heal over it. More or less, the only way we can be killed is if another vampire was intent on killing us... and if we lost the fight,” he finished, giving me a wide grin.

I sat there, filing away all the new information I had learned today. Then Nicholas broke my reverie...

“So is it my turn?”

“Yeah, go ahead.”

“Tell me what your full name is.”

“Charlotte Kaye O'Donnell.”

“K like the letter?”

I rolled my eyes, “Like I haven't heard that one before. No it’s K-A-Y-E. My mom's first name is Katherine and she wanted to name me after her in some way.”

“Oh, that makes sense. What was your favorite food as a human?”

“Lo Mien, from Chinese restaurants. It’s kind of traumatic to be disgusted by it now.”

He laughed, “Did you have a boyfriend?”

“Yeah I did. I do.”

“How do you still have a boyfriend?”

“Well we have been dating for six months. We never really broke up and I...”

“You what?”

“I'm really confused. I still care about him, Ryan. I hate that I can’t ever see him again or explain what has happened. I'm just leaving him. I especially feel bad about it when I think about you and how we have kissed, and how I don't think about him as much as I should.”

“You want to think about him?”

“I don't know,” I answered him honestly.

“Do you regret kissing me?”

“No. I’ve never felt so much while kissing someone before you.”

“What is it exactly that you feel when we kiss?”

“It’s hard to explain. It’s incredible; I don't think I could ever describe it as anything other than that.”

He accepted that answer and moved on, “How many people have you been with?”

“In what way?”

“Both”

“I have had two serious boyfriends, and I have only been with both of them. So, two for both.”

“How long did you date your ex-boyfriend?”

“A little over a year.”

“Why did you two break up?”

“He cheated on me. I didn't know it at the time. He told me he was going away for the weekend and when he came back, he told me he had hooked up with someone and realized he could find someone better than me,” the memory still stung a little bit, even after all this time.

I felt his arm tighten around me as he whispered in my ear, “I couldn't imagine anyone better than you.”

I just looked up into his eyes for a few minutes, thinking only of him. Then he cleared his throat and trudged on with the game.

“What did you do in your free time as a human?”

“The usual, reading, going to the movies, coffee shops with friends, partying on the weekends. Nothing too spectacular.”

“Where are you from originally?”

“North East Meadow, Long Island.”

“Why did you decide to come to New York City to go to school?”

“As a kid living on Long Island, I grew up idolizing the city, most people do. The second I could, I left and moved here. You know the deal, small town girl in the big city,” I laughed at my explanation.

“Have you ever been to any other countries?”

“No”

“If you could go anywhere in the world, where would it be?”

The first answer that came to my mind was, anywhere with you. Instead I said, “Probably Ireland. My grandparents on my dad's side were born there. I have always wanted to go back and try to trace my roots.”

“Maybe we can go sometime. What is your dad like?”

“He is really old for his age. He is the oldest of seven brothers and sisters, so he had to grow up too soon. He has always been really fair to me and he treats everyone around him with respect. He is the one guy in the world I know I can trust.”

It looked like he wanted to comment on what I had said, but thought better on it and continued. “And your mom?”

“She worries too much. She is going prematurely gray because of it. She reads the newspaper everyday, about all the bad things happening all over the world. It makes her neurotic. She is also one of the most loving, affectionate, and loyal people I have ever met.”

“Do you have any siblings?”

“No. My parents had to try for years just to have me. After I was born, they thought about trying again. Instead they avoided all the heartache that goes along with something like that and enjoyed the child they did have.”

“Now that I know you I like you better. I didn’t think it would have been possible. You are a very deep and caring person; I can tell just by the way you described your parents. I don’t think I have ever been so lucky to meet one individual person in my life.”

His sudden proclamation caught me off guard. I stared into his eyes, seeing the truth of his words burn there. Then he moved his head closer on the pillow next to me and said “Now I know I have already gotten my good night kiss, but would you mid if I had two tonight? I promise I won’t make a habit of it,” he smiled at his teasing.

I squared my shoulders and stared him hard in the eye, “I don't want you to ever ask to kiss me again. You have my permission to kiss me as much as you want, whenever you want.” He didn't need any more assurance than that.

He moved his face the extra inch it took to reach mine and I felt his lips again. This kiss started out slow and sweet. His arm moving under the covers to get a better grip on my waist. I was thinking about how much I liked him and how I could kiss him all day and never do anything but that. He must have heard my thoughts because he answered them by pulling me closer to him. The kiss became more urgent and passionate. I was silently grateful for the fact that I didn't need to breathe anymore. I would rather suffocate than stop kissing him now. After another few minutes, the passion in the kiss subsided and it became sweet and almost sad. I had a feeling he felt the way I did about never wanting to stop. The kiss ended and he looked deep into my eyes, his burning with the emotion the kiss had left him with.

“You’re right, if I could kiss you all day I would. Now I think we should go to sleep, as much as I would love to continue this,” he said a note of wistfulness in his voice. The phrase ‘all good things must come to an end’ flashed through my mind.

He laughed and said, “I think that is the perfect way to describe not lying here and kissing you forever.” Then kissed me once more on the lips. He slid his arm under my head so I could rest on his shoulder. It was amazing how well I fit in the particular spot. I heard him sigh deep in contentment as I closed my eyes and drifted off into a dreamless sleep.