Part 22 (2/2)

The sun was higher in the sky now and I felt the urge to feel its warm rays on my skin. I pressed my window b.u.t.ton and it rolled down silently. The wind whipped my hair everywhere. Last night felt like a distant dream, but the negative vibes from it still lingered in the air.

”You haven't expressed your anger with me,” I said to Eli. ”About the whole telling Hunter our plans thing.” I kept my eyes fixated on the dry bushland that rushed pa.s.sed us. It would be harder for me to get through this conversation if I looked at him. ”You can blame me, you know,” I added.

”Blaming you is pointless. It won't change anything. So our plan was compromised, big deal. We'll find a new way to handle the situation.” His voice was strange, like he was annoyed and holding back what he really wanted to say.

”That's not what I want to hear,”

”What do you want to hear, then, Ruby?”

I glanced at him. His expression seemed indifferent but his voice gave him away. He was frustrated.

”You don't have to tip-toe around my feelings. I'm not going to get mad and absorb too much sun and explode. I'm half Heelian, so I probably couldn't even if I wanted to. Besides, I can control it. So tell me, yell at me, chastise me ... do something, because this whole cool and calm demeanor you're putting on is worse than anything you could possibly say to me.”

He scratched the shadow of stubble on his face and exhaled.

”I'm just -” He paused and exhaled again. ”I'm disappointed that you took something I told you in confidence and told another guy, who happens to be a vampire, and sides with our enemies. I knew you cared for Hunter, I did. I just didn't know you cared about him more than me, more than our lives.”

”Eli.” I placed my hand on his shoulder and squeezed slightly. ”I care about you more than I've cared about anyone in my entire life. It has always been you, it will always be you.”

”Sometimes it takes a little more than words to prove it.”

I crossed my arms across my chest. ”I gave you more than words yesterday.”

A slight smile hinted at his lips. Then he ran his index finger over his bottom lip.

He didn't comment any further on the subject and neither did I. I understood his feelings about me betraying his trust and telling Hunter. What I didn't understand was the whole 'more than words' thing. I was willing to give him all of me ... Wasn't that enough?

”When all of this is over and before we go any further, I want to make sure we're both on the same page.”

”And what does that mean?” I spat with att.i.tude.

”It means we should make sure our wants, needs, feelings, etcetera, are on the same level.”

I turned my stare back onto the dull trees. Was I the only one that thought our feelings were on the same page? I recalled telling Eli I loved him yesterday. He didn't say it back and I didn't expect him to, but now I was starting to think that was because he didn't love me.

A bright red, orange, and green service station became visible about fifty meters down the road. I exited the car after we parked and pulled my address book out of my bag. I scrolled through the pages, trying to locate Mila's name sprawled somewhere amongst the bad handwriting. It was only Mr Aleksandrov's home number, but if someone answered, then maybe they could forward us to his cell phone.

There, written in blue, was Mila's name. I tore the page from my book and handed it to Eli.

”Here.” d.a.m.n. I thought I'd be able to keep the att.i.tude from my voice. He took the paper from my hand.

”You're mad? You were the one who wanted to know what I was holding back.”

”I know, but I thought that it would be about being impulsive and stupid. I didn't think it was because you don't have the same feelings for me as I do for you.”

”What? How did you get that out of what I said?”

I looked down at my feet. ”You didn't say I love you back yesterday, which, by the way, I'm totally fine with. But then you said you wanted to make sure we're on the same page ... I a.s.sumed you meant -”

My words were cut off as Eli grasped the sides of my face, pus.h.i.+ng his warm, full lips onto mine.

”I love you, too,” he whispered as our lips parted.

I stood there in shock for a moment, his statement catching me off guard. A smile that felt too wide for my face spread across it. ”You're going to need more than words to prove it,” I said frankly, trying to play it cool.

His strong arms wrapped themselves around me, holding me as close as possible while he bent his face toward mine, kissing me gently.

”This,” he began, planting a small kiss on the tip of my nose. ”Doesn't change what I said about Hunter. You need to decide where your loyalties lie.”

”I know. I just feel responsible for what happened to him.”

”You didn't force him to fall in love with you nor did you make him come after you the night we were leaving. These were all his decisions. It was also his decision to tell Lucian about our plans. He chose to betray your trust. Not to mention that he almost bit you, he isn't the same anymore.”

Unable to find a response, I nodded.

”Think things through. When this is all over, we'll talk. I'm going to make the call.”

I sat in the car, twirling a dark lock of hair around my fingers. If I made it out of this alive, the first thing I was going to do was get my hair trimmed. I've got so many split ends. I jumped slightly as the driver door opened and Eli climbed in.

”Here, I got you some breakfast.”

He handed me a bacon and egg roll and an orange juice. I was too nauseous to eat but I took it anyway. I didn't want to come off as rude.

”Did you get a hold of Mr Aleksandrov?”

He nodded as he took a bite of his breakfast roll. He swallowed. ”They're still coming.”

My stomach dropped into my shoes. ”What? No, they can't. Are they insane?”

”They're confident they can take all of the vampires.”

'But Lucian is coming with twenty vampires and we don't know how many vampires the leader of the Gerald Harbor sector has ...”

”Mr Aleksandrov is coming, Ruby. I tried to change his mind, but he won't budge. The plan is going forward. There's nothing we can do.”

I slumped further into my chair. If anything bad happened to Mr Aleksandrov, then I'd lose Mila. She'd blame me for it.

”Do you know what you have to do?” Eli asked, interrupting my stream of consciousness.

”Yes.”

”Tell me. I need to know that you understand exactly what to do.”

Eli was worried about me. If I messed up, what I was supposed to do then? There was no doubt the Gerald Harbor vampires would kill me. ”I'll enter the warehouse and use my powers to kill as many of the vampires as I can. Sounds simple.”

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