Eternal: Chapter Nine, Part 9

“You no longer need me,” Drei said, gazing down at me. “I do love you, Abriel. Please do not think I will ever stop loving you. But right now, I need something for myself, something to do, some reason to continue on.”

“But I need you,” I persisted, a twinge of whining slipping into my voice.

He opened his mouth to protest again but I put a finger to his lips to stop him.

“It’s why I didn’t give you another job,” I said, hoping it wasn’t too late. If it was, I deserved everything that came of it. “Because I need you with me. This whole vampire thing is still new to me, Drei. I still need you to take care of me, to make sure I stay healthy because you and Caroline both know I have a nasty tendency to overestimate myself—Ian, too,” I admitted, though it was hard to do. Tears started filling my eyes, though I pushed them back. I didn’t want him to stay because he didn’t want to see me cry; I wanted him to stay because he felt needed here; because he could find what would make him happy here. “I can’t afford to overestimate myself now,” I whispered, swallowing, hoping my throat would clear and my voice would stop wavering. “Everything…everyone is relying on me. I would die if I let them down.”

“Do you—”

“Every word,” I promised, holding his gaze steadily, even if my voice was no longer so. I took his hands and put them on my hips. “I need you to take care of me, Drei—because I’m really, really bad at that.”

A slight smile crossed his lips as he nodded. “I agree with that.”

Wrapping my arms around his neck, his hands slipped from my hips so his arms were around my waist. “Will you stay?” I asked, having to look away before I really did start crying. This could go one of two ways: he could let go, apologizing and walk out the door anyway, or he could hold me tighter and say he’d stay. Though I knew there were two options, the longer I waited, the more it seemed like there only was one. My mind even started playing through how I would be if he left, suggesting I would start crying and no one could make me feel better and everything would fall apart.

“I love you…so much,” he said into my hair.

This was it, I found myself thinking. I dreaded hearing the apology because that would mean I was right, and I couldn’t argue with him because I would have received my just desserts. After three fourths of a year, more than that even, I still hadn’t talked to him as I had said I would.

“I shall stay with you.”

Despite his answer, I buried my face in his chest and cried as he held me closer with one arm, the other smoothing my hair.

“Why are you crying?” he asked, pulling slightly away, smiling kindly down at me.

Wiping tears out of my eyes with one hand, I answered, “Because I was so scared you would leave, and it would be my fault.”

Kissing my forehead, he assured me, “While it would have been partially your fault if I had left, it would have been the hardest thing I had done in years.”

“Then why were you going to leave?”

“Because hard things are still things that should be done.” Wiping a tear from my cheek, he tapped my nose. “But you have convinced me this is one thing I should not do.”

Smiling at him, my eyes probably watery, I asked if he needed help unpacking. He declined, saying I should sleep instead.

“Can’t I work a little longer?” I pleaded with him, having hoped to catch up with at least the old topics. Yes, the forums were a great source of feedback, but I also really enjoyed reading the varying responses.

“If I am to stay, you should listen to me,” he said, leaning closer to me.

“But there’s no fun in that,” I teased, bending backwards, smiling as he bent over to follow me.

“I never said there would be;” he caught my lips with his, both of us bent practically in half and slowly righting ourselves as we kissed. Drei pulled me closer to him, suddenly stopping. “You really should sleep now.”

“You’re evil,” I breathed, my lips barely brushing against his as I spoke. “If there’s more of this, I could listen better.”

“That is not you speaking,” he said, pulling a little further away. “That is your vampire’s lust.”

“My vampire is me, though.”

“When you can control her,” he countered, giving me a small kiss before sweeping me into his arms and heading toward the bedroom. He stopped any protestations I might have given by saying, in a very final tone, “You are to sleep now.”

When he set me down on the bed, exhaustion washed over me. I hadn’t realized I was tired, but then I was a specialist at denying it.

“Always pushing your limits,” Drei mused, crouching by the bed and smoothing the hair out of my face.

 I smiled sheepishly at him, my eyes closing. “That’s why I need you; so you can push back.”

“If you listen to me,” he mocked, pressing his forehead to mine.

“You’re not going to run off while I sleep, are you?” I asked before yawning and closing my eyes.

“No,” he promised, holding my hand now. “I have a purpose now.”