Page 11 of Pity the Living, Not the Dead

“Liam!” Elijah yelled as he reached my side. “Are you okay?”

“I am now,” I breathlessly panted, “that I’m back on solid ground. How fast were you going?”

“Sorry. I didn’t know you suffered from motion sickness,” Elijah apologized.

“Neither did I.” I managed to stand and brush my knees off. “Goodnight, Elijah,” I said, walking away and refusing to look back. It would be far too difficult for me to see the hurt I anticipated in Elijah’s sad eyes. I would cave and forgive him without resolving anything.

I collapsed atop my bed, fully clothed, and allowed the sadness to consume me as I burst into tears for a love lost that I wasn’t certain I ever had. My tears darkened the blue comforter that had seen better days. Lying there, I played with the frayed edges, mentally cursing myself for being such a fool. Sometime later, my phone chimed with a message alert.

Elijah:Please rest, Liam. I’ll be here when you’re ready to talk.

I tossed the phone onto my nightstand and cried myself to sleep. How foolish had I been to think I could find my one true love. Something that didn’t exist. Romance novels lead you to believe there’s someone for everyone, and happiness is just around the corner—bullshit words used to sell movies and books.Fuck them all, they’re full of shit!

I woke the next morning feeling worse than I had when I’d cried myself to sleep the night before. The stomach cramps were unbearable and I could hardly walk. Getting to the restroom was a challenge, let alone trying to hold myself upright long enough to pee. Doubled over, I crawled back to bed. A slight fever had me thinking it could be appendicitis. Olivia was the first person I called, but I asked her not to say anything to our parents when she got here. I drifted off while waiting for her but woke when she knocked on my bedroom door.

“Li?” Olivia asked, peeking inside.

“Ugh,” I groaned as I rolled over. Every pain-filled movement was excruciating.

She sat on the bed beside me, placing the back of her hand against my forehead. “You’re a little warm, but nothing too alarming.” Olivia slid the thermometer under my tongue. “Show me where it hurts.” I pointed to the area. “Well, the good news is it’s likely not appendicitis since you’re pointing to your left side. Might be a stomach bug or something you ate that didn’t agree with you.” She removed the thermometer. “One hundred-point-one, not too high. Let me get you a drink and some Tylenol.”

Olivia stayed with me throughout the day, making soup and grilled cheese for lunch while keeping a watchful eye on my fever. I slept much of the time, figuring it was most likely the flu, and rest and liquids were the best way to combat it. Liv left around dinner time, promising she’d let Mom and Dad know I wasn’t feeling well and needed to sleep before she left for her shift at the hospital that night. Liv was the best, always there when I needed her.

Throughout the night, my fever-fueled dreams were filled with Elijah’s sad face. His words replayed on an endless loop in between bouts of restless sleep. My mind contemplated what to do as my body sweated this bug out. In the end, I decided to follow my heart if I survived whatever this was since this was the first time it had been involved.

The first thing I did when I woke was reach for my phone, only this time it was not to reply to business emails or texts — it was in the hopes there was a message waiting from Liam. The idea of no longer having him in my life was unbearable. I couldn’t comprehend how someone so new, and human no less, was as deeply embedded inside me as he already was. I forced myself from bed and into the shower, allowing more time to pass, but it still wasn’t enough. I finally gave up the fight and texted him.

Me:Liam, are you okay?

When an immediate reply didn’t come, I knew something wasn’t right. I dressed with the utmost haste, hopped into my SUV, and darted into town. I had fed last night after leaving Liam but that wouldn’t sustain me for long. Watching him walk away had been one of the hardest things I had ever done. Tonight, I wanted to feed first before driving out to his property in case he needed me. If I showed up at his house, would it be possible for me to pass myself off to his family as a friend from college in town for the weekend? Having been turned when I was barely eighteen worked in my favor, since I looked much the same. The only time that because annoying was being carded at bars. Thankfully, those visits were few and far between. But they did serve their purpose when seeking out a dinner partner for the evening.

Luck was on my side as I made my way down the block that housed most of the bars in town. A young, inebriated blonde stumbled into me as she exited a tavern. The blaring music playing inside drifted out onto the sidewalk as the door opened. “Oh, excuse me,” she purred, running her hand over my shirt front and down along my torso. “How are you—”hiccup“—doing, handsome?”

Smiling, I replied, “I’m doing very well now that you’re in my arms.” I knew how to play the game, how to gain a willing playmate. Little did she know, I had no plans to bed her, merely dine from her life-giving elixir. Her one hand became two as she pushed me into the nearby alleyway. Just as her lips were about to touch mine, I turned my head, sinking my fangs into that musical artery in her neck. Her gasp shifted as she elicited an erotic moan. With her back against the wall, I slid my leg between her thighs, allowing her to ride it as she reached orgasm. Simply because I desired nothing more from her than her blood didn’t mean she needed to be denied a release, and I knew the endorphins a vampire’s bite contained would have her writhing with need. As soon as she finished, I licked her wound, sealing it, then tucked her inside a cab and sent her on her way, having first read the address on the driver’s license I found in her wallet to the driver. I hoped it contained the correct information.

When I reached Liam’s house, easy to find since it was the only one on the property, there were no lights on inside. I drew my phone out, promptly calling him.

“Hello,” he groggily answered.

“Liam, love, are you alright?” I asked in a panic.

“No, I’m not feeling well.”

“Can I see you?” I hoped his answer would be yes. I knew he would just as likely tell me to fuck off as to let me in, but either way I had to try.

“I don’t want to get you sick, Elijah.”

“I can’t get sick, Liam. Please, I need to make sure you’re all right. I’m here, at your property.”

He gasped. “You’re here?” He paused, leading me to believe he might ask me to leave. “Meet me at the front door,” Liam said, disconnecting the call.

I was there long before he was. The sight of him when he opened the door had my need to care for him taking charge.

“Liam,” I gasped right as he passed out. I caught him before he hit the floor. His scent led me to his room at the top of the stairs, where I gently placed him atop the tousled bed linens. Never having cared for another, I went off instinct and placed a cool washcloth on his forehead. I knew I could give him my blood, since it had healing powers and wouldn’t turn him without me first feeding from him. For that, we would need to have each other’s blood in our systems. Looking at him now, I knew I had no choice but to do so. Biting into my wrist, I held it above his lips and watched the crimson droplets slide along the seam, disappearing between them. When I felt he had enough, I licked my wound clean and placed my mouth to his. “Sleep tight, dear Liam,” I whispered before I left. Walking away from him in his time of need was even harder than allowing him to walk away the night before had been.

Right before sunrise, I sent a text asking him to check in with me when he woke. He did not owe me anything, but I hoped he would, just the same.

When I rose, I snatched my phone off the bedside table, elated to see a reply from Liam.

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