Page 67 of The Sins That Bleed
He throws her a wink but only gets a quiet thanks in response. The sadness wrapped around that one word is enough to bring me to my knees. I don’t want her to feel this way and I’ll do everything in my power to stop it.
“Come on, let’s grab a seat,” I say to her quietly, gesturing for her to move further into the room and toward the couches by the tall windows.
I follow behind her, careful not to touch her in case she spooks. When we reach the umber coloured couch, we sit facing the TV on the opposite wall. The large L-shaped couch runs from the back wall and against the windows, and is big enough to seat at least ten people.
I sit on Valeska’s left and turn so that my body is blocking her from Nico and Sunny’s view, but I don’t say anything to her since Sunny would probably be able to hear, and at this rate Nico will have a vision of it. So I place my hand between us with my palm up and wait.
The seconds tick by and I can feel my heart squeezing tighter with each one. I’m about to give up and move my hand away, since she already told me not to touch her and I don’t want to make her uncomfortable, when her cold hands slips into mine. I envelop it in my large palm.
My entire body relaxes at the simple touch, I want to pull her to me and hold her. Shed our clothes and worship her until she says my name like a prayer, so she never feels the need to touch another man, whether it is transactional or not, because she ismine.
Mon cauchemar, ma reine, and I will bow at her feet, give her anything she desires. She rules me, heart, mind, and soul. There is nothing that can come between us now. I’ve never been more sure of anything in my life.
The burning need to tell her how I feel lies in wait under the surface, hanging on the tip of my tongue but now isn’t the time. If I confessed to her how I feel, share how much I enjoy being haunted and stalked by her, I don’t think I’d ever see her again.
I don’t know how I know that, but I do.
I search her face, Nico and Sunny’s conversation fading into the background as I try and get her to look at me to no avail. I twist around further, ensuring that neither of the others can see her before my free hand comes up and I gently turn her head to face me.
Her eyes are hesitant to meet mine, but when they do, I see the sorrow swirling in her bright red irises. I cup her face, gently stroking her cheek with my thumb since I can do nothing else and she leans into it, closing her eyes as if to savour it.
Like it might be the last time.
“Can you two clear the table, please? We’re nearly done over here,” Nico calls over to us.
I watch Valeska snap back into a cold shell of herself. She stands so fast, it makes me feel a bit dizzy. I help her, moving the books and candles to one side so the rest of the coffee table is clear before we take our seats again.
This time the space between us feels like a ravine. I fucking hate it, but Nico and Sunny are making their way over, carrying trays of pastries and hot chocolate. Nico is arguing about hercarrying the tray and it reflecting badly on him as a gentleman. He’s saying it as a joke, but I know it is bothering him since he likes to do things for others.
They place the trays down and take a seat on the side against the windows. I don’t miss the way their knees touch and neither of them do anything about it. Whatever is going on between them, I hope it works out. They look good together.
“Bon appetite,” Nico says, before taking a plate and filling it with the pastries he’s about to eat.
The whole apartment smells amazing, the cinnamon and warm chocolate smell is comforting and cosy. So at odds with the atmosphere between the four of us. I grab a plate and put a couple on it for Valeska before handing it to her.
I think she’s about to reject it but she takes it, another quiet thanks slipping past her lips. I pile a plate with mine and sit back to enjoy them, none of us speaking while we eat the warm food, but I sense eyes on me.
I glance around and find Sunny watching me, and a strange sense of déjà vu hits me, that familiarity rattling around in my mind, but I’m unable to grasp it. I’m about to ask if I know her from somewhere or if we’ve met before but Nico beats me.
“I’ve got something to tell you all. A confession, I guess, or no, a question actually for you, Lady V.”
I switch from looking at Sunny to him because he sounds so unsure and worried. I place my empty plate down and pick up my hot chocolate, taking a sip of the sweet cocoa while we wait for him to ask his question, but it doesn’t come.
“What is on your mind, petite fille?” Valeska asks Nico and sits forward a little, her voice barely above a whisper.
Nico blows out a sigh. He’s sat closer to Valeska and I can’t help but think it strange that Sunny isn’t the one closest to her. They’ve been practically inseparable since we met them. I wantto get Valeska alone and ask her what the hell happened after I left that night she bit me.
“I’ve been seeing things, predictions of what will come to fruition years later, or sometimes right before they happen. I’ve always downplayed it and joked about being psychic, but I can’t ignore it anymore. I worked out the other day when they started and, well, it’s weird.”
He scrubs a hand over his face and Sunny reaches out to put a comforting hand on his arm. He gives her a small smile but it doesn’t reach his eyes.
“I believe you.” This time when Valeska speaks, it is clear and sharp, proving she does believe him without a doubt in her mind.
“You-you don’t think I’m batshit crazy? How is this normal? Are there other people like me?” Nico turns to Valeska with his rapid-fire questions and waits for her to answer.
“No, it is, and yes. I don’t think you’re crazy; vampires exist after all so why wouldn’t your ability to predict things be real either? There are many of us that walk this earth with abilities that don’t appear to make sense to the natural order of things. You are not alone, Nico. Trust yourself and lean into it, this gift is a part of what makes you, you.” Her words are comforting and Nico relaxes. I could kiss her for it.
“Thank you, Lady V, but I should tell you that they first started when Rai’s sister went missing. We weren’t friends or partners at that point; we’d never even met each other, so why then?”
