Page 63 of Petals and Fangs

“Then explain it to me! Because right now, it looks bad.”

“Lily, you must trust me. There are things about me that you don't understand,” Ethan says after taking a deep breath.

“How can I trust you when you're hiding things from me? Just tell me the truth, Ethan!”

“Lily, I'm not like other people.”

“Oh, really? What are you, a vampire or something?”

“Yes. I am.”

“What?” I ask, feeling my heart sink into my stomach.

“I am a vampire, Lily. The blood in the fridge, it's mine. I need it to survive,” he says as he steps towards me.

“This... this is insane. How could you not tell me this?” I say, backing away, unable to believe anything he says.

“It is not usual, is it?”

“Wait, have you been like this for too long?” I ask. It suddenly makes sense why he'd left me before.

“Since the day I left you. I wanted to protect you. I didn't want to scare you away. I thought if you knew the truth, you would leave me.”

“Ethan, this is too much. I need time to process this.”

“Please, Lily. Don't walk away from me. I still love you. I never wanted to hurt you.”

My brain freezes at the words coming out of his mouth.

“Ethan, please. I need some space. This is a lot to take in.”

“I understand. Just, please, don't shut me out completely,” he grabs both of my hands and places them on his neck.

He leans forward and kisses my forehead. His eyes are glassy and unfocused. Something doesn't feel right.

“Ethan, please,” I ask, panic rising in my chest.

“If you are scared of being hurt, I will never hurt you. I can never. Never. I promise you, Lils.”

“How is this possible?” I shake my head. I need to get him away from me.

“It is, Lily. It just is. And I'm sorry if I've disappointed you. But I'll do whatever it takes to prove myself to you,” he says, and leans in to kiss me.

The kiss is soft and tender. A gentle reminder of what we used to share. It's heart-warming, yet I need a lot of time to process so many things.

As much as I want to break free from his grasp, something inside me just craves him more. I want him close to me. No matter how many times I resist his touch, my body gives in to his kiss every single time.

“Don't be scared. No more secrets between us.”

“Do you promise?”

“On my dead heart.”

My heartbeat accelerates as he kisses me, sending electric signals through my entire body. Everything slows down around me.

His lips leave mine and trail along my jawline until they reach my earlobe. With gentle force, he grazes it with his teeth. I can suddenly feel the sharpness of his teeth.

“I love the way your body reacts to mine,” he whispers.

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