Page 119 of Even Vampires Bleed
But that’s five days away, and I’m not sure my heart can take it.
I’m not sure I can live in the same house as Léandre and give up more of my heart in the process.
I’m not ready to let myself fall again and get myself hurt when this awful brain chip is triggered again.
Because I know deep inside of me that those damn archangels will stop at nothing, and if they can, they will trigger it again.
And then what?
Then I’m not sure I’ll get back up this time.
And I had any doubt I fell in love with Léandre the first time around?
It can only get worse if we get closer.
It can only get worse if I let myself relax in his embrace.
No.
I’m not going back.
I know that I might get a bit cold, but this is the middle of the summer. It’s the south of France and the temperatures are more than warm during the day. I’ll survive.
I’ve got the well close to the clay house. I’ve got a roof if it rains. And I can forage the forest for berries if I’m hungry.
As if I’ve summoned it with my thoughts, lightning strikes the sky to announce the beginning of a storm and seconds after, rain starts falling heavily.
I’m drenched in under a minute, but I don’t care.
The rain mixes with the tears on my cheeks, and I feel lighter.
I face the sky and open my arms as I let the rain take away my heartache.
It’s not really working, and my tears keep falling from the corner of my eyes, but it feels freeing until I start shaking from the cold.
Did I say it was warm in the south of France during the summer?
I must have forgotten how bad rain and the lack of sun mixes, because I’m frozen to my bones.
I go back inside and sit on the ground.
What am I supposed to do with myself now?
I shiver and wrap my arms around myself before I tip my head against the wall.
I’m just going to wait here—and maybe sleep—while I cry my heart out.
Except I can’t sleep.
I’m too cold, and I can’t stop hearing suspicious noises outside of the house.
The walls were so thick in the other house that I couldn’t hear the wildlife from our bedroom, but here, it’s different. Each crack on the ground or rustle of branches seems to put my whole body on alert, and I can’t really say what noise is coming from where and if it’s threatening or not.
It also doesn’t help that the rain is smothering most of the sounds.
At least, with my mind on high alert, my tears have stopped falling even if my eyes still feel very scratchy and I bet that they are bloodshot.
Crack.
