Page 147 of Bitten By Desire
He lowered his eyebrows as I crawled back over to him.
Chapter 43
Tuesday
“Tell me how you died.” I ran my thumb down the scar again.
He sighed and looked up at the ceiling.
“Please.”
“Just give me a minute.” He walked out of the bedroom leaving me naked on his floor.
I hadn’t expected him to walk away. I grabbed the borrowed shirt off the ground and pulled it on. It was probably more appropriate to be wearing clothes during this conversation. I buttoned it up and waited.
And waited.
I sat down on the edge of his bed. Maybe I shouldn’t have said anything. I should have let it go.
I grabbed my camera out of my purse and scrolled through my recent pictures. Photography usually calmed me down, but my heart was racing. I stopped on the picture of Callum’s license plate number. It was probably the closest I’d ever get to having a picture of him. It seemed cruel that my favorite things were Callum and photography. And I’d never be able to photograph him.
What else did being a vampire entail exactly? I was naïve to think I’d just be giving up my love for cheese. I eyed the handcuffs on Callum’s bed, lifted my camera, and took a shot.
Changing would mean giving up my ability to have control over all my choices. Control over my life. Butwhat was a life without Callum? And there was no life for me if he accidentally slipped.
I wanted to photograph Callum’s scar. I wanted to know what had happened. How badly it had hurt. I just wanted…more. And yet, maybe it would be better to stay in the dark.
Callum cleared his throat. He was leaning against the doorjamb studying me.
I stepped away from the handcuffs on his bed. Like I’d been caught red-handed. Even though I wasn’t doing anything wrong.
“Come with me.” He put his hand out for me.
I closed the distance between us and grabbed his hand. “You don’t have to tell me if you don’t want to. I didn’t mean to press it.”
He didn’t reply. He just walked us over to the closest door and slid a key into the lock. It clicked open, but he waited to push the door open the rest of the way.
He sighed and looked down at me. “You’re going to think I’m crazy.”
“Crazier than a girl who tried and failed to stalk you for ten years? Highly unlikely.”
He didn’t look that amused. “I’ve lived and lost, Emma. I’ve lost so much. And when I want to remember something important….something vital…I have the means to do so.”
I had no idea what he was talking about. “The means to do what exactly?”
He sighed. “This.” He pushed the door open the rest of the way.
And it was like I was standing in his office ten years ago. Back at that gothic mansion when we first met. The loveseat he’d taken pictures of me on. The sameloveseat he’d takenmeon. The expensive wooden desk. Even the rug was the same. I’d remembered being scared to touch anything because it all looked so delicate. “You recreated the room where we met?” I looked up at him.
“I wanted to make sure I remembered every second. It was important to me. You’re important to me.” He was staring at me like he was worried I’d freak out and run away.
This was…a lot. But I wasn’t creeped out like he’d imagined. The last few days had been insane. This was less insane than him being a vampire though. And honestly, I found it romantic. “You’re important to me too.” I swallowed hard. I hadn’t saved a whole room, but… “I did save those pictures of us from that night. Or rather, the pictures of me. I know I told you I deleted them at my interview. But I didn’t. I couldn’t possibly. That night meant everything to me.”
His smile had finally returned. But it fell away just as quickly as it had come. “You asked me how I turned.”
I looked around the room again. “I don’t understand.”
He walked over to the desk and opened one of the drawers. He pulled out a long, sharp metal object and tossed it onto the desk. It clanged, echoing in the silence. And then he pulled out a medal with faded ribbon. He placed it down, his fingers splaying across the desk as he leaned forward. And he just stared at me. Like somehow all of this would suddenly make sense.
