Page 41 of To Love a Vampire
“Do you think it’s important to Asher? That I’m not,” I pause keeping my eyes down, inspecting the bottom of my empty cup, “that I’m not experienced?” My voice is shaky and quiet. There isn’t an ounce of confidence in me at the moment.
“Of course not, Fallon.” She stops working for a moment, her hands resting comfortably on my shoulders. “Asher loves you. I promise everyone is just as unsure of themselves at some point in their lives as you are right now. But not everyone has someone who loves them like Asher loves you.” Her words are gentle and fill my heavy heart. “You guys have each other. You guys will discover everything together.”
“Thanks, Luca,” I say in a whisper, tilting my head up to meet her eyes, my lungs breathe easier just thinking about her words.
Luca’s an amazing person. Someone I never expected to meet after what I went through. And I don’t know if I could have made it through this last year without her.
“Besides, with a body like his, I doubt you’ll be able to think about anything once he’s naked.”
A smirk fills my lips, my eyes slipping closed as heat flames my face.
“You’re such a romantic,” I say with an eye roll as we burst into laughter.
* * *
Music strums gently into the cool breeze, a noise soft and familiar. The salt of the ocean fills the air around me. A long white curtain separates me from everyone else. I can see the shadows of the people seated beyond the curtain. A figure stands alone at the edge of the cliff.
My fingers push nervously at the white fabric of my dress. The thin material flows intricately, sliver-like pieces caress my legs, exposing tan skin against the stark white color. The bodice is tight against my chest making my unsure breaths harder to take. My hair hangs around me in elaborate twists and a few thick braids at the top before cascading down one shoulder in a tangle of thick curls.
Luca applied a black gel to my lashes making them impossibly longer and more defined. She stained my lips a deep red before finally setting her tools down and looking at me. Declaring me ready to bewed.
I breathe out slowly, the air running quickly over my lips. I fidget with the thin strip of tulle at my waist but my hand is slapped away at my side. A stinging pain bursts over my knuckles as I glare up at my friend beside me.
“Calm down already, you’re making me nervous. I’m not a nervous person, Fallon. It’s not a good look for me,” Luca says smiling warmly at me.
“What will we do once we’re out there?” I ask, my eyes scanning the hundreds of people sitting on the other side of the curtain.
“Well, she’ll say a few words, joining the two of you as man and woman. We’ll do the ceremonial Bonding then you’ll...” She tilts her head back and forth before shrugging.
I glance quickly her way. She ignores my look and stares straight ahead.
“No, I don’t know. What? What will we do, Luca?”
She’s quiet still. Her lips thinning. She says nothing.
“What?” I ask loudly, almost shrieking.
A few people turn in their seats toward the sound of the frantic human screaming over the beautiful strumming music.
“You’ll jump!” she finally yells.
“Jump? We’re going to jump?” She nods her head at me in confirmation. “We’re going to jump… off the cliff? Into the ocean?”
Again, she nods slowly as fear crashes over me. Memories of how hard it was for me to swim in the still unmoving water of the cave rush back to me.
“Luca, I can’t swim. Why didn’t you tell me this? Why would cliff jumping be a part of this? Can we just skip it? I can’t drown on my unity day! You spent an hour on my hair just so I could drown on my unity day?” I ask manically.
“It’s a wedding, Fallon, not a union.”
“Whatever,” I shriek back at her, stomping my bare foot against the dirt.
My eyes are wide and my breathing is fast but unproductive. The pounding of my heart is so loud I no longer hear the music.Is the music still playing?
Through the curtain I see Asher’s silhouette walk toward us, closer to where I stand, having an anxiety attack over something that shouldn’t even be an issue on my unity day.
Luca whips the curtain back, exposing her head but nothing else.
“We’re fine. Everything is fine. It’ll just be another moment. Thank you all for your patience,” she says smiling prettily, Asher stops in his tracks, hesitantly. “I said we’re fine,” she growls at him, baring her teeth menacingly.
