My head reeled at the possible reason as to why he was here because I sure remembered Elvis saying that my soul could be collected only at a particular time. Gwen was sitting right next to me but she hadn’t notice him and her eyes did glance that way, why hadn’t she noticed him?!
He didn’t look like the last time I saw him in the school’s restroom, his face was void of emotions and it reminded me the day he almost killed me. Maybe I was just hallucinating with all the stress. I saw him walk towards the back exit of the restaurant slowly but he stopped suddenly to turn back and look at me.
When I was about to turn towards Elise and Gwen he shook his head.
It was like he wanted me to follow him. Alone.
I saw him exit the door and seconds felt like minutes as they passed. Taking a deep breath I said,
"Excuse me," getting up from my seat and walking towards the back exit.
The exit led to the back alley where no one was there. Where did he go?
"Thought you would never come," I heard Ace’s voice behind me, startling me. I looked at him carefully, taking two steps back.
Out of instinct I followed but now that we were standing face to face I felt my mouth turn dry like someone had stuffed sand in my mouth.
"W-what are you doing here?" I asked him slowly. He looked alive with no trace that he was dead. He looked like the time we had first met with his biker boots and jacket. It was nostalgic, "I thought you were dead," I said making him his lips twitch darkly.
He pulled his jacket to the side and placed his free hand on his chest, pushing it so that his fingers sank in. His chest was hollow, I realized, Luke had ripped his heart out that night.
"Almost," he murmured glancing back at me, "I needed to talk to you, Lilly before I left this world for your good."
"What do you mean?" I asked him. He walked near to the trash can with the lid and sat next on top of it.
"I don’t have much time so let me speak first," he said looking away from me the wind blowing his black hair, "I’m not going to ask for your forgiveness because given the chance I would take every opportunity to get her back. Danger is lurking at your doorstep waiting and the other one you’ve already stepped into."
"Stepped into?" I asked him but he didn’t seem to hear what I said as he asked me,
"Don’t marry him without knowing who he is," He looked at me, face void of emotions, "You d-"
"Why does it matter to you?" I gritted my teeth together. He had no right to even discuss about me! First, he betrayed me, straying me and now he was telling me not to marry Luke. And Luke was a nice person that was once you crossed over that bipolar attitude of his.
"Because when you visit hell you see and hear various things," he explained but I shook my head not wanting to listen to his bullshit.
"You don’t know him so shut up. At least he’s not like you trying to kill me or trying to sneak on me in the school restroom!" He tilted his head at the last part of it, staring at me and not saying anything.
"The last time I saw you was when my heart was ripped out," he said raising his brows, "To begin with I wasn’t here but instead in hell all these days. Thanks to your future husband," his voice was bitter with hate.
"You were there," I said affirmatively.
He stared at me with a grim expression. I clearly remembered looking at him with that sinister smile on his face when he watched me and-wait a second. I reeled back my memory again, going through the scene in my head one by one. It was that smile, it wasn’t Ace’s and instead someone else. Shit, it wasn’t Ace but my father from my previous life.
The remaining blood in my face drained out. Why? I mean how did he...why Ace?
"My time has come," he said standing up on both his feet, "I believe you have figured out one of the danger I was talking about."
"Are you going back to hell?" I asked him and he shook his head as the velocity of wind increased. His body was dissipating to little flakes like fire.
"Dust thou art, dust thou returnest," he quoted from ’A Psalm of life’. His legs had already disintegrated in the air and it was moving up, "For some of us it’s different", the upper half of the body was the only remains as he closed his eyes, welcoming the ultimate end of life.
"I’m sorry," I whispered and saw him open his eyes, a questioning look in them before a small smile tugged his lips, "I wish things were different."
"I said I wasn’t going to ask you but I will now. Forgive me for causing you grief and if possible convey my apologies to Cole," he said as the disintegration moved towards his face, "Claire," was the last words he whispered before everything just turned into a gust of wind, removing any evidence of the person who was in front of me.
Even in the end, she was the one he breathed his words too. He loved her and my empathetic self didn’t have the heart to keep a grudge on him. He did try to kill me and my family but we were still alive.
Love was toxic that could intoxicate anyone, I thought to myself.
The next day coronation was held as Canrart passed his title of the vampire king to his elder brother Lucian Knight, a.k.a Luke. Luke had been busy due to which I didn’t get to talk to him. We were told to not to sleep in the same room until the wedding night therefore Gwen, Julie who was Elise’s daughter and I slept in the same room.
It was hard to sleep without Luke sleeping next to me. I missed his presence and his scent I was getting accustomed to. We hadn’t been in the same room at night since the crossbreeds problems. Every time we were in the same room I could feel the electric tension in the air and it only wrecked my nerves more.
In the morning when I woke up I looked like a mess and I was sure I looked close to an owl’s relative right now because of my eyes.
"Wakey wakey," I heard Julie’s voice next to the bed.
"Hey, Jules," I greeted her, "Tell uncle Luke to postpone the wedding," I said pulling the blanket over my head.
"Huh? But I want to wear my red dress," the little girl whined, "I have been waiting to for it."
"Is that so," I said lowering the blanket to look at her and she nodded her head eagerly, "Just for you sweetheart," I replied making her smile brightly.
"Yay, look most of them are here," she screamed hopping in the room. When I peeked outside the window, the number of people gathered made me anxious, "I have to give you something," she said running to one corner and then came back to hand over a small paper note. Opening it I read the note,
One step at a time, Lillian. Will be waiting for you.
Your future handsome husband,
Lucian Knight
It made me smile and I shook my head. He sure knew to read my mood even with the distance.
Time to get ready for the wedding.
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