Black Angel (BoyXBoy)

Chapter 26: Left Behind

When I was maybe fifteen, before Melody and I stopped being friends, my mother took us on vacation to Hawaii. The first thing I wanted to do was go cliff diving. Everyone talks about cliff diving in Hawaii, right? Of course I had to give it a try. And after a good amount of pestering, Melody agreed to do it with me. I remember standing at the top of one of the cliffs in Waimea Bay, staring straight down into nothing but the teal waves of the ocean, the sea breeze cool on my skin. My mother was seated on the beach, within clear sight of where Melody and I stood; I had told her to get as much of it on camera as she could. After another minute or two of persuading, Melody finally took my hand, gripped it tight, and on the count of three we both jumped. 

If you've ever jumped from a reasonably good height, you can probably recall that swooping sensation you get in your stomach, like it's doing somersaults and back flips, or trying to rise into your throat. Similar to when you come to the drop in a roller coaster, or when you're given earth-shattering news. 

I think you catch my drift. 

The moment those words, those three awful words, left my mother's mouth, it feels as though my insides completely invert themselves. I hear Melody's sharp intake of breath, see Luca's face completely drain of what little color it still possesses. He looks like a cornered animal; I can practically feel the alarm radiating from him, the urge to bolt from the room. 

"I..." He opens and closes his mouth, then closes his eyes. "Yes." 

The word is no louder than a whisper, but it feels as though he screams it with the way it makes my stomach drop. I manage to tear my eyes away from him to look at Melody. Her face is a mask of shock, and I can clearly see the fear spark in her red eyes. We know that fear, as vampires. Prey in the presence of the predator. It hits me again, like a punch to the gut, and suddenly I find it difficult to draw breath. Luca feeds on my kind.

He's a Krusnik. 

The person I love is a Krusnik.

I find myself opening my mouth, to say what I have no idea, but my throat closes before I can force anything out. My mother's grip on my shoulders is vise-like. The room is silent--terribly so. The two officers stand off to the side, occasionally glancing from one another to Luca. The mayor's expression is one of blatant discomfort; he clearly did not intend to say what he did, but the cat's out of the bag.

"Luca, I'm terribly sorry," the mayor says again, wringing his hands together nervously. "But this still is a serious investigation, and you need to come with us." 

No one leaps to his defense this time. Melody stands there silently, hands shaking at her sides. My mother drops her hands from her shoulders and takes a step back to sit at the breakfast table. I remain where I am, heart pounding loudly in my ears and insides hollow, wanting nothing more than this to not be happening. 

Luca nods, closing his eyes again, and when he reopens them they seem icier than ever. Resigned. "Okay. I understand." His voice is soft, toneless. 

The mayor looks so relieved it's almost comical. Luca keeps his gaze directly ahead of him as he walks by; he never looks at me, not even a sparing glance. The two officers wait for him to pass before falling in line behind him, and soon their footsteps fade away, followed by the opening and closing of the front door. 

Just like that, he's gone.

I take a few steps to lean against the counter and hold my head in my hands. The mixture of emotions bubbling in my stomach is overwhelming, hot like boiling water. My eyes sting; I squeeze them tightly shut and grit my teeth. 

"Gabriel," comes my mother's voice from behind. "Did you have any idea that he--that he was--"

She can't even bring herself to say it. The anger rears its head inside my chest, a snake ready to strike. I will myself to remain calm and take a deep, slow breath.