Fallen Angel

Chapter 83: Brannon

I'd gone down to the island layer, blissfully unaware that not everything came with the house. My father had put the structure up with his will, he'd ensured that the land coped with the new building and everything was sound. Except for one little thing. Furniture.

His reasoning was that we might not like what he picked and he was probably right too. So Emily and I surfaced to the land and went shopping. It was going to take a lot of planning and it wasn't exactly easy when the delivery address was hell.

I didn't want to have the issue of having it delivered to the apartment in New York, the place wasn't really large enough to cope with another house load of furniture. But it was looking like it was my only option, my only other choice was Luca's place and that wasn't a good idea for several reasons. 

Not just because my name was probably mud in that house but because I might have to come in contact with Chloe and I wasn't ready for that. When Emily asked for a better memory for Chloe, I knew that my father had given it to her but what it was exactly, I don't know. He'd mentioned that he had spoken to Nick and Rowan about it, discussing what they wanted to do for their daughter. It probably entailed hanging me in the courtyard outside my father's office while throwing rotten fruit at me.

"What do you think?"

Snapping out of my thoughts, I looked at Emily and then to the lamp in front of us.

"I think that lighting is boring. Can't we go and look at the beds again?"

She chuckled, wrapping her arms around my waist. The people around us looked at us like we were odd, I guess they weren't used to pink haired women walking through their upscale homewares store. Maybe it was me, maybe they sensed that there was something wrong about me. I didn't care, happy to walk around the city shops with Em in my arms.

We had to find furniture soon, we would have to stay in my bedroom if there was no bed in our new home. And the animal in me wanted to do dastardly things to Emily tonight, loud and dastardly things.

"Bran!"

My body tightened, I looked down at Emily who returned my worried gaze. We turned to see Chloe walking over to us, her smile was broad and she seemed incredibly happy.

"Oh my god, so good to see you again. When are you coming back to school?"

"Uh, soon." I said hesitantly.

She nodded, her lips pursed with a smile. I didn't know what to say, I didn't know what level of interference my father had with her memories.

"That's good. You're not missing much but I guess the exams will be on soon so you wouldn't want to miss them I guess. I'm sure you'll ace them anyway."

"Yeah."

I looked at Chloe. I mean, really looked at her. She was back to her usual bubbly and happy self and, she was back to wearing couture clothing. No leather clad goddess.

"So I'm off to meet up with a friend. Want to double date?"

"Do you have a boyfriend Chloe?" Emily asked.

She nodded with a broader grin, Emily looked up at me with an uneasy smile.

"Sure."

"Great!" She said with delight. "Oh you will love him, he's just amazing."

We followed Chloe out of the store, she edged her way along the covered paths and made her way into a little café.

"All we need is the bed." I whispered to Emily. "When we're done, we're coming back, right?"

She laughed and nodded.

The buzz of activity whirled around us as we stepped into the café, Chloe had made her way to the back of the room where a man had stood to greet her. He smiled and kissed her on the cheek, his hands gently grasping her arms. She turned to find us, eagerly ushering us over.

Emily looked at me with caution.

"Bran, you look like you've been drained of your blood. What's going on?"

"I don't know what my father's done. I don't know what she remembers."

"Well clearly nothing if she hasn't impaled you with one of her pumps. Do I want to know how much she could remember?"

I said nothing but I could see the pain in her eyes.

"Look," She said with a heavy sigh. "We weren't together, I get that. We did things that we both regret but I've got to know if you think she might be knocked up with your kid."

"We didn't, I promise we never did that."

But as for anything else, well that was always going to be hanging in the air. I had regrets and if I had my time over again, I knew that I would have done it differently.

"I was fighting so much pain Em. I thought that you didn't love me or that you didn't want me. If there was a vice to be had, I had it but not her body."

"Hey," Emily cooed. "Not here Bran, we can talk about it later, okay?"

I nodded, enjoying the soft touch of her hand on my cheek as she tenderly calmed me down. Emily took my hand and together we weaved our way through the tables.

"Guys, do you remember Josh from school?" Chloe leaned in, eyeing off the other patrons in the shop. "He's a vamp."

And he was a grade above us so he hadn't been there for the past year.

"I don't but I was new to the school. I'm Emily."

Josh was all smiles, the debonair man that sophisticated and right up the couture loving Chloe's alley.

"And you remember Brannon, right?"

Chloe looked at him, offering her large doe eyes that fluttered at him.

"Yep, son of the man downstairs." He said with his charming smile.

That's the one, the man downstairs. I'd never heard that term before but it was a good one. He held out his hand and I shook it, pretending that everything was just fine and dandy. Like his new girlfriend hadn't done all manner of lurid things to me, none of which she could remember. Just little old me, suffering this torment alone.

"So how did you guys meet up?" Emily asked.

We sat down at the table, the waitress scurried over with four menus. I took mine and tried to hide behind it, hoping to escape from reality.

"Well I was out with my father a few days ago, we had to stop in at the bank. Josh served us and recognised the surname, said his family was looking for a new association and asked if they could meet with us to discuss a transfer."

Ah, vampire politics. When they weren't happy with their association with a clan, they went running to the dynasties. It was nothing but a way of escalating up the social ladder.

"So my dad said sure, there was a meeting on that night and to be at the property with all family members. They came, they impressed, they were accepted. And as for my Joshie, he couldn't stop smiling at me, could you?"

Joshie ugh, sickening. He shook his head with a love sick smile, the strands of wavy blonde hair fell into his eyes.

"It's been great, hasn't it?"

"It sure has."

Emily kicked me under the table, I realised then that I was sneering in a stomach churning kind of way. Offering a smile that hid the fact that I was a little grossed out by the sugary sweetness, I returned to the menu and pretended I wasn't there. If only.