The Guy Next Door *editing for publication*

Was It A Dream

Ashley woke up with Troy holding her as he slept.  She touched the area where he'd bit her repeatedly and felt nothing.  Hurrying she got out the bed and rushed into the bathroom to get a really good look at her shoulder and neck.  Frowning when all she saw was a small hicky she grabbed a towel to wash her face.  She looked at the pink stains confused.

When she stood back up she saw Troy's reflection in the mirror.  "How do you have a reflection?"

Smirking he walked toward her, "What are you talking about?"  He walked up behind her and kissed her on the back of her neck.

"Nothing," she muttered wanting to kick herself for voicing something out loud from a dream.  Staring again at the towel she heard her stomach growl.

Laughing Troy snatched the towel throwing it into the linen basket, "You fell asleep as soon as we got home and I couldn't wake you for dinner."  Pulling her out the bathroom he led her to the kitchen, "You must be starving."

Nodding Ashley smiled, it had to be a dream.  There's no way he could read my mind!  Ugh and drink blood!  That's like saying he's a vampire, I must have ate something bad at lunch yesterday.

Troy smiled to himself as listened to her thoughts as he quickly made them a small breakfast, "What do you have planned today?"

Frowning she looked out the kitchen window as she thought, I'd love to catch up on some alone time.  As she replied she smiled at him, "I think I'm going to enjoy this free day by spending it with you."

Troy chuckled knowing that wasn't what she really wanted, "Hmm."  After almost killing her he let yesterday go knowing he needed to better control himself.  She couldn't be sacrificed until the day of the wicked moon and the howling stars.

Picking up a piece of toast she nodded slowly as she recalled the hellish dream. The warm sweet liquid had tasted so good; she rose, "I'm going to see if we have some something to put on the toast."

Nodding he pointed to the cabinet, "My mom sent homemade strawberry preserves."

Walking to the cabinet she took out a small jar and sat back down, "Do you want some?"

Shaking his head, he suppressed a smirk as she slathered the jelly on her toast and bit into it.

"Oh!  This is so good," she gushed as she took another big bite. "Do you think she'll give me the recipe?"

Smirking he replied as he watched her quickly eat the toast and slather it on another piece, "It's a family secret."

Nodding she pouted as she looked at the small jar.  "It's really good," wiping her mouth on a napkins she frowned when she saw what appeared to be the same pink stains that she'd saw after washing her face.  "Did you give me some of this last night?"

Standing and removing the plates from the table he stared at her reflection in the window, "I had a peanut butter sandwich with it last night and tried to give you a bite."

"Oh ok!" Rising she hopped toward him as he placed their discarded plates into the dishwasher.  "What do you want to do today?"

Turning he lied, "I have to go to school today to work on my project."

Relieved that she'd get some free time from him she gave him what she hoped looked like a downcast face, "I'll make a big dinner for us to share."

Looking away from her fake sad face he held in his desires, "That sounds good."  Kissing her gently on the lips, before he broke her neck, he grabbed his keys and walked toward the front door, "I'll be back around 6 pm."

Waving at him she let out a deep relieved breath as she pulled out her phone to set an alarm so she'd start their dinner before he got back home.  Walking to their bedroom she grabbed her phone so she could catch up on her wattpad books.

*************

Troy walked into his family's house and continued to the basement; picking up the gargoyle statue he placed it just to the right of the all seeing eye and watched an unseen door opened up.  Walking into the room he kicked the door closed behind him.

"Brother, you are earlier than expected."

Troy stared at Samantha and frowned as she sat looking at a grimore of rituals that he'd created over 200 years ago.  "Obviously," he stated as he plucked the large book from her.  "Why aren't you in school?"

Slyly she looked up at him, "I'm skipping.  Don't tell mom or dad they'd freak."

Shrugging he picked up a different book from the shelf, "It's none of my business."

Arching an eyebrow she smirked, "I thought you'd be spending this weekend with Ashley."  Watching him sit down she stood up and walked behind him to see what he was reading.  Reaching out she massaged his shoulders, "I thought you'd be preparing her for -."

Sighing he flexed his muscles under her skilled fingers, "She is starting to question why I'm always available."

Nodding Samantha fished skimming the page and went to sit back down, "So you told her you were coming to visit?"

Not finding the spell he was looking for he slammed the book close, "I told her I was going to the university."

Smirking she grabbed the book and put it away for him.  Inquisitively as she sat back down she picked at the old table, "Are you preparing her?"

Troy sighed as he ran his fingers through his hair, "I will not fail this time."  Closing his eyes he thought back over the centuries that his opportunity that come and gone.  This was the first time that the heart he needed to destroy was in the body of a female around his age.  "I refuse to fail."

Gouging the table with her nail she asked, "What if you fall in love with her?  Or feel sorry for her at the last moment?"

Shrugging he stood up, "Maybe she just let me drink her dry before I plunge the dagger into her."

Samantha cocked an eyebrow, "You should have killed Claudette when you had the chance.  This curse she's placed on us is ridiculous!"

Troy nodded, "I wish I would have too."  Looking at his watch he frowned, "Ashley is expecting me for dinner but I believe I will let her have a little more space."  Reaching into his pants he pulled out his mobile and sent a text telling her he was going out with classmates.  When he was done he smirked, "I think I'm going to go meet the guys from class."

Nodding Ashley stood up, "What are the ways to break the curse?"

Troy shook his head and sighed, "In the centuries we've walked this Earth I've only found the one way."  Heading for the door, "And it doesn't involve me falling in love with her."

Samantha nodded as she felt a twinge of sympathy for Ashley.  She was a victim of the curse as much as they were.  But after so many years of failure Troy was tired and so were all those caught in the curse.