Forever for Rose

Chapter Nineteen.

The ball ended abruptly.

Just like that, all the glittering jewels and glamorous people were gone. Most to adventure up top to see the mysterious blood moon. How can that even be possible? Like I get the irony in not understanding things that shouldn't be possible when I'm surrounded by vampires, actual mythical creatures, but still. A blood moon, which shouldn't even be due for months from now, that's pretty out there.

Even more out there was the fact that it only lasted exactly six minutes. Most of the people who rushed out to see it were sorely let down and thought the others had lied, but some had been quick enough to get video and photo proof of the strange occurrence.

I lost Dalton in the crowd, and Pedro demanded I be taken back to my room while he worked on settling the nerves of his people. I couldn't help hear a few whisper things about it being a sign of the end of the world as we pushed to get out of the ballroom, a fear I don't guess I've ever considered eternal beings having. More disturbing though, it made the memory of the frantic father from my vision pop into my mind.

A monster.

The whole world will fall, not just ours, but everyone's

I push the thoughts away, willing the tremor of fear that shakes me to go with it.

"Maybe it was some sort of trick." Lance muses next to me in the elevator, his arms crossed thoughtfully. "Something, anything would make more sense than it being real."

"How could it be a trick?" I shake my head, wishing I could dismiss it so easily. "I don't know many people who can pull off changing the color of the moon."

"Has to be a trick." He says again, distracted, maybe not even listening to me at all.

I can practically see the wheels in his head turning, trying to churn out any sensible explanation. When the elevator dings, he snaps out of his thoughts, turning to offer me a strained smile and his hand. "I'm sure everything will be fine." He tries to sound reassuring but it falls a little flat.

I take his hand and let him walk me to my door.

He smiles down at me, full of boyish charm. I bet when he was still human he was the captain of some kind of sports team or something. He leans in my doorway and sighs, brushing my hair back over my shoulder and letting his hand slide down the top of my arm.

"I had a good time with you tonight," I tell him honestly, a few butterflies beginning to flutter against my ribcage. "before the whole impending doom part."

He laughs lightly and my cheeks flush. "It seems all of our dates will end in some sort of doom." He shakes his head, moving in a step closer, lowering his voice. "I'll take the doom though if it means getting to spend more time with you. I missed you a lot the last few years. I really hated not being able to tell you why I just stopped talking to you, but it's what everyone thought was best." His eyes dip slightly, then the look back up under his eyelashes. He clearly knows what he's doing, hitting me with a smolder that would make Flynn Rider jealous. "Seeing how much you grew up in those years makes me hate it even more." His eyes rove down my dress, then back up to my eyes, leaving goosebumps without even having to touch me.

Without hesitation he takes my hand and leans in.

All of the fear and nerves wash away as his lips press to mine gently. The kiss I always daydreamed about having with Lance didn't disappoint. I was so lost within it, I didn't even notice my toes and fingers begin to tingle because it was already doing that all over.

I blink in confusion on the big wrap around deck on the back of a big red ranch house nestled on a hill and looking out over a pond with tall grasses blowing in the breeze. The sound of Lance's laughter makes me turn my head and I see us.