The Vampire's Maid

Part 12. The Vampire's Maid

The next day dawned, bringing with it a state of inflated happiness. I tried to persuade myself, as I walked into the shower, that I was smiling as widely as Joe because I was still alive. The real reason I was happy though had very little to do with my continued existence and more to do with the fact that Ashley had confided in me. I showered with my eyes open because each time I closed them Ashley's green eyes seemed to be imprinted on the back of my eye lids.

My happy mood seemed to be reciprocated amongst the other humans as I entered the bustling kitchen. The boys had started eating breakfast in the kitchen with us each morning so the room was more crowded than usual. Abriella was flipping pancakes expertly with a serene smile on her face and Joe's perpetual grin was wider than usual.

"Morning!" Callum said with uncharacteristic enthusiasm.

He gave me a brief wave before refocusing all of his attention on Abriella and the pancake she was turning out onto his plate. June stared with a look of amused disgust at the four boys wolfing down their food. Even she couldn't keep the smile off her face though.

"Why are you all so happy?" I asked.

Mark, moody and muscular, turned to face me with a rare smile spread across his face. He swallowed his pancakes in a hurry and the punched the air triumphantly.

"No work today, man!" He declared.

"What he means," June explained. "Is that Dane and Goliath are hunting today."

"Yeah, it's our day off!" Mark punched the air again.

"No it's not, Mark." Olive's quiet voice came from the corner of the room. "We are still expected to work."

Until she had spoken I hadn't noticed Olive shrinking near the kettle. It was odd to see her in the kitchen but I suppose with Goliath gone she didn't have much work to do. Mark rolled his eyes at her and turned back to the pancakes.

"Ashley's still here though?" I asked, trying to sound aloof and uninterested.

"Yes," Joe said with a suspicious look in his eyes. "I guess you'll have to work."

"Oh." I said in a voice which I hoped sounded miserable.

Sympathetic looks were shot in my direction but Joe still looked suspicious and I had the feeling that he'd seen past my act to a fraction of my true feelings. Nobody else seemed to realise that I was eating in a hurry, just to see Ashley.

"Have you been having any little chats with him recently?" Joe asked and everyone awaited my response.

"With who?" I said, attempting to sound clueless.

"Ashley of course!" Daniel exclaimed.

I had to stop my mouth curving into a smile as I looked at Daniel. He was bobbing up and down in his chair, making him look every bit as young as his height suggested. His blond hair flopped up and down as he bounced excitedly. His enthusiasm about the simplest things was contagious.

"Well then," I said avoiding the subject. "I better go and start working."

I shuffled out of the room with a plateful of pancakes and fruit for Ashley. As soon as I'd closed the kitchen door behind me I began to walk a little more cheerfully. I tried to repress the thoughts of Ashley as I walked through the corridors. When I entered his bedroom though, I couldn't stop a wide smile breaking out on my face at the sight of him stretched out on his bed with the sketch book.

"Why do you always get up so early?" I asked by way of greeting.

"Thank you," He said, taking the pancakes and starting to eat.

Ashley snapped the sketchbook closed so that I couldn't see the drawing. I frowned, wondering why he hadn't answered my question. He chewed and examined the burgundy cover of the book without looking up at me. This was not how I had envisaged my day progressing.

"So..." I said.

Ashley turned to look at me then but more as if I was an annoying distraction than someone he was eager to talk to. His face was devoid of emotion, so different than it had been yesterday. His square jaw was clenched as if he was suppressing something.

"I think I can manage without you today." Ashley said shortly.

Each word was cold and well pronounced so that there was no way I could misunderstand him. He looked me sternly in the eyes and I'd never seen his beautiful eyes so hard and emotionless.

"Oh, okay."I said weakly.

I held my head up high, turned and marched out of the room in a dignified manner. As soon as the door shut behind me though, I allowed my heart to start aching and my posture to fall apart. Why was he being so cold? Why had he dismissed me from his sight?

Ashley's words kept replaying in my head as I meandered down the stairs, not even realising where I was heading.

I think I can manage without you today.

How could those eight polite words hurt me so much? I wasn't fully aware of why I was so upset by my dismissal. The fact that Ashley didn't need me, or didn't want me to be more precise, should not affect me. Yet it did.

"Hey! What are you doing down here Elizabeth?" Daniel asked loudly.

I blinked as the whole kitchen went silent. I hadn't even realised where I'd been heading.

"Oh, he said I didn't need to work today." I said distractedly.

"He is being very nice." Abriella said, smiling.

"Yeah, that was kind of awesome for a vamp." Daniel agreed.

"Hmm." I said, wishing that I could agree with them.

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Sorry the chapter's so short, guys. I had a touch of writer's block! I know where the story's going to go... but getting there is proving to be a little difficult. Don't worry though, I'll sort it. Comment/fan/vote please x