The Ravenhill Vampire ✔️

Chapter 7: The Circle Opened

What will always remain through all the destruction is hope.

Ha, hope! Is that a curse or salvation?

What can one hope for?
For a broken heart to heal, for a wrongness to be set right, for the sun to rise again...

...for an apology to be accepted.

Even if it's not complete. Even if it's not fully spoken. Even if it's not understood.

Why is it hard to forgive? Because that means giving a part of yourself to the other person? By throwing that part away, when we would selfishly hold on to it.

What Marcus couldn't understand was why Felix held him responsible for his misery, when all he did was care for him.
Felix was the son he never had. And bond like that was hard for Marcus to break.

He just cared. Maybe a little bit too much. But why would he apologize for it?
He would do it all again.

Every time.

*****

Judith woke up with a smile on her face. What else would there be? She found the source of her happiness, completeness. Nothing else to look for, as she thought.

She was surprised when she realized that Felix must be making pancakes in the kitchen.
What a lovely scent.

As if she was drugged by the scent that the air spread, she rushed to see with her own eyes, and there he was. His brown hair, his green eyes, his full lips. His... But not his smile. The one that fills her soul with joy.

He was as serious as he can be. But why? She observed him from the other side of the table, to try and understand.

Was this his process, a way he makes pancakes? He did say he loved cooking. Especially when he is nervous or mad.

Of course.

So he must be nervous. She has been present in the kitchen for some time, and he is not paying attention to her.

She was jealous. Jealous of whatever made him nervous, mad, sad even. She would rather be that for him, no matter how it would hurt what they had.

She thought how crazy she was to be thinking this way.

Of course, there is always the possibility that maybe he might be mad with her in the end.

But, what did she do? It's not like him to get nervous about small things. He has been so careful, and so understanding with her. So it must be something else.

That jealousy again...

"Is something wrong?" she decided to ask.

"No, there's nothing wrong!" he didn't even look at Judith.

"You can tell me, your face already did it," she persisted.

"It's not your concern... Or your problem. It shouldn't be..." he sounded distorted, tried to focus on the cream that he was putting on the pancakes.

"You can't just decide for me like that, not after..." she froze.

"Last night?" he softened and, "it's because of last night that I can't allow you to be in the middle of it!" then he screamed.

"Middle of what?" she yelled a bit. To even the field maybe. It held sense in her mind.

"Me and... Marcus," he admitted.

"Oh!" she gasped.
"Was he here?"

"No, but he made his presence known..." he pointed to a cup of vine.