New Start (Morganville Vampires)

Chapter 3

I woke up, still hunched up on the carpeted floor of the secret room. Michael and Amelie had both gone.

I opened the secret door and walked downstairs. Eve and Michael were sat downstairs, each with a coffee. I walked down and sat with them. Michael looked at me awkwardly. Eve wasn't talking to Michael.
'Coffee?' Eve asked, but I shook my head. She knew I didn't drink coffee, she was just trying to break the silence.
'I'm going out.' I said, and went upstairs to change my clothes and brush my teeth.

***

I walked into Myrnin's lab, and he was busy with Claire working on what I knew now to be a cure for the illness that Michael - and other vampires-turned-humans - had.
'Any luck?' I asked, and Myrnin stared at me. I sat down in his chair, the one I usually curl up on to read. 'Amelie told me.'
Myrnin sighed. 'Nothing.' He said.
I put my head against the back of the chair. 'Can I do anything to help?' I asked them.
Myrnin shook his head. I tried to not cry, but the harder I try, the more I feel like crying. I just let it go. Myrnin ran over to me.
'I'm sorry.' He whispered, hugging me. 'We're doing everything.'
'How fast is the illness progressing?' I asked.
'Slowly.' Claire said from behind him. 'We don't know how long Michael has had it, but it hasn't progressed much since we found out about it.'
I nodded.

Myrnin was still in a good mood. He was walked no with more of a spring in his step than usual. Maybe he was feeling hopeful in finding a cure. But that was one thing I loved about Myrnin - he would never lose hope. He never gave up. Myrnin had survived through the most of the disease that vampires had before. He never gave up on his work even though he was ill.

Myrnin and Claire took a break from their work, and pulled chairs around where I was sitting.
'Anyway,' Myrnin said. 'Do you want to go out for dinner tonight?'
I laughed. 'Are you asking me out on a date, Myrnin?' I asked
'Well, you're eighteen now.' He said. 'Not so much jailbait.' He laughed.
'Immortal.' I said. 'But sure. Of course I will go on a date with you.'
Claire was going bright red where she was sitting. She was probably embarrassed by her boss asking her best friend's sister out on a date.

***

Michael smiled as I walked downstairs in a long black dress Eve had leant me. I felt a little bit overdressed to just be going out to a resterant in Founder's Square.

Amelie's guards picked me up, and then went to Myrnin's house to pick him up. Myrnin had said that Amelie had said something to do with the fact that she wanted me to be alive and if Myrnin drove there would be a good chance I wouldn't be by the end of the night.

We were dropped off outside a resterant, one that I had walked past on quite a few occasions.

Myrnin opened my car door and held my hand as I got out. I think I could get used to his old fashioned way. He was actually dressed quite well for him, in a suit, but with no tie.

We walked into the resterant, dimly lit by flickering candles, and we were sat at a table that had been booked for us.

The food was amazing. That is all I can say.

After we had finished eating, Myrnin began to talk in full sentences again instead of just saying how good the food was.
'Anyway, Liz.' Myrnin said. He stood up and walked over to my side of the table. 'I just wanted to say thank you, for being here for me all of the time.' He said.

Then... Then he knelt down. One one knee. Oh my gosh.

'Elizabeth Glass,' he said. 'Will you marry me?'

Oh. My. Gosh.