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ARABELLA WOKE UP to a bare bed and a massive headache. She couldn't remember most of the night, but all she knew was that she was most certainly naked and alone. Whoever she got 'lucky' with last night didn't want to stick around until morning.
She picked up her phone to see she had three missed calls from Meg, Lucy's sister. With a furrowed brow, she rang Meg and the older sister immediately picked up.
"Meg?"
"Ari! Why haven't you been picking up?!" Meg shouted down the line, her voice tremored as if her throat was closing in on her and her lung were struggling to breathe.
"Meg? What's happened?!" Ari asked, suddenly becoming more alert.
"It's Lucy! She's dead!" Meg shouted.
Arabella dropped her phone to her bedsheets in shock. When she last saw Lucy last night, she was in perfect health. Arabella stood up with her phone in her hands. "I'll be right over, Meg," and she hung up. She threw on some clothes - a baggy mint coloured jumper and black jeans and slipped on a pair of sneakers. She ran over to her door but stopped at the mirror by it. She took in her appearance. Bitemarks and bruises adorned her neck and collar. Arabella winced at the sight and threw on a coat and scarf to hide them.
She ran out of her apartment, her employers shouting at her that she had a shift in an hour, but she quickly told them what happened. Without caring for a response, she ran out and made her hasty way to the Westenra household.
She opened the door, knowing Meg would keep it open for her. She sprinted up the stairs to see a sobbing Meg kneeling by Lucy's bed. Lucy's corpse was sat up, eyes wide and mouth open. Her dark skin was paled, nearly white. But what caught Arabella's attention was the bloody scar on Lucy's neck. Arabella stepped closer and stared down at it, knowing it could only be Dracula's doing.
Arabella knew she wasn't dead. Dracula wouldn't kill someone like Lucy. Lucy wasn't afraid of death, in fact, she admired it. If Dracula were to ever meet Lucy, he would immediately turn her into his bride. Arabella turned to the mirror to see Lucy's body, still alive and screaming for help. Arabella moved closer, not blocking Lucy's reflection.
"Fuck sake," Arabella whispered, before turning to Meg and consoling her.
-------
After Lucy's funeral and cremation, there was her wake. Arabella and Zev consoled Lucy's mother.
"It's like I can hear her... crying for me," Lucy's mother sobbed. Arabella felt guilty. She could hear all of Lucy's screams, cries and sobs as her funeral took place, but she couldn't do anything about it.
"It won't be easy, Miss Westenra, but we're here for you and Meg, whenever you need us, right Ari?" Zev spoke, rubbing his hand up and down the distraught mother's arm.
Arabella nodded silently, still feeling remorseful for Lucy's fate. She knew hse would be fine after she burned, but it would be her appearance that would break Lucy's heart. Lucy had always been a woman of beauty and she loved her looks. When she escaped her burnt coffin and discovers her appearance, she would be in turmoil.
Arabella looked up at the two beside her. "Would you excuse me?" Arabella weakly smiled, walking away from the funeral party. Her feet followed her heart, taking her to where she knew Dracula would be. It was an impulse that never failed her. That was how she managed to always find him after he fled her back in the day.
She stopped, looking up at the tall dark building, knowing he was in there. She entered and travelled up the stairs until she felt she needed to stop. Arabella halted behind two large doors, her heart knowing that behind them was her lover.
She flicked her wrist causing the two heavy doors to swing open effortlessly. Dracula turned around to see who barged in but smiled upon seeing Arabella's face.
"Ah, my love. You found me," Dracula spoke, holding a glass of blood in his hand as he approached the witch. Arabella smiled back, meeting him halfway. Dracula bent his head to press a kiss to her lips but before he could, Arabella raised her hand and forceful slapped him around the face.
"How dare you?!" Arabella screamed. "You can't help it, can you?! Making brides - do you even care about my feelings?!"
Dracula stepped back, away from the furious witch. "Of course, I do?"
Arabella scoffed. "If you did, you would admit it!" She yelled.
Dracula narrowed his eyes. "What do you mean?"
"You have never said you loved me," Arabella accused quietly. "I'm starting to believe you never did."
Dracula tilted his head, his lips twitched up slightly as he approached Arabella once more. He tentatively pressed his hand on her cheek, but Arabella moved away. Dracula furrowed his brows before a bitter chuckle escaped his mouth. He lowered his hand back down to his side. "You're getting all wound up over three small words?"
"Three small words that have the biggest meaning. Three small words that you never said!" Arabella shoved her finger into his chest. "For centuries, I've been hopelessly in love with you, and until recently, I've finally been getting the sort of affection I deserved, yet all I really wanted was for someone to admit it!!"
Dracula went to speak after she took a small breath but she held her hand up to silence him. "I am not finished! Do you not realise how fucking hard it has been for someone like me?! To live for over 600 years and never once been loved! You were the one person who I relied on to love me, and you couldn't even do that," Arabella's voice lowered as she choked on her tears. "To be an outsider. An orphan. A witch! I was destined to never be loved, yet it was the one thing I really wanted. You might think I just wanted you. I didn't. It could've been any other person - man or woman - that I could've gone after, but you were there. You were just there," she choked on the air in her throat as tears fell from her eyes. "But you never cared. Did you?"
Dracula looked down at his feet but remained silent. "Answer me!" Arabella screamed at him.
Dracula's dark eyes flickered up to her tear-stained face. "I'm sorry -"
Arabella chuckled bitterly and tuned out the rest of his apology. She didn't need to. She knew it was just going to be a pile of bullshit about he regretted it. She knew he didn't.
"I could kill you. I really want to kill you," Arabella whispered, her blood boiling.
"Then why don't you?"
Arabella narrowed her eyes. "You know I can't. The only way I can do that is if you do it."
