It's a little easier now, after saying their goodbyes. For a while it felt like they were forgetting something, like something was missing. They know now it's because they never truly had any closure.
Even though their chapter with Julian has come to an end, it's as if the pages are still there to reread and look back on. They still get to reminisce and enjoy the memory of him. They still get to feel his presence even without him physically being there. And they'll learn to live with it. They'll learn to live.
They're all at the apartment now, huddled on their tiny powder blue sofa. A cheesy comedy starring Adam Sandler is on the TV. It's far from a masterpiece, but it's lighthearted and fun and occasionally makes them giggle. About halfway through Sydney gets up to go to the fridge, saying something about needing a drink.
"Guys, we've run out of blood." She calls from the kitchen, which surprisingly causes Miles to laugh.
"What's so funny?" Axel asks, smiling and poking at Miles.
He's missed Miles' laugh. For a while he thought it disappeared alongside the other things Miles had lost. Like his heartbeat. And his warmth. And his big nerdy glasses. He thought that this is what came with the new Miles, post-bite. The version of Miles that was unresponsive and full of hate. That Miles is gone. Axel's glad to have the old Miles back (or at least part of him. The part that laughed).
"She said it so normally. Like we ran out of milk or something." Miles laughs again. "In what other case would a sentence like that be normal?"
Axel genuinely tries to think of an answer. "A hospital maybe?"
"Or if someone was doing a production of Carrie?" Miles suggests.
"Yes, Miles. That could work too." Axel says as he pulls Miles closer to him. Don't change. He thinks. Don't ever change. Stay like this, with me, forever.
"Don't you two look cosy?" Sydney says as she pulls on an oversized denim jacket.
"Where are you heading off to?" Miles asks curiously, turning around to look at Sydney.
"The bar."
Miles gasps, eyes blown wide as he turns to face Axel, who mirrors the same scared expression as he.
"Wait Sydney, you can't go there." Axel warns as he hops effortlessly over the sofa, blocking the door with his body.
"And, umm why not?" She asks, staring at the two boys in confusion. "Is something wrong?"
Their facial expressions don't falter, and they don't rush to deny the question either, giving Sydney her answer.
"Okay, so something is wrong. Tell me."
Miles finally decides to answer, the guilt eating away at him. He can barely look Sydney in the face when he says "The vampires at the mansion know where the bar is."
"What?" Sydney whispers breathlessly.
"Elias told me they were planning an attack. They've probably postponed it because of his death, but still, it's not safe for you there. For anyone." Axel says, still blockading the door.
"That's even more reason for me to go!"
"Sydney I can't." Axel tries, pleading with the girl who seems hellbent on leaving.
"I can't let more of them die, Axel." Her voice is softer now as she thinks of Julian. And it strikes something in Miles. Regret maybe? Which forces him to change his mind.
Miles stands from the sofa. "No, she's right Axel. We can't let more of them die."
Death isn't the only thing weighing Miles down. Grief and guilt cling onto each of his ankles like shackles, making it even harder for him to move on. To move forward. Miles can only hope that by doing this, by saving the bar and the rouges, that it will ease the weight that's dragging him down.
Axel stares between Miles and Sydney, the threat of losing them making it hard for him to step away from the door. He's lost Miles before, and is only now starting to get the old him back. And the one question plaguing his mind is Which risk do I take? Do I force them to stay, or do I let them go?
"It'll be us three against a group of professional killing machines. They know how to kill vampires in ways you've never heard of."
"It won't just be the three of us Axel." Sydney says. "It'll be everyone at the bar."
"We have to warn them of what's coming. It's the least we can do after what I did."
"What you did?" Sydney repeats, turning slowly to face Miles as she puts two and two together. "Was it you who told them where the bar was?"
Miles stutters, looking away from Sydney's glaring brown eyes.
"He was threatened by Elias. Miles had to tell him or Elias would have killed him." Axel interjects.
"So what?!" She retorts. The anger coming off of Sydney was like gas leaking from a pipe. "You would have just turned him anyway!"
"Sydney, you know that's not the point." Axel replies.
"No, no, the point is Miles found our bar, the only safe place us rouges actually had, and put every single one of their lives in danger. My life in danger."
"Sydney...I-I'm so so sorry." Miles apologises, wiping away the tears falling down his cheeks.
"Sorry isn't going to save all those people."
Sydney walks out the door then, Axel finally moving out of her way.
"This is all my fault." Miles whispers, his voice breaking. "I shouldn't have told Elias. I shouldn't have gone to the bar. I shouldn't have asked for more venom. I've messed up so bad."
"Shhhh." Axel says as he rests his chin on the top of Miles' head, keeping him close. "We've all made mistakes."
"Yeah, but not mistakes that will cost a bunch of people their lives."
"We'll fix this."
"How?"
"We go to the bar."
••••••••••
A/N
This is the first chapter I've written for the sequel in months. I really had to get my head back in the game for this one (Ha🏀)
Miles is such a sweetheart, but he messed up. Baaaaddddd.
I kept writing in past tense and then having to change it to present😫 so sorry for any errors.
I'm so used to editing my stories a lot that writing it as I go along is pretty scary. But I'll make it work!!!
YOU ARE READING
Infinite Miles
Teen Fiction"Because you Miles, are infinite." It was never supposed to go that way for Axel and Miles. And it was definitely not supposed to end like that too. But this is the story about what happens after the end. Follow Axel, Miles and Sydney through their...
