The Best Way to Kill Your Boyfriend

Lies

I left a letter for Jake in the mailbox. He would find it. I had to prepare.

I didn't seem to be able to stay away from this interesting, enticing, delicious human who loved me. So I wouldn't. But I would only let him see Human Ashleigh. The Ashleigh that hadn't been born 150 years ago. The Ashleigh I hid behind when I was interacting with humans (which I didn't do often). The Ashleigh that wouldn't be struggling with her desire to kill him.

I couldn't let Jake see who - what - I really was. 

Apart from the fact that I might kill Jake, there was just one problem with my idea. If I went out with him, that would mean, in human terms, we were "dating". That we were in love. 

I didn't know what love felt like.

I could barely recall my human years. I had certainly never loved anyone - at least, not like that. And in my century and a half as a vampire, I had never found anyone, human or vampire, that I had wanted. So how could I love Jake, if I didn't know what love felt like?

I was going to have to lie.

I had lied before. But never in a situation like this. It should be easy. 

I went home and came up with a story. I tried to predict every possible question Jake might ask, and come up with acceptably human answers.

What's your favorite colour? Aqua. (This was true.)

When's your birthday? The fifth of September. (Also true, excluding the fact that I was over 100 years old.)

How old are you? Fourteen. (The same age as Jake, but false.)

Do you have any pets? I had a goldfish once, but it died. (False.)

Do you have any siblings? I'm an only child. (False. I had two brothers and three sisters when I was human.)

What's your favorite food? Ummm... This one stumped me. I couldn't exactly say "Probably your blood, but I haven't checked".

Pizza. That was an acceptable human answer.

I went out hunting again, trying to sate my ever-burning thirst before tomorrow. Never mind that that was pretty much impossible. 

Tomorrow came on too fast.

I met Jake in the park at twilight. When I appeared out of the shadows, he started, not having heard my silent footsteps. Human senses really were pathetic. 

"Hi," Jake stuttered.

"Hello." I said quietly. 

"So..." Jake said uncomfortably. "Your letter said we would be going for a walk?"

"That's right." Why was I speaking? A simple nod would have done the job perfectly well. I was just using up air, which would mean I would have to breathe around Jake. That would be a good way to get him killed.

Why was I even doing this?

We started walking in silence. I heard Jake's foot bump against a rock and I automatically righted him. Jake's heart stuttered and I realised I had moved at what was, for me, normal speed, instead of human speed. To distract him, I asked, "How come you tripped?"

Jake laughed. "I may or may not have terrible night vision."

"Ah..." I didn't know what to say. I did remember how awful human eyes were - looking at my memories from when I wasn't immortal was like trying to stare through muddy water. My bright red eyes could see every speck of dirt on the path.

Jake stared at me intensely. "Can I ask you a question?"

I nodded, trying to preserve air for my answer.

"How come your eyes are red?"

Of course he would ask the one question I hadn't prepared an answer for!

"Well?" Jake prodded when I didn't answer. 

I said the first thing I could think of.

"I don't know. I was born like this."

That was it for my air supply. I sucked in a quick breath and winced as the scent of Jake's blood, the most tempting aroma in the world, hit me. Jake noticed.

"What's wrong?" he asked, concerned.

"I..." I fumbled. "I have... a very good sense of smell. Sometimes it can be a bit too much to handle... especially when..." I trailed off, not knowing how to complete the sentence. How was I going to get through an entire night of this, especially when Jake was asking all the wrong questions?

"Okay," was Jake's reply, although he looked unsatisfied.

We continued on like this for some time, Jake asking me questions and me answering with lies. Every now and then, I had to breathe in order to answer, and each time, the scent hit my most basic instincts - instincts that were usually fatal to humans.