Monteverde Academy

Chapter-30

I headed back to our room and saw that Bianca had fallen asleep. I climbed into my bed and pulled the covers up to my chin. For some reason, I couldn't sleep. I kept replaying the conversation in my head over and over again. 

Bianca woke up as soon as the sun went down. She started gathering her stuff and putting it back in her suitcase. 

"What are you doing?" I asked her. 

"We are leaving. We have so many places left to see." 

I found that I wanted to stay. I convinced Bianca to stay for another week. We went boating and shopping and went to clubs together that night. We collapsed on the bed, feeling tired.

Again, Bianca instantly fell asleep. I got up and wandered out into the corridor. I came across a door leading to the balcony. I stepped out and put my hands on the railing. The sun hadn't risen yet, though it was about to. I shook my hair out of my ponytail and let the wind breeze through it. I was staring at the sky when I heard a familiar voice behind me. 

"Up so soon?" 

It was Aiden. I turned and smiled at him. 

"I could ask you the same thing, you know." 

"Someone's in a good mood this morning," he said, raising his eyebrows. "Anything special?" 

"Nothing- It's just a beautiful morning." I stepped away from the balcony as the sun came up. I stared in his warm brown eyes and felt myself losing in them, unable to look away. 

                                      *** 

Present Day

I opened my eyes slowly. Bianca was shaking me awake and yelling at me to hurry up. I showered quickly and followed her out of the room. I attended the rest of my classes like a zombie, the events of the summer trip flashing before my eyes. I remembered our first few meetings clearly.

How I had fallen for Aiden, how his warm eyes saw right through me, how soft his dark hair was. He was so responsible- he loved his ill mother and took care of her. He rarely ever left her side, until his sister insisted he needed a break. He was studying to be a doctor and he wanted to heal the sick. He was kind, trustworthy and sweet, yet, he had a sense of humour and wasn't afraid to try new things.

Then I remembered how everything went wrong and the horror of it all. He had asked why I never went out in the morning and instead of lying, I confided in him like he always confided in me. I was scared, but I told him. He told me it didn't matter what I was, he loved me. But, I didn't know one thing- To a Carthan, the smell of the blood of the person you fell in love with was like a drug. I resisted. But one day, I lost control. And he nearly died. I remember the horror and revulsion I felt and shuddered to think what would have happened if Bianca hadn't barged in. There was so much blood everywhere and we rushed him to the hospital. 

They managed to save him, but barely. He didn't wake up for days. That was when Bianca tried to convince me, but I had already decided myself. I hugged him one last time, and stared into those deep eyes I loved so much. I gazed into those liquid warm eyes, and I made him forget me. It wasn't as easy for me, but I tried to forget him. I lost the urge to feed, eat, sleep and live. I thought about going back, but I never did. 

Then somehow, my dad got to know. He snatched my diary away, and read it. He read about those times I was contemplating going back and he flew into a rage. He screamed at me and I yelled back at him. We had the biggest falling out ever, and I said unforgivable things to him and he didn't hold back either.

He said I needed to care about my family's reputation and he didn't even ask once how I was, what I was going through. We had been very close before, and now we weren't even on talking terms. He'd called Aiden a filthy human who had corrupted me. I still saw red whenever I thought about it.

Everything messed up. I tried my best to forget him. But it wasn't enough.

And now he was back.