CHAPTER 36

MYRA

A reluctant goodbye

THE SUN COMING through the window hurt my eyes so I shut them tighter and burrowed deeper into the covers.

"Wake up, baby girl," my father's voice called.

"Just ten more minutes, Daddy."

"Now. Your mother's already down in the car."

I groaned and opened my eyes. "Why do we have to go?"

"You love the lake. And the Johnsons will be there. You can play with Alyssa."

"I don't like Alyssa. She's mean to me."

"She's your best friend."

"I don't have a best friend. I don't have any friends."

"Well whose fault is that?" my father asked.

"Whose fault is that, Myra?"

"No one likes you, Myra."

"You need to get out and meet people, Myra."

"I know it hurts now Myra, but there will be other boys."

I opened my eyes to shut out the voices and felt a moment of panic. Nothing looked familiar. I scanned the darkened room, taking in the green LED lights from the beeping machines next to the bed.

I was in a hospital?

How did I get here?

I tried to sit up and felt a wave of dizziness wash over me.

"That's probably not wise right now," a deep, buttery voice said.

My eyes picked him out, standing behind the closed door, his face in shadow thanks to the dark hoodie he wore. My panic increased as the memory of what had happened came back to me.

"Are you here to hurt me?"

He took a step closer, and I felt myself cringe back against the bed. "I would never hurt you, Myra."

I squeezed my eyes shut as recent events came flooding back. At least, I thought they were recent. "How long have I been here?"

"A few hours. Long enough to replenish your blood."

The mention of that caused my pulse to stutter, which was reflected in the soft beeping of the machine.

"Careful. You'll have them running in here before I've said what I came to say."

I was torn; this was Julianus, the man I thought I…what, loved? No, but at least cared for. Lusted after.

But he was also something else. If the other man, Christopher was to be believed, he was a killer, though he hadn't killed those girls .

"You knew that man, Christopher?"

He nodded. "Yes, I did."

"And you killed him."

He stepped closer, his eyes holding mine. "Yes."

"Who was he?"

"One of the ones who made me what I am."

"And what is that?" I asked.

"I think you know."

"I want to hear you say it."

He sighed. "I'm a vampire."

Knowing it and hearing it were two different things. It was crazy, and yet it all made perfect sense. The bodies drained of blood, the way his presence seemed to affect me.

"Are you going to kill me?"

He smiled and shook his head. "I told you, Myra, I would never hurt you. I did my best to save you." He reached the side of the bed and took my hand in his. "I never meant for any of this to happen to you. I didn't know about Christopher being here, though I guess I should have when the murders started."

"You knew it was him?"

"The roses kind of gave it away." When I quirked a brow, he shook his head. "It's a long story that we don't have time for. I just wanted to come by and make sure you were okay before I left."

"You're leaving?" All my earlier fear was gone in that statement.

"Considering all that's happened, I think it's for the best. I've overstayed my welcome here by years."

"But…what will I do?"

"You'll be fine, Myra. You have friends, people who care about you. And you have him. "

He nodded toward the opposite side of the bed. I turned and for the first time noticed the man sleeping in the chair in the corner.

"How long has he been there?"

"All night. He's the one who brought you here."

"How?"

"I called him. Give him a chance, Myra. I think he might love you."

He bent over the bed and dropped a soft kiss on my lips. I closed my eyes, savoring the contact that was over too soon. When I opened them, I couldn't stop a tear from escaping.

"Where will you go?"

"I'm not sure right now."

"Will I ever see you again?"

"No." He squeezed my hand again. "You have a good life, Myra."

And then he turned and walked out the door. The sound of it clicking shut again caused the man in the chair to stir. He sat up and wiped his eyes, pulling himself together. When he saw that I was awake, he stood and cautiously approached the bed.

"How are you feeling?"

What could I say? Part of me was broken-hearted, while another part was grateful to be alive. I looked up, meeting his eyes. They still had that haunted look I'd seen earlier when we'd fought in the quad, but there was something else there as well. Hope.

"I think I'm going to be all right."

He nodded and ran his hand through his hair in what I'd come to realize was a nervous habit. He opened his mouth to say something, closed it, then seemed to come to a conclusion. "Myra, I'm sorry for being a jerk to you. "

I swallowed the lump in my throat and nodded. "It's okay."

"No, it's not. But I'd like to make it up to you. Do you think…" he hesitated, running his hand through his hair again. "Is there any chance we could maybe, um, start over?"

I thought about that. I did still like him. When he wasn't being a dick, he was sweet and funny and yes, sexy. And I guess I can understand now why he acted the way he did after the attack. The truth was, I missed him.

"I think that would be nice, Ron."