Chapter Eighth

 “Leave?” I croaked.

“Gerard, obviously I put this on you too early…” she turned around and wiggled in her jeans. Even in clothes those legs looked astonishing.

“Have you told anyone else?” I asked frantically.

“Of course not!” she threw her hands up, but kept brushing her hair out. She really was leaving me.

“I thought – vampires – couldn’t change.”

“They usually can’t. What do you mean by change?”

“Well, your hair got longer since the first time I saw you, um,” I fumbled for words.

“I got hair extensions and then dyed them.” Her pale hands reflected the moon light and I could see clothes in her hand. She was throwing them in a bag.

“Ava,” I jumped up, about to drape my arms around her, but suddenly stopped. “Please don’t leave. Ava, I love you, remember?”

“You loved the human Ava. You won’t even touch me. Gerard, you will be much better off without me.” She turned around and touched my hand, ice cold flashes shot through my veins and she let off. The intense gaze she had me trapped in kept me from looking away.

“But frank and mikey…” I whimpered. She just couldn’t do this to me.

“Don’t like or love me.” She finished. Abruptly I put my hands on her shoulders; they were surprisingly cold. She looked up at me and cocked her head.

“I would really rather you stay here. Maybe we can work this out.”

“Yeah and go to some shrink like two married couples. Gerard, no.” her shoulders started shaking and quirky noises came from her mouth, but I didn’t see any tears.

“How come you weren’t like this before? Cold and hard.”

“Peter injected me with that stuff and now I can’t hide what I really am.” She sniffled and whipped away the invisible tears, looking away from me.

“You’re really leaving me?”

“I think it’s for the best.”

“What ever you say.” Hesitantly I kissed her forehead.

“You’re very warm.” She whispered with a smile.

“Only to you.” I watched her walk a few feet. “Wait,” I ran and caught her arm. She turned around quickly, but gracefully. “Will I ever see you again?”

“I’m going back to jersey. Maybe you could come visit me, but only when you feel like it.” She pulled herself up and kissed me. This kiss was the best so far. Somehow she was totally different. Her sweet breath intoxicated my mouth and wafted up to my brain, making it hard to stand. Ava pushed me over on the bed and held me down. I let her have all of me that she wanted. Her lips ran the route of mine and then she started kissing my collar bone. Discreetly I licked my lips. God, I’d never tasted anything like it. Her cold fingers prodded at me shirt and suddenly her lips were at my throat. In all of the horror vampire movies I’d watched the woman was always seduced by the man, not the other way around. Her breath caught in her throat and I heard her swallow hard, my heart beat picked up when she didn’t move.

She chuckled lightly, “Gerard, I’m not going to kill you. I’m far too selfish.” She chuckled again and retreated, “you honestly thought I was going to kill you? Ha! Yeah right.” She twirled around on one heel while I was still too shocked to move, but in one small movement her beautiful face was centimetres from mine.

“We just need a break from each other.” She exhaled hard, letting it coat my nose and once again intoxicate me. Before she broke off I kissed her one last time, biting her lip as I did. Finally, I grinned mischievously. She stroked from my ear to my jaw line before getting off and gliding out the door. My whole face felt tingly throughout the night, but I couldn’t help but think that she wouldn’t be there in the morning.