Chapter Twenty-Three

 Ava’s P.O.V

  When I got home I sat down in the kitchen and put my head in my hands, trying to forget. Vampires don’t regret. I told my self many times over and over again and after a few minutes I gradually started to feel better. My phone vibrated and I picked it up, knowing who it was.

“Ava, did…did you get home okay? I hit my head on the door and I…” wow, he doesn’t even know what happened. That’s good.

“Yeah, just walked. Are you okay?”

“Yeah,” he shuffled around, probably falling all over the place, and then gained his breath. “Ava I remember what you said.” I gulped. “And honestly, I don’t care. Just um, don’t…ya know…Gerard.” I laughed quietly.

“I’m far too selfish. You don’t have to worry about that. Go to bed, frank.” I hung up quickly and changed. Once I was done with that I crawled in bed next to Gee. He was breathing softly, obviously not awoken by my departure, and snuggled warmly into the bed. I traced his face with my fingertips, longing to have the same warmth in my skin, and saved his lips for last. Sighing, I closed my eyes and dug my head into the pillow, and drew lines on his hand.

“I love you, Gerard Way, don’t ever forget that.” He didn’t stir like I hoped he would and wake up, taking my hand in his, pledging his own love to me. My mind was still in the nineteen hundreds. I hadn’t yet left it all behind. It’s about time I start to.

  I eased out of the sheets and kneeled down beside my bed, pulling two boxes from underneath. Suddenly, the monster inside me wrenched back from the familiar smell, so I got up and went to the kitchen. After quenching my thirst I resumed my place, sorting through my old memories. I licked my lips and picked up the first photo. Wow, these are so old. Nigel and I stood in front of a rather big tree, his arm around my shoulder and my hands hooked around his waist. The smile on my lips must have seemed so genuine at the time, but I could see the real hurt behind the glass. Nigel looked happy. He always had looked happy with me, no matter what. Whether we were in public or sitting in the local library together, he was always happy with me. I sighed and discarded it into the ‘go away’ pile.

  After another hundred or so photographs and two trips to the trash can, I made my way to the second box. I knew this one would be harder to look through; it had all of my trinkets inside. A jewellery box, necklaces, pendants, rings, a pair of old bi-focals cluttered and tangled with each other. I laughed at my un-neat organization and anxiously picked up the jewellery box. My fingers automatically ran over the familiar patters carved into the wood. I couldn’t exactly remember the day I got it, but I figured it was special. Just above me, Gerard inhaled loudly. Figuring he was just startled, I continued to look through the box, but to my dismay Gerard swung his jeans over the bedside and started sticking his legs into them.

“Hey, sugar.” He winked, but failed to look down at my fingers. Discreetly and quickly I shoved the stuff under the bed again and got up. Gerard had only blinked in the one second I put everything away. He hadn’t gotten his jeans past his knees so I pulled them off to reveal his blue and red plaid boxers. I laughed and eased on top of him, while pulling a sheet between us so he wouldn’t get cold.

“Nah, get that thing away.” He tugged at the sheet and I let him take it off, proceeding to sit on him. He gasped when my inner thigh touched his legs. I shook my head disapprovingly, but still laughed, proceeding to my desired position. Gerard leaned back on his elbows, taking in my appearance. I rolled my eyes at his impish grin and laid my chest on his chest, wrapping my hands around his back, and rested my head on his collar bone. Hesitantly, he lifted up and stroked my still half curly hair.

“I love your hair curly. Would you mind taking the time to re-do it?”

“Course.”

“What’s wrong?”

“A bit sleepy.”

“But you don’t sleep.”

“What?” I rose up, honestly confused.
”I’m not stupid, Ava. If you’re heart doesn’t work and there’s no brain activity, nothing, then why need to sleep.”

“You’re too smart for your own good.” I snuggled back into him, remembering then what he had said the night before about the sleeping thing. “I think we should see the guys today.”

“And why is that?”

“You miss them.”

“What do you mean?” he continued playing with my curls.

“You talked about it in your sleep.” I lied.

“Okay, we can go see them.”