Chapter Ten

Chapter Ten

“They want to meet us second period.” he told me.

“So they’ve decided what they’re going to do?”

“I’m not sure, Juliet.” he whispered holding me closer, “I am sure that no matter what it’s all going to be okay.”

“You can’t know that, Simeon.” I shook my head.

“Yes I do.” he promised pulling me back to him when I started to pull away.

“Can we go to the café?” I asked trying to get my mind off everything.

“I’ve got to go hunt.” he shook his head.

“Okay.” I nodded kissing him softly. I knew that unless I was dying he wouldn’t skip hunting trips because he found it too dangerous for me to be around him without hunting.

“Love you.”

“Love you too.” I promised as he walked out of the door and then I ran up to Reuben’s room walking right in like always. I was the only one allowed in the room and he always fussed at me if I knocked.

“Little brother hunting?” he guessed.

“Yeah,” I smiled lying down on the bed and looking over at him where he was sitting at the desk, “What are you doing?” I asked curiously.

“Writing.” he shrugged. I stayed quiet turning over on the bed so I was looking at the ceiling. “Aren’t you going to talk?” he asked later.

“I figured I’d let you finish writing.” I shrugged.

“Well I’m done now.” he said closing the book and setting it aside, “What are we going to do today?”

“I actually wanted to go to the café.”

“I don’t get why you like that place so much.” he laughed.

“It’s nice.”

“It’s full of vampires and looks like a shack.”

“They have good human food and blood for you guys.”

“Do you have a real reason?”

“It’s an acquired taste.” I shrugged.

“Okay well let’s go.”

“Let’s invite everybody.” I smiled after I looked at the clock.

“He isn’t going to want to go to the café with me maybe we should just wait for him and you can go with him.” We both knew he was talking about Simeon but like usual refusing to use Simeon’s name.

“Nope you can both act mature for once and get along for me…”

“Is that what you want?” he interrupted.

“What?” I asked.

“Do you want us to get along?”

“Of course I do why do you think I’ve been working so dang hard to get you guys together?”

“Then I promise I’ll try.” he lied.

“Thank you.” I smiled figuring I could try to hold him to the lie their next fight and walked out of the room saying, “Josephine, Jordan, Decy, Peter, Lucy?”

“Yeah?” Jordan asked he and Decy had started going out a few days after school ended for break, he was a vampire too.

“Do you guys want to come to the café with us?” I asked smiling.

“What about Simeon he should be home soon?” Lucy asked worriedly. I knew they constantly worried about my growing friendship with Reuben but I had not meant to become best friends with him, again, and I was not about to break up with Simeon for him.

“I’m calling him he knew before he left I wanted to go to the café so he’s probably expecting the call.” I assured them.

“Okay let’s go.” Josephine nodded. We all headed out and climbed into Reuben’s car with me sitting right beside him.

I dialed Simeon’s number and waited for the voice mail but then surprisingly I heard, “Hello?”

“Simeon?” I asked.

“Yeah what’s wrong Juliet?”

“I’m just surprised you answered I figured I’d be talking to the voice mail.”

“Do you want me to hang up so you can tell the voice mail that you are going to the café with Reuben and want me to meet you there?” he sighed tiredly and I knew that even if Reuben was at least willing to lie and tell me he’d try harder Simeon wasn’t willing to lie to me.

“No…” I sighed, “I don’t want you to hang up.”

“Then why won’t you talk to me?”

“I’m sorry…” I sighed but still could not talk to him. Now that I could hear him, I just wanted to be in his arms it was not enough to just not talk about what was happening tomorrow.

“I’m almost there.” he promised figuring out the problem by my voice. He talked to me the entire time and I sat on the edge of car while he still talked when we arrived at the café. Finally, though he got there and everybody realized that he had been spending the entire time trying to talk me up out of my depression, they’d been watching me through the window of the shack, he came right over and pulled me out of the car holding me tight and rubbing my back. “Let’s get you something to eat.” he whispered in my ear. I nodded and he turned me to where only one of his arms were around me I put my arm around him and my head in his arm as we walked.

“Finally, I ordered you your normal.” Reuben smiled at me.

“Thanks.” I nodded at him as Simeon and I got into the booth. I leaned into Simeon and he pulled me closer.

“Hello Simeon… Aimee… always a pleasure to see the two of you.” Austin, our usual waiter, smiled.

“Thank you Austin.” I smiled when he handed me my fries and milkshake. “Do you think you could get me more latte mix we’re out?” I asked him.

“Already?” Simeon laughed.

“Yeah it’s from all the girls staying last night.” I smiled at him and he held me closer.

“I’m glad they aren’t staying tonight.” he whispered in my ear.

“Why?” I asked.

“I missed having you in my arms.” he continued in my ear and I shivered eagerly.

“I missed you too.” I promised.

“You know what I really want to do?” he whispered even quieter in my ear.

“What?” I asked twisting to face him and forgetting all about my fries and milkshake just like he had forgotten his blood. Everybody looked at us and shook their heads used to it by now.

“I want to take you home before everybody else gets there.” he whispered and then kissed me I pulled myself onto his lap eagerly kissing him harder but he pulled away and out from under me. At my face, he just got up and put some money on the table just smiling softly. “We’ll see you guys’ later.” he said holding my hand and leading me out the door. I sighed eagerly when he put me in the car.

“I love you.” I promised when he picked me up out of the car at the house.

“I love you too.” he promised carrying me close to him as he headed up the stairs. He laid me down on the bed and then laid down beside me kissing me eagerly. I held myself closer to him and kissed him harder. I felt his fangs starting to come out and pushed the kiss deeper yet again; I let my head back when his fangs came all the way out but he just kissed my neck.

“Please Simeon…” I begged feeling the need I had been feeling more and more ever since he had told me he was not going to feed from me anymore.

“No.” he shook his head and his fangs went back in.

“Why not?” I asked.

“I told you Juliet that I’m never going to feed from you again.” he shook his head.

“Wait never?” I asked catching the word as we heard everybody starting to come in the house. They were all very loud but we ignored them as the room became suddenly tense.

“Yes never.”

“But what about when…?” I asked I had always just assumed that he was going to change me one day.

“Never.” he shook his head.

“I just assumed that you were going to change me.” I whispered trying to hide my hurt.

“Of course I’m not.” he said and I untwisted from him starting to get up and walking out of the room leaving for the first time when I was hurt. I heard him get up after a second.

“What’s wrong, Aims?!” Decima asked worriedly when she saw me. Everybody was suddenly silent following her eyes to my hurt.

“Nothing,” I whispered continuing out the door.

“Please stop and talk to me, Juliet.” Simeon said wrapping his arms around me and I knew his eyes had not missed the tears falling from my eyes. He turned me in his arms so my face was in his chest. “I’m sorry I didn’t mean to hurt you.” he whispered in my hair.

“Why?” I asked.

“I love you, Juliet. I’d never purposefully hurt…” he started looking at me worriedly as if he wanted to go kill Ryan for ever touching me.

“No not that…” I shook my head, “Why won’t you change me?” I whispered my voice breaking.

“I hate what I am… I can’t do this to you.” I relaxed into his arms feeling better knowing that it was just his insecurities about being a vampire keeping him from changing me and not me. “Will you please come back inside with me now?” he asked above my lips.

“In a second,” I promised bringing my lips up to his and kissing him softly before pulling away and heading inside with him.

“Why don’t you two stay down here for a second?” Josephine asked

“Why?” I asked pointedly still heading up the stairs but Simeon pulled on me and headed back down so I followed him and just sat in his lap when he sat down. “Are you going to honor me with the reason I have to stay downstairs instead of going upstairs and…?” I trailed off not really wanting to admit Simeon and I had been fighting.

“We already know you guys would be upstairs making up.” Decima said rolling her eyes, “I mean come on you two fight more since we moved in here than a married couple.” I flinched at her assessment but realized how true it was.

“It’s okay.” Simeon whispered in my ear, “I don’t plan on fighting anymore, but if I had to fight with anyone there’s nobody I’d rather makeup with than you.” he promised and I smiled relaxing into his arms as he kissed my neck.

“I’m sorry Aims I shouldn’t have said that.” Decima said realizing exactly what Simeon was having to deal with now.

“No you’re right we have been fighting a lot.” I shook my head and just put it in his chest ending his kisses. Simeon looked at me worriedly but I would not meet his gaze I just knew that I did not want to be down here for whatever we were waiting for.

Finally the doorbell rang and Decima got up to answer it, “Come on in.” she said and she appeared back around the corner.

“I’ll be upstairs!” I said when I saw Deborah and Kyle confirming my feeling.

“No stay here.” Simeon ordered tightening his arms.

“You know if you were going to start being all authority you could try to do that at school but not in our personal life Simeon not right now.” I begged.

“You need to talk to them.” he whispered, “Please you’ve missed them.”

“That doesn’t mean anything. I miss my parents too and I can’t get them back.” I snapped and Reuben showed up. “Reuben, get me out of here.” I begged.

“No you need to stay.” he shook his head.

“The one time you two have to agree!” I yelled angrily and I felt the tears coming along with a major fit. Simeon saw the same thing and let go of me. I immediately took off running to Simeon’s room. I slammed the door and collapsed onto the bed.

“Why don’t you two stay down here with everybody and I’ll go try to talk her into coming down.” Simeon voice came from downstairs.

“I’m not going down there.” I said when he’d gotten his way through the lock and the chair I’d propped up against the door even though I’d known they wouldn’t stop him. All it’d done is make it where we needed a new door to replace the broken one and we didn’t have a desk chair anymore either.

“Juliet, please just listen to my side for a second.” he begged.

“No they decided not to adopt us and that made it where we were thrown on our butts at eighteen.” I shook my head, “If any of us meant anything they’d at least find us a place at eighteen or help when we’re told we have the afternoon to pack and get out.”

“You might feel better if you tell them that though, Juliet.”

“I’m not confrontational and we know it.”

“Please just at least come downstairs and sit with me so that Decima feels like it is okay to talk to them. She feels like she’s betraying you by not feeling like you do about them.”

“Why don’t you just go get her and I’ll give her permission to like the people that threw us on the curb like leftovers?”

“You still use that analogy?” Reuben asked at the door.

“Get out.” I ordered he knew better than to interrupt private conversations between Simeon and me. It really ticked Simeon off, and it took me forever to get Simeon to calm down and I was not in the mood to deal with that.

“Fine but I just thought I could help.”

“You can’t.” I shook my head, “Thank you though.” I said softer when he turned and walked away. Simeon held me tighter knowing exactly why I had been so rough on Reuben for interrupting. “So are you going to get her?” I asked.

“No because in telling her it’s okay for her to like them you’ll describe them like that instead of using their names and it’ll be so contradictory she won’t believe you.” he shook his head.

“So pretty much you’re saying I have to give up my pity party leave this room and go downstairs so that Decima will feel comfortable liking two jerks?” I asked.

“Two people that took you in for two years of your life.” he nodded.

“Those people are the ones that made me…” I trailed off not wanting to get into it. “Let’s just say those two years weren’t as good for me as they were for her.”

“Then why’d you stay?”

“Because the only other place I could go and not get within the distance of the restraining order that went with Ryan’s probation was an orphanage.” I whispered.

“Before that the one when they made you break up with Reuben?” he whispered.

“Social Services doesn’t call that abuse and Decy loved the place.” I shrugged getting up. I walked to the door and he reached for me.

“Thank you, Juliet.” he whispered kissing me softly.

“For what?”

“For not leaving for the orphanage… for doing this now… for loving me… for forgiving me… for everything…”

“Why for not going to the orphanage you weren’t even here?”

“I wouldn’t ever have met you and I wouldn’t be able to thank you for all of this now.” he whispered in my ear and smiled.

“I love you.” I promised on his lips.

“I love you too,” he promised when he pulled away and then holding me close he lead me downstairs.

“I’m not expected to talk am I?” I checked.

“No.” he shook his head and then he pulled me the rest of the way down and sat me down in his lap. I saw Decima’s relief at having me back and I nodded a little before just putting my head on Simeon.

“Are you still mad at us, Aimee?” Kyle asked.

“Yes.” I said outright.

“What did we do?” Deborah asked.

“I’m not talking about that.” I shook my head, “I’ve told you and you chose not to listen so I’m down here making an effort for Simeon and Decy not for you.” Simeon’s family took a step back at my unusual bluntness and Simeon held me tighter realizing he did not know everything about the hurt that came from seeing them.

“You’ll make an effort for me… your mother.” Deborah said and as always it was the most painful statement, she could ever make.

“You are not my mother.” I whispered shaking my head.

“Yes I am remember I used to cheer too when I was in high school and I went to all of your cheer competitions when you still talked to me and…”

“That doesn’t make you my mom.” I shook my head painfully and a tear fell as I saw Decima’s shock she had never been there for the times Deborah had tried to convince me that she was my mother. I also saw pain in her face though because Deborah had never tried to convince her that she was her mom.

“I think it’s time you two leave.” Simeon said quickly when the tears hit his arm faster.

“Come say bye to me and your father Aimee baby.” Deborah said.

“You’re not my parents.” I whispered begging.

“You need to leave now!” Peter said quickly when he walked in and he pushed on them I heard the door shut and the dam broke all the way.

“Why didn’t you tell somebody?” Decima asked.

“She did.” Reuben said at the bottom of the stairs and they all looked at him nobody, but Simeon and me, still knew the truth about the real identity of Sol. “She told Sol. She told me.” he said not knowing that I had hidden the truth.

“You’re Sol?!” Decima yelled. “You’ve been hanging out with your ex and you want to know how your boyfriend can have a problem with it?!?!” she yelled at me.

“Not right now Decima!!” Peter, Reuben, and Simeon all yelled at her and Jordan just shook his head.

“When did she tell you?” Simeon asked him.

“Back when we were dating when she first got there.” he told him.

“You didn’t tell me.” Simeon turned on him.

“I thought it had stopped I asked her before I left and she said it had.”

“I thought you were going to go to the social worker and they’d make us leave.” I whispered. “I couldn’t do that to Decy I figured I could handle it. You promised to call wherever you ended up. So I told myself if it got worse I’d tell you then.” I knew they could all hear the pain that his not calling had caused me but that nobody would mention it.

“Why didn’t you tell me while we were upstairs?” Simeon asked me.

“You said that Decima was feeling like she was betraying me by liking them… I didn’t think she’d start here and if I told you then you’d make me tell Decy and she’d lose another set of parent figures.” I shook my head. “I…”

“You have got to stop protecting me!!” Decima yelled, “Do you realize this whole conversation your thought process has been Decy this and Decima that?” she asked.

“What your thought process back then if you were going through something that might mean changing homes wouldn’t be Aims this and Aimee that?” I checked.

“It’s different.”

“How?”

“It’s me thinking in the second one.” she whispered hugging me.

“So you understand?” I asked.

“Yes I understand.” she nodded.

“Thank you.” I whispered and then yawned.

“Let’s get you to sleep.” Simeon suggested picking me up. I put my head in his chest and closed my eyes. I woke up again when he put me in bed but he just crawled in beside me pulling the covers over us and whispered, “Go back to sleep.” I nodded and kissed his chest before I closed my eyes.