came to mind.
‘But I thought you were angry with me,’ I said.
His strong arms pulled me to him gently and his grasp was firm around my shoulders. His palm rested on the centre of my back and I lifted my chin to him. Underneath his shirt collar was a black
leather strap. A glint of a silver pendant peeked out from his shirt when he moved, but Justin drew me closer. I wondered what kind of pendant it was and what else could have changed over the
summer. The sound of a guitar filled the room and the melancholy piano swirled through me. Our eyes met and Justin’s gentle gaze compelled me to speak.
‘I really am sorry. About Rhode, about . . .’ I hesitated. It felt odd to apologize for almost dying when I performed the ritual. ‘Well, like I said, I’m sorry. About all
of it.’
He hushed me gently and nuzzled his nose to my shoulder. He grabbed on tighter and we started to revolve.
‘About Tony . . .’
‘Shhh,’ he said again, and this time I closed my eyes. I was back at winter prom with Justin, dancing under the sparkling lights. In this modern world, people danced so intimately.
Body to body, chest to chest. I could sense Justin’s desire in the heat between us. This close, the music made me aware of his wanting. The vampire in me longed to feel Justin’s
heartbeat. And when I closed my eyes and listened to the song . . . I did.
Imagine if this was Rhode. What would he say about modern dancing? There were no choreographed steps like we had in the medieval era. Just two bodies, together, moving. If this was Rhode,
his hands would come up my back, landing at the base of my neck. Justin’s hands slipped under my arms. Goosebumps swept over me. Justin pulled me even closer so my lips kissed the crook of
his neck.
Yes, he’s here. Rhode’s here. This is not Justin, but Rhode.
Rhode squeezed me closer as the musical serenade echoed in the room. I swallowed nervously and let myself give in to my fantasy. Rhode and I spun in that room, his graceful hands flowing up and
down my body. His warmth, his human warmth, overwhelmed me. Rhode pulled me closer so there was no space between us. He kissed my neck, sending chills through me.
Love. What a strange word. How endless. How it had defined my beliefs for so long. Because we had run through decades of time, hands held, always, always waking with the moon. We revelled in
every colour of sunset.
‘I love you so much,’ I whispered.
‘I love you too,’ a strange voice replied.
The American accent startled me from my reverie. I blinked a few times, holding on to the wisps of the fantasy, but knowing as I lifted my chin that I would look into Justin’s eyes and not
Rhode’s.
We kept dancing even though my spell had broken into a thousand pieces.
‘I thought when you saw Rhode it would be over between us,’ Justin said.
I can’t have Rhode. I’ll never touch his hand again. It’s over.
I refocused on Justin.
‘I thought it would be easier to be mad at you,’ he continued.
‘I’m not used to the angry version of you,’ I replied.
‘I can’t stop loving you, Lenah. I can’t,’ he replied softly. ‘I keep trying. But I can’t.’
I looked into his eyes as the song slowed to its last bars.
I can make this happen. Can’t I? Justin and me?
This was so much easier than the endless rejection from Rhode. Nothing supernatural was telling us we couldn’t be together. Nothing was stopping us.
Justin held my cheek with his hand and ran his thumb across my cheekbone. I searched his eyes. What was love anyway? Love was warmth and comfort. Love was for the living. Justin could help me
feel alive again. I knew he could. I had felt it last year.
I didn’t want to come back. I had to. Rhode’s words reverberated in my mind.
Justin leaned forward and kissed the top of my nose.
‘Want to walk back?’ he asked. ‘Thirty minutes until Williams’s stupid curfew.’
We shut off the lights in the listening room. Justin stole one more
‘But I thought you were angry with me,’ I said.
His strong arms pulled me to him gently and his grasp was firm around my shoulders. His palm rested on the centre of my back and I lifted my chin to him. Underneath his shirt collar was a black
leather strap. A glint of a silver pendant peeked out from his shirt when he moved, but Justin drew me closer. I wondered what kind of pendant it was and what else could have changed over the
summer. The sound of a guitar filled the room and the melancholy piano swirled through me. Our eyes met and Justin’s gentle gaze compelled me to speak.
‘I really am sorry. About Rhode, about . . .’ I hesitated. It felt odd to apologize for almost dying when I performed the ritual. ‘Well, like I said, I’m sorry. About all
of it.’
He hushed me gently and nuzzled his nose to my shoulder. He grabbed on tighter and we started to revolve.
‘About Tony . . .’
‘Shhh,’ he said again, and this time I closed my eyes. I was back at winter prom with Justin, dancing under the sparkling lights. In this modern world, people danced so intimately.
Body to body, chest to chest. I could sense Justin’s desire in the heat between us. This close, the music made me aware of his wanting. The vampire in me longed to feel Justin’s
heartbeat. And when I closed my eyes and listened to the song . . . I did.
Imagine if this was Rhode. What would he say about modern dancing? There were no choreographed steps like we had in the medieval era. Just two bodies, together, moving. If this was Rhode,
his hands would come up my back, landing at the base of my neck. Justin’s hands slipped under my arms. Goosebumps swept over me. Justin pulled me even closer so my lips kissed the crook of
his neck.
Yes, he’s here. Rhode’s here. This is not Justin, but Rhode.
Rhode squeezed me closer as the musical serenade echoed in the room. I swallowed nervously and let myself give in to my fantasy. Rhode and I spun in that room, his graceful hands flowing up and
down my body. His warmth, his human warmth, overwhelmed me. Rhode pulled me closer so there was no space between us. He kissed my neck, sending chills through me.
Love. What a strange word. How endless. How it had defined my beliefs for so long. Because we had run through decades of time, hands held, always, always waking with the moon. We revelled in
every colour of sunset.
‘I love you so much,’ I whispered.
‘I love you too,’ a strange voice replied.
The American accent startled me from my reverie. I blinked a few times, holding on to the wisps of the fantasy, but knowing as I lifted my chin that I would look into Justin’s eyes and not
Rhode’s.
We kept dancing even though my spell had broken into a thousand pieces.
‘I thought when you saw Rhode it would be over between us,’ Justin said.
I can’t have Rhode. I’ll never touch his hand again. It’s over.
I refocused on Justin.
‘I thought it would be easier to be mad at you,’ he continued.
‘I’m not used to the angry version of you,’ I replied.
‘I can’t stop loving you, Lenah. I can’t,’ he replied softly. ‘I keep trying. But I can’t.’
I looked into his eyes as the song slowed to its last bars.
I can make this happen. Can’t I? Justin and me?
This was so much easier than the endless rejection from Rhode. Nothing supernatural was telling us we couldn’t be together. Nothing was stopping us.
Justin held my cheek with his hand and ran his thumb across my cheekbone. I searched his eyes. What was love anyway? Love was warmth and comfort. Love was for the living. Justin could help me
feel alive again. I knew he could. I had felt it last year.
I didn’t want to come back. I had to. Rhode’s words reverberated in my mind.
Justin leaned forward and kissed the top of my nose.
‘Want to walk back?’ he asked. ‘Thirty minutes until Williams’s stupid curfew.’
We shut off the lights in the listening room. Justin stole one more
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