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Chapter Twenty-Four
I Never Said That
I realized skipping school isn’t the smartest thing to be doing at the moment, but I thought the temporary relief from Cassandra’s watchful eye, Jessica’s lies, and Nigel all together, would help me relax a little.
I walked up the front steps, fiddling with my key chain to find the right key, but I realized it wasn’t necessary. The front door was open a crack.
I wrapped my key chain in my hand so the keys were sticking out of my fingers and pushed the door open. I stepped across the threshold and into the hall, glancing in every direction.
My head perked up when the sound of the piano flooded into the halls from the other room.
“What the hell?” I whispered.
I half ran to the room. My heart was racing, but not for the right reason. I automatically assumed it was Jasper. Who else would be playing that piano? I wanted him out of my house. He left and should have stayed gone.
I walked up to the door of Jasper’s sitting room. He was sitting at the piano, his long fingers dancing across the black and white keys. I watched as he played a tune I didn’t recognize. He didn’t look up at me, or give any recognition that he even knew I was standing there.
“Ah,” he finally said. “But I do know you are here.”
“Nigel,” I sighed. “I thought you might be Jasper.”
Nigel slammed his hands on the keys, letting loose a loud flat tone. He shook his head and looked ahead of him.
“I thought that if I showed you that I could be good, you would forget about that pussy.” He stood up and walked over to me. With each step my heart race grew faster and faster. “Nothing I’ve done will make you forget him. Tell me what I can do, anything and it’s yours.”
His eyes where glistening and wet with moisture, pleading with me to be with him.
“Nigel,” I whispered breathlessly. “All I want is my own thoughts and my own feelings.”
His eyebrows furrowed together. He was close enough for me to just reach up on my toes and kiss him.
“I know you’ve taken them from me. Jessica told me today in school. I don’t know how it works but whatever you’re doing, just stop.” My voice turned sweet and I put my hand on his chest. “Please,” I whispered against his lips.
A shudder went through his body. He sighed a little and wrapped his arms around my waist. “I didn’t do what you think I did. I only continued what Jessica had started. I am doing this to help you. You said it yourself, ‘there’s no point in crying over someone who’s never coming back.’ I just sealed the deal.”
I stepped back from him, but still in his grasp. “I never said that.”
He stared at me, jaw dropped open. Nigel was at a loss of words. I pulled at his arms until he let me go. I backed out of the room and ran down the hall to the door.
He was there, waiting patiently for me by the time I reached the foyer.
“Please let me explain,” he pleaded with me.
“No!” I screamed, turning and running in the opposite direction.
I ran all the way down to the dinning room and skidded to a halt. Nigel was sitting on the table; hand on one raised knee, looking more confident than ever.
“We can play this game all day, Genna,” he said as I ran away. “I’ll always be a step ahead of you.”
A ghostly chuckled echoed of the walls of the house. I ran up the stairs two at a time, attempting to get away from him. When I reached the second floor, I almost ran into the wall and fell to the floor. I scrambled to my feet, almost falling again. I had no idea what I was going to do once I got to my bedroom.
Call 9-1-1 with my shattered cell phone?
I didn’t know, but I didn’t let that stop me.
“Genna,” he called, as if we were playing Hide-and Seek like children. “You can run, but you cannot hide!”
When I finally reached my room, I slammed the door shut and locked it. I backed away from the door, deep sobs forming in my chest. Tears streamed down my cheeks. I clutched at my chest as if I were falling apart.
In a flood of pain, all the feelings washed back to me. The hurt of being left behind. They pain of loosing the one I loved. The shock that he actually left me. The torturous cries that were hidden deep inside, rose in one large sob. The numbness had subsided, and yet, I was grateful.
I continued to back away from the door, but was stopped. I screamed and fell to the floor, thinking it was my attacker. I turned quickly and realized it wasn’t Nigel at all. He stood there, tall and as pale as ever.
He slowly bent down to me and looked me straight in the eyes. “Are you alright?” He asked, holding out his hand for me to take.
I screamed again when Nigel started pounding on my door. “I can knock this door to the floor, Genna.”
He looked behind me, then back into my eyes. “Genna?”
His voice sounded the same, maybe a little more fluid than before. His appearance had changed a lot. His pallor had hit an all time high, complimenting his dark eyes. His eyes had dark circles underneath them, purple like bruises as if he hadn’t slept since I had seen him last.
I eagerly took his hand. He pulled me to my feet, but backed away fast when I was straight. I looked at him curiously up and down. His fists were clenched to his sides and his jaw was set.
“Genna!” I jumped at the sound of my voice.
Nigel didn’t wait for me to reply. In one loud crack, my door hit the floor. He stepped over it and around the small clouds of dust into view. He didn’t even look at me. He walked next to me, always staring at Jasper. Nigel wrapped his arms around my waist.
I closed my eyes, not wanting to see Jasper’s face.
I heard Jasper’s quick intake of breath. I brought my hands to my face to hide the tears. My knees became weak under me, and my body collapsed under me.
“Genna?” Nigel sounded alarmed.
I curled my knees to my chin and hid my face behind them. The pain of Jasper’s return was eating at my insides. My body felt weak and the pain, it hurt everywhere.
He wasn’t staying with me. He promised he wouldn’t come back. He said he would stay complete in himself and never seek me out. He lied.
Why is he here, I thought brutally.
“You’re not helping, retard.” Nigel spat. “Just go away, I can handle this on my own.”
Jasper didn’t reply, but something in me screamed that he was still there, watching me. That same something that yearned to reach out and touch him, to make sure he’s real.
“She doesn’t want it either, Nigel. Just give it up already. Susan didn’t want it and neither does Genna. Just lave her alone.” Jasper sounded calm.
“You’d give it to her too if you could.” Nigel’s voice broke with furry.
I slowly raised my head. Nigel was kneeling beside me and Jasper was bent to our height a few feet away. He glances at me quickly, but looked back at Nigel. Jasper stared at Nigel as if he was studying him.
“Genna,” Nigel said, quickly. “Do you want it? Do you want the dark gift?”
I barley understood his world, but I knew what he was asking me. Nigel asking me if I wanted to be like them, if I wanted to be a vampire.
At the time, I didn’t know what I wanted. My heard was getting pulled in so many directions. I wanted Jasper back more than anything else. I wanted to wrap my arms around him and have him tell me that everything was okay. I wanted things to go back to the way it use to be. Before I opened my big mouth and spilled the beans about Jasper.
Obviously, that wasn’t going to happen.
Jasper was like a dream. He looked like a super model, and his words flowed like wine. His touch was so gentle, so sweet. He was a remarkable person that I could see myself with, never growing old together.
Then there was Nigel. There was nothing about Nigel that I hated. He was always there for me, from the very start of all the mess. I could count on Nigel. He was sweet and lives life to the fullest. Being with him makes sense, it felt natural and easy.
I know where this was going. They wanted me to choose.
“Genna?” Nigel repeated. “We are waiting.”
