I sob. Years of pain and wonder seep out of me, floating on my tears and are replaced with happiness. He’s not human, and honestly I’m a little freaked out about that. Heck, I don’t even know if I’m human, but all that matters is he loves me too. When you don’t have something for so long, even if you get it and it’s not what you expected, it doesn’t matter. No matter what, he’s my dad.
It’s mom who interrupts my thoughts. “You said you wanted to tell me everything all those years ago, but you didn’t. So what don’t I know about my daughter? I want the truth, now.”
Chapter Nineteen
“Mom, stop!” I beg her. “He said he’ll tell us everything and he will.”
“Abigail--”
“She only worries about you,” Dad cuts her off. “She wants what’s best for you.” He turns to Mom. “I’m getting there, Patricia. I need you both to know the whole story.”
Mom’s quiet so he can continue. “When I told your mom, she didn’t believe me. At first she thought I was crazy.”
Yes…my life is ironic, isn’t it?
“One look at her face when she finally realized I was telling the truth about what I was, and I knew I killed whatever love she had for me. I tried to explain, but she was too scared, too angry. I deserved it. She begged me to leave her alone. To walk away from you. It was better for you both, she said. But I didn’t want to leave my girls. We fought and I yelled at her… It’s my fault. I should have told her long before then.” He shakes his head. ”
“That’s when I sensed them. Others of my kind. Like with humans, there are good and bad vampires, little one, and these were violent… inhuman and not the kind I wanted around you or your mother. I yelled for your mom to run and hide. The vampires were in an abandoned building so I followed their scent. We fought, and by sheer will to protect my girls, I killed them. I could still hear your mom’s thoughts: her fear, anger, sadness. Her wish that this was all a dream, and that she and her child would have a normal life.”
A normal life… What a coincidence. What I’ve always wanted is what Mom wants for us too.
“That’s all she wanted for you. She wanted you to have the best life possible, as did I. I knew the best way for that to happen was for me to disappear… so I set the building on fire. My plan had been to die in that building, to give you both the freedom from my world that you deserved, but I couldn’t. I thought about the vampires I’d just killed. There would be more out there. How would I keep you safe if I were to die? I knew Isaac would come one day.”
I immediately wonder who Isaac is, but don’t have time to ask.
“And you, little one, what might happen on your eighteenth birthday if you changed and I wasn’t there? I thought of you alone and scared in the new life that might come to you. I thought about Isaac wanting to collect you the way he does so many things so I had no choice but to flee the flames. I knew your mom would think I was dead and she could continue to think that way, unless the day ever came where you needed me. That day has come…”
“No!” Mom screams. “No, no no no no….” The same scream echoes in my head, but I can’t bring myself to open my mouth and utter it. Thoughts of who Isaac is are gone. Or not gone, but mixed with what else he said. I thought of you alone and scared in the new life that might come to you…What might come on your eighteenth birthday. That day has come… But I’m not eighteen! Does it really matter? Now or then. Oh, God. A vampire? I might become a vampire on my eighteenth birthday? Oh, God. I’ll never be normal. Not ever. Never, never, never.
“Yes, little one. I’m sorry. We have no way of knowing if you will change until that day.”
Mom lunges at Dad, screaming and hitting him in the chest. “What have you done, Christopher? You should have told me! I should have known!” She can hardly speak through her tears as she wails, “Not my Abby. Not my baby girl. She will never be a monster!”
I stumble backward, running into the fireplace, a hand on my mouth. A monster. I might become a monster. Mom’s wailing. I’m crying. I’ll be evil. My mom will hate me. The only person in my life to always be there for me will hate me.
“Patricia, stop!” It’s the harshest I’ve heard him speak since this whole thing began. He grabs her arms to stop her from hitting him and looks at me. “No, little one. You will never be evil. You will be the same person you are. Becoming a vampire won’t make you evil unless you’ve always had it in you to begin with. Even more importantly, your mom will never hate you. She loves you and that will never change. Isn’t that right, Patricia?”
I don’t move as Mom rips herself from his hold and throws herself at me, hugging me and crying. “I’m sorry. I’m so sorry. No, baby, no Abby….I will never hate you and I will find a way to fix this.”
I can’t hug her back. Not right now. In a year I could be the one thing Mom hates in this world. She may not think it now, but she will hate me once she finds out she can’t fix me. This can’t be fixed and I’m not sure I want to be fixed anyway. Not if Dad is right. He doesn’t feel evil to me. I pull away. “I’m not eighteen for months, but you said the time had come where I need you. Why?” I’m cut off from everything else. This is what’s important.
“I’ve been gone for a while. Everything was fine last time I checked…”
That’s when everything clicks. Like a flash, it becomes clear to me. “Gabe…” I whisper. Oh, God. Caleb had been right.
“Is that his name? Has he hurt you?” Dad stalks toward me. “I need to know everything. I sensed someone when I came back.”
My head spins. Gabe, my best friend is a vampire, too? Caleb tried to tell me and I pushed him away, and now… now Caleb’s gone!
“Answers, little one! I need to know so I can protect you. Who are Gabe and Caleb?”
I’m wringing my hands together. Caleb… Where is he? Did he run or did they hurt him? It’s all my fault. If Caleb’s hurt, it’s all my fault. “Um, Caleb is a boy from my school. He’s not a vampire. He um, well, he’s kind of my boyfriend. Well, he was, but then I didn’t believe him.”
“Didn’t believe what? When did you meet the other one, Gabe?”
“He met me in the woods one night. He’s never hurt me. He’s been a good friend, my best friend but…” I fade off because the truth hits me. Gabe is a vampire. I’ve never seen him except at night. I’m guessing the whole Modern Vampire thing isn’t right. My best friend is a vampire and Caleb knew it. I’m half vampire. Gabe lied… How could I have been so stupid?
I fall to the floor as I recall everything Caleb said to me that night. Gabe drank Stacy’s blood. He’s after me. He wants me. Did he turn Stacy? No, I’ve seen her in the daytime too. Was she under some kind of spell?
“Vampires! Abby, I can’t believe this. You told me there were no boys. When did you meet this boy? Where? How long have you been lying to me?”
My head spins so much if I hadn’t already been on the floor, I would have fallen again. Caleb hadn’t lied to me. He only wanted to protect me and I pushed him away for Gabe. Gabe had never been my friend. It had all been a lie. A sob catches in my throat.
“We’re leaving town.” Mom stalks toward me, but Dad steps in between us.
“There’s no way I can leave. I can’t leave Caleb. Not after everything he’s done for me. What if they’ve taken him?” I push to my feet as Dad turns to face me.
“He’s gone? This boy of yours?”
“Yes. We have to find him!”
I try to run, but Dad grabs my hand. It’s the first time we’ve touched. Part of me welcomes it, while the other recoils. He’s undead. He drinks blood like Gabe did to Stacy. And I might do the same thing one day. Blood? Ick. I find myself seriously gagging. I mean, really almost losing my stomach here.
“I would never hurt you. I love you, and I can’t let you walk out there. If your thoughts are correct, then you are not safe.” Then, more as if he’s talking to himself than me, he says, “Isaac must be making a move.”
Fear spikes inside me, shocking my system. “Who? Who is Isaac and what does he want with me?”
They totally ignore me.
“I knew you would get her hurt!” Mom yells at him. “I’m taking her away, where they won’t be able to find her.”
“There is no escaping Isaac if he wants her, Red. You have to stay where I can find you and let me handle this. I will not let anything happen to our daughter.”
“Trust you? You’re a liar! You’re evil! A monster! I will never trust her in your hands!”
“Who’s Isaac? Is Caleb with him?” I cry, but Dad doesn’t answer.
“I am the only one who can keep her safe, Red. Surely you know me well enough to know I would lay down my life for her. I’m still the man you fell in love with all those years ago.”
“No!” I cover my ears, unable to take it anymore. How can they waste all this time arguing? “Stop it! I’m not a doll for you guys to fight over.” I pull my hands down, giving Mom my attention. “I know you don’t see me as grown up enough to know that’s best for myself, but right now, I think I’m more grown up than any girl my age. I’m not going anywhere until I make sure Caleb is okay. And who the heck is Isaac? And who’s Gabe? Did they take Caleb? I need to know all of this!”
“No, Abby. You’re not going anywhere except with me and it doesn’t matter who Isaac is. He’s one of them which is all we need to know.”
I try not to flinch at her words… because I might be one of them too. “Can’t you understand I owe him? All he wanted to do is protect me and I didn’t believe him! He tried to fight a vampire for me and they took him. It’s my fault and I love him! There’s nothing you can do to make me walk away. You wanted me to learn about vampires, I’m about to get some firsthand knowledge. If anyone can keep me safe, it’s Dad.”