I climbed out of bed and headed to the dining room to eat breakfast. Lucas and Eliza weren’t there like they normally would be. Instead there was an empty, eerie sort of silence. We’d had my birthday party the night before full of guests and people I haven’t been around since grade school. There was no evidence of that party either as I moved about the house. Someone had cleaned up.
There was a knock at the front door and I went to answer it. It was Ethan. He’d come by to see me. I opened the door and let him in.
“Home alone eh?”
“How can I be alone if you’re here?” I smiled.
“Your father said you weren’t feeling well so I came by here to check on you.”
Weird. I hadn’t seen my father all day, “When did you talk to him?”
“Less than an hour ago.”
“Well I don’t know why he told you that. I’m not sick.”
“Perhaps he’s avoiding my family now that he plans to wed you to that monster Darius Draven.”
“What? Why would you say that?”
“Its all everyone in town can talk about. It’s even in the paper with a picture of the two of you at the gathering. The headline reads, ‘The Beauty And The Beast’. Clever play on words, isn’t it?”
“This can’t be happening,” I began to pace, “Darius mentioned it, but my father knows how much I hate being used as a pawn in his ploys.”
“Most girls fantasize about marrying the likes of Darius Draven.”
“I’m not most girls and he couldn’t be faithful even if his life depended on it. He has an insatiable appetite, an insufferable amount of charm, and he’s an ass,” I ranted.
Ethan roared with laughter, “Keep talking about him like that and I’m gonna want to marry him,” he replied, seeing right through me, “You’re into him.”
“No I’m not.” Lies. All lies.
I couldn’t be into Darius because his very existence went against everything I believed in. He may be human by appearance, but the lethal grace, with which he moved, the calculating way he spoke, and the cunning way with which he did business was all predatory in nature.
“Hold your hands out,” Ethan instructed, catching me off guard.
I held my hands out and Ethan pushed them together. Something warm and fluffy was placed in my hands moments later. It was an animal. It purred and meowed. A cat!
“She’s a Persian white cat.”
“She’s fluffy,” I chuckled.
I pet her fur and pulled her close to me. She’s still a kitten. She’s only a little larger than the palm of my hand.
“What are you going to name her?”
“Sasha,” I beamed.
Ethan laughed, “ Do you think Sasha would approve of her master marrying the devils son, or the son of man?”
“I have no plans to marry anyone.”
“Good. Then I won’t be stepping on anyone’s toes when I take you somewhere I know you’re going to love.”
Ethan took me by the hand, helped me find my purse, jacket, and I locked up the house before climbing into his car. First we stopped at various stores and picked up some things for Sasha. After that we pulled up to what sounded like a hospital. Now I’m really confused.
“Where exactly are we going?”
“I volunteer in the children’s unit of this hospital. There is a girl I want you to meet. She was born blind just like you and she’s been having a hard time with it. She’s seven and her name is Savannah. I wanted her to meet you because I believe you’ll inspire her,” Ethan answered.
Impressed doesn’t even began to cover what I’m feeling right now. In fact, I’m more than impressed. This is the most selfless thing anyone has ever done for me. Maybe there was more to Ethan than I could see.
I allowed Ethan to guide me into the children’s unit and when he called out Savannah’s name she sounded so happy he was here. He gave her a gift he bought for her and from the sound of her voice it seemed like she was smiling.
“I brought a friend named Giselle to meet you. She was born just like you,” Ethan introduced us.
I walked up to Savannah and placed my hands on her face so I could get a picture of what she looked like, “What are you doing?” Savannah chuckled.
“I use my fingertips to find out what someone looks like. Here, you try.” I answered, placing her hands on my face.
As she traced the contours of my face I stroked her hair. I could tell from how dry and brittle it was that she had blonde hair. There was always a difference in texture when it came to dark or blonde hair. Dark hair was almost always more silky and smooth.
This was amazing. Savannah and I really bonded with each other. At some point I forgot Ethan was even there. It wasn’t until he told me that we needed to go that I remembered he was there. I hugged Savannah goodbye and we headed home. She was all I could think about during the car ride home.
Ethan walked me to my front door and informed me that no one seemed to be home. He took my keys from me and let himself in, which was one of the things I liked least about him. He was so arrogant that he wouldn’t ask if he could come in. He would just assume I wanted him to and take control of the situation by letting himself in.
“Sure Ethan, come in,” I said sarcastically.
I heard Ethan’s footsteps going away from me so I followed them. I made it to the top of the stairs when I realized it was my bedroom he’d gone in to. Pausing at the top of the stairs, I took a deep breath and headed into my room.
“This looks like a kids room.”
“What do you mean?” I asked.
“There are stuffed teddy bears everywhere and your linens even have teddy bears on them. I don’t know of any seventeen year old girl who has a room like this,” He chuckled.
“My parents do all the decorating,” I explained, “I can’t exactly protest because I can’t see what it is they’re doing.”
Out of habit I sat down on my bed. I was waiting for Ethan to finish snooping so we could go back downstairs when he sat down next to me. Instantly I became nervous. There was a guy in my room and now he was sitting on my bed. Close. So close.
I felt Ethan reach behind my head and pull my hair out of the ponytail it was in. My hair fell down my back and gathered around my face. I had no idea what he was up to but I was even more nervous now.
“If you knew how beautiful you were, you would understand why I haven’t been able to take my eyes off of you all night,” Said Ethan.
“And here I thought you were just a stalker,” I teased.
Ethan laughed and then stopped. It was silent now and I didn’t know if he was staring at me or still looking around my room. My questions were answered moments later when part of the bed next to me began to sink in. A few seconds later I felt his hand against my cheek and his breath on my face. Was he going to kiss me?
I’d never been kissed before. The thought of it alone frightened me. I tried to lean away from him, but that was a mistake. He climbed on top of me and his hands were everywhere. I asked him to stop, but it was as if my requests were falling on deaf ears. Ethan tried to undo my jeans and that’s when I went from shocked to frightened and then angry. I shoved him as hard as I could and he landed on the floor with a thud.
“What the hell was that for?”
“Its for being a self-serving pig,” I spat, “Never without my permission.”
“I’m sorry,” he apologized, “I just…I really like you.”
“Then don’t paw me like some harlot. Get to know me first. I’m blind, not easy.”
He sat down next to me again and removed the hair from my right shoulder. He tried kissing me again and I turned away from him. I didn’t want to kiss him or be in the same room with him right now.
I pretended to give him what he wanted, reached down and grabbed his manhood, clenching it in my hands.
Ethan’s voice climbed into a falsetto. I had half a mind to torture him when my father called out my name from downstairs. I shoved Ethan onto the floor and stepped over him as I made my way downstairs.
When he finally made it downstairs my father wasn’t too happy to find us here alone. I could hear it in his voice.
“There are no boys allowed in the house while we’re out. You know that Giselle.”
“Forgive me, you told me she was sick and I wanted to check on her.”
“Which I found funny because I haven’t seen you all day,” I added, “Is it true? Are you marrying me off to that womanizing, manwhore of a night-dweller?”
“Who told you?”
“Does it matter? I’m not marrying him.” I refused.
“Giselle,” he sighed, “haven’t you ever wanted to be a part of something bigger than yourself?”
“You would have me marry a night-dweller? You would have me bear his children? His abominations?”
“Yes, and do whatever it takes to keep his attention. A union between you and Darius is just what our people need. Its symbolic of the unity between Night-dwellers and humans.”
“He’s the Devil! Is this what you would really have me do? Lie down with the Devil and keep my mouth shut?”
“Darius is a bit of a brute, but he has power Giselle. More power than you could ever possibly dream of. Besides, you don’t have much of a choice. It’s already been arranged,” He waved me off.
“Oh sweetheart,” Elizabeth fixed her mouth to speak to me, “There are tons of girls who would give anything to be with him. You should consider yourself lucky.”
“Go get ready for bed. We’ll be going over to the Draven’s tomorrow to discuss your union with Darius,” my father instructed.
“Yes sir,” I nodded, feeling defeated.
I quietly left and made my way up to my room. Feeling abandoned all over again I went to sleep. It was the first night since leaving his home that I hadn’t dreamt of Darius.
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