Eternal Test of Time (3 page)

Rome and I spent a week together catching up on the past. I found myself wanting to know more about life as a vampire. Though he felt I should live out the human life I have been given.

Last night Rome was heading to wherever he stays. He held me in his arms. He gave me a kiss that felt like goodbye and left me. Before he turned and walked away
,
he said one last thing to me.

“As much as I would make this life altering choice for you it is up to you my love. If you want to be a vampire again, we can spend eternity together. If you choose to remain
human, we shall part ways.”

Before I could respond he had disappeared into the night.

I spent the next few days in excruciating pain. This must be what it is like to feel emptiness. Rome had made the choice
for me. How did it come to this? The feeling of not having him there is far beyond worse than the choice I have to make. After all
,
it is not my fault that fate returned me to this life as a human.

We had always wondered what it would be like to be human. To soak in the warmth of the sun. To smell the different aromas that existed in this world. Spices and desserts
,
even the c
hanges of each season. I get it
Rome doesn’t want to take that from me.

Being a vampire
is what is natural to me. I have enjoyed life as a human; my human parents have been great. Thinking about them makes me stand on the fence. Remaining human for the sake of their happiness
,
or return to my life as a vampire spending eternity with the vampire who has been hurting over me for almost a hundred years.

I haven’t seen Rome in two weeks. He has been staying away on purpose. I haven’t decided what to do yet. Stay human or become a vampire again.

I couldn’t tell my friends abo
ut all that has been going on.
I did tell them about
the vampires lurking around. Kevin thought I was making it up while Brandie wanted details. We laughed and reminisced. Somehow
,
I couldn’t bring myself to tell them I was a reincarnated vampire. That would go over real well.

The next night Rome showed up on my front porch. He sensed my response was ready. Looking away from him, I whispered, “I want to stay human.”

“That isn’t the answer I hoped for.”

Turning to him pleading with him not to go he looked hurt. A wounded wild animal.

“I’m sorry Rome.”

“There isn’t anything to be sorry for.”

His intense gaze focused on me deeply. I could not look away.

“Well I am.”

He shrugged and disappeared into the night.

That night I lay in bed staring at the ceiling wondering if I made the right decision to let him go and live a long life as a human. The choice was harder than any choice I had to make. At the same time
,
it hurt. Rome was gone from my life. Maybe Forever.

It has been two months since anything has happened to me. Since finding out that I am a reincarnated vampire I did some research. My past self was the daughter of a predominantly wealthy family. My father back then was a city lawyer and businessman. My mother had been a lady bred into the lifestyle of high society. Today most would refer to them as socialites. My family was a new kind of vampire.

From all that I read, nobody knew my family was vampires. Our skin pale and smooth appeared to the masses as just having a lack of sunshine in our system. My father when possible stayed inside. Because of our status in society
,
we would go out at night on the town.

The night Rome and I met
the first time he stood with a group of gentlemen outside a party we were going to attend. His hand wrapped around my wrist briefly until I turned my gaze on his. He let go instantly.

“You’re a vampire.” He stated.

“Yes as are you. Is it customary for you to grab one of a higher social status?”

Had I been able to feel warmth his smirk would have made me blush a rosy pink. Taking my hand he brought my knuckles to his lips kissing them tenderly.

“I am Rome.” He smiled.

“Alyson.”

“Pleased
to make your acquaintance, Alyson.”

We spent the whole night talking until the sun started to rise. My father may or may not have approved of Rome as my love. My forever.

At night
,
I felt the cold sting of loneliness. Rome wouldn’t leave my mind no matter how hard I tried. Sleeping was nearly impossible. Every time I close my eyes, his face appears. Flashbacks of us together in the alleyway haunt me.

Other nights Brandie and Kevin would talk me into leaving with them to go to a party or hang out at a local café. The one night we all went to a party may have altered everything.

Walking up to the house nobody was hanging out front, last to enter I heard the breaking of a twig. Nobody was around. In the darkness
,
the wind stayed still. The fresh air
hung in the awaiting cool breeze to carry it off to a new place.

“Well look who decided to grace herself on the party scene once more. Looks like Rome isn’t around to protect you anymore.”

“Lars.” My breath halted.

Last time I saw him he laid unconscious on the ground with a stake in his heart. Rome did say it wouldn’t contain him. He wore new jeans and a new shirt. His black hair had been trimmed into a slight buzz cut. Lars didn’t know my memory about the past had been restored. This time I had no plans to fall for his games.

He waited until I was alone to make his move. After I got home someone was waiting nearby. Lars followed me home.

“Stay away.”

“Or what? Rome isn’t here to prevent me.”
A malicious smile played across his lips. “You’re still human which will make this so much more delightful.”

Lars blocked the entrance to my house. There was no time to make it inside, he was cornering me. This time he came alone to seek out his revenge. I gripped the post of the front porch ready to throw my body backwards to shove my feet into his gut. It turned out that wasn’t necessary.

“I loved you the moment I saw you. Had it not been for Rome laying eyes on you first, we would be happy together. Though I must say taking you away from him was a better reward.” He let me run down the steps.

At this hour none of the neighbors would be awake. Nobody would help me this time. Lars started to approach me using the technique of cornering his prey.

“Which way will I go? Let’s play a game.”

“No games.”

He attacked without warning. Fighting a vampire may not be the smartest thing but I had to do something instead of letting him take
me away from my life, from Rome
.

I grabbed
a clump of dirt throwing it into Lars’ face when he tried to go for my neck. His breath was warm on my skin. Lars ran his nose along my neck smelling the blood flowing inside of me. Screaming he tossed me to the ground. My idea wasn’t the brightest.

“Aly you aren’t going anywhere.”

Gripping my arms tightly I thought I felt bruises forming. Lars started to bend his mouth toward my neck.
Closing my eyes Rome would be my last thought before my life faded away from me.

“Humph.” I turned around at the sound. Lars wasn’t holding my arms in place anymore. He was trying to get to someone under him. A pointy metal post was lying nearby. I picked it up and rammed it into Lars’s back.

“Are you okay?” Asked a familiar voice.

“Rome!” Rushing at him, wrapping my arms around his neck I didn’t want to let him go for anything.

“We better burn his body before he wakes up.”

Together we finished off Lars and his friends didn’t come to bother us. Either they parted ways or a multitude of other reasons. All that mattered was Rome
being here with me again. My lifeless soul had been revived.

“You left me.”

I couldn’t help myself. The pain of the past few weeks boiled to the surface. A defeated expression played across Rome’s face. His blue eyes gleamed.

“I know. I felt you needed me.”

I looked up at him without hesitation
, “what?”

“You were terrified. I had to come back because you were in danger. Leaving you was not my brightest move. We aren’t able to be together as long as you’re human. The temptation to drink your blood is too high. Killing you would be the last thing on my mind.”

“I get it. We can make this work. Can’t we?”

He didn’t say a word. His emotionless gaze answered for him.

“Rome say something.”

“You won’t like what I have to say.”

“Try me.” Tears were fighting to reach my eyes.

He turned instantly into the typical vampire guy with an attitude. The smug, could care less attitude.
I was met with cold eyes.

“What do you want me to say?”

“We can make this work, right?”

He shook his head.

“Aly I am not the sweet vampire you think I am. I have natural instincts. The reason you’re still alive and I haven’t hurt you is I recognized you the moment I saw you. Had you not looked exactly as you did back then, we would not be having this conversation.”

I bit my lip gently. A shy gesture I did out of habit. It makes sense all Rome is saying. He would have made me his late snack had I
not looked
identical to my past self. Mostly he would have taken me
into the alleyway held his hand over my mouth and bit my neck. The thought sends a slight tremor down my spine.

At first he was brooding and irritated then he noticed the expression of hurt and anger swelling together on my face. It relaxed him. Only for a moment.

I carefully approached him gently placing my hand on his cold cheek.
Rome’s skin radiated with beauty. Most people think someone that pale is sick, not with him. He looks vibrant and healthy.

“Rome?”

The way his head was tilted, when he moved his eyes to look at me, he came across as being pissed off and annoyed with our conversation. Yet he still took my breath away.

“What?”

“Please?”

“Fine.” He said removing himself from the position he stood and walked into my house.

I followed slowly behind cautious and alert. Something felt off here, weren’t we suppose to suddenly be happier together. Excited that the danger couldn’t com
e between us, yet somehow it had
.

Before I walked inside, it was clear the danger wasn’t over. I just didn’t know when it would reveal itself. Someone out there still watched me. For now
,
I am safe.

After we talked for a while on the couch, we came to an understanding. Rome stared at me for a long while before speaking.

“Look I just want to make sure that you’re safe. Okay?”

He tilted his head trying to gauge my thoughts. Sometimes I was too easy to read and other times I kept it buried deep within.

“Okay. Leaving me as a form of protection is not going to keep me safe. It’ll only allow…” I stopped. Rome doesn’t know my unease that I am still in danger. This time he wouldn’t let go my sudden end of mid-sentence.

“Allow?”

Breathe. “Whoever is still out there
is
waiting to get to me. You
know Lars dying isn’t the end. Someone will want to exact revenge once they learn of his demise. Rome we both know it is true.”

Rome brushed my brown hair aside, staring into my dark eyes. I stared into his intense blue eyes. I ran my hand through his blond hair. The sweet exchange our innocent touch felt not only like a goodbye, but at the same time an appreciation for each other. A secret code only we understand.

Rome took a deep breath. The blue in his eyes a raging blaze slowly returning to controlled.

“Aly do me a favor okay?”

“Anything.”

My trust in Rome goes beyond words. I hadn’t been prepared for what he said next.

“Take a couple months to spend your life as a human. Away from danger think about if it is really
,
what you truly want. Let it come from the heart. That is when I will return to you my love.”

Another moment in time without him?

“Please
I won’t ask for more than a couple months of separation. Even that will be a torture for me after almost a century without you. Time comes and goes quickly, before you know we’ll be standing here together again.”

I nod. He went to the door and without another word
,
he was gone again. Would my heart survive this time around? Really. I could not be certain.

Before I knew it
,
a month had come and gone as quickly as Rome had disappeared in the night. Time with my friends and a phone call to my parents did not satisfy the desire to be with Rome. A distant memory of him radiated through my whole body.