CHAPTER 97: – I LOVE HIM –

’What difference does it make?! You wanted to use me, and I gave you all of me! I gave myself, everything that I was, over to you. I don’t understand! Why does it matter that I’m Nikolas Bastiani or that I’m not human? I am Nikolas! NIKOLAS, that’s it, and it makes no difference. Are the people who’ve hurt you better a person than I am? Or do I have to be human to be good enough?’-

A low sob broke out of her.

’And I’m sorry! I lied because I couldn’t lose you, because I needed you in a way I couldn’t explain. Viviana, I was afraid. Of what you would think of me if you knew I wasn’t human. That this was who I am! Why won’t you understand me? Why won’t you have mercy on me?’

The wetness in her eyes broke, streaming down her face. She picked up the wet towel by the side and folded it, tossing it over her eyes to soak up her tears.

What are you crying for?

"Please stop."

’He lied to you. I told you he couldn’t love you, but you don’t listen. You still aren’t listening. Are you crying because you miss him? Do you want to run right back to him and let him hurt you again? Oh, Viviana. You stupid girl. You went and fell in love with him.’

Her head was mocking her and it only made her sob more, unmoving inside the water.

’Your mother warned you. She was once like you. A woman in love and look where she is today? Do you want to end up like her? Hm, I don’t think so. And that’s why you need to forget about him. Nikolas Bastiani will never truly love you. Everything he’s said to you is a lie. Those feelings that he claims to have for you, all of them are lies. Why would he love you? He’s a man who can have any woman he wants, what makes you think you’re special to him? That he’ll love you. Oh, please, quit the delusions. There is nothing he could find special about you. Not a broken, naive woman like you. Pfft’

Viviana cried harder and to quiet her head, she slipped into the water completely, submerging herself, eyes shut under water.

You can’t run from reality!

She pulled her head out, breathing. "I’m not broken!"

Oh, girl, you’re bound to end up like your mother. These fears of yours are real. And the only way you can escape is by protecting yourself, that fragile heart of yours. Give it to no one and you won’t get hurt.

She went down underwater again. And this time, she stayed for almost a minute before she pulled herself out, taking a deep breath. "I can’t breathe," Her lips trembled tearfully. "I feel like I’m dying."

She curled her legs to her chest, burying her face in her knees. "I want to see him. I miss him so much it hurts. I..."

"...I love him."

Viviana walked into the hospital, and followed a nurse toward the ward that Sabrina had been admitted into.

She’d had a heavy concussion.

"She’s in here." The nurse deeply bowed to her.

Viviana tried to offer a forced smile. She pushed the door open and stepped inside, turning to see Sabrina, laid on the hospital bed and munching on a pack of chips.

"Looks like you’re quite well," Viviana muttered with a barely looped smile.

Sabrina quickly swallowed and waved her over. "Viviana."

She walked toward the bed, taking a seat on the chair closest to the bed.

"Let’s take a moment to breathe," Sabrina said, taking a glass of water. She looked at Viviana and her face twisted in confusion. "What was that?"

"What do you mean?" Viviana asked.

"Oh, c’mon. The thing with your husband! Please tell me that I’m not crazy."

"You’re not."

"Oh, shit!" Sabrina swallowed. "What the hell was he? Oh, my goodness, I’ve been trying to convince myself it was a dream. But it was real. I mean, did you see that? What is he?"

Viviana lowered her gaze to her fidgety hands. "A vampire."

"Huh? A what now?"

"He’s a vampire, Sabrina."

Sabrina choked on her saliva. "A vampire. You mean, like the stuff we read in books, which are clearly not real...haha." she chuckled dryly.

Viviana sighed.

"You saw him. You saw it. The warehouse burned to nothing, but he walked out just fine. And now that I think about it, I have noticed it before. There a time I almost got burned by the gas, and even though I was sure that the flames touched him, he had no burns nor any scars at all. It was like it never even happened. I’d thought I was crazy then and let it go. But now it all makes sense."

Sabrina’s eyes flickered. "That’s just..."

"Are you saying he’s immortal?" she asked.

"What do you mean?"

"You know, in books, they’re immortals and they don’t age and stuff like that."

"I don’t know." She shook her head. But then her eyes flickered thoughtfully. Her mind drifted back to the time she’d seen his mother. It was odd how young she looked. "Oh...they really don’t age."

"Does he sleep in a coffin too?"

"What?"

"C’mon, isn’t that what they do?" Sabrina stared at her. However, she suddenly grabbed her head. "This is insane. Have I gone mad? Why am I even believing this?"

"Because it’s real. I know how crazy it sounds, but it is real. The man that I married was—"

"The devil," Sabrina completed. "He’s a monster."

Viviana’s expression dropped. "He’s not any of those things. Don’t say that."

"Huh?"

Sabrina looked at her like she’d lost her mind.

"What in the world are you talking about? This man walked out of a burning house unscathed. His eyes were red, and did you see the blackish reddish stuff surrounding him." She touched her head. "And his hair was like...it was floating."

"So what?" Viviana glared at him. "That doesn’t make him a monster. Or the devil. D-don’t call him that. I don’t like it."

Sabrina clutched her pearls, gasping. "It freaks me out that you’re not freaked out by this."