Page 27 of The Heir

“No, why? Areyouokay? I am most definitely fine. Did you ever finish reading your parent’s letters?” she rambled, asking me as she set her glass down.

“No, I forgot. I will, though. It’s just hard to see a love so perfect. I am not sure I will ever find anyone who loves me like dad loved mom.”

“You will, Emma. You will. Everything will be alright,” she nodded, hesitating for a moment as if she were trying to convince herself as well.

“I found mom’s old storybook. I always enjoyed those fairytales she read to me–with princes and princesses finding true love and how with true love, their souls would sing together, creating melodies, which enchanted them. How cool would it be if such a thing as true love and souls’ melodies actually existed for real?” I asked.

“Oh, yes, you remember those stories?”

“I found the book again. Mom really was very creative. She should have been a writer,” I said with a laugh.

“Yes–she liked to write things down,” Mary said as if it wasnota good thing. Then she smiled at me. “I hope you have fun with your friend.” Again, her words seemed forced.

“Did you want to meet him first?”

“No!” She spat out, then cleared her throat, “No—no, Emma, that’s okay. Please, have fun,” she smiled a fake smile and walked into the living room.

“Okay? Bye!”

Now that was the strangest conversation I have ever had with Mary.

That day during math class, I tried desperately to keep my eyes off of Shad. We didn’t even get to talk the entire period because our teacher was lecturing the entire time. Then, even if I had wanted to just sayhelloto him, I couldn’t because after class, he bolted out of the room, and I wanted to cry—which I knew was way over-dramatic.

Shad was not in the other class we had together at the end of the day.

What is going on?

Had he forgotten our plans? I did not know if I could really handle him breaking the plans we had made. I needed to see him, talk to him, maybe finally figure out what his hair feels like in between my fingers.Is it soft and silky?I shook my head as I put on my backpack and headed out the door at the end of school.

But there he was, Shad, standing across the hall, leaning against the brick wall, looking right at me. He smiled a tight smile as if he was holding something back. His collar was unbuttoned, and his sleeves pushed up. He looked so unbelievably attractive. I stood frozen in the hall, our eyes connecting, the music inside me blaring to life. He quickly pushed himself away from the wall and walked over to me.

As he reached me, the look in his eyes spoke of need and want.Could he possibly be feeling this attraction, too? Could he reallybe interested in me?I knew that the look in my eyes had to be just as clear.

“Hello, Emma,” he spoke softly as he stood before me in all his perfection.

“Hi,” I whispered, thinking that if I had spoken any louder, that happy, perfect bubble would’ve burst between us and been lost forever. His hand touched my cheek, and I thought,I have never felt anything this wonderful before. It could not be real. He isn’t real.

“You ready?” he asked, tucking a lock of hair behind my ear. How could he breathe? How could he speak? I could only nod. “Well, let’s go,” he said with a side smirk as if he understood his effect on me. I wondered again if he was affected by me as much as I was by him.

“This is your car?” I asked Shad in astonishment as he stopped in the parking lot. Shad was about to drive me to his house in his extremely nice sports car.

“Yes, is there something wrong?” he asked, looking concerned as he took my backpack from me and placed it on the back seat.

“Oh—no, I mean, it’s just a really expensive car, and I have never been in such a nice car before. I was not expecting it–maybe like an old pick-up truck or your mom’s old commuter car, but, yeah, not this. Vampires have cars like this, I think–” I bit my lip;no–I had just let the crazy out.

He smiled at me. “Well, I can assure you, I amnota vampire. You are safe with me. My guardian purchased this car for me,” he shrugged.

“Wow, that was really nice of yourguardian?”

“Yes, I do not live with my parents, sadly. I have a guardian, but I am well taken care of.”

I nodded. Hadn’t he said he worked for his family business? Why didn’t he livewithhis family?

“Ready?” he asked as he opened my door. I sank into the leather seat which was very comfortable. I smiled, rubbing the soft leather. It smelled like mint as well as leather, and I liked it. I tried to memorize the moment– the feelings and all the aromas without becoming insanely embarrassed that I had mentionedvampiresto Shad.

Shad sat down and started the engine.

“Wow, this is a really nice car.”