Page 19 of Embracing Darkness
I nod and clutch the box tighter. It hurts so much. Why did this have to happen?! I just want Ty to walk through that door and crack one of his stupid jokes. But of course, that won’t happen.
“I don’t know what Ty left for you in that box, but if you want to talk about it, I’m here.”
I open the box and take out the photos. Ethan looks at me in surprise, then picks up the photos and studies each one.
“I didn’t read the letter Ty wrote you. So I can’t be sure what he was trying say with these.”
I’m a little disappointed because obviously I was hoping Ethan might be able to shed some light. I hand him the letter, which he reads. When he’s finished, he runs his hand thoughtfully through his hair.
“Hmm, since Vicky’s in all of these photos, I assume it’s about her.”
That was my assumption too. So what was Ty trying to tell me about her?
“You two were an item?” I ask.
He nods. “But that was years ago. At the time, I really thought she was the love of my life.”
He sinks into a chair and absent-mindedly rubs the back of his neck.
“Vicky and I knew each other from school, but we never exchanged more than a few words back then. And that didn’t really change when we became hunters. I have to admit, it was difficult for me right from the start. I’d always wanted to be a hunter, but when I finally became one, I struggled to find any sense of purpose in it. The constant patrols in the hopes of finding a couple of Noctu, fighting them, and taking them out. It just wasn’t my world. I was already friends with Ty and Ayden at that point, but we grew apart during that period. At some point, Ty came to me and asked me what was up, why I had ditched them. He wouldn’t let it go, so after a lot of back and forth, I finally told him about my problems. He took it amazingly well and was really understanding. That made it a little easier because at least I didn’t feel so alone. The three of us started hanging out more again. We were always up to something. At some point, we were at this party. Vicky was there. We weremessing around, and we joined in some stupid drinking game. Vicky came over to us with this intense look on her face, and I thought: oh shit, here it comes. Because she took her job as a hunter really seriously and was always a model student. Anyway, she took my glass from me and drained it on the spot. Then she said, ‘You guys are making a lot of noise considering how little you’ve had to drink. Let’s see if you can match you alcohol level with your volume.’ We were lost for words, especially when she burst out laughing at our moronic expressions. She was so free, so full of life, open, funny. I think that was the moment I fell in love with her. But it was still a while before we actually got together.
“Anyway, from that point on, the four of us were inseparable. We did everything together and had great times. One night, we were out on the town; Vicky and I had just come back from a deployment, and we were out celebrating. Ayden and Ty were walking a short way ahead of us; Vicky and I were talking, and suddenly she took my hand and looked me in the eye. I’ll never forget that moment. I stopped walking and we kissed.”
Ethan sighs and shakes his head.
“We started dating and were really happy together. But as it turned out, the problems were just over the horizon. I grew more and more discontented as a hunter. And at the same time, I discovered that cooking was a real passion for me and wondered whether that could be my calling. Vicky was the first person I told. It took her completely by surprise and at first, she couldn’t imagine a life for me outside of the Tempes world. But the more I told her about my dreams and ideas, the more enthusiastic she became. We spent more and more time away from our spirits, which wasn’t easy because, as you know, they try to follow you wherever you go. But it was so liberating to feel like normal people.
“So, Vicky decided to go down this road with me and turn herback on her world. As you can imagine, her parents weren’t exactly thrilled. Neither were mine, but in the end, it was more important to them that I was happy.”
I recall the charity dinner and Vicky’s parents talking about her daughter’s ‘crazy notion.’ They also mentioned something about her keeping bad company. So they were talking about Ethan. She actually intended to start a new life with him. This doesn’t sound anything like the Vicky I know. She’s so dutiful – being a hunter is her first priority, and she comes across as so tough and serious. Ethan is telling me about a totally different Vicky, whom I never got to meet, and even the photos seem to show a side of her that she never lets me see.
“Obviously, it wasn’t easy for her. Her parents are highly respected in the Tempes world. So she got into a lot of arguments with them. They were determined to stop from her leaving. I now see that I wasn’t supportive enough. I wasn’t there for her, didn’t give her the sense of security she needed to get through that difficult phase. And so in the end, we started fighting too. I couldn’t relate to her situation; I didn’t understand why she let her parents dictate to her like that instead of just leaving. At some point, it all got to be too much for her, and she broke up with me. That hit me pretty hard. It totally threw me. And yeah, I was resentful. So I had no contact with her for a long time. My reaction was unfair; I get that now. But there’s nothing I can do about it now. In the end, I just left without her, got myself a job in a restaurant, and worked my way up. Finally, with financial support from friends and family, I realized my dream and opened my own restaurant. But in the process, I lost sight of another dream.”
“Did you never try to patch things up with Vicky?” I ask. “Couldn’t you just talk things over with her?”
“Yeah, we did. After I’d been working in the restaurant a couple months, I went to see her. But she wanted nothing to do with me.And she refused to listen to anything about a life outside of the Tempes world. Too much had changed between us. She wasn’t the same old Vicky anymore. She seemed way more serious, kind of grimly determined, and never laughed anymore. The only time I ever saw her really happy and relaxed was around Ayden. So I quickly realized there must be something between them.”
I’m not sure I want to hear this part. But at least now I have an explanation for why Ty and Ayden have always been so protective of Vicky and let her get away with everything. She went through a bad breakup. The love of her life ditched her and started a new life without her. This loss obviously changed her somehow, and Ty and Ayden were the only ones who could still get close to her.
“They always got along well, but the idea of them together...” He shakes his head, clearly searching for the right words. “Don’t get me wrong, but Ayden loves his freedom. He’s always been independent, reluctant to tie himself to anyone, and that’s okay. But it surprised me to learn that they had a thing. Especially when I found out that Ayden was still seeing other women. I asked Vicky about it, but apparently it wasn’t a problem for her. In fact, she actually said to me, ‘You’ll never understand, but I’m a different person now. Ayden and I are more alike than you realize. We’re good together, and we’ll always be there for one another. I can count on him, and I get what I need from him – intimacy without strings attached.’ Obviously, I was hurt by that, but in the end, I accepted it. I moved on. I’m glad they’re happy because now I am too.” He’s finally able to smile again. “I have an amazing girlfriend, who I hope will soon be my wife. She’s a normal person – she has nothing to do with our world – and she’s the most wonderful person I’ve ever met. All I want is to share my life with her.”
“That’s sounds beautiful,” I reply.
I’m still kind of stumped over the whole Vicky thing. I look atTy’s letter and thank him silently for helping me to understand the situation a little better. But it leaves a bitter aftertaste. Why did it have to be Ayden? And why do he and Ty have to keep protecting her like this? Just because she had a bad breakup? Is she still not over Ethan? I find that hard to believe.
“Well, I hope that helps a little,” says Ethan. “I mean, it was obviously important to Ty that you know more about the four of us, and about Vicky.” He leans forward and gives me a piercing look. “But I can’t help wondering why?” He hesitates. “Is it about Ayden?”
He’s pretty much on the mark, and I swallow hard, not knowing what to say. But I don’t need to say anything, because suddenly a voice behind us says, “What’s about me?”
I spin around to see him standing in the doorway. He’s carrying another box.
Ethan plays it down. “Nothing, we were just talking about old times. I guess it was important to Ty that Teresa learns a few details about our past.”
“Oh, really?” There’s an undertone in his voice that I can’t put my finger on. “Does this have something to do with the box and the letter he wrote you?”
I nod. “It was just photos. Ty wanted to explain a few things with them, I guess.”
Ayden hesitates. I can see him struggling internally. Finally, he asks, “May I?”