Roses are Red, Blood is Too--Chapter 3

Chapter 3

The blood had disappeared from Adrian's face, and he looked more like the day I met him, sorrowful and loving. I was confused about how he could just kill someone and walk away.

He stopped. "I can kill a man because the authorities keep me a secret," he said.

"What?"

"The authorities keep all of us a secret; your little Nate is either a missing person or they pay his family enough money to shut up," he said so calmly that I was even more furious.

"You can kill him and kidnap me and the government covers for you!" I almost screamed.

"Quiet down," he said sternly. "You’re going to cause a riot. Get in my car, now!"

I slammed the door of the passenger side.

"Why don't you just 'feed' on me? I'm fresh," I taunted.

"I have...plans...for you," he smirked.

"How are they going to cover my story up? I have a grandmother, and Nate has his mom."

"Had—poor Nathan had his mom," Adrian corrected me, “He’s dead now. And they will cover for me. Either they say you murdered him and disappeared, or they tell his family the truth and pay them to keep quiet. Where do you think our taxes go?" He chuckled.

"Oh." Nuh uh! Liar...could it be true?

"Kristin," he sighed, “I can say that I am truly sorry, but this is how I live. Do I want me to starve?" He chuckled when he said this.

“I think you’re a sadistic asshole.”

"When we get to my home, you will meet Draco, my creator."

I remembered that vampires are very old and have many memories. "Do I look like her?” I was referring to my great grandmother Marie.

Seeming to know what I meant, he replied, "Yes." There was a glimmer in his eye. Was he remembering her? What did he see?

"Was she beautiful?"

"Aren't you?" His voice was softer again. I felt my stomach flutter at this, but I’m stubborn.

"I'm asking if she was..."

"Well, if I said you look like her, and you ask if she was beautiful, look in a mirror and use your own opinion. Why isn't it your blood boiling comfortably in my stomach?" Sarcastic, that one was.

“Can you see yourself in a mirror?"

"No. Haven't you read the right books?"

"Y—probably not..."

"You are more of a child than her."

"Oh, that’s very flattering."

He chuckled a very handsome chuckle. I never really noticed it before. Well, I was very angry before. "My real flattery never got through to Marie. She was far too intelligent."

"Yet she still became a vampire."

"That was actually Draco's doing. And she was dying, and the only way I could save her was to – to do what I did.”

"You didn't mean to?"

"No, she had a daughter, and a husband, and a life I can never live."

"You're immortal."

"Yes, but I was human at one point in time, too, you know. I had a heart.

“They had books when I was young, of course I read them.” He continued. “I was what you children now call a 'nerd.' A young boy engrossed with fantasy, rivalry, romance.

“Draco raised me to be the way I am. He taught me a lot in the few, and really, to think, they are so few, the years I have known him.”

This was so much to take in. And he seemed to be quite honest. I had so many questions. Something didn’t feel right in the pit of my stomach.

“Adrian, please, stop the car.”

I yanked the door open and jumped out. Because the car was actually still moving, I fell and rolled a bit. When I stood up, I doubled over and began to retch. Ugh, today was not my day.