I waited for a moment waiting for Onyx to respond to my uncharacteristic honesty, but he gave no response as he spun the chair around facing his desktop once more, I was right… Telling him that was a mistake… “I’m going to take care of your clothes… I’ll be up in a little while…”

. . .

I found my way to the bottom of the stairs huffing out a restless breath as I rested on the final step suppressing the tears that threatened to spill out on my cheeks. What the hell was I expecting? My breath heaved in and out as I clutched the railing like it might comfort me in my rejection. I’m just his caretaker nothing more. It was time to get back to work. If I could manage my emotions before, then I obviously could do it now. Work is work and any personal feelings should be left out of it.

“That’s that.” I smiled to myself as I finished putting the last of his clothes in the large walk-in closet, “I can still be productive. It doesn’t mean anything.” My face turned to a half-smile as I gulped down a swallow of water as I edged back toward the stairway, “I can face him again… Right?”

“Face who again…?” Onyx stood a couple of steps above me hands in his pockets as he gave a light quizzical expression.

“How many times have I told you to hold the rail while you’re going down the stairs?” I avoided his question as I avoided his eyes choosing instead to glare at the steps just in front of me, “How did you get by without someone taking care of you before I came?”

“Starburst.” He came to me slowly. One step at a time, “Why didn’t you answer my question?” A look of pure guilt was woven across his, “This is because of…?”

“It’s nothing.” I put in forcefully as I turned around, “It’s time for me to go. I don’t want to be late.”

“Can’t we just talk real quick?” Onyx came just behind me his hand hovering just behind my wrist without taking hold, “I just want you to listen to what I have to say.”

“I said I had to leave, didn’t I?!?” I snapped at the vampire, “Whatever it is will have to wait until I come back.” I turned back to him momentarily to see his taken aback expression at my unintentional harshness, “Goodbye, Onyx.”

. . .

I hate my life… What a lie. Nearly every part of me wanted to hear what the boy had to say, but if what I feared did indeed turn out to be true… I wasn’t ready to hear him say it. Much to my dismay, I hung on to nearly everything the guy said, and this time I just couldn’t let him reject me just yet. Not until I had a chance to properly think this over. Why did he have to go and ‘confess’ to me like that? I’m just his employee and he knows that. Why did he have to go and make me confront the feeling that I know is there…?

It’s been a while since I dared to skip class… I laid on my bed staring at the ceiling as a child cried from the unit above mine. I’ve never really noticed the sounds of the apartment complex before. A blender. A vacuum. A Television. It was all white noise fading into the void of my head. Why do I have to overreact…?

. . .

“Hey…Onyx…” I muffled through my phone, “Sorry, for the short notice, but I really can’t make it tonight… Will you okay for tonight?”

“Yeah, that’s fine…” The vampire’s voice was groggy with sleep as he breathed deeply into the receiver, “But, are you okay?” A sting of worry clung to his tone, “You’re not sick, are you?! You live alone so…?”

“I’m fine.” I answered neutrally despite the small smile tugging at the corners of my mouth, “Just a… Um… Personal emergency…”

“Oh… Well.” He mumbled relaxing a half step, “I hope everything goes well for you…!”

“Right…”

Emergency my ass… I collapsed to the bed with my arms parallel to my sides as I stared at the ceiling, this isn’t solving anything… Just as my back reached the plush fabric the phone gave a loud chime, Already? “Hello, Starburst here…” I jolted upward nearly fumbling off the bed as the voice echoed from the receiver, “It’s you…” I muttered feeling a heavy thud from as a cool shiver moved through my body, “I should’ve figured this day would come eventually… Do I really have to be there…?” My breath came out in a heavy breath as slipped my legs from the bed taking long strides toward the closet, “Right, I understand… Although I don’t know if I’m capable of feeling regret because of that woman…”