Monday morning came, the sun breaking into my room around the curtains, rousing me from my slumber. With a sigh, I climbed out of bed and began my morning routine.

Yet regardless of what I did, nothing could shake the knotting pit in my stomach.

Today was the day that Ben was going to tell me 'everything'.

To say I was worried would be an understatement. I was terrified that, whatever he was going to tell me, would give me a reason to run, and then this spark of magic and light in my life would be gone.

I didn't want to lose the light. I wasn't ready to go back to how things were before... When the nightmares of having lost something returned. Ever since that pull to Ben began a week ago, I no longer faced the terrors of the night.

So I did my best to convince myself that morning that, no matter what he told me, I'd do my best to accept it.

I wanted us to be closer.

I didn't want him to go...

Yet in the back of my mind, the look of fear in his eyes that said he was so sure I couldn't accept him clouded every action of mine that morning.

· · ───── ∘☽༓☾∘ ───── · ·

I went to the library, as usual. But Ben wasn't there when I had arrived. Yet it didn't take long past 9:30am for him to send me a text that he would come pick me up when I was done.

He said he wanted me to be able to do my research with no distractions.

The morning went as all mornings did before I met Ben. I set up my station: pencils to the right, notebook in the middle, pencil case to the left, laptop to the front. Went and grabbed my books. I decided to go back to fairies today, filling in as much research as I could.

The hours flew by... until suddenly someone had sat down across from me.

Hesitantly, I raised my gaze, meeting the expected blue.

He gave me a small sad smile, like today was the day we end. Today we say goodbye.

So I closed the book, packed up my things, and got out of my chair, not saying a word to him in the process.

If this was really how he thought it would go... perhaps it was time to rip off the bandaid for both of us.

As we walked down the steps, out of the library, and down the footpath towards the tube station, I couldn't stop being conscious of the large distance between us.

Not even in reaching distance, he didn't speak to me, and he most certainly didn't hold my hand.

Just shy of the station, I came to a stop. "We could just not do this," I almost begged.

But he shook his head, taking a small, wary step closer to me. "I have to tell you. This can't go any further until you know everything. Know your options..." Sadness swirled in his gaze as I could see him yearning to give into my suggestion...

Though all I could think about was his label. This? Us? A relationship? A friendship? What exactly are we?

I knew this wasn't the time to be caring so much about the clarity of our rapidly forming relationship because he had something really serious to tell me... most likely that he was really sick. But I so desperately ached for his admission that he was mine and I was his.

But instead of asking, I simply said, "Okay. Where are we going?"

He took a deep breath. "To my place."

My fidgeted with my jacket's sleeve. "Won't your housemates be there?" Did I really have to see them in all this?

"Yes. You need to meet them first. It's... part of everything." He turned to leave but I stood in my place, causing him to look back at me.

Gathering all my courage, I held my hand out to him, inviting him to take it. If this was the last time we could be us, in our blissful state of ignorance of what was to come... well, I wanted to drink in every last drop of it.

With a slight upturn of his lips, his warm hand folded into mine, distributing a sense of calm through me.

Whatever it was, surely I could overcome it. Even if he was going to die soon... I tried to tell myself. Whatever pain would come at the end of us... he's definitely worth whatever shadows I have to jump.

· · ───── ∘☽༓☾∘ ───── · ·

One tube ride later, we exited the underground. Coming out onto the street, I couldn't help but notice the busy atmosphere and the short travel time; we hadn't gone too far through the city centre.

By the time I began to wonder about our exact whereabouts, the underground was out of sight, meaning I couldn't check where we had gotten off.

Ben had stood really close again during the tube, looking at me and only me the whole time. As if he had to get his last glances out of the way before I disappeared from his life forever.

And given the flowing tension between us that whole time, I had convinced myself again that nothing about him could scare me away.

Yet as we continued to walk the streets, past a large park, I couldn't help but notice how posh the houses around us had become.

Turning down another road, one side was lined by more trees and another park, the other by large towering townhouses in pristine condition. Audis, Volkswagens, and Mercedes cars pressed against the curb.

I felt out of place here... yet somehow it felt familiar at the same time.

"What area are we in?" I asked.

"Hammersmith," he replied simply, as though it weren't one of the most affluent districts in all of London.

I nodded slowly, trying not to yelp in shock. He could live in a basement or something... or maybe we still have quite a walk to go to the outskirts of the suburb.

But then suddenly we began veering off the path towards one of the houses. Stepping ahead, Ben held a gate open for me, signalling we had reached our destination.

And my ability to remain cool was draining really, really quickly.

The facade of the house was painted white with black metal trims. Large pillars with greek-style cornices lined the porch area, fenced off by more wrought-iron. The house easily had four floors, three above ground and a basement.

"No way..." I whispered.

"What?" he asked with a cocked eyebrow... like he really had no clue.

"This is where you live?" I responded in disbelief.

"Don't like it?" He grinned, like he already knew my answer... Because, what's not to like?

"This must be ridiculously expensive to rent..." I couldn't help but comment back.

"I imagine it would be. Good thing we don't rent it."

I stopped walking as he continued up the steps.

He didn't take long to realise though that I was no longer by his side. Head craning over his shoulder, glanced my way with a slight raise of his brow.

"Don't tell me..." I breathed.

"We own it," he said back, struggling to dim the smug smirk.

"Are you the son of a conglomerate?" I whispered, head whipping this way and that as though there may be eavesdroppers who would love this information.

Laughing, he shook his head. But even he was amused by my utter surprise, his smile, laughter, and tone was tinged with sadness. "You will... understand shortly," was all he gave back.

So, reluctantly, I followed him up the steps as he fished his key out of his pocket.

"How much does a place like this cost?" I went on, not quite ready to drop the topic of his ridiculous wealth just yet. Like seriously... am I Cinderella right now?

"When we bought it a couple of years ago? About three million."

"Pounds?" I exclaimed, jaw dropping. I'm surprised he so willinging shared that with me... I couldn't help but think after.

"Yes. Pounds. That is the currency here..." He gave me an awkward pat on the back. "You'll be okay," he said, laughing again. Probably thinking, 'poor people!'. No wonder he hated my shabby place...

And then he opened the door.

If the outside was impressive, inside was even more grandiose.

The ceilings were ridiculously high. A large, shiny chandelier screamed for attention as you entered the foyer. Glimpsing through the open door to the right, I saw a flash, modern kitchen. The walls were lined with beige, modern cabinetry, black granite countertops and a large chef's stove in the centre of an island.

And to the left was a sitting room that looked to the front of the house. The space was large and open, with two three-seater couches facing each other on either side of a solid wood coffee table and some feature chairs gracing the nooks of the room.

Ben guided me towards the left room, gesturing to one of the couches before taking the spot right next to me.

"Where are your housemates?" I queried.

"They'll be here soon," he replied, eyeing my warily, as if he didn't want them to come. As if I might already be about to run...

But as if on cue... as if they had heard us... they appeared at once from various entrances. Five people shuffled into the sitting room, surrounding us with their omnipotence.

I immediately leapt to my feet feeling rude to be making myself comfortable in their home. And then I really took them in...

Loren I recognised, but the other three boys and one girl were unfamiliar to me.

Ben got to his feet shortly after, remaining by my side. "Everyone, this is Olivia," he said.

The girl was the first one to step forward, holding her hand out to me. As I slipped my hand in hers and she introduced herself as, "Erica," I couldn't help but gawk at her beauty. Her hair was as black as midnight, eyes like two obsidian stones, sucking me in. Her skin absolutely flawless.

"You're gorgeous," I found myself saying before I could stop myself.

My comment roused a laugh out of her. "I like her," she said to Ben. "She can stay."

She dropped my hand, taking a step back before a guy, who looked like the spitting image of her in male form, extended his hand. While they were alike in appearance though, his whole demeanour was different. Where she exuded confidence and warmth, he was sheltered and reserved. He gave me an ever so slight smile as he briefly shook my hand, letting me know his name is "Jayce".

"Yes, we are twins," Erica said, already answering my earlier inner queries. "And Korean, if you were wondering."

But before I could probe further, another spoke.

"Hi again, Olivia," Loren said, giving me a small wave from where he was standing.

And then the man next to him stepped forward.

He was a very ghostly looking person, a little like he was on edge. Holding his hand out to me, he stated with a slight slavic undertone to his accent, "I'm Ivan."

I slipped my hand into his, but he immediately yelped and retracted his hand as though I had burned him.

"Sorry," I said. "That happens sometimes." I already knew it was the static getting him.

"All good," he mumbled, rubbing his hand, though his brows were furrowing as he became lost in thought.

Before I could study him further, the man next to him held his hand out. "And I'm Drake."

"Nice to meet you," I replied, extending my hand to shake his.

But again, as our skin touched, he pulled back instantly, eyes scrunched in pain.

I hesitantly turned to look at Ben for an explanation of what was going on—as if he could explain why I was so staticy in his house—but his eyes were locked on my hands, making my stomach squirm.

Was I upsetting his friends?

Is this a bad omen?

Should I run now?

Breaking the growing unnerving silence, Erica spoke up. "Well, we will have a chance to catch up later. We will leave you two alone to... talk."

Ben broke from his trance, shaking his head. "Where's Lukas?"

"He said he didn't want to come down," she said through slightly gritted teeth, anger tainting her tone.

Ben cocked his head to the side. "What? Why?"

But Erica merely shrugged, eyes shifting to me before looking away.

I felt a little disheartened that Ben's best friend apparently didn't want to meet me, but I shook the thought before it festered. It wasn't worth worrying about this time when I may never meet him based on what Ben had to say.

"We're going to go down to the media room," Ben explained, placing his hand on the small of my back.

Then he led me past his friends, back into the foyer, and down the stairs to the basement.

"Does your best friend not like meeting new people?" I asked Ben when we were out of hearing distance.

"Lukas is normally great with people," he mumbled in response, evidently irked.

While I had asked the question in the hopes his answer would reassure me, I ended up feeling worse.

We had reached the bottom step, shuffled through a short hallway, and entered a large room.

Situated in the middle of the space was a large, plush, white couch. Adorning the wall opposite it was a giant flatscreen TV, surrounded by a built-in TV unit with shelves adorned by all sorts of TV shows, movies, and games.

"Wow," I whispered.

"How are you holding up?" he asked me, eyeing me cautiously.

"Is that what this is all about?" I said back, feeling relief start to flood me. "You're ridiculously rich?"

But he laughed with no humour to his tone. "I wish that were all."

Sitting down on the couch, Ben patted the spot next to him.

I hesitantly joined him, not quite ready for what was to come, and a little desperate to prolong finding out whatever it was.

So suddenly asked, "Why do you always take the tube?" The whole house had amazed me. Everything was vibrant and bright, decorated in a modern farmhouse vibe. Everything screamed wealth and privilege. I began to feel like I had walked into some fairy tale where I had somehow met prince charming... and his choice of transport made absolutely no sense now.

He gave me a small genuine smile this time. "Because you seem to be most comfortable with it."

"Is anyone comfortable with the tube?" I retorted.

He shrugged. "I can pay for taxis from now on if you'd like..." But then he trailed off. As if it would never be a possibility.

Unable to withstand seeing him like this, I demanded, "What exactly are you scared of? That I'll run away and never want to see you again?"

"Exactly that," he was quick to respond.

My eyes softened. "Look... I don't exactly see what is that bad," I tried to tell the both of us. "You said it's not any of the things I've asked, so I don't see how horrible or complex your life or 'issue' could be. Just get it over with and tell me. I'm sure I will understand." I have to understand... If I want this to go on, if I want us to go on—

He gave me a wary glance, followed by a deep breath. "Right. I'll just say it then."

I nodded, waiting. I can do this... whatever it is, I will accept him no matter—

"I... I'm a vampire."