"Yeah, but don't let that go to your head. I'm pretty easy to please."

"Easy? You think it was easy to set all this up? Do you have any idea how difficult it was to put this together and keep it secret from you and mom?"

The delight on her face faded at the mention of my mother.

"Sofia, you do understand why we can't tell my mom yet, right? I don't think we're ready to deal with all the drama that it would cause, and..."

"Yeah, I understand, Ben," she cut me off. "Don't worry about it."

I opened up the champagne and we drank and ate dessert. We then eased into a comfortable silence, our focus being the view.

When she finally broke the silence, I wish she hadn't.

"I've been meaning to ask you a question, Ben..."

I could immediately sense her hesitation.

"While you were setting up the food, I tapped you on the back to get your attention. You didn't respond. That's happened so many times already. When you got beat up, I kept on accidentally brushing my hand or arm or whatever against your bruises and against your gash and you never once flinched..." Her voice was laced with concern that made me ache. "Why is that?"

I didn't want to talk about it, didn't want to admit to it, but it was out there. "I think Claudia messed up my nervous system or something... I'm not sure what she did. All I know is that my sense of touch has been dulled."

"Ben... I..."

I didn't want her pity. I'd had enough of feeling sorry for myself. "It's why I want to join the hunters, Sofia. I don't want to go through life pretending that I can go back to normal. Claudia took that away from me."

Her silence was enough of an answer. I doubted anything I could say would convince her that she ought to join the hunters. One mention of Claudia was enough to ruin my mood. My using my story as leverage to convince Sofia to join the hunters was enough to ruin hers.

"Let's get out of here." I suggested. "I have one surprise left."

"Let's." She agreed.

We drove back to the city. I had hotel reservations. Without Sofia's knowledge, I already told my parents that we were going to go to a big slumber party with our friends, so they weren't expecting us home that night.

I didn't know what I was expecting. Perhaps it was a desperate attempt to a.s.sure myself that she was mine. I thought that maybe if we slept together, it would be harder for her to leave me.

The moment I opened that hotel room's door, revealing the rose petals scattered all over the bed and the dim lighting, and I saw the expression on her face, I knew I had made a huge mistake.

She shook her head. "I'm not ready for this, Ben. I'm sorry..." Her voice revealed that she was close to tears. Her hand was clutching her purse, trembling slightly.

"It's fine. I understand." I lied. "We don't have to do it. It's enough to be able to spend the night with you."

I pulled her to my chest and hugged her. We kissed. Still, I couldn't help but feel like she was slipping out of my grasp.

I spent the night looking at her as she slept. So peaceful. So beautiful. I wondered if her calm countenance would eventually become marred by another nightmare. I wondered what horrors her fitful dreams involved. Was I in them? Was he in them? I wondered if she still thought about him. I wondered if I had somehow ruined what I was trying to build with her with the stupid stunt I tried to pull tonight.

Most of all, I wondered if she would ever truly be mine.

CHAPTER 27: SOFIA.

The stadium was beginning to fill up with people. A collective sense of excitement could be felt throughout the bleachers. On one side, several of the school's alumni former football players themselves were men being men, screaming and hollering, rooting for their team. The cheerleaders were doing what they did best and pulling off a brand new and rather impressive routine. On the bleachers above us, more than a dozen or so conversations were being exchanged one of which was Lyle and Amelia's as they gushed over how wonderful it was that Ben was once again back in the game.

Ben was the only reason I was there. I never was a fan of the game and didn't really take the time to understand it. For the most part, I only understood what was going on during games because of the very helpful information the scoreboard provided.

While others around me were getting impatient for the game to start, I was looking forward to it ending hopefully with Ben's team coming out as the winners, so that I wouldn't have to deal with him being a sore loser.

"Where's Abby?" Amelia tugged on the sleeve of my cardigan.

"I thought she was with Lyle..." Lyle, after all, was the one who carried her to our seats.

"He went out for food. He told me Abby was with you. You were supposed to be watching her."

I looked at the seat beside me. Abby's stuffed elephant, Colin, was seated where the five-year-old was supposed to be. I felt panic bubble up inside me. "I'll look for her." I a.s.sured Amelia, before leaving my seat and weaving through the bleachers in search of the little girl. "Abby!"

"Sofia!" A male voice called out.

I whipped around to see where the voice was coming from. I sighed with relief when I saw Abby seated on the lap of Kendra James. Her husband, Mike, was calling my name. They were Connor's parents and close friends of the Hudsons.

"Abby, you scared us to death!" I exclaimed as I neared them.

"I thought you said you asked permission before coming to us," Kendra scolded Abby in a tone that was too light and sweet to make the kid take it seriously.

Abby flashed her winning smile, her curly blonde ponytail bobbing up and down as she began bouncing on Kendra's lap. She fluttered her eyelashes in a way that reminded me of her older brother. She then shrugged and giggled. "I did. Sofia just didn't hear me."

I rolled my eyes. The kid could get away with murder if she got any cuter. Mike and Kendra were particularly fond of Abby, largely because they had four sons, of whom Connor was the youngest, and no daughters. Kendra was thrilled when Amelia asked her to become Abby's G.o.dmother. They adored the cute little runt and I couldn't blame them. Abby was a charmer just like Ben.

"I think we ought to go back to our seats before your mother has a heart attack, Abby," I coaxed.

"Sorry, Sofia," Mike said. "She saw us and came over. We didn't mean to make you worry."

"Oh, it's fine." I smiled. Of course, the look on Amelia's face when she asked me about Abby was far from alright. Amelia and I weren't exactly on the best of terms. She hadn't spoken much to me since Ben and I got back. I extended my hand toward Abby and she begrudgingly took it, but not before receiving a lollipop from Kendra.

"Say thank you, Abby," I said.

Abby tilted her head to the side, some of her curls falling over her face. "Thank you, Kendra."

Of course, the couple found that absolutely "awwww"-worthy. I half-pulled, half-dragged Abby back to our seats, because she kept making friends with the strangers we pa.s.sed by. She was one of those kids who would be easy to kidnap, because she was so friendly and comfortable around strangers. Amelia's gonna have to keep a close eye on you, Abby. You're setting yourself up for trouble.

"Where was she?" Amelia's voice was flat and cold.

"With Mike and Kendra," I responded.

"I don't know what it is with you, Sofia, but my kids have a way of getting into trouble whenever they're around you." It wasn't meant to be a spiteful comment, just a careless one, caused by her worry over her daughter's well-being. She began checking on her little girl to make sure she was alright.

"It's not Sofia's fault, mommy," Abby stood in my defense. "I didn't ask her if I could go."

I couldn't really blame Amelia for her concern. I should've paid attention to Abby. The truth was that I was slightly jealous of Ben and Abby for having a mother fawning all over them. The only distinct memories I had of my mother was her locking me up in the closet when I was being particularly naughty. Amelia was nothing like that with her children. She loved them dearly and it showed. It was clear to see through her actions that she kept their best interests at heart. I still found it heart-breaking whenever I caught her looking at Ben, her blue eyes glistening with tears. She never showed it to her son, but what happened to him was tearing her apart.

"The game is about to start in a few minutes." Lyle came to my rescue. "Settle down. It's fine, Sofia."

I smiled and got on my seat. My phone vibrated in my purse and I fished it out to check. I found several text messages from Ben, expressing how anxious he felt. It was a big game after all. I messaged him saying I thought he was going to do great.

The teams were called out into the field and as Ben ran out, his eyes caught me amongst the crowd. He winked.

I gave him my best smile and blew him a kiss, hoping that Amelia wouldn't make anything out of it. It was getting harder to hide from Amelia that Ben and I were dating. I knew she noticed the slight differences in the way Ben and I treated each other around the house. Truth be told, I was beginning to believe that perhaps it was for the best that she didn't know.

After what he tried to pull off at the hotel room after prom, I began to take a serious look at what I had going on with Ben. It felt right and yet it felt wrong at the same time. It felt right because after everything we'd been through, it felt as if we owed it to each other to give the romance a chance. It felt wrong for the same reason. Sometimes, I felt as if I was with him because I somehow owed it to him to try and make the relationship work.

I knew he felt something for me. He was, after all, outspoken about it and never really backed away from showing his affections. I, on the other hand, knew that I loved him, but I was still unsure if that love could span anything more than just friendship.

In spite of everything Ben was doing for me, Derek was still the last person on my mind before I drifted off to sleep at night and the first person I thought about when I woke up. I wanted to get him off my mind, but he haunted my every waking moment, and every time I kissed Ben, guilt over the fact that Derek was on my mind would begin eating at me.

That same pang of shame and guilt caught up with me as I watched my boyfriend run to the center of the field. I was the envy of the whole cheerleading squad and a bunch of other school girls pining over him, but gone were the days when that actually mattered to me.

I'd now finally got what I wanted all throughout high school. I was with Ben and yet something about being together as a couple didn't feel right and I wondered if he sensed it too.

The games began and I checked on Abby to make sure she was okay. She was seated on Lyle's lap, clutching Colin the Elephant in her small arms. She seemed to be having the time of her life, her bright eyes sparkling as she watched the game. Amelia looked a lot more relaxed too. I thought it did her well to see Ben back in his game, back in his element.

I leaned back in my seat, not quite sure about what was happening on the field, but a quick look at the scoreboard revealed that no one was winning not yet.

"h.e.l.lo, Sofia. May I have a word with you in private?"

I turned my head to the side. I felt my face drain of all blood. Sitting on the seat to my right Abby's spare seat - was Vivienne Novak.

I wasn't able to fight the urge to scream, but my reaction was drowned out by a loud cheer suddenly erupting throughout the bleachers. The scoreboard revealed that Ben's team was now in the lead. I had reason to rejoice, but how could I when a vampire was sitting right beside me?

I completely froze. Try as I might, I couldn't pry my eyes away from her. My ability to breathe seemed to have stopped, I could neither inhale nor exhale. The crowd began to settle down all around us.

She grabbed my hand and I flinched at her coldness. "Don't be afraid. I mean you no harm, Sofia. I don't have much time... Please. May we talk?"

Beyond the sincerity in her blue-violet eyes, I was moved by an emotion I never thought I would see in the princess of The Shade. It was betrayed by how her hand was trembling over mine and how her lower lip had the slightest quiver. Fear. She was afraid, and I couldn't help but wonder what force someone like her could possibly be afraid of.

For some reason, her fear calmed me, enabling me to breathe again. She was in human territory, my turf. She had no power over me here. I shook my head. "I'm not going anywhere alone with you, Vivienne."

"Sofia, is everything alright?" Lyle spoke from behind me, his hand resting on my shoulder.

"Please..." Vivienne's hand clasped tighter around mine and her facial expression gave way to a whole new emotion: desperation.

I slightly turned my head in order to address Lyle. "It's fine. She's a girl from school. She came to ask about college applications."

Lyle eyed Vivienne warily, but nodded. "Okay."

I returned my focus on Vivienne. "There's a coffee shop right outside the west exit. I'll meet you there in five minutes."

She nodded and quickly let go of my hand before leaving. It was as if she couldn't wait to get out of there. I watched as she left, observing how she was able to make a pair of jeans, a loose checkered b.u.t.ton-down blouse and a baseball cap on her head look s.e.xy and feminine.

A modeling agency could make a fortune out of her. I shook the thought away before giving way to concerns of greater matter. What is she doing here and what could she possibly want from me?

Five minutes later, after begging a quick leave from Lyle and Amelia, I was fully expecting to get an answer to that question as I sat across Vivienne inside a crowded coffee shop. I held the cup of latte with both my hands, savoring the heat, before taking a sip. I just agreed to have coffee with a vampire. Do you have a death wish or something, Sofia?

I found it unnerving how strange Vivienne was acting. Her eyes were darting from one corner of the room to the other, as if she suspected that someone was following her. She eventually managed to stop fidgeting enough so that she could speak to me. "Thanks for agreeing to have a word with me." Her voice was hoa.r.s.e, almost as if she hadn't had a drink for a while.

The thought that she was thirsty did little to bring me comfort. I laid down my mug of coffee on the table between us. "What's going on, Vivienne? You look like you've just seen a ghost."

She clasped her palms together and laid them on her lap. She shut her eyes for a few seconds and took a couple of deep breaths before opening them again. She appeared to be a lot calmer after that. "It's nothing. It's just that I haven't been out of The Shade for hundreds of years. I'm a little on edge. Anyway, I don't know how much time I have, but I'm going to answer all the questions you may have for as long as I am able."

Questions about what? I had no idea what she was talking about. She's speaking like she's going to keel over and die any time now... Back at The Shade, Vivienne always seemed calm and poised. She had this all-knowing look about her that made me feel antsy around her, like she could see right through my soul. Seeing her act like a basket of nerves was definitely an interesting sight to see.

"Could you just tell me why you're here? Get straight to the point. You're acting weird and it's making me nervous."

A flicker of interest crossed the stunning hues of her eyes. "No wonder he was so enamored by you..."

The statement took me aback, but I had no chance to respond because she then paid heed to my request and got straight to the point.

"I came to ask you to come back to The Shade."

My jaw dropped, a dry chuckle coming out of my lips. It was madness. "You have got to be joking..." I exclaimed before motioning to rise from my seat.

"Wait... Please... Hear me out."

Vivienne had something about her that caught my attention... She still reeked of fear and desperation, but there was something more... something I couldn't place.

I settled back on the couch, but not without letting her know that I was keeping her on a short leash. "This better be good."

She fidgeted on her seat and wrinkled her nose as if she was weighing her words very carefully. I began drumming my fingers over the table as I waited for her to say something. She certainly was taking her precious time.

"Well? I'm waiting..."

She blew out a deep sigh before finally finding words. "I didn't expect you to live, Sofia."

My eyes widened. "That's not exactly a great way to start, Vivienne..."

"Maybe so..." she agreed "but it's the truth." She then lowered her voice so that only I could hear. "That night... when you and the girls were brought to Derek, just after he woke up, I wasn't expecting him to be able to command enough self-control to keep himself from devouring each and every one of you."

I remembered that night well. How scared I was... How I held Gwen's hand in hopes of both giving and drawing comfort from her... How I somehow caught his attention... How he pinned me against a marble pillar...

"If that's what you thought, why then would you have brought us to him? You just led us to our slaughter... That's sick, Vivienne."

"It's the way of The Shade."

"Again... not a very convincing argument for me to go back. What's your point?"

She stared at me for a few seconds before speaking. Desperate. "A prophecy has been spoken about Derek a long time ago. The prophecy says that he will rule and that he will bring our kind true sanctuary."