Fire and Ice Ch. 02

The entire apartment looked like it was from the pages of a home design magazine. It was spacious, and it seemed to flow together seamlessly. The entire thing reeked of masculinity—not a single article in his entire house implied a woman's presence. Even the throw pillows—normally something a woman would put out—looked like they belonged there.

The color scheme should have been dark and dismal, but it wasn't. It worked with the space, somehow, and it definitely fit Adam, which was surprising. He was so friendly, but his place could be construed as cold and withdrawn; still, it fit.

"So...you want a drink or something? I can make coffee if you'd like. I also have a bottle of merlot that I haven't opened yet..."

Adam was looking at me expectantly, and I got the feeling that he didn't have people over often. Maybe never. I gave him a grin, "Could I just have water?"

Adam smiled, almost as if he was embarrassed that he hadn't mentioned it sooner. "Course, Em. Why don't you sit down and make yourself comfortable while I get it for you?"

I nodded at him as he strode into the kitchen. I could see through the space between the bottom of the cabinets and the top of the counter, and I watched as he pulled a glass from above, dumped a couple cubes of ice into it, and filled it with water.

As he walked back to me, I sat on the loveseat, dropping my bag right next to my feet. He came into the living room and placed the glass of water on the table, then sat on the couch perpendicular, angling himself so that he was facing me.

For the first time with Adam, the silence was awkward. I didn't really know what to say, so I picked up the glass gingerly and took a sip. It was good. Smiling at him, I set the glass back on the table.

Suddenly, we both spoke up at the same time,

"Thanks for the..."

"Are you ready for..."

Blushing, I laughed embarrassedly. He motioned for me to continue speaking, so I did, "I was just going to say 'Thanks for the water'".

Adam grinned. "It's no problem, Emma. You know that. I was going to ask if you were ready for our final coming up."

I stifled a groan, "I'm seriously freaking out, Adam. I mean, ever since you came along, this stuff has seemed so easy. But you won't be there to talk me through it when I'm taking the final, and I always seem to get horrible test anxiety. So, no, not ready yet, I guess. I probably won't be ready to take it until it's over."

Adam gave me a small, supportive grin, "You'll do fine, Em. I've got faith in you."

I gave a crooked, nervous grin and took another sip of my water.

The fantasies that I had imagined earlier about Adam seemed to all come rushing back at me. I could feel myself starting to blush, just as I could feel the heat start pooling between my thighs once more.

Something was seriously wrong with me. There was no excuse. I must have had some disease that turned me on every time I got around Adam.

He was looking at me, head tilted slightly, breathing softly. "You ok, Em?" He asked quietly.

No. No, I was not okay. Something was wrong with me. I shouldn't have come to his apartment, shouldn't have put myself in this situation.

But I nodded at him, shakily reaching for the glass of water to take another sip.

It all happened so quickly—my fingers slipped, and I watched as the glass of water slowly fell, it's middle hitting on the edge of the glass table, shattering, pieces of glass, ice, and droplets of water raining into the crème carpet below. I heard myself gasp as I bent down to start picking up the pieces, heard Adam tell me not to worry about it, and heard myself curse when I cut my finger on a shard of glass. I quickly stuck my finger in my mouth, sucking off the pooling blood, then looked up at Adam, ready to make a joke about my clumsiness.

His face shocked me. His eyes were dilated—I could barely see the beautiful brown in them anymore. The black pupils had expanded and taken over everything. His mouth was open and he was breathing heavily through it, and, dear lord, I could swear he had...fangs. I blinked a few times, trying to focus my eyes, but Adam had already stood up and started walking quickly to the refrigerator.

I heard the sound of liquid pouring, then saw Adam chugging something out of a porcelain coffee mug. He rinsed it out in the sink, then set it on the counter. He rummaged through a cabinet for a second, then returned with a band-aid for me.

"Band-aid?" was all he said, and he held it out for me to take. I nodded, taking and unwrapping it with my uninjured hand. I quickly wrapped my finger in the bandage, then put the trash on the coffee table. Adam had come back with a small vacuum and made a motion for me to lift my feet off of the carpet. Working silently, he vacuumed up the mess that I had made, then returned the machine to the closet he had pulled it from.

Sitting where he had been before, he looked at me quietly.

I tilted my head at him. So many questions were rushing through my mind, but what really had me confused was the look that I could have sworn I saw on his face. I knew that I had seen fangs...but that just wasn't possible. My eyes had been playing tricks on me. It was like the crazy people who claimed that they had seen a UFO. My mind simply refused to believe what my eyes were swearing they had seen. I wasn't crazy!

Adam seemed to see the emotions flitting across my face. He sat, his elbows on his knees, and gave a small groan, dropping his head into his hands.

"I'm sorry, Em."

I wasn't really sure what he wanted me to say. What was he sorry for?

"It's all good, Adam. No worries. I'm fine."

Adam just looked at me, one brow raised in confusion. "All good?"

I nodded. "Yeah, it's all good. Look, I have a band-aid now." I waved my injured finger in front of his face and gave a grin. His face was locked on mine—it looked like he was in shock.

"Aren't you scared?"

I wrinkled my nose. "Scared of what, Adam? A tiny little cut? I'm totally fine. You're overreacting."

Anger crossed his face, "No, you're underreacting! You aren't even going to mention it?"

Now I seriously felt confused. He couldn't be talking about that little 'fang' episode, could he? Because that wasn't real! My mind had made that up, I was sure of that now. No person had fangs.

"What are you talking about, Adam?"

"I saw your reaction, Emma! I know you saw me for what I am, don't pretend you didn't! I heard that sharp intake of breath, and I smelled the adrenaline that rushed through your system. If you think you're helping by pretending I'm normal, you aren't!"

I couldn't understand why he was yelling at me, and I felt tears rise into my eyes. Hell no! I am NOT going to cry!

"I..I really...I don't get it, Adam..." I gulped down the tears. What the fuck was wrong with him?

He groaned in frustration, standing up, running his hands through his hair. Taking a deep breath, he seemed to calm himself down, if only slightly. "You saw me, Em. You saw what I am. You saw my fangs. Don't pretend you didn't."

His voice had gone deadly soft, and I felt a chill creep up my spine. I stood up, grabbing my bag.

"I need to go. This was a bad idea. You...you must not be feeling well, or something." Desperately, I tried to think of excuses for his behavior.

I walked around him, around the couch where he had been sitting, and touched the doorknob.

Suddenly, he was there. His hand was flat against the door, pressing it shut, and as hard as I pulled, I couldn't get it open.

"You can't go, Emma. Not yet."

My eyes widened with fear, "Fuck you, Adam! Let me out!"

He cringed when I yelled the obscenity at him, but his hand remained on the door. "You don't understand, Em. Please, just wait...I have to tell someone...I can't...you don't understand."

His face fell as he repeated those words. As I looked up at him, his eyes met mine. I gasped, unable to pull away. They were filled with pain, loneliness, and desperation. For the first time, I saw what Adam was truly feeling, what that cocky little grin had been hiding all along, and I gasped as the enormity of it all impacted me.

"Please, Em. Please stay, just for a little while."

I nodded, silently, and pulled my hand from the knob. I allowed myself to be escorted back to the couch and seated. Adam sat next to me, silently, for a moment, and then he spoke up.

"I know I must seem insane to you, Em. I'm sorry. I didn't mean to scare you. It's just..." he paused for a moment, and then continued. "I can't stand to be alone anymore. It's been so many years...it's been too long.

"What you saw back there was my true nature, Emma. I'm not...human. Not anymore, anyways."

I heard the pain in his voice, but my shock outweighed what he was saying. He really expected me to believe this?

Adam didn't notice my turmoil, and continued, "I used to be human. A long time ago. Not anymore."

I gasped, and he looked at me. "What are you then?"

His pain-filled eyes met mine, and a harsh whisper issued from his throat, "Haven't you guessed yet?"

I just looked at him, my mouth open, my heart beating quickly.

"I'm a vampire, Emma. The only one."

I opened and shut my mouth a few times before I stood up. "That's not true."

Adam just looked down, ashamed.

"That's not true! Vampires aren't real, Adam! I don't know what kind of crap you're pulling on me, but this isn't funny, and I've never liked practical jokes! Now stop lying to me and tell me what the hell is really wrong!"

Adam's eyes glared at mine before he stood up. My confidence was shaken slightly—he towered over me. Anger filled his eyes.

"Fine! Don't believe me! Don't believe what you saw with your own eyes!"

"I don't know what you're talking about, Adam! I didn't see anything!" I denied, vehemently.

Adam took very quick steps, forcing me back against the wall between the TV and the love seat. "Should I prove it to you, then?" he hissed, and I felt fear creep up and seize my throat. I pressed my palms flat against his chest and tried to push him away, but it was like pushing against a concrete wall. He was hard and unmoving.

"Adam...please stop...you're scaring me." I whimpered softly.

Adam gave a pained sigh. "Have I ever eaten anything around you, Emma? Have you ever seen me cold? Didn't you see how fast I moved when I went to stop you from opening the door?" He felt me shiver as his words rang true, and he continued, "Wasn't it strange that you had never noticed me before I came up to you? Did you know that I can smell your blood, and it calls to me? Did you know that every time you're aroused, I can smell that too?"

He felt me tense up, and he gave a wry chuckle, "Yes, Emma, I know that I turn you on sometimes. And it kills me, because I can't help it. When I make my presence known to a human, my body responds by emitting pheromones to attract them to me. It's how I used to feed. Until blood banks, that is."

I gasped up at him, but he still continued. "I've been walking this earth for centuries. I saw horses pull chariots, and carriages, and wagons. I saw when people began riding bicycles for transportation, and I experienced the thrill of the first horseless carriage. But if all of this doesn't convince you, Em, I know something that will."

My eyes widened at his words, and I watched as a pair of fangs unsheathed themselves in his mouth, dropping down silently. I trembled as his pupils widened until only a small hazel rim touched the edge of his eyes. I heard a growl issue forth from the back of his throat. Terrified, I squeezed my eyes shut, turning my head away, and his immediately dropped down. I felt his lips press against the vein in my neck as he kissed me there, softly, and then he was gone.

I opened my eyes and he was standing in the kitchen, taking deep breaths. He must have felt my gaze because he turned and gave me a wry grin.

"Believe me now?"

I realized that I had been holding my breath, and I gasped for air.

I did believe him now. Adam was a vampire. Which meant I was as good as dead.