I wondered what heaven would be like. I wondered if it was everything portrayed in the movies. White, quiet, peaceful, loving.

But then again I couldn't expect it. I never expected Vampires like Duke to be charming and kind. Why would heaven be exactly like it was portrayed in movies if Vampires weren't portrayed as nice as some really were?

I waited for what seemed like forever, waiting for heaven or angels to envelope me in wonder and take me away.

But of course, they didn't.

My eyes burst open to a rush of screams, ringing in my ears. At a slow-mo pace, bodies entered the room, rushing around in super speed.

Unable to focus, unable to breathe, I allowed my eyes to shut, unable to carry on any longer.

I felt my body become light, swaying gently as though I was being lifted into the sky, caressed by the clouds above waiting for me.

This was it, it was time to succumb.

-

Returning to life, my eyes adjusted greeting a bright white light hovering above my head.

Two gentle voices whispered on either side of me.

I immediately recognized one as Duke, and the other as Jaymi. Was this a part of the departure? Was this a dream or had they made it to me in miracle time?

I tried to speak, but my voice came out as a weak mumble.

A cold finger pressed to my lips in a gesture to hush me. I closed my eyes again and lay still, a warm rush of heat surging back into my body.

I let the feeling run through me willingly, pulling me back under in a deep sleep.

-

The next time my body re-entered reality, I became a lot more aware of what was going on.

My body felt relaxed. My right hand stinging with coldness. I didn't try to speak, and I didn't try to move. I was far too comfortable and terrified of what I'd meet on the other side.

In time, finding the courage to meet my fate, I peeled my eyes open.

His features were struck with worry, but still held a soft stare. His eyes melted into mine, and I could almost taste the sweetness portrayed. His lips lightly curled upwards into a weak smile as slight pressure pressed onto my cold hand.

"Hey" Duke's low voice greeted "Don't speak" He quickly added as my lips parted ready to reply, his cold finger pressing them back down.

"You're okay" He continued, obviously trying to calm my nerves "Clora's fine too, she's downstairs with Jaymi"

I felt my cold hand lift, Duke was holding it in between both of his palms, his fingers creating soothing circles.

I ignored his request for me not to speak, and tried again before he could stop me

"Dodge?" I managed out in a low groggy voice, barely audible

"I told you not to speak Rosie" He replied, ignoring my question as he lifted a hand and ran a light finger along my cheek.

Without thought, I flinched, flashes of Dodge brushing my hair back from my face flickering to mind like a horrific slide show.

"Sorry" He apologized as he pulled his hand back

-

For the next hour, I didn't move, I didn't speak, I just laid there, unaware of what had happened. Unaware of how I had even survived. I wanted to bombard Duke with questions, but I simply didn't have the energy. I was exhausted and in extreme pain.

I kept my eyes firmly held on Duke, afraid of being left alone.

It was when Seth entered the room that I couldn't contain my voice.

I turned my head to face him as he spoke to Duke about my 'progress'.

While Duke was unaware, I tried to sit up, lifting myself up on my elbows, quickly being gently pushed back down with Seth's cold arm to my left.

I felt something pull on my hand and slightly sting. I looked down at the cause and saw that a drip was placed in the top of my hand, taped down, running through with a clear liquid.

"Don't get up you're still too weak" Seth instructed, looking down at me with eyes that I hadn't seen in about 7 weeks.

I smiled and reached my hand out towards him, just to feel that he was real.

He was cold, hard and entirely real.

"Seth" I grumbled, my voice sounding slightly better than it had before. He smiled down at me before taking hold of my hand, careful of the drip

"Hey Rosie" He smiled, his voice like singing angels "It's good to see you again"

My smile slowly vanished and a concerning thought raced through my head

"Dodge?" I whispered again

Seth's smile also vanished and he looked down at my hand instead of my face

"Don't worry about Dodge Rosie. You're alive, and so are we"

He was still alive. I could tell.

He was alive and well, and still out there waiting for yet another chance to hunt me down. I felt my eyes lightly well up at the thought of having to deal with this for the rest of my life.

"He doesn't matter anymore Rosie. He thinks you're dead" Seth continued.

He thought I was dead? He thought he'd succeeded? What did that mean?

Surely he would discover I was alive, he would come back for me.

"I like your friend Clora by the way" Seth cut through the silence as he changed the subject

"She's a character" I nodded

"You're both very similar, I can't understand the friendship. She's taking all this information in just as well as you did when you found out"

I was surprised they had allowed her into their world, it wasn't a light and easy decision. But in a sense, I was glad, I would no longer have to lie to her.

"How did I survive?" I asked

"We needed to give you a blood transfusion" Seth sighed

"Transfusion?" I repeated, creasing my eyebrows

"You lost a lot of blood, you were close to death" Seth told me

"Where did you get the blood?" I questioned, once again cringing at the thought of Seth and Duke holding down a helpless victim just to save me

"The hospital" Seth answered

"The hospital?" I repeated

"Darius has connections" Duke cut in

"So it was, willing?" I asked.

I had to make sure.

Both boys lightly snickered

"Yes. It was willing" Seth nodded

I just sighed, feeling a shoot of pain dance through my head.

"It's going to hurt for a few weeks" Duke noticed

"Where is Riley?" I asked, noticing no one had spoken a word about him

"He's downstairs, probably hitting on your friend" Seth shrugged, relieving me of the idea of him being hurt

"Speaking of, I better go make sure he's keeping his hands to himself" Seth smiled as he squeezed my hand one last time, letting go and walking off from the room

I turned my gaze back to Duke who was sitting beside me on a chair he'd dragged over from the small lounge area.

"You're a strong woman Rosie" He sighed as he ran a thumb over my hand

"Far from it" I mumbled

"You survive every obstacle thrown at you, you push through every challenge"

I shook my head "I'm cheating death"

"Or beating it" He quickly shot back

I gave up, not in the right state to continue the debate.

"I thought I lost you" He whispered as he looked down at my hand

"You can't get rid of me that easy" I replied, trying a joke.

His lips lightly curled, but it was missing the energy.

"When can I get up?" I asked, changing the subject

"Not today. Tomorrow maybe" He shrugged

"What day is it?"

"Rosie, calm down. You're recovering from near death, give your mind a rest"

I scoffed and closed my eyes "I'm always recovering from near death"

"Hopefully, this'll be the last time"

I wondered why the world had saved me, yet again. Why did heaven reject me so easily? I wanted to meet the angels, I had been ready on numerous occasions, but death had yet to greet me. Did the angels wants me?

I stared obliviously at Duke, my eyes unfocused. Was he the reason the angels spat me back out? Had I crossed a line and broken the rules?

"What?" Duke asked curiously, snapping me from my thoughts

"Sorry" I apologised as I shook my head

"Sorry for what?" He asked, his eyebrows creasing

"Staring" I answered honestly, looking away from him

"Was it a negative thought stare?"

"No" I half lied quickly as I turned my eyes back to him

"Then don't say sorry"

"Sorry" I sarcastically shot, rolling my eyes at him

His smile returned upwards "You are such a tease Rosalie"

"Is that a bad thing?" I furrowed my eyebrows, staring at him

"Sometimes" He answered honestly

"Sorry" I shrugged

He got up from his seat and leaned towards me, planting a tender kiss on my nose, lingering around my face for a moment

"Get some sleep. I'll be back soon" He whispered

I smiled and nodded not really wanting to be alone, but knowing that if he was by my side, I would have rathered stay awake, staring at his glorious features.

Once he left, Seth returned and sat where Duke had been. I suppose he was just there to watch over me. Make sure I wasn't going to slip into unconsciousness, or die.

My body must have really needed the sleep, because no matter how much I tried to keep it away, it overlapped me, taking control.

-

When I woke, it was dark.

The first thing my eyes caught sight of, was Duke beside me. Somehow and someway, he'd maneuvered up, lying directly beside me. His head was a few inches above mine which rest on his shoulder. His chest was rising and falling and his arms were positioned neatly on his stomach.

While taking in his position, my eyes caught sight of his tight fitting shirt. It had risen at the bottom, a small space of bare skin left exposed at his hips.

I felt a sudden urgency to trace his skin with my fingertips.

The temptation was beckoning, inviting.

I knew the chances of him waking up were extremely high, but the devil on my shoulder persuaded me into doing it.

Slowly, my hand rose, and I carefully let my fingertips brush against his skin feeling its cold and muscled lines.

He didn't stir an inch.

I became more confident and ran my fingers more prominently over his lines.

It wasn't in any way a sexual reaction, it was merely curiosity.

As expected, he soon awoke.

His eyes didn't open and his breathing didn't hitch, but I knew he was awake when his hand flew out and caught my wrist.

I felt embarrassed, but I hadn't regretted it, not for a second. I watched and waited until one of his eyes lifted open to peer at me

"Are you right there?" He mumbled

"Mhm" I mumbled back, not confident enough to speak coherent words

"Good to see you're feeling better" He continued

"Mhm" I mumbled again, not ready to speak proper words

He lightly let go of my wrist and I returned it back to my side.

"You shouldn't do that to me while I'm asleep Rosie" He closed his eye shut again

"Probably not" I managed out

"Let me guess, curiosity?" He guessed

"Exactly" I smiled

"Curiosity killed the cat, you know?" He warned as he remained perfectly still, unbothered by our close proximity

"Because I touched you while you were asleep?"

"I could have thought it was anyone, panicked and reached out, accidently broken your arm" He dramatised

"Because anyone of your enemies would be caressing your skin when you're asleep" I scoffed

"I'm going back to sleep now, you should too" He sighed

"Go to sleep then" I teased as I kept my eyes on his tranquil face

"How can I trust you not to pull any other moves on me while I sleep?" He shot back

"You shouldn't"

"You can pull the moves on me when I'm asleep, but it's a different story when I'm awake" He said, my heart rising into the back of my throat

"What does that mean?" I sat up on my elbows, wincing as the drip pulled at my skin.

"Nothing" He smiled

"Whatever" I retorted as I settled back down, mulling over what he had said

-

I couldn't sleep. I was too busy overthinking. There was only one way in which I could describe the conversation Duke and I had had - flirting. He'd practically said that was too much of a coward to pull moves on him while he was awake. Had my plan with Riley not been obvious enough? Did he not realise that I'd done it just to get him to react? Obviously not.

I turned my head in his direction and examined his face for a few seconds. He was far too perfect, far too beautiful, far too everything that I wasn't. This, man beside me was something and someone that just didn't seem possible.

Why had I wanted to go up to heaven, when clearly I was lying right down beside it.

I sighed just as his left eye flickered open, catching me staring.

"Stop it" He whispered

"Stop what?"

"Thinking what you're thinking" He answered, causing me to crease my eyebrows

"What am I thinking? Aren't you supposed to be asleep?" I asked, turning it on him

"You're thinking of how to seduce me again while I'm at my weakest, and I already told, you, I'm a light sleeper" He answered, his voice soft

"You wish" I scoffed as I turned my head back around facing the door of the room

"Sometimes" He smiled as I watched him from the corner of my eye.

His eyes were shut again, and I was glad. My cheeks were flushing blood red.

Had he been serious? There was no way.

"Now who's pulling the moves" I mumbled as I leaned back down on the bed

"At least I do it when we're both awake" He defended

I narrowed my eyes at nothing in particular.

He was winning, and I didn't like it.

Scattered ideas ran throughout my mind with ways to quickly overturn his victory.

But they were all risky, they all told me that I was going to have to pull out the big guns to silence him once and for all.

Still, I couldn't let him win the game.

Without thinking it over, I turned my head towards him, I lifted myself slightly upwards, carefully watching his expression. He was still, quiet, and it made it a whole lot easier for me to move towards his face with my own and press firmly down on his lips with my own.

At first he didn't move, which surprised me. I had expected him to jump up and tell me I had been reckless and stupid. Instead, before I knew what was really happening, he was kissing me back.

My position made it difficult when my left hand was constricted, but whatever pulling pain that was going on, was beyond forgotten.

The fire that burned between us when we were connected was dangerous.

The heat that radiated of us felt as if my heart would burst into flames, disintegrating to ash.

The world disappeared and it felt anything but wrong.

Slowly, I was running out of air from the intensity. Not even the air in my nose could keep up.

But I refused to pull away. I didn't want to stop. I wanted him to be the first to pull away and lose the battle.

But I quickly realised that he could probably breath steady forever, so regrettably, I ripped my lips from him.

My breathing was rigid and the look on his face told me I had won.

He was still and his lips remained pursed open from the kiss as his eyes seemed lost.

I gently laid myself back down and stared up at the ceiling, waiting for Duke to say or do something.

Within a minute, he did.

He turned his face towards me, sitting up, his hands running through his hair.

"I win" I mumbled, pleased

"Okay" He surrendered easily

Suddenly I became upset, annoyed at his blasé reaction. It wasn't what I had expected, or wanted.

"That's it?" I asked, turning my head to face him

"How could you not win with an argument like that?" He smiled weakly "But you should be sleeping" He finished off, turning his face serious again

"How can I sleep when you're around?" I asked, watching his golden eyes soften towards me

"Would you prefer me to leave?" He suggested, gesturing towards the door

"That's not what I meant" I answered, rolling my eyes

"Then sleep Rosie. You need it" He was serious again as he watched me.

I nodded, frustrated with the way he had shut down our game.

It was as though instead of succumbing gracefully to defeat, he threw the monopoly board up and stormed off.

I gave him a weak smile and rolled over, closing my eyes.

-

When I woke, I awoke to find Duke beside me, only this time, he was sitting in his chair, watching my eyes flicker into focus.

"Hey" He greeted

"Morning"

My voice was thick, buried under the long weight of silence

"How are you feeling?" He asked, still watching me

"Fine" I replied as I stretched my body out, feeling no sign of pull from a drip. I looked beside for it. But it was gone.

"I already took it out" Duke obviously noticed what I had

"Good" I groaned as my muscles relaxed from stretching

Duke sat up straight from his slumped position. I tried to follow and slide myself up, but it only hurt the muscles in my neck as I moved.

"Careful" Duke soothed as his hand moved to help me sit upwards

"I hate this" I mumbled

"It'll heal" He was looking down, avoiding my gaze

I wanted to question what was on his mind, but I forced myself not too. It seemed that he was slowly sinking back into his moody persona, switching attitudes like a light.

Eventually, I was allowed to slowly stand up and walk around, soon followed by a shower.

I ate a hot meal with Riley and made my way into the living room where Jaymi and Clora were sitting, chatting away like they'd known each other for years.

It was extremely weird to see her sitting in Jaymi's world, along with now what was mine.

Duke had explained during breakfast that Clora's memory was to be erased when she was to be dropped off back home.

I had tried to fight it off, persuade Duke that it would be better for me to have her know the truth, but after an intense argument, he had made his point. I was being selfish, I knew that the more Clora knew, the more she was in danger, it was safer for her to be oblivious.

"Hey Clora" I smiled as I reached them, sitting on the adjacent lounge chair

"Good to see you're feeling better" She smiled, a new brightness in her eyes

"Yeah, I am " I sniffed, looking towards Jaymi

"I'll give you two a bit of chit-chat time" Jaymi spoke, standing, smiling at me sympathetically before leaving

"So, this was your big secret" Clora started as she looked around and shrugged

I just smiled and nodded "It been a crazy series of events, that's for sure"

"It's, very strange" She smiled, a little unsure

"I know" I agreed

"I mean, it's not every day that I find out Vampires are real, and that there are nice ones. But there are also bad ones that want to kill my best friend for her blood" She rushed out, babbling as she sighed to complete it all dramatically

I smiled again and nodded "Yeah it's intense"

"I mean, I'm happy that you've made friends and have a super hot boyfriend, but, I don't know, it's going to take awhile to get used too" She continued, oblivious to the fact that she'd have no record of any of it by nightfall.

"You'll get used to it" I lied

"So, tell me, how did you become involved in this mess?" I asked, curious as to where it had all gone wrong