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My heart was still beating, but did that mean I was still alive?

It was odd for me to be feeling lonely. The house was completely empty, the hallways were echoing and groaning with only the slightest of noises. Every step I took was like a loud thump against the wood floors, the sound amplified from the quietness.

Maybe it was the fact that it was an older home made almost entirely of decaying wood, or maybe it was due to my mother's sudden absent. Maybe I had become too accustomed to the shifting of papers and occasional dropping of small objects.

My mother had tricks up her sleeves to make the silence vanish. She was always finding ways to start conversations, even if they tended to be somewhat awkward. I wasn't sure if I should laugh at the embarrassing memories of my mother looking flustered or cry because I was missing her too much that it was definitely unhealthy.

Oscar had been following me around the house ever since I returned home from school. His wet nose would gently touch the palm of my hand, indicating to me that he was also missing my mother. Even if he couldn't speak his sadness to me, I could still see the emotion in his eyes.

I sighed and stood up from the wooden chair in my room. Multiple papers were scattered across the top of the desk, most of it uncompleted. I was distracted. Deciding to give up on my homework, I kicked my book bag aside, frustrated at the short attention span I had.

I'll just complete the rest of it during Chemistry tomorrow, I tried to convince myself. Though, we all know I'll be too tired to actually do it. For a vampire academy, the classes were most certainly harder than my last school. My human school.

"Bedtime, Oscar," I called out to my lab that was already snoring heavily at the foot of my bed.

A small smile made it's way onto my face as I watched his body stir at the mention of his name. I glanced out my bedroom window and knew by the blackened night sky that it was way past my own bedtime. Nighttime was like a hidden beauty, appearing when the sun disappears.

Recently though, I hadn't kept a good sleeping schedule. With everything going on, the stress has been getting to me. My eyes looked so dull and don't get me started on my skin. I could kiss my acne free face goodbye! It was nice while it lasted.

In a quick motion, my hands reached for the light switch and flicked them off. The room was instantly enveloped in a pitch black darkness. My eyes adjusted well enough so I could see the shadows and different outlines of furniture.

With a tired sigh, I collapsed backward onto my bed. My fingers grasped the soft duvet and wrapped it around only part of my body. The curtains of my window were pulled apart, exposing the starry sky to my bedroom. Turning my body, I faced my window.

"Hmm..." I hummed to myself, trying to clear my mind of all its thoughts.

Which was rather difficult, but my brain was starting to ease into unconsciousness. The twinkling of the tiny lights urged my eyelids to close, the world around me becoming completely dark. My fingers lightly gripped the ends of the closest pillowcase to me.

It might have been my imagination, but a light knock stirred my consciousness again. A creaking sound dragged throughout the room and my eyes fluttered open to see my window open completely. Slowly, I lifted my exhausted body from its sleeping position.

Instinctively, I pulled the warm duvet closer to my body. My eyes wandered around the room, searching for an explanation as to why my window was suddenly open. The cold air came in, sending me into a slight shiver. Winter was near.

When I could spot anything, I slowly slid my feet onto the wood floor. I stood up and moved toward the window, my toes brushing against Oscar's soft fur. My hands reached for the top and pulled it down. I made sure to lock it once it was shut.

"Hello." A soothing voice whispered in my ear as cold arms wrapped around my chest.

I jumped from the sudden contact and tried to pull away from the unknown person, but they held on tightly. Their cool skin burning my own exposed skin. My mind was suddenly awake, buzzing with jumbled thoughts. Suddenly, I relaxed into the person's hold when I finally recognized the voice.

"Carson, what are you doing here?" I asked softly, turning my head to see his glowing brown eyes.

The light of the moon illuminated his features, making him look even more dangerously attractive. I suddenly blushed and turned away. His grip on me loosened and I took that as my opportunity to move away. I stumbled forward, once again reaching for the light switch.

My fingers flicked the small switch upward and I winced at the bright light. Oscar's head jolted up as the flash of light and he looked around the room. His eyes settled on Carson for a moment before closing shut again. That dog really has become accustomed to Carson's presence.

I rubbed my tired eyes and smoothed down my wild hair in an attempt to look decent before the vampire boy. Carson was wearing his black hoodie and pair of sweatpants that hung lowly on his waist. I swear my face became a hundred degrees (Fahrenheit) warmer. Was it getting hot in here?

"I came to visit." He simply said and sat down on the edge of my bed with ease.

"At—" I quickly glanced over at the digital clock on my dresser. "Midnight?"

Carson gave me a smile and patted the spot next to him. "Of course."

My heart began to play its drum solo and I had to look away to make my blush go away. Why does he make me feel this way? He can't just appear out of nowhere to claim he was just visiting me at midnight on a school night. With a sigh, I let my feet carry me forward until I made it to the bed.

I slowly allowed my tense body to sit down next to him, even though our sudden close proximity made the butterflies in my stomach soar. I picked at my nails, thinking of ways to calm my flustered nerves.

"So..." I coughed awkwardly, fully aware of the dangerous presence sitting next to me. "Why did you come to visit me?"

Carson laughed and that was all it took for me to look at his handsome face. "I didn't get a chance to talk to you during school."

"Oh," I responded stupidly, thinking about how he wanted to talk to me.

My neck suddenly became hot and one of my hands wandered to touch the burning skin. When my fingers didn't feel the usual cold metal resting on my collarbone, I began to panic. I jumped up from my sitting position and looked for the flash of the small gem.

Carson's gaze snapped to my flustered expression and he cracked a smile. The way his lips tugged upward almost made it seem he knew what I was searching for. I was surprised when he didn't begin acting like before when I first took my necklace off.

Then I suddenly remembered he didn't seem to notice I wasn't wearing it yesterday morning. He was acting like it didn't bother him.

"I'm sorry, I took it off when I got ready for bed." I apologized, finally spotting the small chain coiled next to my math book.

"You don't need to wear it around me anymore." Carson's statement threw me off guard as I reached for the necklace.

My fingers wrapped the small gem around my palm. "What?"

I turned back to look at Carson actually smiling at me. He rose from his sitting position on my bed and stalked toward me. My body was frozen, my eyes watching him approach until we were less than a foot apart.

One of his large hands extended toward my own until his fingers grasped the thin chain. Carson removed the necklace from my open palm, the cold touch leaving behind a trail on tingles on my sensitive skin. He set it down on top of the desk where I had retrieved it from.

"I've adjusted enough to your smell so it doesn't bring out my inner instincts." Carson stepped closer, a hitch forming in my breath. "In my mind, you're no longer a meal to me."

I gulped, watching his dark eyes catch the movement. "I guess that's good?"

"You'll still have to wear it around Theo and Sebastian. As you saw, that was the first time either one of them has truly smelled a human." Carson smirked, remaining planted mere inches away from me.

"And that wasn't your first time?" I asked referring to the time he found out I was human.

His face darkened and I saw the playful mood leave his eyes. I watched his jaw twitch, debating whether or not to say anything. He slowly backed away and I felt a hurt feeling puncture my heart. What was that reaction of his?

"No," Carson muttered under his breath, standing more than a foot away.

"So you've met a human before?" I swallowed hard, afraid for him to lash out at me.

Carson shook his head, his gesture surprising me. "No. You're the first human I've come in contact with."

He ran one of his hands through his blonde locks, shifting the position of some of the tufts. My brows knitted together with confusion, not understanding his answers at all. The only sound between us was my slightly heavy breathing. It was definitely getting hotter in here.

Maybe I should have left that window open.

"I don't understand. You said that you've smelled a human before—" I started, but before I could finish, Carson snapped his eyes to mine. They were on the edge of turning red.

"Saige, I don't want to talk about it." He folded his arms across his chest in a defensive manner.

I nodded my head meekly, looking away from his intense stare. "Okay."

I knew he was watching me. My every movement. Every muscle twitch and finger movement he watched with such vehemence that it somehow made me want to squirm with a mixture of excitement and uneasiness. Did I like the way he observed at me?

The urge to yawn suddenly urge came too quickly for me to stop it. My mouth opened wide and out came an unladylike yawn. I heard Carson stifle a laugh and I glanced up at him. My cheeks burned with embarrassment. I can't believe I just did that.

"Come on. I think it's time for bed." He teased and I huffed like a child.

In a flash, the lights disappeared, leaving the room enveloped in pitch black darkness. I let out a small squeal when arms wrapped around my waist and I couldn't see Carson. My body felt airborne for only a second and then I landed softly on what had to be a giant cushion. My hands felt the familiar sheets, recognizing the cushion as my bed.

"That's not fair," I complained lowly, cursing my human sight.

"You had the disadvantage the moment I found out you were human." His gruff voice sounded almost playful.

The sudden lack of light left my eyes struggling to see anything in the room. The faded outlines of furniture started to appear in my vision, but I couldn't locate Carson anywhere. My body turned to face the opposite side of the bed in hopes of using the moonlight as a guide, but instead, I found something blocking my view.

I gasped rather loudly and I could look away from his glowing brown eyes. They were so close, ensnaring me with their beauty. His eyes seemed to look more stunning in the darkness, almost as if he was a different person at night. His muscular body was outlined by the moonlight and it was then I realized he was laying on his side to face me.

We were laying in the same bed, Carson and I. This was the first I've shared a bed with a guy.

My heart began pounding so loudly, I could hear it in my own ears. Every time I inhaled or exhaled, the air seemed to sound raspy. My cheeks burned with an intense heat and I prayed that he could see my blush in the dark room.

We were so close, almost touching noses. Small locks of his hair fell across his forehead and I felt my fingers twitch with the urge to move them aside. Instead, I forced them to grasp the edge of the duvet to keep from doing anything stupid or embarrassing.

"I...um...I..." The words were caught in my throat and I didn't have the current thought process to form a single sentence.

His lips formed a smirk, sending my heart racing. "Vampire got your tongue?"

"No!" I denied too quickly, making him smirk even wider.

"Liar." He whispered, inching closer to my face.

I gasped and quickly turned my body to face the other way. My hands covered instantly my face, feeling like ice to my burning skin. Strong arms wrapped around my waist and I pulled back into a hard chest. I squealed and tried to wiggle of his grip.

I was going to explode from all the butterflies inside my body. His light chuckled made me freeze, stopping my futile resistance. All I could hear was the beating of my heart, pounding louder and louder with each passing second. I stiffened when I felt his soft lips against my neck.

"What are you doing?" I whispered, unable to see him at all. His grip was preventing me from turning my head.

"Getting comfortable," Carson mumbled, digging his face into the crook of my neck.

He was too close, leaving no space between us. I have felt myself start to become attached to him. Looking back at the past, he was always there. Right from the beginning of my first day. It was now that I was really beginning to feel this way, wanting to be near him. Did he feel the same way?

As his cool cheek was pressed against my burning neck, I could only hope that he did feel that way. Maybe my consciousness was right, I did like him. There was no other explanation as to why my thoughts became jumbled or why my heart would start its drum solo every time I even thought about Carson.

"Can I ask you something?" I whispered quietly, disturbing the peaceful air between us.

"I can't promise an answer." His voice said softly into my ear.

My cheeks blushed crimson, but I tried to ignore it. "What happened between you and Reece?"

I felt his body go rigid and his hands slightly increased their grip on me. His breathing became shallow and I was afraid I had asked the wrong question. It had been stuck in my brain since the day they fought in the cafeteria and I had only been given some vague answers. I would ask Reece, but I'm scared to approach him after what happened.

"Nothing you need to worry about." He responded and that made me want to press on.

I turned my body in his hold, facing him. We were even closer, I could feel his warm breath fan my nose with each breath he took. The nervousness that had once took over my body faded away and I was feeling a new sensation. I felt at ease in his arms and comfortable being this close to him. I admired every outline of his face.

"Harley said he was trying to hurt you," I stated, having high hopes he would give me an answer.

"I'm also trying to hurt him," Carson said vaguely, trying to end the conversation.

But I couldn't stop. "Why?"

"Reece...helped somebody commit a crime. I turned them both in." Carson said and he lifted one of his hands to my cheek.

He spoke with such a low tone that it was hard to detect any sign of emotion. As his fingers brushed the natural curve of my face, I let out a small content sigh. He was gentle in touching me, almost like I would shatter into a million pieces if he grasped on too tightly.

"So you got him in trouble, but he's still attending school. That means they let him off the hook right?" I found my own hand reaching to grasp his.

Carson shrugged, glancing away. "In some way, I guess."

"Then what was so bad about it?" I asked, bringing his eyes back to meet mine.

He stared at me, blinking a few times as I watched with complete awe. The moonlight hit his face just right, making his dark lashes cast thin shadows down his cheeks. I let go of his hand and unconsciously brushed the few locks of blonde hair resting on his forehead aside. His body flinched slightly at first by my touch, but then he relaxed.

"All I'm going to say is that it was pretty gruesome. No more questions." Carson tried to turn his back to me, but I stopped him before he could.

"One more." I placed my hand on his shoulder and he froze mid-turn. "Please?"

Glancing over his shoulder at me, he gave a blank expression. "Fine."

Carson moved to face me again, the duvet and sheets becoming tangled between our legs. Our knees brushed against each other and he rested his head on the pillow next to me. I propped my head up on my elbow, looking down on him. For the first time, I felt taller than him, but it was short-lived. He copied my movement, giving a small smirk.

"Do you really think my mother could work for Wintercrest Enterprise?" I really didn't want to bring up the topic of my mother, but we had left it dangling over our heads since yesterday.

Carson pondered my question for a moment before speaking. "I can't say. It's the most likely answer to why she has boxes and boxes of classified files."

"I feel like I don't know her at all." I felt dejected, tearing my eyes away from his glowing stare.

A shock went down my propped arm and I snapped my gaze to see Carson slowly running his fingertips down the exposed skin. I shivered and I caught the grin he gave me. When his hand retreated from my arm, I immediately wanted him to touch me again.

"I'm sure she has a good explanation." He shrugged, trying to drop the conversation.

"Hopefully," I muttered, not feeling all that hopeful at all.

I took my head out from underneath my arm and let my head collapse down onto the fluffy pillow. Carson copied my movement and I gave him a smile. My body was exhausted, but my mind was well awake. It was getting late. Were we really both going to sleep in my bed?

"Can I ask you a question?" His hesitant voice brought me out my blush-worthy thoughts.

"Ask away," I said, wondering what he could possibly ask about.

He waited a few seconds before continuing, studying me to see if it would appropriate or not. "Where's your father?"

I instantly looked away, debating what kind of answer I should give him. "He hasn't been in my life for a couple years now."

Carson's stare made me feel like he was judging me. I know I would. Who was I to ask him so many questions and dislike that he gave vague answers? Here I was giving a vague answer myself. Feeling guilty, I buried my face in my hands.

"I'm assuming that means he's still alive. Just not here." Carson surprisingly didn't press the matter, jumping to the correct assumption.

I removed my hands from my face and took a small glance at him. "Who knows."

The air around us suddenly got quiet. All that remained was Oscar's small snores coming out every few seconds. The wind blew against the window, making it creak every time. There was no ticking clock hanging on the wall or noisy heater in a corner. All there was were my shallow breaths and Carson's to match mine.

"If he didn't want to be apart of your life anymore, then there's nothing you can do about it." He said with a calm, soothing tone.

I cracked a wide grin. "Look at you, giving me reassuring advice."

Carson immediately scowled playfully at me. "Whatever. Go to sleep."