edited and rewritten

I check my phone for the millionth time today but still no reply. I've been texting Nikolai since last night, but he won't respond. I came home earlier this morning and my parents were not happy to discover I'd been at someone else's house without their knowledge. Taken, they were gone longer than expected.

"Hey, Ara, are you listening to me?" Via says through the phone. I snap out of my state of worry and I focus on our conversation.

"Yeah yeah, I'm listening, sorry. I was just distracted." I say and she sighs.

I walk around my room as I try to distract myself. I thought that calling Via would do the job but not. "Ara, are you checking your messages again? I'm sure he's busy, you don't want to seem like an overbearing fiancée. Let the man live." She says.

"I know, I know. But it feels as if something's off. I don't know what but—you know what? It doesn't matter. How's everything with you and Landon?"

I sit on my bed and I try focusing on Via ranting on and on about Landon but I can't focus. Anxiety is eating me alive. Nick has not responded to my messages. Something's wrong.

"And he's so caring—" I cut her off.

"That's amazing, Via, I love you a lot and I want to hear more about how in love you are but I need to go. I promise I'll call you later. Bye." Without hearing her final answer, I hang up.

Guilt hangs on my shoulder and I debate calling her back and simply ignoring Nikolai. I made a promise to myself that I'd never lose a relationship with him again. I'm breaking it, but I feel it within my bones. Something's wrong.

I dial his number over and over but still no answer. He didn't tell me where he was going last night, so I can't go out looking for him. I dial Zeke's number and in a matter of seconds he picks up.

"Hello, this is your local cook, you sell the bodies I cook 'em. How may I help you?" He says then a crunch of an apple pierces my ears.

Does this man ever stop eating apples?

"Have you heard from Nick?" I ask.

"So you're on a first-name basis with my brother now? I have no chance, do I?" It's as if I can hear him grinning.

I roll my eyes, "This is serious, Zeke, stop! Have you heard from him or not? Is he at the palace?"

"No, I haven't seen him. If my brother is lost I can promise you he didn't tell anyone where he was going. Have you checked his house? That's where he usually is."

I sigh, "Meet me there." I hang up then I run downstairs.

I take my key off the rack and both my parents' heads turn to me. "Where are you headed?" My dad asks.

"The prince's house. I'll be back, I promise." I say as I put on my shoes.

My parents get up from the couch and my father laughs a little. "Why? It's late in the day, can't he come here?"

I quickly come up with a lie, "No, he's busy and I need his help with a project. I promise I'll be back before dusk." I say then I hurry out the door.

I'm aware that I haven't been a good daughter to my parents lately. I do things that I don't usually do. Instead of being obedient, I'd say what I'm going to do and then do it whether my parents agree or not. This entire thing needs to end so I can go back to being normal. However, a small part of me states that this won't end.

Last night, before he left, Nikolai and I kissed. It wasn't to keep up our engagement, no one was around and it was real. My fingers travel up to my lips as I remember what it felt like. His hand had wrapped around my waist and squeezed the longer we kissed. It was as if he didn't want to let go of me. As if he wanted to stay with me.

It sounds stupid thinking about it but my heart speeds up and my mood brightens every single time I think about him. I always said to myself that I couldn't fake being in a relationship because I'd catch feelings and I was right. I've caught feelings for the prince.

I plug in his address then I start driving to his house. I'm sure that he's fine and is just busy with work or something but in my heart, I feel differently.

However, thinking about this logically, what could've happened to him? He's the prince, who could've done something to harm him? I've never heard of that happening ever. So why do I feel like this? Why does it seem as if something's very wrong?

After a few minutes of driving, I park in front of his house. Even though I've seen it before, it's truly a marvelous sight. I get out of my car and I check my messages. Zeke texted a few minutes ago saying that he stopped for lattes for the both of us. I roll my eyes. He doesn't take my gut feeling seriously.

To be honest, I don't trust my gut feeling all that much either. I walk up the steps to his house then I'm about to twist the door knob when I notice it's a little jarred. I push it open, slowly.

"Nick?" I call out and my voice echoes. No response. He's a vampire, if he was here he'd hear me. Unless he was purposely ignoring me. A pang hits me in the heart but I ignore it. We are just faking this entire thing and when January comes, it'll all be over. We won't ever have to see each other ever again.

I frown but I continue walking. I venture into the living room and I stop walking. My keys clatter to the floor and tears spring forth to my eyes. I fall to my knees as everything slips out of me. A few feet ahead, Nikolai lies dead with a hole in the middle of his forehead. He lies in a pool of his blood, lifeless.

I hear boots stomping behind me but I don't move. "I got lattes for us. I'm telling you, Adara, my brother is—" Zeke says.

I turn my head to him and my entire body starts shaking as the tears I was holding back, pour out. "H-He's..." I weep.

Zeke places the lattes down and takes my hand. His expression has changed from light-hearted to caring and even sad. I mean, his brother lays before him dead. He must be sad. But Nick's a vampire and vampire's can't die, right?

"Come here." He takes me up from the ground and I fall in his arms. I cry and cry until I physically can't anymore. Tears still stream down my face even though I keep thinking I have no tears left.

He starts walking with me until we're outside. The cool air whips around me and it reminds me once again of Nikolai's dead body. More tears come out and I sob some more.

"It's gonna be fine, Adara. I know that was traumatic, but my brother's gonna be fine. You remember what I told you right? We're immortal, we can die but we always come back shortly after death. He'll be back by dawn tomorrow." He rubs my back.

I lift my head, "A-Are you sure? He's not d-dead?" I hiccup.

He shakes his head, "He'll come back, I promise. For now, I need you to tell me everything about you two. He didn't get killed for no reason and I think you know."

I hiccup once more then I spill everything to him. "We aren't engaged, we agreed to fake it so I could help him with the Justina thing. Then, we found out she was faking it obviously but the mafia was involved. There's this person called 'president' and it's who they answer to. He got a call last night then he left abruptly, I don't know why he did." More and more tears continue pouring out.

He's going to be fine, he's coming back. By tomorrow morning, he'll be there alive. Not dead.

Zeke nods as he takes everything in, "I had a feeling you two were faking it, but I doubted that as a few weeks passed. Either you two are great actors or it became real." His eyes twinkle a little and I blush.

A smile forms on his lips, "I promise he'll be okay. Come, let's get you home." He starts leading me back to my car.

"Wait, what happens to his body now?"

"It stays there. He's healing this very moment. Some deaths take longer to heal than others but it usually lasts until the next morning." He says then he opens my car door.

I'm about to get in when I realize it's the passenger side. I crease my brows at him, "I'm not allowing you to drive in this condition. I took your keys from the floor. I'm gonna get our lattes, I'll be back." He says then he darts back into the house.

—♡︎—

Back at home, Zeke keeps me company. Before we entered my house, I had to get rid of every trace that was crying then we went up to my room.

Zeke lays on my beanbag then he lets out a frustrated groan. "Brother what have you gotten yourself into?" He mutters.

With my eyes facing the floor, I take small steps toward him, "Does this happen frequently?"

Zeke's blonde hair falls on his face as he looks at me. His pale skin has more color in the heat of this month. He looks tan, brown almost. His lips set in a frown, he says, "Only when we face a powerful foe. So no, not frequently."

I swallow, "What happens now? Y'know, with the entire mafia, president thing, now that you know the truth?"

He sighs, "I don't know, darling. Did my brother tell you of his plans?"

I shake my head and I sit beside him. His jaw hardens. "He doesn't tell me a lot of things. He got his information from Queen Minerva or however you say her name." I say.

He looks at me immediately, "Minerva? He had business with her? Minerva never does business without getting something in return. Maybe she's the one who offed him."

"I doubt it. Queen Minerva wanted some of my blood." I say.

"And you gave it to her?" He squints his eyes at me.

I hesitate but I shake my head nonetheless, "Nick gave it to her."

Zeke blinks a few times as he tries to understand what I said. He sighs and rubs his forehead. "And you still like him? You have poor taste, Adara."

I giggle, "Respect the dead."

He laughs, "Glad to see you're feeling better about him being dead."

"I'm still not great but knowing that he'll be fine tomorrow makes me feel better," I say, looking at my lap.

Zeke places his hand on my arm and I look at him. His electric blue eyes pierce mine. "I promise you won't get harmed when he's gone. I'll protect you."

I chuckle, "You couldn't protect yourself from a mouse, Zeke." He rolls his eyes and laughs.

"Oh, is that how it is? Alright. You and my brother are made for each other. You're both offensive and rude." He says and I laugh even more.

My phone rings and I get up from the bean bag as I make my way over to the bed. Picking up my phone, it feels slippery in my hand so I use my shoulder to hold it to my ear while I wipe my hands in my dress.

I look at the caller ID and my heart stops. "It's him," I say and Zeke's brows crease as he jumps up from the bean bag and comes over to me.

He looks at it and confusion sets in, "Well that happened quickly." He comments.

Nick's calling me.

I answer the call. "Nick, oh thank God you're okay," I say and wetness streams down my cheeks again. I've cried more times this hour than this entire month.

Someone chuckles, a chuckle that doesn't sound like Nick's. "Oh, how I've missed your voice." My eyes grow wide.

"No," I whisper.

Zeke looks at me confused as more tears stream down my face. What does Parker have anything to do with Nick? Why does he have Nick's phone? Did he do that to him? Why?

"You sound so sad, baby. How about we meet up at our old hang-out spot, tomorrow? We can chat all of this out." He asks but when it comes to Parker, he never asks, he tells. He gives you the option to agree with him but if you don't he forces you to do it anyway.

All of the terrible memories spring back to me. I want nothing to do with him anymore. I clear my throat, "And what if I say no?"

I feel his mood changing from caring to angry in a split second. He's not here in person but fear creeps up my spine.

"Then I'll go back to your prince and kill him permanently. Don't test me."

I look at Zeke and I know he's listening in. He nods as if to answer my question. Can vampires be killed? I sigh and I sob. "O-okay."

"Good. See you then." He hangs up. My phone slips out of my hand and I break down. Zeke catches me before I hit the floor and holds me close to him.