After Forever (13 page)

“I’m Anna and this is my daughter, Cali,”
mum said, taking in an antique table and leadlight lamps in the
foyer. A painting of a person screaming was hanging on the wall.
“You have beautiful furniture. Is this a Munch painting?”

“Yes, it is. I would love to show you
around. My husband, Benedict, is around here somewhere.” Faith
started to head down a short hall so we followed.

At the end of the hall was a sprawling
state-of-the-art kitchen, the benches were rosewood, the floor was
polished wood, and the appliances were stainless steel. A
six-seater dining table stood pride of place under a large crystal
chandelier and floor-to-ceiling windows showed the immaculate back
gardens.

“Would you like coffee or tea?” Faith asked,
removing bright pink oven mitts from a hook. She bent down, pulling
out two trays of choc chip cookies.

“Tea, please,” mum replied as Faith spread
out the mouth-watering cookies on a cooling tray before removing
her mitts.

“I have Earl Grey, Italian Almond or Jasmine
Green Tea.”

“Whatever you’re having is fine.” Faith
nodded once then moved her gaze to me. “Would you like a soft
drink, Cali? I have Coke, Fanta or Creaming Soda.” As she spoke,
Faith was removing two floral china teacups from a cupboard and
placing them on matching saucers.

“Oh, I’m fine. Thank you,” I replied.

I watched as several tea bags were stuffed
into a china teapot then boiling water was added. Mum was talking
to Faith about the humungous flowers in the front yard when I felt
someone enter the kitchen.

“I didn’t know we had guests,” a deep voice
said from behind me.

When I turned around I felt my stomach
clench from the sight of the man standing, formally, a few feet
from me. He was dressed in black pants, black button-up shirt, and
polished loafers. His arms were behind his back and his teardrop
eyes watched me intently. His hair was neatly slicked back and was
the color of silver. I knew I had seen him before, but I couldn’t
put my finger on where or when.

“Anna, Cali…this is my husband, Benedict,”
Faith said. “Darling, these are our neighbors.”

“It is a pleasure to meet you both,”
Benedict said his voice buttery-smooth. “Cali? Is that short for
anything?” his eyes, as black as night, held mine.

“It’s short for Calista,” I replied,
wary.

“Benedict, I thought I’d show Anna around.”
Faith handed mum a teacup and saucer then gestured to the table. I
heard the women move behind me as I kept staring at the tall,
elegant man in front of me. The feeling in my stomach grew stronger
with each passing minute.

“Good idea, sweetheart,” Benedict said. He
gave a small smile which made me tense up. He stepped around me and
moved towards his wife and my mother. I was about to turn around
when I saw a movement from the corner of my eye. Moving my gaze
sideways I saw Orlie take the last step of a hidden staircase.

“Orlie, these are our neighbors,” Faith said
when she spotted her son. “This is Anna and her daughter,
Cali.”

I saw mum sipping her tea and eyeing the
tall, skinny boy who was now standing beside me. Her eyes were
bright and when she lowered the cup I saw a slight smile on her
lips. I groaned inwardly, knowing she wanted me to find someone,
and one day, give her grandbabies.

“It’s nice to meet you both,” Orlie said in
his smooth voice. “Mum, I thought I’d show Cali around.” I saw
Benedict slightly frown at his son’s idea. He stayed silent, but
his eyes bored into me like two hot pokers. I felt myself edge
closer to Orlie. The feeling had spread throughout my body and was
screaming: ‘danger, danger, danger’.

“What a good idea,” Faith said, smiling. I
couldn’t help but smile back as the woman’s grin mirrored her
son’s.

“Come on, I’ll show you my room,” Orlie
whispered in my ear. I knew no one had heard him as they didn’t bat
an eyelid at his request. I followed him up the stairs and came out
onto a second level. Orlie took my hand, grinned, and led me to a
closed door with a poster of Marilyn Manson taped crookedly to
it.

Orlie gave me a sexy, heart-melting grin as
his free hand pushed open the door. He stepped over the threshold,
our hands still linked.

When I stepped into the room my mouth fell
open. I heard the door close behind me then felt Orlie’s hands
slide onto my hips. “What do you think?” he asked softly.

“It’s…beautiful in person,” I said, turning
in his arms. His hands rested on my lower back while I slid my arms
onto his shoulders; my fingers tangling in his hair. “It looks
different, up-close-and-personal.”

“There’s nothing you haven’t seen from
across the gap.” He kissed my forehead, trailing delicate kisses to
my eyelids, nose, stopping at the edge of my mouth. I groaned when
he pulled away.

“I want to kiss you,” I whispered, gripping
his shirt in my hands. “Hey, you’re not wearing your trench coat.”
Orlie chuckled.

“I don’t wear it twenty-four-seven.” He
moved a hand to my shoulder and started to twirl a lock of my hair.
“I want to kiss you too,” he whispered.

I moved away from him and went over to the
queen-size bed covered in a chocolate brown comforter and pillows.
I trailed my fingers over the intricately carved bed-end then
noticed that the cupboard was carved with the same rose pattern. As
I took in several family photographs, sitting on glass shelves, I
felt Orlie watching me. When I glanced over my shoulder I saw him
sprawled out on the bed, his arms under his head.

“I thought you’d have more stuff.” I saw a
model car sitting amongst the frames. I turned and headed over to
the bed. I climbed over Orlie who rolled on to his side, facing
me.

“I don’t like to accumulate material
objects.”

“I’d hate to know what you think of my
room,” I said as his hand crawled onto my stomach. “It’s full of
material objects
…I just call it junk.” Orlie grinned.

“I enjoy your room very much.” His hand
crept up to below my bra. “I especially like the toy tiger you keep
in your bookshelf.”

“My dad gave that to me when I was little.”
I took his hand off my stomach and kissed his fingertips. The room
grew silent as I listened to our soft breathing. When Orlie sat up
I looked at his strong back and broad shoulders.

“I want you to meet someone,” he said,
twisting around to look at me.

I sat up, shuffling to the side so I could
sit beside him. “Who?” I asked, sweeping primrose-blond hair out of
my face.

“My sister.” Orlie stood then helped me to
my feet.

“You have a sister?” I wiped a hand down my
singlet. “I thought our kind could only be together every hundred
years?” I was confused and curious.

Orlie opened his door and followed me out of
the room. He didn’t answer my question as he guided me to a closed
door down the hall. In bold, black letters was a sign reading,
‘Enter at own Risk’. Orlie knocked then faced me, a huge grin
spreading across his beautiful lips. I opened my mouth to ask him
about the sibling thing again when the door opened. Instead of
asking my question, I said, “Twins!”

Standing in the doorway was a girl with long
wavy dark brown hair; teardrop eyes the color of caramel, and
skinny like her twin brother. Her lips were the color of roses and
when she grinned it was crooked.

“Cali, this is my twin sister, Aurelia,”
Orlie said, his hand resting on my back.

“It’s Aurie,” the girl said, throwing a dark
scowl at her handsome brother. “Hi, it’s nice to meet you,” Aurie
said, hugging me. Her body was cool against mine as I returned the
embrace.

“Hi, it’s nice to meet you, too.”

“Can we come in Aurie?” Orlie asked as we
pulled apart. Aurie nodded then opened the door wider. I felt the
siblings watching me as I entered the dark bedroom. The plum
curtains were pulled closed, blocking out the sun, and a faint
light was coming from a Care Bear nightlight. As I looked around I
noticed that Aurie’s room was the total opposite to Orlie’s. Where
Orlie’s walls were bare, Aurie’s walls were covered in posters and
unframed photographs.

“Do you think it’s too much?” Aurie asked
sitting on the side of her bed. The queen-size bed was covered in a
black comforter decorated with pastel pink and blue stars; the
pillows were pure black.

“Ah, no, it’s a great collection.” I moved
closer to the far wall and saw posters of different bands: The
Cranberries, The Dead Weather, Florence and The Machine, a young
Madonna, Paramore, and Passenger; to name a few. “I love these
bands.”

“I’ve been collecting them for years.”

Moving to the next wall I take in her
collection of family photographs. Several match photos from in
Orlie’s room and some are different. “You’ve been to France,
America, and New Zealand.” I looked at Aurie who was standing
beside me. Orlie was leaning against the door jam, watching me.

“We’ve travelled the world for the past few
years,” Aurie told me. “This is in London, standing in front of the
London Bridge.” I took a closer look at an 8 X 10 photograph; a
beaming Faith was standing next to a silver-haired Benedict. A
cheeky grin brightened Orlie’s young face as he perched on his
father’s shoulders and Aurie was snuggled on her mother’s hip,
smiling her crooked smile.

“Aww…you two were so cute.” I gently touched
Orlie’s childish face then smiled when I felt his hands on my
waist.

“If you two are going to be lovey-dovey then
get out,” Aurie said, flopping onto her bed.

“Let’s go,” Orlie whispered in my ear. I
heard Aurie groan.

Lying on Orlie’s bed, I tucked my hands
under my head and closed my eyes. Several seconds later I felt
Orlie climb on top of me. When I open my eyes his handsome face is
hovering above mine while he held his weight off me. Lowering his
head, Orlie plants small kisses all over my face, down my neck, and
across my collarbone.

My hands make their way onto his back and my
fingers swiftly pull the fabric of his shirt up so I can touch his
cool, hard skin. When I run my fingernails up and down his sides I
feel Orlie shiver in my embrace.

My legs automatically circle his waist and
my back arches as his breath dances over my skin. When his lips
move closer to my mouth I go to turn my head, but he pulls
away.

“Sorry,” I quickly whisper. “I got lost in
the moment.”

As smile tugs at his crimson lips. “We need
to be careful.” His thumb softly caresses my temple.

“Why?” I asked moving my hands to his
shoulders. “You’ve never told me why we can’t kiss…or do anything
else.” I pouted making Orlie chuckle. I felt his stomach move
against mine.

“We, our kind, can’t be together until its
right.”

“The hundred year thing?” he nodded. “But
why can’t we do things while waiting for the right time?” I moved a
hand to his cheek, brushing my thumb across his dark red lips. “We
could try?”

Orlie’s eyes closed and he sighed; it
sounded heavy-hearted. His right arm moved to my leg and he
effortlessly disentangled me from him. I let my arms drop to my
stomach as Orlie crawled off me and shuffled to the far side of the
bed.

I stayed on the bed while staring at his
back. I knew he had something on his mind and I had to wait for him
to share his thoughts.

“Cali, if I tell you everything about us
then it would clog your mind. It’s best for you if I tell you in
segments.” Orlie looked at me over his shoulder. “Do you
understand?”

“Yeah, I do, but you haven’t told me much.”
I sat up, moving around the bed, and sitting beside Orlie who
looked uncertain. “What would happen if you told me everything?
Would I disappear? Would I go crazy?” I smiled, but Orlie shook his
head, staring at his hands.

“I’m not sure,” he muttered.

I moved my hand to his knee. “Tell me why we
can’t kiss and I’ll drop the subject for today.”

His black-blue teardrop eyes levitated to my
face. It took a moment for him to speak and when he did his words
were matter-of-fact and full of hesitation. “A Daybreaker, as you
know, is born during a red sun and can only mate once every hundred
years.” I wanted to smirk, but the look in Orlie’s eyes made me
stifle it. “Nightfallers are born during a blue moon and can mate
once every hundred years. If they mate beforehand,” he grimaced,
“disaster happens.” The smirk spread across my face and I began to
giggle. I saw Orlie scowl, but I couldn’t stop myself from
laughing.

“It’s not funny, Calista,” Orlie said in a
firm, dark voice. This made the giggles vanish and I sobered up
quickly.

“I’m sorry.” I went to touch his hand, but
Orlie stood, moving closer to the window overlooking my empty
bedroom window. “Tell me. I promise not to laugh. Orlie, please
tell me!”

Orlie folded his arms over his chest and
bowed his head. I was about to go over to him, but he started
talking. “If we kiss then it’s a matter of life and death.” His
voice was a near whisper and I had to concentrate to catch his
words. “Daybreakers can give life and Nightfallers can take life.”
his troubled eyes finally find mine. He stays silent as I let his
words sink in.

“If we kiss…” I said slowly, “you could kill
me.” Orlie winced, turning his back to me. I felt tears threatening
to spill. “But I can give life,” I croaked pathetically. I wiped my
eyes, hoping Orlie wouldn’t see me crying, but he had turned to see
my cascading waterfall.

He came over to me, wrapping me in his cool
embrace. “I’m sorry,” he whispered in my hair.

“Why does this have to happen to us?” I
buried my face in his shirt. “It’s not fair.” Orlie’s hands swept
up and down my back while mumbling words to comfort me. When the
tears had subsided, I laid my cheek against his chest and listened
to the rhythmic beating of his heart.

“Cali…” his hands moved onto my shoulders,
gently pushing me away so he could see my face. “I love you.” his
breath blew over my face as his words take me by surprise. I step
back, tensely avoiding his eyes.