The walk back home was torturous. Every movement of her legs felt tiresome, and every breath through her nostrils was exhausting. She reached home, skipping dinner, which concerned Haley a bit as she tended to her daughter's needs. She lay on her bed, her face turned to the ceiling, wondering what she must have done in a past life to deserve such a cruel and unworthy existence.
All her thoughts burned so deep they carried a nauseating ache in her chest, prompting three terrible vomiting sessions. In a daze, she stared at the clock beside her bed and watched its hands inch two hours past midnight. He must have left for his world and probably found a more fitting vampire to be his queen.
Wish didn't understand why that thought pained her the most.
She pulled herself into a sitting position on the bed, unable to find the peace needed to sleep. It was a few minutes to four in the morning when she drew the degrading comic book to her and opened to the last page, where his number was scribbled in faded ink.
She fished for her phone and slowly began to dial the number of her dear crush.
At least she would get to call herself his girlfriend. That had been something she longed to say. Or maybe she just wanted to belong to someone, and thought Tyler could be the one to make her feel worthy enough to be cherished.
She ran her hands through her hair in frustration, tears streaming down her face at the thought of what to do. She was basically a call away from setting another wildfire to her already charred life. It was something she had always dreamed of—being his girlfriend—but she never imagined how heavy the price would be just to bear that title.
He might never give her the love she secretly craved.
He might never kiss her so softly, passionately, and lovingly as he did.
Hold her as he did.
Stare at her as he did.
Or even be willing to defy his own world just to have someone like her.
She cried deeply, bitterly, and with regret, as her insecurity once again denied her something that might have been a blessing.
Even if that blessing came with fangs and a dangerous aura. At least he had promised never to make her feel as worthless as she already felt—and as Tyler threatened to make her feel.
She bit down hard on her lips, her chin resting on the palms of her hands, a river of tears flowing down her face, her thumbs hovering over the green "call" button on the screen.
It wouldn't be that bad if she endured with her great endurance skills, would it?
It would be nice to belong to someone and say, "I am his girlfriend."
But what would it be like to be called his and loved as his queen?
Wish made up her mind and clicked the call button. The number began to dial. She jumped down from her bed, ran to her closet to throw something over her nightdress, shoved her legs into the only fluffy bunny slippers she could find, and flew out of her room at top speed.
☆
She raced through the gates in a frenzy, her slippers slipping on the wet road as fast as she could manage. She was surely too late. He had said he would leave without her on the third day by midnight—his family had pressured him to return as soon as possible. He'd departed about five hours ago, and she might never see him again.
But what if—
She burst through the black gates of the mansion, nearly wrenching them from their hinges.
She paused before the lonely, quiet house, panting for breath after running like a madwoman all the way down here.
What if he decided to leave at dawn, and she still had a chance?
She stiffened her upper lip, gathered every ounce of energy she could muster, and ran up the stairs into the house.
The first thing to greet her was an eerie chill instead of the usual warmth. Everywhere was dead silent—so silent that a pin drop from a mile away could be heard. The heavy doors slammed shut behind her as she moved down the familiar hallway, her heart racing and breaking at the reality.
He was gone.
She searched every nook and cranny of the mansion—at least the parts she knew—but found no sign of life. The familiar red candle he used to light in his chamber had been extinguished hours ago, stirring a flood of emotions buried deep within her.
She wanted to scream and curse every god in heaven—though she knew it was her fault he'd left without her.
She slowly descended the stairs and stood in the empty, dark halls, uncertain what to do. Tears burned at the corners of her eyes as she realized she had no choice but to return to her ringing phone in her room—and to Tyler Black.
Her life would now be officially tagged and known as a huge mess, and she would have no one but herself to blame.
She sank to her knees, covering her eyes and face in shame, tears rolling down her cheeks between sobs.
Wish knelt in defeat, her cries echoing in the empty walls of the house.
"Wish?"
She stiffened, almost choking on a sob, as she heard a voice she thought she'd never hear again. She rose to her feet and turned to see him—tall, proud, dressed in his regal dark attire—standing at the top of the stairs, staring down at her in surprise and confusion.
Her lips quivered in disbelief at the glorious sight of him. Her heart sang strangely in relief at his presence.
Hadn't he said he would leave without her and never return?
Why was he still here?
Or could this be some nasty illusion of her mind?
The way his gaze softened whenever he looked at her stirred something unmovable within her.
"What's the matter? Why are you… here? Scared and crying your eyes out?"
She began to wipe her face dry with the back of her hands, still sobbing. The vampire king grew worried, wondering what could have happened that his bishops—whom he'd placed in charge of her protection when he wasn't around—might have missed, leaving her so badly hurt.
He hurried down the stairs to meet his little human bride, looking so distressed in his home at dawn. He took her by the shoulders, bringing her close without breaking eye contact.
"What happened?"
"Why… why? You didn't leave yet…?"
He raised an eyebrow at his bride. "You want me to leave?"
It made no sense. He was supposed to leave at the end of her three-day grace period. Not seeing her before midnight should have given him the hint to depart this world without her.
"Why are you still here… who were you waiting for?"
His hands fell from her shoulders, his diamond gaze sparkling as he said, "For my bride."
Silence.
"I figured…" he began, trailing a line with his gloved hand down the side of her face as another tear rolled down her cheek, "…she might need some time, and I'm ready to leave when she's ready to be mine."
Her eyes filled with tears once more as he won her heart with that single touch. Her lips trembled as a sob threatened to break free.
"Even when the thought of running away with you to your world to start over seemed scary and she constantly shunned it," she sobbed, looking at him desperately.
"Even when she thought I was all lies," he whispered, "I'm determined not to leave this world without my queen."