Chapter 214

Tessa’s POV

“Do they know you and Joseph are still together?” Ruby asked when we were finally alone in her car.

I was surprised by her question because it came out of nowhere.

I sighed, but then I shook my head.

“I’m not really sure how to tell them something like that,” I admitted.

Honestly, it was good timing for them to be here. Joseph went back to the mountains for the next couple of days so that he could yell at Carter in person for telling Ruby that he was a vampire. Despite Ruby not believing him initially, it scared Joseph when she drunkenly joked about it.

He ended up mind-manipulating her into thinking it was all a joke. He left for the mountains the next evening and he’s not scheduled to return until Thursday morning.

My heart hurt knowing he was so far away from me, and I missed him terribly. But I’ve been so busy lately that I haven’t really had the time to sit here and miss him.

Once we got to the school, we hurried into the auditorium where Kenzi and Margot were already hard at work.

“About time you showed up,” Kenzi said, folding her arms across her chest. “You two are on behind the stage clean up.”

“Sorry. I had an unexpected visitor today,” I said, shaking my head.

“We only have a couple of days to get this auditorium ready for graduation. We need to be punctual,” Kenzi said, narrowing her eyes at me.

I nodded and began to follow Ruby toward the door that led behind the stage.

“Oh, wait, Tessa,” Margot said, rushing to catch up to me. “Is the after-party still on?”

“Yes,” I said, nodding. “8 pm.”

She beamed and turned back to Kenzi. I went with Ruby behind the stage.

We spent the next several hours cleaning behind the stage. We cleaned until there was literally nothing left and by the time we finished, we were both slumped over and exhausted. I checked my cell phone a couple of times to make sure my father and Penny hadn’t called.

I mainly checked my phone to see if Joseph had called or texted. I hadn’t spoken to him on the phone since yesterday and I was beginning to worry about him. There was a part of me that feared he was going to leave me again. I feared that he wasn’t going to return from the mountains.

As excited as I was to finally graduate, I was also nervous because I wasn’t sure where my future with Joseph was heading. I feared that he was going to return to the mountains and leave me behind. His plan was always to return to his home after graduation and resume his life before he came here. But I often wondered where that left me.

I wondered if he still wanted to be with me and if so, how was it going to work?

Would I move to the mountains with him?

I wouldn’t mind doing that; I can be a writer anywhere. I still write with Fable Magazine, and it’s been going really well. My editor seemed to really like me, and my writing and I can see a future with them definitely.

But would the other vampires accept me full-time?

I opened my text message thread with Joseph.

Me: Hey. I miss you.

I pressed send and stared at the phone for a minute. I sighed when there was no immediate response, but then had to remind myself he was probably just busy with his vampire family, and I had to be patient. I stuffed my phone back in my pocket, forced a smile, and then went home to spend the rest of my day with my father and his wife.

…..

Joseph’s POV

Bernard and Anna stared at me like I just grew a thousand new heads right in front of them. Anna sat perched on the couch, and Bernard sat on his reclining seat with his leg crossed over the other and his lips pressed.

I stood in front of them like I was a child who had just gotten scolded.

My heart was racing at a million miles per hour, and I desperately needed them to say something before I lost my mind.

“Are you sure about this?” Anna finally asked, breaking through the thick layer of silence that consumed us. “I mean, don’t get me wrong. I adore Tessa. I think she’s a wonderful girl. But despite her being a witch, she’s still a human. She will still die. She’s fragile and this isn’t the life for her, Joseph.”

My heart sank deep into my stomach. I thought between the two of them, Anna would have had my back. I’ve already made up my decision and I wasn’t going to back down from it, I just wanted their honest opinion.

“Anna is right. It’s dangerous. This lifestyle is dangerous for a human girl. Do you expect her to live amongst vampires her entire life?” Bernard asked.

“All I know is I love her,” I said in a breath. “And I want to spend the rest of her life showing her how much I love her.”

“Even when she’s old and wrinkled?” Anna asked, raising her brows.

I couldn’t help the smile that surfaced on my lips.

“I told her I would love each wrinkle that appears on her face,” I confessed. “It’s the mark of wisdom. There’s nothing I wouldn’t love about her.”

There were tears in Anna’s eyes after I finished that sentence and she looked at Bernard.

“He truly does love her,” Anna said between her tears. “We can’t deny them a chance at happiness.”

Bernard’s eyes never left mine.

“Are you sure about this?” Bernard asked.

I nodded without hesitation.

“I have never been surer about anything in my life,” I said, shaking my head at my own words. “Tessa is it for me. At least in this lifetime, she’s it. She’s the one. I wouldn’t want to spend my time with anyone else. I love her.”

Bernard nodded and then he stood. As he neared closer, I thought he was going to swing and punch me in the face for being so stupid and naive, but to my surprise, he reached his hand out for me to take.

We grasped forearms and he smiled.

“Then you have my blessing,” Bernard said, using his other hand to pat me on the back.

I smiled, unable to contain my excitement.

“Thank you,” I said to him.

On that note, I turned and left his house, not expecting Carter to be standing out front with his arms across his chest.

I frowned when I saw him and after shutting the front door behind me, I turned to face my friend and comrade.

“What?” I asked, raising my brows.

“Remind me again why you are allowed to have Tessa, but I can’t have Ruby,” Carter asked.

“Because it’s too dangerous for Ruby,” I answered, shaking my head.

“It’s too dangerous for Tessa too. Even more so now that we know she’s a witch,” Carter said, shaking his head as he walked with me toward the Vamp House.

“Carter you’ve slept with almost every female in the town next door. You are the definition of a playboy. You’ve broken a lot of hearts. Why would Ruby be any different?” I asked, shaking my head at him.

He fell silent as we walked. He stared at the ground sheepishly and I knew I struck a nerve.

“She just is…” he finally said after a long pause. “I can’t explain it.”

I sighed and patted him on the back.

“If you truly like her like you claim you do, then maybe one day it will work out. But for right now, you should probably know for sure before you subject her to a life like this,” I told him, waving my arms around and gesturing for the village.

He nodded and then he looked over at me.

“I haven’t spoken to Ruby in a couple of days,” he breathed. “It’s honestly for the best, I think. If I can’t have, I shouldn’t be leading her on…”

“You aren’t ghosting her, are you?” I asked, pausing my movements to stare at him. “The last thing I need is for her to start living at Tessa’s apartment because you broke her heart.”

“She’s stronger than you give her credit for,” Carter said; there was sadness in his tone, and I wasn’t used to that.

I came back to the village to yell at him for telling Ruby the truth. I wasn’t trying to get him to break up with her entirely.

“What about you? Are you sure you’re ready for this?” Carter asked, changing the subject. “It’s a huge step and they are right… she’s still human. She will die eventually.”

I knew this and I had thought about this countless times over. I’d rather have a short life with Tessa than have a life without her.

“Yeah,” I said, stifling a smile. “I’m positive. I’m going to propose to her after graduation and officially make Tessa my wife. There’s nothing I want more.”