I Know You, But How - Chapter 9

After I had reminded him again about what questions I wanted the answers to, he gently put his hand over mine and said, "I will answer your questions to the best of my ability. There will most likely be some questions that only Emma and Lawrence can answer for you, though."

He paused then said, "You and Aleena look exactly the same. It is why, when I first saw you, I picked you up and brought you here. I had spent many years attempting to find Aleena, with no trace. We were in love, and I knew that she did not choose to leave me."

"So, you brought me here and took me away from the life I knew out of love," I softly said, looking over at him.

"Yes, I did," he said. "I did not know what else to do. I could think of nothing else, but bringing you home."

I heard what he said, but didn't say anything for a little while. Before, if I'd heard him mention about bringing me home, I would've questioned him about it. I would've said that it wasn't me he wanted to bring home, that it was Aleena. Now, though, as I sat beside him on the couch, I didn't want to say that. Instead of commenting about that, I said, "How did you know it was me, that you'd found the right person?"

"I was not completely sure if you were Aleena," Gustave said, admitting his uncertainty. "Now that you have been here, however, I know that you are. If you were not Aleena, then you would not have enjoyed spending time with me in the garden, have known that I was in the music room, or enjoyed me kissing you."

I silently listened to what he was saying, thinking everything over. I'd already thought that may be Gustave was right, that I was Aleena. Now that I'd thought about it, and heard what he said, I knew he was right.

"You're right," I said to Gustave. "How else would I feel like I'm supposed to be here, or know about you and this place if I wasn't Aleena. I had dreams about this place, before you even found me."

I paused then said, "Why didn't you explain things earlier?"

Gustave was silent for a while, before he stood up and started pacing, before he said, "I was not sure what to say to you. It seems that there are two sets of memories and dreams in your mind. How exactly would you expect me to explain things to you if I am unsure of who I would be talking to?"

I sighed then said, "Yeah, I'd see how that could be frustrating. It's been confusing for me too, though. Of course the question is, why do I have two sets of memories and dreams in my mind?" I had a theory about why, but I really wasn't sure. I'd just have to wait and see if I were right.

Gustave stopped pacing then said to me, "I am not really sure how to answer that."

I took a breath then said, "Do you think maybe I was Aleena in my past life?"

"Yes, I do," he said, before walking over to me. "Do you think that you were Aleena in a former life?"

I looked away from him and said, "I'm not really sure what to think. Part of me does think that, and another part of me just thinks it's crazy to even think it. I know one thing, though. I'm going to have to wait to get more answers."

Gustave sighed then said, "Yes, you will. Emma and Lawrence will be here very soon. They may be the only ones who can answer your other questions. I have a feeling, though, that it will not be the easiest to get answers from them."

"Yes, well, I at least have to try to get answers," I said, looking at him. "If I do, maybe things wouldn't be so confusing. I mean, even now I don't feel like I want to run from you. I feel like I should be planning for a wedding and begging you to turn me into a vampire. At the same time, becoming a vampire scares me and I'm not sure if I'd actually want to marry you."

I paused then said, "I feel drawn to you, in love with you, but I also feel scared of you. I feel scared, because I barely know you, yet I feel like I want you to kiss me and never stop. And if it's the case where it's because now I'm Caleigh, but I was Aleena before or it's that there's still a bit of Aleena there, in me, right now, then it'd make sense I'm feeling what I am, and that things have been so confusing."

There was silence between us for a while, neither of us seeming to know what to say. After a while, Gustave said, "Would you care to take a stroll with me?"

I smiled a little, for the first time in a while, and said, "Yes, I would." I looked down after I said that, noticing that I was still in my sleeping gown, and said, "I need to change, though."

A few of the female servants were called after I said that, and before too long I was back in my room. After helping me into a cream colored dress, with a little lace around the sleeves and neckline, and into a pair of tan colored shoes that were tall enough to keep the long dress well off the floor, after I had insisted that my ankle was fine and wearing shoes wouldn't be a problem, my hair being dressed up a bit with a couple of combs, I went and left my room and was led back to where Gustave was. I didn't have any problem walking in the shoes, which was something I was a little surprised about but mostly not.

Once I was back with Gustave, I took his hand and we started walking so we could leave the mansion. After getting to and leaving through a door I hadn't used before, well at least not recently, we walked along the path that led to the main road. Once there, we walked along until we reached a pond, that wasn't all that far from the mansion. When we got there, I remembered it. It was somewhere I'd been before, somewhere I liked to walk with Gustave so we could talk alone. It was as beautiful as it ever was; water so blue and clear you could see yourself in it, and the flowers, plants and trees were just as pretty and colorful as they had ever been.

We went and walked around the pond for a while, talking at different points but at other times saying nothing and just being there together. After walking around for a while, we headed back to the mansion. Once there, Gustave led me to the music room and then started playing a musical piece. It was one that was his favorites. As I listened to it, I realized it was one that was my favorites too. I walked over to the piano at one point, and sat beside him on the piano bench. As he played I leaved my head against his shoulder, closing my eyes and just listening.

When he stopped playing, I was disappointed. I'd wanted him to continue, loving the way he played. When he asked me to play, though, I wasn't so disappointed anymore. I went and put my fingers over the keys, hesitating for a short time before deciding on what to play. Eventually, without even really noticing or realizing it, I started to play a song that was a bit complicated for some but not really that much for me.

The rest of the day was spent playing the piano and with me eating and having tea at different points. Eventually, I got tired and fell asleep right beside Gustave as we sat on the couch. I hadn't planned it, it just happened. As I slept, I dreamed about our day together, but also about other things that had happened before. I didn't think about what would happen soon, about Lawrence and Emma being there. It was too unpleasant to. Pretty soon, though, I'd have to.
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Hi everybody. I'm glad people are reading my story. I didn't notice any comments for chapters 6 and 7, though. I'm not sure if people didn't see those chapters or weren't too fond of them or maybe just didn't want to comment. I'm not sure. Let me just say, though, that I like comments.