The Difference Between You and Me - Chapter 20

I AM SO SORRY that I have not posted in so long! It’s because I’ve been on holiday in Italy, and I was going to post this chapter just before I left and give you a warning that I wouldn’t be writing for a while, but I didn’t get it out on time. I’m sorry. =( And also, a few of you asked me why Vincent hasn’t come to the rescue, and that is simply because they don’t know eachother’s headquarters. Zane knows Vincent’s headquarters because he got Matthew to pretend to be in their coven as a spy, but Vincent doesn’t know where Zane lives. Also, this chapter is dedicated to AprilJazmine, because she has left so many comments so far, and we both love Zane! And if you’re the same AprilJazmine as in the author, then I am glad that your cancer has gone. And I’m glad my stories take you to a better place – because that was my aim; for my stories to take people to a place where they want to be, where, just for a moment, they can pretend that things are Okay. Take care of yourself. So this chapter is for you, and I hope you enjoy it. =)
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My head was a right picture of confusion. I guessed that if I pulled out my mind it would resemble something that might look like a broken mess of The Leaning Tower of Pisa. But what did I know? Nothing. That was the real answer; I knew nothing.

I already hated myself for supposedly kissing Zane, even though I didn’t feel sorry at the time. I’m not going to lie, I love Vincent and everything he stands for – I just love him. But my pregnancy seems to be doing strange things to me. I would have never guessed that I’d be kissing Zane if someone came up to me and told me a month ago. I mean, Zane is so…so Zane. I didn’t like Zane! And it was true. Although he did bring me Iva…but did he only do that to get me on his side. Because if that was the case then it was so not working, eve though, I admit, it might seem like.

Zane was a genius, I’d give him that. He knew just how to get on your good side, although even I knew that the pain he had obviously felt when he was telling me his story was not faked. And I actually felt sorry for him, even though I tried not to. Zane blamed Vincent for everything, when it was clearly not Vincent’s fault. Couldn’t he see that? I didn’t know. I honestly didn’t.

My hand kept on sub-consciously wandering down to my stomach, trying to feel if my unborn baby was kicking yet, and then I’d remember that it was early on in the pregnancy and I wouldn’t be able to feel it yet, then my mood would down-spiral and I’d be left wondering if I’d be with Vincent so he could share the joy of feeling our baby kicking inside me when the time came.

A knock on the door brought me out of my frazzled thoughts and into harsh reality. ‘Come in.’

Zane came in, and I was glad that this time he was wearing a shirt. He didn’t say anything to me, just strolled towards the bed that I was lying on and sat down.

‘What’s wrong?’

I glanced at him, slightly startled to hear actual concern in his voice. ‘Nothing. I’m just…just thinking.’

His eyes that previously held signs of a sparkle completely dimmed, and his lips twisted bitterly. ‘About Vincent.’ It wasn’t a question.

I scowled at him, and brushed my fringe away from my eyes. ‘So what if I am?’

He didn’t say anything for a long time after that, which left me to ponder – Why was he acting so strange? Was there something wrong? Did he– ?

‘Why do you love Vincent?’ I was brought out of my thoughts by Zane, and I blinked rapidly once his question sunk into my brain.

‘W-what?’

‘Why do you love Vincent?’ He repeated patiently.

I just looked at him. What sort of question was that? He didn’t seem angry or cold, just curious. ‘Well,’ I startled, twisting into a sitting position, and crossing my legs beneath myself. ‘I love him because he’s Vincent.’

‘You love him because he’s Vincent,’ he repeated in a monotone.

I knew he wanted a better answer, so I improvised, ‘Well, he’s kind, and I trust him and he’s the sweetest person in the world. He makes me feel beautiful and he’s always there for me.’

He looked dubious. ‘You say all this about ‘The Dark One’?’ His voice was sarcastic, as if he was mocking the bogeyman.

I pursed my lips. ‘He’s not ‘The Dark One’ with me. He’s just Vincent. And I love him for it. And anyway, I think ‘The Dark one; is a stupid title for him. So does he.’

He shrugged. ‘Think what you want. But that’s how it was prophesised.’

I sighed. ‘So you knew about the prophecy, too.’ Honestly, did everyone know about my future except me?

Zane grinned. ‘Yeah. Does that upset you, princess?’ His lips pouted in mock-pity.

I scowled at him and slapped his shoulder, marvelling for a moment at how chummy that gesture seemed. ‘Oh, shut up.’

He rolled his eyes and shifted slightly, then said, ‘Well, I just came here to ask if you needed to feed.’

My eyes narrowed slightly. I knew what that meant. ‘I don’t drink human blood.’

Zane looked astonished. ‘You don’t?’

I shook my head. ‘No. Only animal blood.’

He looked repulsed by the very idea. ‘How can you even do that?’ And in the depths of his beautiful green eyes I saw…respect?

‘It’s easy if you really don’t want to. And anyway, it’s not fair on humans to take blood from them against their will.’

Zane sneered, looking every bit the evil, cunning vampire I had first thought – and still did. Sort of - him to be. ‘Humans are vermin. They don’t deserve to be treated fairly.’

I pursed my lips, and had the sudden urge to brush away a strand of his hair that had fallen into his eyes. ‘You used to be human once, too, Zane.’

His lip curled up. ‘Thank God I’m not one any longer.’

I just looked at him incredulously. ‘Oh, come on. Aren’t there times when you ever wish you could be human again?’ I leaned my elbows on my knees and rested my head on my hands.

‘No,’ his answer was immediate and sure. ‘I don’t have that much of a craving to be turned back into a weak piece of vermin.’

I glared at him, my hands balling up under my chin. ‘They are not vermin.’

He ignored me, and instead reached out and curled a tendril of my hair around his finger, stroking it like it was the most delicate thing in the world, before leaning down and inhaling. I started to tremble. I clenched my fists together to try and control myself, but to no avail. I hated the way Zane made me feel.

His eyes darkened, and his whole body took on that predator’s stance that I knew so well - Vincent had a tendency to adopt it, too.

He leaned into me, and I tried to edge away from him, but I ended up falling back so I was lying on the bed, and yet I did nothing. It was like I was paralysed, unable to do anything. He quickly dived for my neck, and I closed my eyes and tried to even out my breathing when he started to lick my thumping pulse.

‘Stop it,’ I whispered, but my heart wasn’t in it. ‘Just stop.’

Much to my surprise, he did as I asked. But he still stayed on top of me, just stroking my hair, making delighted-sounding purrs that started at his chest.

‘Come hunting,’ he said, tilting his head to the side slightly, and I was slightly impressed when he managed to almost make it sound like a question.

‘I don’t drink human blood. I told you.’ I was breathless, and painfully aware of his hand stroking my cheekbone.

He twisted on top of me, so that his neck was level with my face and he was looking down at me like a stern parent, only his expression was a lot sultrier. ‘You will come hunting,’ this time it wasn’t a question.

‘Don’t tell me what to do.’ I huffed, glaring up at him.

He moved again so that his face was level with mine again, and his beautiful, intense green eyes were looking into my hazel ones. He tilted his head again, and the movement was oddly child-like that I felt a smile tug at the corners of his lips.

‘I like it when you smile,’ he mused, and I blushed at the calm sincerity in his words. It was something that a cute, human guy would say to a human girl that he really liked. Only Zane wasn’t cute, he was beautiful, and he wasn’t human - most definitely not. And he didn’t like me in that way; he only took me to spite Vincent.

I was very obviously aware that I was still underneath him, and I pushed at his chest, trying to get him off of me. But he was stronger then me - another person to add to the list.

He pouted. ‘I like it here.’

I rolled my eyes. ‘Well, I don’t. So get off. Now.’

‘No.’

I scowled, then decided to take the conversation somewhere different; I didn’t like the way he was looking at me. ‘I thought you wanted to go hunting.’

‘You said that you don’t drink human blood.’

‘I don’t.’

‘That’s going to be a problem.’ He said in a sing-song voice.

I scowled again. ‘I know that. But I’m not touching human blood.’

He groaned. ‘Why not? They’re just humans.’ Then he muttered under his breath, ‘Stupid, filthy humans.’

I was outraged. My hand lashed out and smacked him across the head.

‘Ow!’ he said, looking shocked. He had jumped off of me so he was sitting, and I smiled, satisfied, and sat up.

‘I told you not to say that.’

He glared at nothing in particular, then muttered something that sounded like, ‘A devil in an Angel’s form.’

I thought I had won, I really did, but then he pulled me into his arms – much to my protesting struggles – and sat me on his lap so that I was facing him and straddling his hips. ‘You need to feed.’ He said.

‘Not human blood. And…and I don’t want you to drink it either.’

He gawped, and for the first time ever, he actually looked gobsmacked. ‘You’re telling me what I can and can’t do?’

He didn’t look furious - anyone would have been able to see that -, he just looked very, very bewildered. And shocked. But I stayed defiant; jerked my chin up and pursed my lips. ‘Yes, I am. And I would really appreciate it if you listened to me.’

He turned sceptical. ‘Yeah, Okay. Like I’d really let you sway my eating habits.’

I glared at his stubbornness and folded my arms across my chest. ‘Fine. But don’t try to sway mine, then.’

His lips twisted wryly. ‘Touché.’

‘I mean it, Zane,’ I warned him, while trying to discreetly edge away from him.

My efforts were in vain; he pulled me to his chest quickly, and wrapped his muscled arms around me, holding me to him. I sighed - there was no point in struggling.

He said nothing, just hummed softly a tune that I wasn’t familiar with, while his face was buried deep into my hair.

I batted at his arms and finally got myself free - well, half free. His arms were still wrapped around me, but my face was able to move around - and glare sternly at him.

‘Enough.’ I wasn’t particularly comfortable saying too much at that moment, since whenever I even moved my lips the slightest millimeter, they brushed against his. I did not like the pleasurable tingles that ran through my body when that happened. Although, it did feel kind of nice when it reached the outer part of my stomach and warmed it all up, so it-

WHAT AM I THINKING?!

‘Colie?’ Zane’s worried voice shot me out of my supposedly in-denial thoughts and right back into the world where I knew nothing.

‘Huh?’ I said, blinking dazedly.

‘Are you Okay?’ Zane tilted my chin up with one, long finger, his gaze staring directly into mine.

I was momentarily startled at the intense color of his eyes boring into mine. And then I realized something. If I looked closely, I could see a thin ring of gold that clung to the outskirts of his iris. It was hard to see unless you were up close, but it was definitely there.

‘Wow,’ I whispered.

‘What?’ Zane frowned, and he removed his hand from my chin and wrapped it back around my waist.

‘You have gold in your eyes.’ I said before I could stop myself.

I immediately regretted my words, even more so when his whole body froze.

And then, all so suddenly, his hands were in my hair and he was kissing the side of my neck with a ferocity that would have stunned a tiger, and those horrible, unwanted butterflies started up again my stomach. ‘Colie,’ he kept whispering. ‘Colie.’ And then his lips moved to my ear and he whispered, ‘Your time's almost up,’

My heart dropped. I was going to die?! ‘What?!’

‘The week’s almost over. You don’t have much time left…’

My stomach lurched. If I didn’t get out soon, then I was going to have to kiss Zane!

The thought really shouldn’t have excited me like it did.