VAMPIRE'S FAIRY

LYNN'S PICK UPS

During the day, no one ever saw Lynn at the office. But every evening after that meeting, he would appear without fail, waiting to pick me up from work and take me to dinner. I couldn't understand why, and I was far too afraid to ask.

He rarely spoke. Most of the time, I was the one filling the silence. At first, I tried to hold back, worried that I might say too much, but the quiet between us was unbearable. So I always ended up talking anyway—usually more than I intended.

Before, I used to leave with my brother, but recently work had become surprisingly busy, and I was staying late almost every day. My father assigned a driver to pick me up, but I lied, telling him that a colleague dropped me off since it was on his way. Adrian had once seen Lynn dropping me off—though he hadn't caught a clear look at his face—so he backed up my story. And just like that, coming home with Lynn became part of my routine.

One evening, I finally gathered the courage to ask.

"Boss, why do you always come to pick me up? You really don't have to trouble yourself."

The question had been haunting me for days. I hated being alone with him. Whenever I was around him, I felt uneasy, vulnerable. My mind never stopped racing. What if I angered him one day? What if he decided to hurt me? And why, of all people, did he insist on having dinner with me every single night?

Not that I expected an answer.

He pulled out a cigarette and was about to light it when I quickly snatched it from his hand.

His expression darkened instantly, and his eyes locked onto mine with a sharp, dangerous intensity. But this time, I wasn't acting out of fear of him—I was thinking about my health. I had no intention of going home wheezing and having to explain myself to my parents.

"I'm really sorry, Boss, but could you please not smoke while I'm here? I have asthma. If I get sick, you might never get the chance to have dinner with me again."

He continued staring at me, his face unreadable.

"My cigarette."

His voice was low, calm, and utterly terrifying.

A shiver ran through me. Goosebumps prickled across my skin, and my hands trembled as I slowly handed it back. He took it from me, and for a moment, I expected him to light it out of spite. Instead, he slipped it back into the packet.

"No dinner today. I'll drop you home first. I have something to take care of."

Relief flooded through me so quickly that I accidentally let out an audible sigh. Lynn glanced at me, and I quickly forced a smile.

"Okay, Boss."

As usual, the rest of the drive passed in silence. When we arrived, he waited until I had stepped inside the house before driving away.

"Ariel!" I called the moment I walked in.

She looked up from the couch. "You're home early today, Ayl."

"Yeah, we finished a little earlier than usual. Is there any food left? I'm starving."

"You're in luck. Your favorite brother skipped dinner."

"Really? Why?"

I followed her into the kitchen, grabbing a snack while she reheated my food.

"He just broke up with his girlfriend."

"Is he upset?"

Ariel laughed. "Not even a little. He came home with pizza and beer. He's upstairs celebrating with Ayaan and Arthur."

I couldn't help laughing too. "I knew it wasn't serious. Honestly, I never liked her anyway. She always got on my nerves. No wonder Adriel isn't heartbroken."

Ariel handed me my plate, but instead of sitting down, I stood up again.

"Wanna join them?" I asked.

She nodded, and together we headed upstairs.

The next morning, a soft knock stirred me from sleep. I reached for my phone. 5:00 a.m.

"Come in," I mumbled, still half asleep.

Adriel stepped inside and climbed onto my bed. I turned over and wrapped my arms around him. Every Saturday morning, he would come to my room, and we'd usually drift back to sleep until ten.

"Hey, Adriel. Good morning."

"Good morning, Ayl. Do you have any plans for this afternoon?"

"Nope. Nothing at all."

"Want to go to Arcade?"

"Sure. Are the others coming too?"

He shook his head. "They're all busy. I asked them yesterday, and they all turned me down."

"Then it's a date," I said with a sleepy smile. "But first, more sleep."

He laughed softly, and we settled back under the blankets.

For once, it felt like the weekend might actually go well—without Lynn around to unsettle me.