The vampire and the wife

Chapter 3

I got out of the hot shower and wondered across the hallway to my room with my towel wrapped around me and water dripping from me. I knew Dorian and Zack would still be downstairs; if I knew Dorian, he was probably talking about me to Zack, which I didn't mind in the slightest because I already knew all Dorian wanted was for Zack and I to get along together. I got changed into my fresh pyjamas, towel dried my hair quickly and gave it a brush. It was a knotted mess, but I still brushed and pulled, using the pain in my head to clear away any thoughts I had of Xander.

Once I began to feel myself a little more pulled together, I went downstairs to find Zack sitting on the sofa watching something on the TV. I couldn't help but laugh and smile a little at the simple action, which made him look at me.

"It's not a problem, is it? I mean, Dorian said I could while you showered and while he popped out." Zack's voice sounded a little on edge, as if he hoped he hadn't offended me in any way.

"No problem at all." I walked into the kitchen to find a coffee on the side, made for me. I picked it up and wrapped my hands around the cup, pleased for the warmth. I wasn't cold, but the warmth of the cup just reminded me that I was alive and that I'd pull through eventually. I stood with my back to the counter as I looked out the kitchen window to see nothing but pitch black.

I noticed movement in the doorway, and I found that Zack stood watching me as if he were being careful around me. In fairness, I didn't blame him; after all, his introduction to me hadn't been great. I'd barged past him and ran out into the front garden with wet hair and I'd argued a little with Dorian in front of him and then I'd said thank you. It had honestly all made me sound a little like I had a split personality disorder or something.

"That vampire..." Zack's tone had been quiet. I looked at him for the first time, really taking in everything about him. Zack had blonde, short, curly hair, and his face seemed very squared, but cute in a way. If I'd not known what I had about Zack, I might have chased him to get his attention. Zack's eyes were dark, which meant he was getting hungry, but I had a feeling that he and Dorian went out to feed together.

I had to put my coffee down as I felt my hands trembling a little as I looked down for a moment to gain my composure and took a couple of deep breaths. "That... ummm, that was...." I took another slow breath. "That was my ex and Dorian's best friend." I finally answered. It had taken every piece of emotion out of me to call Xander that. I really hated thinking of him as my ex because, to me, the relationship wasn't really over. This was all temporary; Xander would decide to call things back on and I'd go running to him. Would you really want to, though? After the way he treated you, after the way he left you when you needed him the most...

I shook my head a little and then looked up at Zack, who I could see looked almost torn on what to do about me standing there. "Ummm, I best apologise to you now." I decided in hopes that I could make my head focus on something else rather than where it had wanted to go. "I'm sorry if I'm a little all over the place. This has ummm... All of this has ummm..." I couldn't string together the last pieces of my words.

"Broken you?" Zack offered quietly to me. "I get it. When someone leaves, it's not the easiest thing to deal with. If I'm honest, I've got to admit I'm impressed with how you've taken Dorian, coming in like a whirlwind and bossing you around." Zack came into the kitchen, which I noticed, and lent on the worktop on the opposite side of the kitchen. "I mean, when I hit rock bottom when my partner left me, if Dorian had come in and treated me like that, I'd have told him to f**k off." He laughed.

"Dorian doesn't mean anything by it." I rubbed my arm a little hestitantly. It must have been hard for someone to understand the relationship Dorian and I had. "Dorian... From the first day I met him, Dorian has always had my back. Even if it wasn't in a helpful way to begin with," I laughed quietly as I shook my head. "But Dorian and I... I like to think of Dorian as a big brother, because he's always made time for me and he's always had my back, like I said." I looked at Zack and gave him a small smile. "He's about the only person who would be able to kick my arse back on track, if I'm honest." I went and picked up my coffee and took a small sip. That's because Dorian can see through the bullshit and won't take the bullshit either.

"I see that." Zack laughed. "When he first told me about you... I couldn't imagine Dorian being like this." He shrugged a little, as if not sure how else to explain it. "I mean... it was strange hearing a vampire talk so highly of a human." He laughed again. "But just seeing you both together tonight. It's weird... I just seem to understand the chemistry between you both, seeing you both together." Zack looked over to the door for a moment.

"That's Dorian and I. We're two weirdo's together who are best friends." I couldn't help but laugh and drank a little of my coffee as my mind seemed to be lost in thoughts of how to explain Dorian and I. It was something that I couldn't do. To me, he was like my brother and I loved him like my brother and I'd do anything to keep him safe. "I mean... I've not always made his life easy."

"So I've heard." Zack grinned. "He told me about being stuck out in the sunlight with you."

"Yeah, I don't recommend anyone doing that with him." I laughed again and this time Zack laughed with me.

"He did it out of love for you, though."

"I know." I looked at my butterfly bracelet as my sleeve fell back a little to see it. My heart went cold at the sight of it; it had been the last thing for Xander. For a while, when I'd been at the pack, I hadn't wanted to wear it. It had brought back too many memories of Xander, but when I got to the house, I started to wear it again, but I wore it as a reminder that I had to move forward even though every part of me felt stuck. It's ok now, though; Dorian will help and make everything better. He always does. "Dorian's a good guy regardless of what he might want you to think at times." I made my eyes drop from my bracelet to look at the floor.

"I'm just please now that he's stopped climbing the walls to see you." Zack muttered with a sigh. "It was murder being with him when he couldn't see you once he learned what had happened." Zack closed his eyes and shook his head as if he could see it all happening again in his head. "He was impossible to be with once we went back to his master's nest. I remember being up in his room waiting for his master to come back and he'd gone to speak to a woman."

"Marie." I told him quietly.

"Mmhmm." He muttered and opened his eyes. "He came back up after talking to her and he was mad. Then he went down again for a little while and an argument broke out. It was one-sided, with Dorian doing all the shouting at his master and then he came and got me and we left. I wanted to ask him what had happened, but he was angry and didn't really speak. He still never told me what had happened or what had caused the argument." I noticed the way he looked at me expectantly for a moment, but I really didn't want to relive it. It was bad enough hearing it from Dorian and Zack's perspective.

"Dorian gets protective of people he loves and he doesn't like to let anyone down." I settled for I looked up at Zack apologetically, hoping he'd understand that I really didn't want to go over the past.

"He is exactly like that." Zack settled for.

"He's also stubborn and an arsehole. Ask his master." Dorian added to the conversation as he came into the kitchen with a couple of bags in his hand.

"And also enjoys getting on everyone's last nerve and can complain for England." I grinned, looking at Dorian, as he came over and kissed my head lightly.

"I'm pleased to see your feeling better."

"Not really, but life goes on and your not going to let me sulk, so I better just suck it up." I shrugged as he went and kissed Zack. "Urgh, get a room." I muttered.

"Never complained about you and him that night, at that party, or any other time I was made to feel like the third wheel." Dorian teased me as I walked out into the living room. I couldn't help but laugh quietly to myself as I plopped down on the sofa and watched whatever it was that Zack had been watching. I really hadn't realised just how much I had needed Dorian and I really had been stupid to run and hide from him. It was because you didn't want to let him down. Even if I did mess up and let him down, he'd still love me. He did when I messed up all those months ago and when I hadn't told him the truth, he'd even stood by my side and had my back through the whole thing. I looked down at my bracelet again and smiled.

"Thank you for leaving me with one thing. My VBF." I whispered to myself. "Even if I can't have you, at least I know I have him to count on and to help me get through this dark window."