The B***d Moon Twins – Chapter 127

REMY

Harper and Caulder splashed each other in the water, giggling as they chased after each other. I closed my eyes and let my body float in the water, enjoying the feeling of being completely weightless. The sun shone down on me, warming my skin. Laughter and nature filled my ears, and for a moment, all of my worries disappeared. Nothing else mattered for the moment.

But then a feeling of sadness pulled my heartstrings.

I opened my eyes and looked at the shore. Blade was sitting under the umbrella, making a point to stay under the shade it provided. When we made eye contact, he smiled at me and waved, but it wasn’t a genuine smile. I knew Harper and Caulder wanted me to enjoy myself and not worry about Blade, but I couldn’t help it. I wanted him to enjoy the lake day as much as I was.

I swam to the shore and made my way to him. He tilted his head as I skipped over to him. I sat on the towel next to him and pulled my knees into my chest. He wrapped a towel around my shoulders, and then I leaned my head on him.

“Are you done swimming?” he asked.

“I just wanted to spend some time with you,” I said.

“Don’t worry about me. You should enjoy the lake while we’re here. Who knows when your father will let us back out here,” Blade tried to reason.

I lifted my head off his shoulder and turned towards him. “I know, but I’m worried about you. I can tell something is bothering you.”

“I don’t want you to ruin the day by worrying about me,” he said. He frowned and shifted so he could grab my hands. I could feel a wave of guilt washing over him.

I tilted my head forward and raised my eyebrows. “Don’t be silly. You are more important than a day at the lake. Please tell me what’s wrong. I’m not going to be able to enjoy myself until I know what’s bothering you.”

Blade pulled his lips tight and he looked out onto the lake. “It’s embarrassing.”

“What’s embarrassing?” I asked. Blade never seemed embarrassed about anything. He was usually confident in himself.

He continued looking away from me, avoiding all eye contact. When he did speak, his voice was quieter than I expected. “I don’t know how to swim.”

That was not what I was expecting him to say. “Is that why you don’t want to get into the lake? I thought it was because of the sun.”

He looked down at our hands, and his guilt only grew. “Yes. I kind of let you think that. I’m sorry. I promise I didn’t lie. The sun is extremely draining still, but I’m okay in it for little bursts.”

“Why didn’t you just tell me?” I wanted him to feel comfortable telling me anything.

Blade took a deep breath. “It’s embarrassing. I didn’t have a normal childhood. I didn’t go to school or really have friends. I didn’t get to have fun like other children. I didn’t learn to swim or ride a bike. I was kept like a pet, only learning the things my father thought were necessary.”

I thought about what it was like for Blade to be a child. Alone. Unloved. It broke my heart. I just wanted to hold him and make him feel better, but I knew there was nothing I could do to change his past.

Suddenly, my body jolted and then seized up. Everything around me went dark, and then I was standing in a room that was dimly lit by a bunch of candles. There was a young boy huddled in the corner of the room, crying. He looked like a small version of Blade.

There were several other vampires standing around the room, including one who had similar features to Blade, only older. It had to be his father. There was a woman in the middle of the room, bound by the hands and feet.

“Feed on her,” Blade’s father said to another child who looked several years older than Blade.

I recognized the evil in his eyes, and I knew this other child had to be Draven. His uncaring nature was bestowed on him at a very young age, unless he was just born like that. That wouldn’t have surprised me. The depth of his cruel nature ran too deep to only be a learned behavior. The child Draven stalked towards the woman, who immediately started crying out for help. Draven didn’t care.

No. He was excited by her fear. His fangs extended, and he pounced on the poor woman.

Blade cried out, and I threw my body in front of him, landing on my knees harder than I anticipated, but I ignored the throbbing pain. I covered Blade’s eyes with my hands while using my body to block him from the rest of the room. Then I said, “Don’t listen. Just look at me.”

I moved my hands to his ears, blocking as much sound as I could. He looked at me, tears spilling out of his eyes. He looked so scared and fragile, and no one seemed to care. I smiled at him, trying to give him as much warmth as I possibly could, despite the horrors occurring behind me.

“It’ll be okay,” I said over and over again. I knew he couldn’t hear me, but I hoped it soothed him, even just a little. I was also trying to soothe myself as the screams of the woman echoed in my ears. If this was only a taste of what Blade was put through, I was surprised he was as kind as he was. That kind of trauma would break most people.

Time blurred as the woman continued to scream and cry while the others chuckled in delight. I didn’t know how long this lasted, but in the blink of an eye, I was back on the beach. Blade was holding my hands, squeezing them so tightly that if he squeezed any harder, my hands would be at risk of breaking bones.

I blinked a few times, trying to ground myself. I was back at the beach, and Blade’s eyes told me he was no longer the little boy witnessing the horrors that he had. I was sure that boy was still buried deep within him, though.

“I know that look,” Blade said, breaking the silence between us. “What did you see?”

I swallowed hard, not wanting to describe the details to him. I didn’t want him to relive the horrible memory I just witnessed, but I wasn’t about to lie to him either.

“I saw a memory from your childhood.” I felt guilty admitting that. It was like I had invaded his privacy. “I wasn’t trying to see anything. I was just thinking about what it was like for you, and then suddenly, I was there.”

“What did you see?” he asked. I hoped he wouldn’t continue pushing the subject, because I wasn’t sure if I could handle describing it right now.

I stood up suddenly, using his hands as a counter balance. “Let’s not worry about that right now. I don’t want to ruin the mood. Let’s just have some fun in the lake.” I was begging him with my eyes to let the subject go.

Blade stood up, still holding my hands. “I can’t swim.” Confusion dripped from his words. He didn’t bring up the memory again.

“Yep. But I’m going to teach you. Come on.” I took a step forward, but Blade’s feet were firmly planted.

He looked out at the lake and then back at me. “Are you sure?”

“Positive. You deserve to enjoy the lake as much as the rest of us. What do you say?” I tugged on Blade’s arm again, and this time he wasn’t as stiff.

“Okay, let’s do this,” Blade said with a smile.

I led Blade towards the water, never letting go of his hand. When we reached the shore, he hesitated to step into the water. He looked down at his feet and stared at them for a moment. I didn’t say anything, waiting for him to indicate he was ready. I could feel his turmoil, but I couldn’t tell where it came from exactly. Was he afraid? Was he still embarrassed? Was he annoyed I suggested doing this?

Finally, he looked up at me, and I didn’t see any of those emotions in his eyes. Instead, I saw wonderment. His eyes were beaming with curiosity, and he took a single step forward. The water climbed up his feet with each step he took after. He stopped when the water sat halfway up his calf.

“You won’t let go?” he asked before moving any deeper.

“I won’t let go unless you ask me to,” I insisted. I tightened my grip on his hand, and he smiled at me.

Blade took another step and then another until the water splashed around his chest. His eyes were wide the entire time, and I could feel his heart pounding.

Harper and Caulder swam up to us, splashing and laughing the entire time. Even though the shore was shallow enough that they could stand, they continued floating in the water, their heads bobbing slightly.

“Finally decide to test out the water?” Caulder asked. His arms swiped back and forth just underneath the surface of the water to keep him floating.

“Actually, Remy is going to teach me how to swim,” Blade answered.

The corner of my l*p twitched up. I was surprised he was so willing to be this honest. Most people would have kept it a secret, afraid to be teased for not knowing how to do something considered to be a basic skill.

But Blade wasn’t a normal person. Every day I was learning something new about him, and I wondered if there would be a day where I truly knew everything about him. I hoped we lived long enough to get that chance.

“We can help, too,” Harper easily offered.

“Yeah, I was the swim captain for a little while,” Caulder said, flexing his arms.

“Is there anything you can’t do?” Blade laughed.

“I’m sure I could name a few things,” I said, winking at Caulder. I knew more about his dirty laundry than anyone else.

Caulder quickly splashed me, and I accidentally inhaled a little water. My lungs seized as I began coughing, and Blade quickly rubbed my back. When the coughing fit was over, I glared at Caulder.

Harper swam between the two of us, stopping us before things escalated any more. “So, Blade. What do you know about swimming?”