Sophie just stares at the now-empty coffee table. She seems lost and small, and I hate it. I walk over and pull her into my arms. “It’s over now, Soph. He can’t hurt you.”
“I know I should feel sadness or anger, but I don’t feel anything.” She looks at me, and the anguish I read in her eyes makes me worried.
“You’re probably still in shock.”
She shakes her head. “You don’t understand. Before I met you, I couldn’t feel anything—remorse, sadness, empathy. All I was able to feel was rage. I’m afraid something broke in me again, and I’m back to being an emotionless robot.”
“You’re not. I saw the way you looked at Tish just now. You’re happy that your friend is finally able to walk out the door carrying a trash bag.”
She shudders. “I didn’t realize I was looking at her any certain way.”
“How do you feel about me now?”
I let her reel me in with her eyes, happy to get lost in her lavender gaze.
“Love, so much that it hurts.”
I laugh. “See. You’re not a robot, and if you were, you’d be my EVE and I’d be your WALL-E.”
She blinks fast, and I know my movie reference flew right over her head.
“Come on, let’s get you to bed. It’s high time I introduce you to pop culture.”
“Oh, are those characters from a movie?”
“Yep. It’s a cartoon, but it’s not just for kids. It’s one of my favorites.” Sophie watches me with a smile on her face now, and I ask, “What? Am I yapping too much?”
She shakes her head. “Not at all. I love when you do.”
“Are you hungry? I can make us a bowl of pop—” I stop before I say something stupid.
“Were you going to say a bowl of popcorn?” She arches a brow.
My face feels like it’s going to burst into flames. My ears are certainly already burning.
“Eh… it just a human habit I haven’t been able to forget yet.”
“Do you miss being human?”
“Sometimes. Especially when I can’t hang out with my mom and sisters any time I want.” I pinch my brow when I realize in a few decades, they’ll be gone.
“What’s the matter?”
“They’ll grow old and die, while I’ll look forever twenty-two.”
“I’m sorry. Do you think maybe they’d want to…?”
“Turn into a vampire? I don’t think so, and I wouldn’t want that for them either. Don’t get me wrong, though. It was my choice to let Lucca turn me, and I’d make the same choice again knowing what I know about living as a bloodsucker.”
“Good. Depression after the change was very common back in the day when vampires were made willy-nilly. Many newly made vampires committed suicide.”
I shake my head. “I’m not suicidal. You don’t have to worry about that. Besides, you’re the reason why I’d choose this life again and again.”
She wraps her arms around my waist. “I’m glad you found me, Vaughn.”
“And I’m glad you bit me.” I crack an even bigger smile.
“Yeah, me too. And then pissed off a dragon.”
