“Are you ok?” Stephan had his hand on the small of Scarlet’s back. She looked like she was hyperventilating and her color had changed to pale white.
She took a couple of deep breaths. Her eyes were closed and her hand on her chest. She was trying to calm herself down. All of a sudden going to the funeral didn’t seem like a good idea.
“Relax, just breathe. Do you want to go back home?”
She shook her head, she didn’t speak she was sure her voice would betray her. She counted back from ten then opened her eyes and looked up at Stephan. His hair fell forward as he bent towards her.
“Are you sure?”
She took one deep breath before she answered. “I’m sure.”
Stephan kept his left hand on her back and gave her his right hand to hold on to.
“Mmmmh, I think I am ready, let’s go.”
They walked into the church, Solara was supporting Kayla behind them. Scarlet took comfort that she was feeling the same way she was. She was glad that the fact she was a vampire did not interfere with her emotions.
They took a seat at the last pew. They didn’t want to seat too close, Stephan didn’t think it was appropriate. They watched as people filled the small community church. Most of them they recognized as the customers from the diner.
Kayla nudged Scarlet when Joany approached them. They looked up and smiled at her.
“Hi, Joany.”
“Hey girls, how are you holding up?”
“So, so.”
“Marcie’s parents want to meet everyone who worked at the diner. They want us to sit up front with them.”
She took a step back to give them away. Scarlet slightly shook her head at Kayla when Joany wasn’t looking.
I’m not sure I can bear it sitting so close to them.
Me either, but we can’t say no.
Kayla, I don’t know if this is a good idea.
Hold on to me.
Kayla was the first to stand up, Scarlet followed only because Kayla held on to her hand and didn’t let go. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath, and then she opened them and took her first step towards the front. Kayla put her arm around her when she felt her tremble. “It’s going to be fine.” They were halfway up the aisle when they heard Joany’s voice.
“You too. The three of you are part of the diner family just like the rest of us.”
They turned back to see Stephan, Solara and Vincent walk up behind them. She felt better knowing that he was going to be with her. They slowed down their pace so that could catch up.
When they got to the front pew, they saw Marcie’s parents. Scarlet controlled the raspy breath and walked towards them. She forced a hard smile as she stretched out her hand to greet them.
“Mr. and Mrs. Hardy, My name is Scarlet Mc Kyle, this is Kayla Cooper, Stephan Jeraldi, Solara Gomez, and Vincent…” At that time she realized that she didn’t know what Vincent’s last name was and decided to improvise. “Vincent Mc Kyle my younger brother.” She squinted at the lie but didn’t think they would mind. “We worked with your daughter and she was a wonderful girl.”
“Thank you. She spoke of all of you whenever she called home, especially of Vincent.” They smiled at him. “Thank you for coming.”
They walked to the coffin to pay their respects. Scarlet didn’t hesitate, she walked up to the open casket and looked down at her. She was as beautiful as ever. They dressed her in a pulled-neck dress. She thought it was to cover where her head was detached from the rest of her body.
Kayla walked up beside her and took her hand, she placed her head on her shoulder and they both stared at the pale lifeless body. Her hair was just the same, red and in curls. They suspected that the mortician had applied some makeup on her because she had color on her cheeks.
Stephan and Solara stepped behind them, while Vincent squeezed in between them. Scarlet realized how true her lie was, he was their little brother, and he acted like it every single time. Insisting to stand or sit between her and Kayla all the time. They both put an arm around him.
The ceremony was short and simple, Joany was the only one who spoke on behalf of the workers at the diner. Marcie’s father gave a vote of thanks to everyone who came, while her mother stood over the casket and sobbed. The priest gave an encouraging word and asked people to take in the significance of the day.
Scarlet watched her, feeling her grief. She knew how she felt, it was almost like the same pain she felt when she saw her parents lying lifeless in a box. Large drops of tears fell from her eyes as she watched her grief.
“Are you alright?” Stephan was always worried about her. Now he couldn’t stand seeing her so sad.
“Yes, I am fine. She looks so sad.” Scarlet continued to watch Mrs. Hardy as she cried over her daughter’s corpse.
When the pastor declared the ceremony over, they stood and watched the casket carried out and loaded onto the hearse. They walked to their cars, Xavier and Eric waited by the mustang. The hearse drove off. Marcie was going back home, back to Tennessee.
They drove home in silence. Solara was the first to get there, he was always in a rush and it helped that no one in the car minded the speed. Scarlet got to the house and went straight to her room. She wanted some time to herself.
Since they weren’t celebrating Christmas and Kayla didn’t want to think of the day at all she didn’t see the point of sitting in the living room with the others. She missed her family and hated the fact she was missing another holiday with them.
She lay across the bed with her eyes closed. She wasn’t sleeping, she just wanted to be shut out of the world for a moment. When she heard the door open she didn’t attempt to move, she assumed it was Stephan and knew that soon she would be in his arms.
“Scar, are you awake?” it was Kayla. She turned her head to face her. She wasn’t alone Vincent was with her.
“Scarlet I wanted to tell you, that what you said about me being your brother meant a lot to me.”
She tapped lightly on her bed and Vincent sat beside her. “But you are our brother, right Kayla?”
“Right. You are our green-eyed little brother” She joined them on the bed.
“Thank you, guys. Let me get out of here before your boyfriends catch me.” They laughed with him.
Scarlet couldn’t help but think about the first day they met him. Kayla was still human, and so were Stephan and Solara according to her knowledge. He looked ridiculous in his full leather-clad. She was glad that Kayla had been able to educate him in fashion. The jeans and polo shirts suited him. They were still trying to get him to change his hair color.
“I always see him as a kid, although he is a decade or two older than me.” To Scarlet, Vincent was a breath of fresh air. He always knew how to keep her spirits up.
“Speaking of relatives, I can’t believe you will be leaving soon.” Kayla had just five weeks left with Scarlet. Although she would be able to visit her from time to time, it wasn’t the same as having her with her. She was determined to make the most of it.
“Five more weeks and I will start my fellowship. That is if Zen doesn’t get here before then.” She hoped not. In five weeks she would be off his radar.
“Don’t worry about that. That is our part, yours is fulfilling your dreams.” Kayla put her hand on hers. “So I don’t suppose Stephan would object to an equal split.”
“Split of what?”
“Time silly, I get you days and he gets you nights. That is fair don’t you think.”
“One question, what time do I sleep?” she was glad that she was going to spend more time with her, she was sure Stephan wouldn’t mind.
“When you get to Washington. Ok, you can sleep three times a week, I’ll draw up a schedule to work around it.” Kayla was doing the math in her head.
“K, no. I sleep every night. Draw up a schedule that works around that.”
“She doesn’t have to.” Stephan walked into the room. “She only has to tell me when she wants to spend time with you. I will happily give you to her, I’m not greedy.” He was smiling at them.
His smile always weakened her. It filled her stomach with little butterflies and made her heart race. It made all the blood in her body rush and her muscles turned to paddy. He was beautiful to her, and he was hers.
“Ok, I got dibs on tomorrow morning and every morning this next week.” Kayla turned her attention to the giant in the room.
“Be reasonable Kayla, that can’t work. Three times a week.” They were bargaining now. Scarlet looked at one then the other as they placed their offers.
“Ah ah. No Stephan three days, you aren’t serious. Four days and Saturday nights. That’s my final offer think about it before you say anything.”
Stephan genuinely looked like he was thinking about it. After a long second, he accepted the offer. He didn’t want to push Kayla, she may demand more than one night. He loved his nights with Scarlet, watching the rise and fall of her chest as she breathed. Listening to her little snore.
“Fine that’s a deal. Shake on it.” They stretched out their hands out to each other, shook hands to seal the arrangement.
“What do you think honey, does it work for you?”
“Now you want my opinion?” Scarlet chuckled once, “You two seem to have worked it out. If there is anything I have learned today is that time is precious. So I will stay up all night if I have to, to spend time with you both. With all of you.” She smiled up at her best girl and best guy.
“I love you, sis.” Kayla climbed on the bed to give her a bear hug. She held her so tightly Scarlet’s arms began to throb.
“K, you won’t need the schedule if you crush me. Remember fragile goods.” She immediately pulled back an apologetic look on her face.
“I’m sorry. I am going to miss you.” She turned back to look at Stephan. “This arrangement starts tomorrow morning, it being a Monday makes it appropriate.”
She got up to leave when Stephan caught her arm. “Joany called, she asked whether we would go to the wake. I hope you don’t mind but Solara and I thought it wouldn’t be best for both of you.”
“That’s fine with me.” Kayla was relieved, “The only reason I held it together during the mass was for Scarlet. I don’t think I can take another round of that. Thanks.” She smiled up at him and left.
“What about you Scarlet. Are you fine with it?”
“I didn’t want to face a crowd of people. I also know how hard it was for you today at the mass, I don’t want to put you through that again. So it’s fine with me.” She held her arms out to him.
He climbed onto the bed and laid his head on her lap. She combed her fingers through his hair. “You are too good to me Scarlet. You don’t have to stay for me, Vincent and Eric will escort you if you want to go.”
“I don’t want to. I want to lay here with you. Appreciate the time I have with you, with all those crazy creatures downstairs.”
“You keep very bad company my love, vampires, and beasts.” He rubbed his cheek against the black silk she was wearing.
“Don’t I know it? I wonder what you will think of my sanity when I tell you that I am in love with a half breed.”
He sat up to look at her, “I would say that you are positively insane.” He leaned down to kiss her.
He tasted her lips and let his hands caress her as he laid her gently on her back.