Hungry Love || Book 1

SIXTEEN: My Brother

When bad things happen, it's all of a sudden. They collide with you in some corner. No matter how well we prepare. We try to give our best, but sometimes it's not enough. We put on the seat belt, we walk around carefully. It doesn't matter, because when bad things happen, they don't knock. But we forget that's how good things come too. No warning, no knocking. They just come.

"I'm sorry."

Lydia felt the blue eyes go through the recent bite on her right wrist while his hesitant fingers traced it with affection.

"Me too."

"I never wanted to do that to you." Alec looked at her with care, "Bite you."

"You did what you had to do." She assured him.

"Are you going to talk to your mother?" He asked cautiously.

Lydia shifted on the bed, getting closer to Alexander's body heat. Her hand sought for his, and when she found it, their hands interwined under their eyes.

"Maybe..." Jones whispered.

"She doesn't remember anyway, for what he said, right?" Alec remembered.

"Yeah."

She couldn't forget Ethan's words: This is about your father. How he took everything from me! And his puzzled and pained expression when he realized what Amelia had done. Was it really true? Lydia wondered how anyone could ask to forget another person. Did her Mom love him?

"Your eyes are so deep." He tilted his head, "What are you thinking, Lydia?"

"You don't want to know." The redhead gave a long sigh.

"You don't need to talk about it." Alexander whispered and kissed her nose, "But if you want to, you can yell at me. I don't mind."

Lydia took her small, curious fingers to his mouth, they traced his lips with all the calmness in the world, as if trying to memorize its shape. As if she was afraid to forget.

"I don't want to yell at you, Alexander." Jones then looked him in the eye, "It wasn't your fault. It wasn't my fault. It was... my Dad's."

"You don't know that." He warned, then sighed, "Maybe it's our fault, my fault, you know. You being in this mess with the vampire, maybe –. "

"Stop." Lydia pressed her finger against his lips, now sealed, "If it weren't for you, I might not even be alive."

"No..." Alec shook his head, "I tried, I swear. I tried not to feel anything for you, but it happened. I'm sorry."

And then he kissed her lips lightly.

The gesture touched Lydia deeply, a knot formed in her throat. She felt her eyes fill with tears, but she was determined not to let them show. It was ridiculous, he had just confessed liking her and she wanted to cry? Love makes people go mad, honestly.

"Sleep and everything will be ok." Alec smiled sadly, "It all gets better in the morning."

Then Lydia turned her back to Mathews and closed her eyes, quietly, only feelings the warmth of his body and his hot breath in her red hair. They slept. She slept. He just kept hugging her, watching her breathe and sleep and wondered what she was dreaming of and honestly he didn't care if it wasn't with him as long as they were sweet dreams.

A few hours passed, not many, and yet Alexander didn't got tired of watching Lydia sleep. He could stay there for hours, years, centuries. And he wouldn't get tired.

Alec heard the sound of footsteps on the stairs, and then he heard the door open behind him. He took his arm gently off Lydia and turned back on the bed. He sat up scared as he identified Amelia Jones in the doorway.