Chapter 11

“ARE YOU a martyr or something? You should have learned your lesson from Kristoff already. That Ingram guy just made you fall for him. You gotta use your head when it comes to relationships, too, best friend.”

I took a deep breath and massaged my ears as Ellen continued to preach and insult the hell out of me. We saw each other in the publication today and decided to stroll around the mall. And since then, she’d been lecturing me until now that we’re inside a pizza parlor. Ellen was like Papa’s female version. Even if I don’t talk, she could feel if something was bugging me. In the end, I told her about Ingram who had been missing in action for five days now.

I miss him. I’m beginning to regret the things I told him the last time we were together. I thought that since we’ve only known each other for a short time, I wouldn’t be too affected if ever I’d lose him. But I was wrong.

I was never able to sleep properly at night thinking about Ingram. His car was still in the garage, but he was not inside. His apartment remained locked.

“If only he’s a good man, I would have suggested that you come with him to attend your sister’s wedding on Sunday,” Ellen continued while typing on her phone.

Well, that was my plan. My mother had left my gown in my apartment the day we had an argument. I didn’t really want to go. After all, I ditched the wedding rehearsals. But I gained the courage to do it when I met Ingram. I thought I’d found an ally in him, but I pushed him away. I should have waited some more until he opened up to me of his own accord. But my insecurities got the best of me.

“I must have scared him, Ellen. He must have thought that I was too demanding and—”

“It’s normal for a woman to demand a commitment from a man especially in your case since you’ve surrendered your virginity to him,” Ellen said, looking more pissed than ever. “That’s a toxic relationship right there and it was only right that you escaped it. You are a good woman, Bri. You deserve to finally be happy after everything you’ve been through. And if he couldn’t give you the things you deserve, then he should really get the hell out of your life.”

Ellen shook her head and finally put down her phone on the table as she faced me. “You are a very gorgeous woman inside-out that’s why I don’t really understand why it was so hard for you to find the right guy. I hope one day, you’ll be able to find a man like my Erasmus.”

Despite the heaviness I feel inside, she still managed to capture my interest. “Erasmus? Who’s that? And why is his name like that?”

Ellen smiled coyly as she tucked some of her hair strands behind her ears. Her eyes were glowing. It was the first time I’ve seen her like this. Just like me, she only had a boyfriend once. After he cheated on her, she never tried to have serious relationships anymore. She said she had been traumatized.

“He’s Erasmus Peterson. I met him through Facebook. His name may sound ancient, but his face was something else. I’ve never met a man that good looking. It was like he came out from a painting. We’ve met many times. He sent me a friend request first. He used to like my posts and support whatever I say online until he chatted me one day. And when we finally met, we just clicked instantly.”

“So, are you two in a relationship now?” I replied, still shocked. Who’d have thought that she was now seeing someone when every time I’d go online, I’d see her posts with a hashtag that says. ‘Forever is not real’? That had been her hashtag ever since she broke up with her boyfriend.

“Not yet.” Ellen winked. “But you’ll be the first to know once our relationship progresses. I’d change my hashtag into ‘Forever’s Not Enough’.”

Good thing I chose to listen to her first before drinking my iced tea or I would have choked. I stared at her for a long time. She was now busy typing on her phone again while grinning ear-to-ear. Erasmus must be the one texting her right now. I shook my head and chose to leave first since she would be meeting him later.

The minute I stepped out of the pizza parlor, I got goose bumps. I’ve been feeling like this for five days now. It was as if someone was watching me. I glanced around. My eyes widened when I saw Ingram standing near the escalator while looking at me.

I was about to walk towards him when he suddenly disappeared. I stopped walking. Was that just my imagination because I’ve been missing Ingram so much? At times like this, I couldn’t help but remember what he once told me after the red-eyed men chased us.

“It’s in their nature and mine as well. Because we’re Vampires, Brianna.”

I also remembered the time I gifted him a silver bracelet out of a whim when I went into a store and thought of him. But he immediately dropped it. I saw how his palm turned red. There was even a burnt mark of the bracelet on his palm. In the end, he wasn’t able to wear the bracelet. He didn’t give me any reason. And it was exasperating.

There were many ideas playing in my head about him, but I couldn’t acknowledge them. Now that I was remembering the strange things he said and did, like suddenly appearing and disappearing, the way he’d only reveal himself at nighttime, and the way he fought with the red-eyed men, I felt alarmed.

I pressed my forehead out of confusion. I don’t know what to do anymore. But there was one thing I’m sure of. Despite all my uncertainties about Ingram’s identity, I… I still want to be with him.

Before I left my apartment this morning, I left a note on Ingram’s door in case he decided to come back. I wrote the details about Stella’s wedding including the time and venue.

I really wanted to attend the wedding now to avoid any family issues from arising. Although I knew that deep inside, it was only an excuse to be with Ingram. Tears glazed my eyes. When Ingram came in my life, I felt like I’ve finally found my place in this world. That’s why without him, I feel… lost.

I’m a writer. I’ve written so many difficult situations for the characters in the world that I create through my novels. I should know how to handle this. But I don’t. I’ve never written a plot like mine and Ingram’s. I don’t even know how to write our story. Because I don’t know what will happen in the middle and in the end. I don’t know how this thing between us will end. All I know was how it started.