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“Shush, it’ll be okay. Open your eyes and
look at me.”

She slowly opened her eyes. He tried to
smile, but the effort was useless. She twirled the button in her
hand.

“What was that? My dream was it real?”

“If I feed from you while you’re sleeping I
can enter your mind,” Trucker explained. Julie gripped her neck.
The bite was still fresh. He didn’t close it because his demon side
liked to see her marked. “You can never truly accept me until you
knew what is inside of me. That’s me, Angel.”

Julie shook her head, forcibly. If that was
part of him, the other part had to be stronger to overcome such
overwhelming misery. She tried to sit up, but Trucker held her
close and tight to his body.

“Rest baby, everything will be fine.”

“Where were you? When I woke up? Why were you
not with me?”

“I’ll never completely turn around you.
Never.”

Julie looked away, so not to stare into his
haunting eyes. She noticed her bedding torn to shreds.

“My sheets,” she gasped.

“It’s okay. Your mind tried to escape. The
pain was not meant for you. It was too much.” He kissed her hair.
She inspected her room again.
How am I going to explain this to
my mom?
She thought of her parents sleeping in the next room
over.

“My parents,” she shrieked.

“They’re at work. I knew they both would be
working today. You needed us to be with you when you woke up. Mom
has someone bringing you a matching comforter and sheets right
now.”

“Sweetie, do you want me to stay or do you
want to be alone with Trucker?” Catherine asked. Julie wanted her
to stay, but if she told her to stay Trucker’s heartache would be
too much for Julie.

“How can you take it, the pain?” she quietly
asked him.

“It’s not easy, but I don’t have a choice. I
was born with it.” The look in his eyes was almost reverent. She
knew even with his skin blazing, he wouldn’t hurt her.

“I want to be with my Trucker,” Julie told
Catherine.

They didn’t understand exactly what she
meant. There was Trucker, the man who could go either way; than her
Trucker, the sweet, erratic, loving prince.

“I’m leaving with Larry. Honey, if you need
me for anything, I’m always just a phone call away.”

“Thank you.” Julie looked over at Catherine,
that’s when she saw him, Trucker’s father, Larry. His cold sinister
eyes pierced through her. She glared into the eyes of the pain that
was trying to overtake her body. She could feel herself shaking and
pushed her body into Trucker’s. Even though, he thought he was the
cold wind in her life. He was actually her shelter. 

“Mom, can you help her get a bath first? Her
parents will think I tried to kill her if they were to see her like
this.”

“Of course, sweetie,” she answered.

Trucker picked Julie up and followed his
mother to her little bathroom. He held her close to his body as his
mom ran the water for a bath. Taking in Julie’s face, he knew that
no matter what they demanded, he could never hurt her again. Of all
the misery he had experienced in his short life seeing her hurt was
the worst. He slowly lowered her feet to the ground, unsure if she
could even stand.

“I’m going to help clean up your room,
Angel.” He kissed her. The love flowing off his lips was
unmistakable.

Catherine put her arms around Julie’s waist
helping her stand.

“I’ll be right outside the door.” Let me know
when you’re finished,” Catherine said then kissed her forehead. The
same love she felt from Trucker’s lips now came from
Catherine’s.

“Thanks,” Julie whispered as Catherine
slipped out of the room. She perched on the side of the tub and
slowly removed her pajamas surprised at how sore she was. It took
all her strength to kick each leg over in the tub. Sliding down in
the bath, Julie realized how cold she was when the warmth of the
water wrapped around her. She let the water pool over her for the
longest time, before she finally climbed out of the tub and sat on
a bench in front of the bathroom counter. She started shivering as
the tiredness and soreness overwhelmed her.

The reflection in the mirror was alarming.
Her body was covered in red blotches. She had gashes across her
face and arms where she had clawed at herself. Her eyes were almost
swollen shut. Her skin was pale and ghostly. She looked like a
monster, only now she knew monsters were beautiful. She spotted a
new pair of pajamas. She was so tired she didn’t even care where
they came from. After slipping them on, she called for Catherine.
Who came in but didn’t speak. She simply picked up a brush and
started to comb Julie’s hair.

“Ms. Catherine?” Julie asked.

“What, sweetie?”

“What are you going to tell my mother?”

“That Trucker found you burning up with fever
and called me to come help take care of you.” She smiled her
loving, caring smile. “Sweetie, I know all this is hard, but you
needed to feel what is in him, and what he fights every second of
the day. Sin always comes with a high cost, and he carries that
cost with him always.” Her expression got distant. “This was the
hardest thing I’ve ever seen him go through. He loves you so
much.”

“Will you stay, please?” Julie shivered. The
fire in her had been replaced with ice. She needed their warmth
around her.

Catherine opened the bathroom door, and
Trucker was standing there. He carried Julie to the bedroom, which
was already back to normal. Right down to a new comforter that was
an exact replica of the one that had been destroyed.

“Can I lay down on the couch?” Julie asked.
“I need a change in scenery.”

“Anything.” He leaned in to kiss her. She
felt his hot breath on her face, but he stopped himself. He yanked
the ‘new’ comforter off her bed, stuck it under his arms, and
cradled Julie in his other arm. He carried her down the stairs and
placed her on the couch. Sitting down on the very end, he pulled
her over in his arms and spread the comforter over them. The ice in
her veins was slowly melting in his hot embrace.

“I got the bathroom cleaned.” Catherine said
as she walked in and sat down in the recliner on the opposite side
of the living room.

“Thank you,” Julie said, barely able to
speak.

“Julie, please don’t thank us today.” Trucker
sounded irritated.

Julie felt his blazing skin and knew how
close he was to turning. She kept her mouth shut and snuggled up
close to him. They held onto each other as the football game played
on the TV.

Julie watched his mother as she scrutinized
them. The love and worry in her eyes were unfathomable. If a love
as great as hers could not save her son, how could Julie?

“What’s in your hand?” Trucker asked,
curiously.

He eyed her hand where she was still
clutching the button from his shirt. She didn’t answer him. She
rubbed the button off the shirt of her monster. It was then that
she noticed he had on a new button up shirt. She never realized
until that moment, she had never seen him in a t-shirt. He had to
always be ready for his other side, his demonic side, to take
over.

“Julie, what’s in your hand?” he asked,
louder and more demanding.

“Trucker, I need it,” she answered. She did
need it, to remember the pain, remember what she was saving him
from.

“You can have it. Just what is it?” His voice
was slowly getting louder. Catherine perched on the edge of her
seat, ready to calm him.

“Your button,” she whispered, timidly. He
moaned. She noticed the vein in his hand s
lithering about. She reached to touch his face, but he jerked
away. “You can go if you need too. I understand.”

“I need you more than this hurts,” he said,
holding her close to his blazing hot body. They laid there holding
each other; the only noise was the game on the television.

Dear Diary,

I can hardly put two words together. I got a
taste of the price of sin today. I don’t want it. I also don’t want
the man I love to have it either. I’m more determined than ever to
save him from himself. How could you love anybody and let them fall
into that kind of misery?

Julie

Every time Julie closed her eyes that night
the pain washed over her. She had visions of the veins in his hand
and couldn’t help but wonder where he was and what he was doing. A
thousand times she reached for her cellphone, but each time would
have a different reason not to call. It all boiled down to she was
afraid which Trucker would answer. She was even more afraid which
Trucker would be making an appearance that morning.

After laying there as long as she could, she
crawled out of bed and scurried to the window. The sun had already
broken through the night sky. A new day, a day of new
beginnings.

“Trucker, am I even going to see you today?”
Julie spoke out the window.

“I never left.”

She spun around, to find him leaned against
the door-jam, one leg crossed over the other, watching her. He
looked exhausted. Julie could tell he was still on the verge of
turning.

“Where are my parents?”

“They left for work a few minutes ago.” He
picked up a glass of water off her bedside table, and slowly made
his way over to her. She reached out to touch his unshaven face. He
tried to smile but his face was soulless. “Will you talk to me?” he
asked, despairingly.

“Yes, of course. Why are you acting like
this?” She reached out for his hand, but he shoved his arm behind
his back. “What’s wrong with you?”

He handed her the glass of water. She
reluctantly swallowed the warm stale liquid, just to give her
something to do, anything to avoid the cold glare coming from
Trucker.

“Julie, please just answer me one question.
Do you still care about me at all?” he asked, never looking at her.
She touched his face, his scorching skin scalding her fingers. He
shook her hand away.

“Of course I do, I love you.”

“Don’t lie, how bad does it hurt?” he asked,
his tone severe.

“A lot.” She wanted to comfort him, but knew
that he understood how bad it hurt. “What’s wrong with you?

“I’m about to change into a hideous monster.
You already know that,” he said, short and hateful. “Julie, I never
wanted you to feel the horrible hate that rages in me. I hoped you
would never see that side of me. I’ve taken great joy in other
people’s pain, but not your pain.”

“Shhhh,” she shushed him. “Baby, they made
you. It was a test and we passed it.”

“I failed you.”

Julie already crushed, wanted to soothe him,
but her heart couldn’t take much more.

“Will you take a ride with me? I need to talk
to you,” he asked. She closed her eyes. His voice was so cold it
terrified her. She just nodded her head. “Good, get ready.”

The frigidness that whirled between them was
stark. The passion he held for her was void from his eyes. There
was no warmth in his touch. She placed a hand on his face, he
yelped.

“I can’t take your touch right now.”

She drew her hand back as if she was the one
who had been burnt. The words he never uttered, but the words she
dreaded hearing; were coming from his lips,
‘I
can’t take
your touch.’

Julie leaped in his arms. She was not going
to let him do this to her. “Make love to me, mark me, hell, I don’t
care, I just want you inside of me. I need to know you are mine,”
Julie pleaded.

His smile yanked at the corners of his mouth
making his dimples crease deeply in his cheeks. His smile, however,
conflicted with the worry lines imbedded around his eyes. “Baby,
please Angel, we need to talk.”

She tightened her legs around him and sealed
his mouth with hers. He forcibly ripped her t-shirt from her body.
His wings burst from his back and his eyes went black. There was no
turning back, and Julie couldn’t have been happier. Her legs
quivering just thinking about finally having him inside of her. She
could feel the wetness between her legs as she pushed her groin
against his hard cock. He growled when he yanked her panties from
her body. There was no barrier covering her body. He flipped
backwards while holding on to her. They landed on the bed with him
covering her body.

She started to unbutton his shirt as she
shoved his pants to his feet. In a flash, he was naked and had his
muscular body tangled with her. Her mind had played tricks on her,
and she had forgotten how truly big he was.

Julie had never seen anyone as perfect and
chiseled. She ran her hands across his chest and moaned. Trucker
grabbed her ass and pulled her tighter onto his body. “Keep
purring, my sweet kitten, and I will not last very long.”

The sounds she was making was driving him
insane. He was going crazy. He leaned in to kiss her, stifling her
moans. Her lips were sweet. He had never enjoyed kissing before. He
saw it as a waste of time. But Julie was different. Julie’s lips
were pure and tasted perfect. He couldn’t enough of her lips on
him.

He cupped her breast and realized she was
fully naked and opened to him. His head was screaming for them to
slow down, but his body wouldn’t listen. She yanked the hair of the
back of his head and purred into his mouth. The sounds coming from
her sweet lips somehow sounded wicked to his ears, and only made
him unwilling to stop.

Fuck, I can’t take her like this. She
needs to know everything first.
He pulled away from her a
fraction of an inch. He closed his eyes, taking in her scent and
warm breath as it washed across his face. “Angel, oh God, I want
this. I can’t believe I’m being so selfless. But damn, baby, I need
you to know everything first.” He tried to smile her favorite half
grin.

She nodded her head, and that was all he
needed. Letting go of her was harder than he imagined. His wings
recessed, and he reached for his shirt that was thrown on the
floor. When he looked back at her, he was relieved she had pulled a
tee-shirt over her head. Damn, he wanted her.