Not this again! I took a deep breath, stared into Elizabeth's infinitely brown eyes, and for the thousandth time said, "You know I do. More than anything."
She cocked an angry eyebrow at me. God, alone with Elizabeth, in the park, those eyes flashing in the summer moonlight . . . my resolve hit the critical care list.
"Then why are you so afraid of commitment?"
The C word. Always the C word. "C'mon, baby. You know I love you--more than anything. I just don't know if I'm ready to settle down. You know, waking up next to the same person for--"
Oops. Didn't mean to say that aloud.
Elizabeth's voice turned colder than that witch's tit you hear about. "Fine! I thought you were mature enough to know what you wanted. Apparently, it isn't me." She turned away.
I grabbed her arm, spun her around. The thought of losing her sent ice picks into my heart. I pulled her so close our breath mingled. Dead silence but for the whispered secrets of the trees overhead. Sure, Elizabeth had been around--a lot--but she loved me, and I loved her. Nothing else mattered.
"Okay," I whispered. Cleared my throat, spoke more clearly, "Okay."
She smiled. Her hands made a quick movement, and she raised her wrist to my lips. I hesitated, then pressed my mouth against it. Her cool, sweet blood flowed into my mouth just as her teeth touched my neck.