Chapter 8

Edward still couldn't comprehend why—of all places— Charles wanted them to go there; where they were at the moment. He turned right. His tires ran over gravels as he approached the plank-made, white, American-styled house that had an archaic architecture. 

Charles slam the car door and hurried up the steps. 

The last time he had been there was six years ago. Being there brought back most of the memories that he buried along, a long time ago. He never thought the place would've been a memory. 

It already was. 

He banged on the door non-stop until it swung open, revealing her devilish face. Like a tiger attacking its prey, he leaped on her and held her neck very tight that he could she the blood draining from her face, as he pushed her into the dark living room that its curtains were closed. Edward fought to take Charles' hands off of her neck as he pressed Vivian against the wall. After few attempt, he succeeded and pushed Charles to the other side of the living room— far away from her. 

She coughed after her neck was released. When her lung had received adequate air, she stood behind the couch, smirking, watching Edward hold Charles from pouncing on her. 

"How many human bloods are you will to shed to keep what you did away from the world?" She asked him, holding her neck that was imprinted with his fingers prints. 

He stiffened as she began to speak, not striving for freedom again. 

"You better erase murder from your list, because there will be too many bloods on your hands, including your own— if you decide to kill all the people who knows your big secret. In fact, you can't kill them because they're more powerful than you!" She yelled at him, feeling a prompt pain in her neck. Vivian drew the curtains apart to let the afternoon sunlight in the house, and to see their faces, putting the loosed string of hair back in place. 

"What are they giving you to do this to me? Money?" He asked her, tears forming in his eyes. "Who are they? Huh?"

She laughed at both his question and his reactions. 

"Thought we had an agreement, Vivian? Why did you breach the commandments?" He asked her. His bottom lip was dripping with saliva. Charles wiped his mouth with the back of his hand. 

"Breach?" She furrowed her brows, and scoffed. "We never had an agreement in the first place. I only promised to shut my mouth as long as you keep doing what I tell you to do!" She informed him, walking from behind the couch. 

"How could I have known what you wanted when you never told me what you wanted?" His eyes stung with tears. The burning sensation was unbearable he wiped them unnoticeably before they could fall.

"I already did, Charles." She stood behind Edward for defense, just incase his temper rose again. "And you're going to do that! Along with taking care of the boy..."

He remained speechless after she spoke. He had never thought they would have reached such a point, a point that they would set aside their decency. 

"Why don't you want me to get married to Rachael?" He enquired in a very low tone. He didn't have much strength to yell at her. 

"I am not the one who doesn't want you to get married to her..." she said the words before she could realize she said them. 

"Who is it?" What she said automatically gave him strength to yell the question out. "Tell me who it that doesn't want me to get married to Rachael so I can confront whosoever he or she is!"

"What I meant was, it's you who doesn't want to make her your wife..." 

"What nonsense!" He spat out. He slapped the wall, make her to flinch. 

"You wouldn't be hiding things from her if you are ready to get married to her. You would come clean," she stated in a calmer tone, hiding the shakiness in her voice. She too was tired, and, a bit, scared. Wearing the dress was one of the causes of her tiredness. Charles was one of the causes of her fear. She knew he had a monster in him. 

"Is that what you want me to do before you let me go?" He asked her, gently freeing himself from Edward who didn't see it necessary to hold Charles since the voltage of the conversation had reduced. They sounded like sound people, unlike before. 

"It is not up to me." She sat on the brown leather sofa and began taking off her heels which Charles and Edward hadn't notice before. Charles thought she would deserve it if she had a fracture or worse. 

"Who is it up to then?" 

"You," she answered quickly after his question, but she wasn't in a hurry. "You've overstayed your welcome. Leave my house now, Charles. I don't think you'd want to be here after all..." she said. She was short without the heels. 

"You know I have all right to be here, don't you?" He sat in the chair opposite the one she was in, simply proving to her that he wasn't leaving until they settled everything. 

Vivian chuckled. "You're still skeptical about the one thing that guarantees you being in this house. Leave now!" She was persistent. Her stern gesture proved her persistency. 

"If I don't?"

"You won't dare me," she said to him, dismissing them.

Of course he wouldn't because she could take him from glory to grass. She could— if he would give her a genuine reason to do so. 

Edward helped Charles to get up on shaky legs. They walked out the door onto the veranda together. 

"Also—" they heard her say from inside and stood still to hear her clearly. "—don't try to do something stupid. I see your every move, Charles. You know where I can send you if you disobey my orders." The best thing she could do was make him believe she was fearless, savage. 

Charles began walking, not wanting to hear what she had to say. He entered the car and bolted his seatbelt. He surpressed a sigh. Edward stared at him for a while before thumb-starting the car.