Loving Merritt Forever

30

Her

The helicopter touched down gently in the courtyard of my apartment. I wouldn't let him zip the body bag closed, I didn't want to hide Asher away. It was all my fault he was dead, I couldn't look away. "Help me lift him Merritt." Levi said, taking the bottom of the bag.

"He's too heavy for me to lift." Levi knew that, I was never strong, I didn't understand why he was asking me.

"I think you will be surprised by just how strong you are love." I didn't believe him, but I still went to do as he told me. I went to lift the body bag, it felt almost light. Levi moved Asher into my arms, I could carry him easily. Just like Levi had carried me so many times before.

I took a few hesitant steps, expecting my knees to buckle from Asher's weight, "I can lift him?" I looked at Levi, as he moved ahead to open the door so I could take Asher inside.

"You're a vampire love, things have changed." I gently moved carefully. Trying so hard to not bump him. I knew he was dead, he couldn't feel anything, it shouldn't have mattered. It mattered to me. I also kept thinking that I should feel guilt. I had killed and eaten Verity and David. I didn't feel anything about that at all though.I carried Asher into my apartment, laying him down on the floor, not really sure what else to do with him. I looked to Levi, who was on his phone sending out messages in a flurry of thumbs. Far faster than any human could move fingers.

"Joy is going to tell the police you were kidnapped, Merritt Stonem will be declared missing, and eventually dead." He told me. Good bye Mousey Merritt forever I thought. Maybe I would take some combination of Levi and Asher's names now. I was a whole new person now. Vampire. I corrected.

"How did your hands move so fast?" I asked the easy question. I wasn't ready for more hard things just yet. I could feel something else in my head. A little voice, that wanted to go out in the streets, people were stirring. I was hungry,

"Vampire," He said like it explained everything. "Come Merritt, we will take care of Asher after I take care of you." With one last regretful look at Asher I went to my maker. My lover, my everything. He turned on the shower, almost all hot water, making the bathroom steam up quickly. It was warm. I liked the warm seeping into my still frozen feeling body. Levi undressed me, taking off the blood stained scrubs, tossing them directly in the trash can. Everything I had been wearing went to the trash. There was so much duct tape. I was so little, so weak before. David and Verity were weak fools.

Levi undressed himself next. Taking my hand he brought me into the shower with him. He worked his fingers through my hair under the delightfully steaming water. My fingers and toes unthawing finally. The water was running red around my feet as Levi continued to wash me. I was quiet, enjoying the warm water, thinking. So many thoughts all bouncing around in my head it was hard to focus, hard to even know where I should start with all my questions.

I must have been lost in my thoughts for longer than I thought. The water wasn't running red anymore. I looked up at Levi. I didn't know what to do next. I couldn't think. Thankfully I didn't have to. Levi took me by the hand, helping me step out of the shower onto the plush bath mat. It had blood stains on it now. I would need to replace it. "Lets get Asher cleaned up too love." Levi, so gentle, so good. I needed him. I could only nod my head.

Levi opened the body bag entirely, "Help me get him undressed." He said. Again I nodded. My fingers weren't stiff with cold anymore, it was easier to move them again. I started to undo the laces of Asher's boots, pulling them off his feet. Then his socks. Fresh blood tears dropped onto his jeans, blending in with the other blood stains already there. Levi's thumb brushed my tear away, before he licked the drop into his mouth. I was starting to get Asher's pants undone. Hating how still he was. He was dead. My brain was screaming at me that it was my fault, that he wasn't coming back. "Shh love, no more tears. Look."