The Heart Of A Vampire

chapter thirty seven: a conversation

"I wasn't in the wrong," he responded bluntly. "You were treating Evangeline horribly. And I have a right to reject women I'm not interested in."

"Does Evangeline have anything to do with the rejection?" She accused scornfully.

He rolled his eyes. "Don't even try that with me. Evangeline is nothing but some human girl who I've been passing time with. A friend and nothing more. And it's none of your concern either way how our relationship develops."

"How do you think she'd feel if she knew that's all you felt for her?"

"She'd be fine. She doesn't care for me romantically."

"How do you know?" She questioned.

"Why do you care?" He countered.

She was silent for a moment before speaking in a more quiet voice.

"Why did you reject me? I thought you liked me. You were always so nice to me."

He pursed his lips, looking away.

"It's nothing personal."

"But it is," she protested. "Of course it's personal. Just tell me what's wrong with me, what it is you don't like about me and I swear I'll fix it." 

"Nothing is wrong with you," he quickly said, though he didn't seem to have much conviction in his tone.

"It's just.."

"It's just what?"

"You're not right for me. I don't know how to explain it," he said with a sigh, bowing his head and furrowing his brow. "You're a good friend, but I simply cannot bring myself to think of you romantically."

"Then that's all there is to it then? There's just something fundamentally wrong with me? Not even something you can name?"

"Stop it. You're painting me out to be horrible," he mumbled.

"Because you are horrible!" She insisted. "I feel like I'm being.. led along. Like I've been tricked for all of these years! Do you know how it must have felt for me? To watch you ogling Evangeline all day as if I haven't spent decades imagining a life with you?"

His eyes widened. "Ogling Evangeline?" He repeated before quickly shaking his head. "Oh- uh- no, no, I would never do anything of the sort."

"And there you go again," she whined. "Fixating on Evangeline. I mentioned her ONCE but you picked up on her alone and ignored everything else I said."

"You're looking too deeply into the situation," he responded bluntly.

"Stop overreacting."