Page 104 of Unforeseen

Gio and Lucia were instructed to tell the police and their family they ran off before they returned home; it was the easiest explanation. Besides, neither of them was eager to start talking about vampires.

It wasn’t fair they were being punished for what happened to them, but they couldn’t tell anyone the truth, and if they claimed someone kidnapped them, the police would investigate. That investigation would eventually reveal their made-up story and only cause more problems.

“Mike found a property in Canada he thinks would work for all of us,” Jack said.

After everything that happened, they were more determined to find a safe place to retreat to if necessary.

“Really?” Charlie asked as she nibbled on his lip.

Jack smiled as he playfully swayed her hips back and forth. “Yes. He wants all of us to get together tonight to look at it.”

“Sounds good.”

Mollie climbed the porch to join them. “Hey,” she greeted with a wave.

While they were building their home, they were sharing a house with Mike, Mollie, and Aida. Over the past three months, Charlie had become good friends with everyone living here—it was impossible not to like the loud, loving family—but she was especially close with Mollie and Aida.

They’d all been through hell on the island and were the newcomers to the family. Charlie never had friends before, but not only had she discovered best friends here, she’d also gained the family she’d never allowed herself to dream of having.

“Hey,” Charlie said with a smile.

“Looks like everything is almost done,” Mollie said as she gazed at the house.

Charlie craned her head back to take in the small farmhouse with its wraparound porch and near floor-to-ceiling windows on the first floor. She helped design it, and everything inside were things she, Jack, and Dylan had spent hours picking out together. From the skylights in the large master bathroom to the greenhouse window in the kitchen, they’d lovingly chosen the things for their home.

“I’m going to go say hi to Mike. I’ll see you two later,” Mollie said.

She walked past them and entered the house where Mike was working with the others to put the finishing touches on their home. When Mike and Jack decided they each wanted to build their own homes too, they flipped a coin to see whose house would be first; Mike was still annoyed he lost.

Dylan’s laughter drew her attention back to where he was playing with Aida. Julian emerged from the woods and smiled when he saw Aida with the kids.

“I think he has a crush,” Charlie said.

Jack laughed as Julian jogged over to join them. “I think so too.”

“It’s so peaceful and perfect here,” she said. “I’ve never been so happy.”

“Neither have I,” Jack said.

Taking her hand, Jack spun her away from him before pulling her back into his arms. Charlie laughed when her hands fell on his chest, and he started dancing with her to music neither of them could hear, but they fell into perfect rhythm with each other.

Charlie closed her eyes and followed his graceful movements around the porch. For the first time in her life, she truly loved dancing, as it had become her and Jack’s daily ritual.

Jack once wondered what it would be like to dance with Charlie, and now he knew it was better than dancing with any frog. When he twirled her away again, her beautiful laughter filled the morning.

Her eyes sparkled with delight when he pulled her back to him and kissed her. She was the piece he’d been missing since becoming a vampire, the piece that brought him back to life, and he vowed to make her laugh like this every day for the rest of their lives.

The End