Jolee rolled over in her bed. She opened her eyes to reveal Jonny laying next to her in the bed. Her fingers found refuge intertwined in his silky hair.
She let her mind wander of times once forgotten. Times she spent what felt like forever, recovering from.
Memories swirled inside her head. A smile crept to her face.
***flashback**
"Angel?" You here?" Jonny asked walking into the house.
"I'm here," Jolee announced from another room.
Jonny made his way through the house to the room that her voice came from.
"Hello angel. How's everything?" he asked.
"Great, and how is the life in Paris tonight?" she questioned back.
"Fantastic. We should go out. The city is so beautiful," he answered sitting on the red velvet Victorian couch.
"Actually I was hoping we could spend the evening alone here," she smiled.
"Well, well m'lady what do you have on your mind?" he questioned.
"Jonathan, what do you think? I want to cuddle and spend time with my love," she smiled.
Jonny wrapped his arms around her and held her tight to his body. "That sounds great."
"Good because I love spending time with you," she said cuddling her head into his chest.
"I want to spend eternity with you," he revealed.
"Ah what wonderful thoughts you do weave," she cooed back.
"You can make that happen. You can change me to what you are," he brought up.
"Jonathan, we've been over this," she scolded.
"Obviously not enough since I'm still mortal. You say you love me, but you won't do it," he replied.
"I've told you. I won't change you because I love you," she said pulling out of his arms.
"How can you say that's love? You're willing to watch me grow old and die before you and you'll do nothing. Is that love?" he asked raising his voice.
"Yes, because I refuse to damn you to this life. To love and watch your love die, to kill, to live forever. It's not what I want you to live with," she said her voice growing loud.
"I want it though. I want you. I want to love you for all what our immortal life could be," he replied.
"I'm not going to embrace you. So forget it." she yelled.
"You're hopeless," he yelled back standing up.
"You know I'll always refuse so let's just enjoy the time we do have," she suggested her voice turned soft.
"No, it's not ok. I thought you loved me," he replied., his eyes filled with tears.
"I do," she said reaching for his arm.
"Don't touch me. Leave me alone," he cried.
Jonny flinched before Jolee could touch him. He stood there for a moment feeling tears stream down his face. He waited for her to say something, but she just watched him. He felt a sob hit him as he swung around and left the room.
***end flashback***
That was the last she would ever see of her beautiful Jonny. She remembered looking for him everywhere, but found nothing. Then a fellow clan member rushed to her saying he saw someone feeding on a man fitting Jonny's description.
Jolee had raced to the outskirts of town. She found the spot where her clansman explained. The scent of Jonny's blood was thick in the air. She knew at the moment he was gone. The love of her life, of her existence, was gone.
Now here he was laying beside her, well over a century since she had last seen him. Old feelings returned with him.
The feelings she had spent trying to forget in his absence, now hit her hard. She remembered crying non-stop for what seemed to be at least two decades. When she arrived in San Francisco half a century ago she had finally felt like she had gotten over Jonny.
Now, Jolee wasn't sure what to make of it. She indeed still loved Jonny, but he was gone for so long. Was he even the same man she had left dead in France? Had his embrace changed him, as it sometimes does? Why now?
Questions built inside her mind as she looked at Jonny's porcelain skin. He was still as beautiful as she remembered.
Jonny's eyes fluttered open. He allowed a smile to emerge on his face when he realized Jolee was looking at him, "hey angel."
"Hey," Jolee said kissing his lips softly.
"Have fun?"
"Always have with you."
"Good"
"Jonny? What happened after you left the house?"
Jonny sighed and pulled her to him. "I ran out to a club near the Champs d'Elysee. There I met a beautiful man. Long golden blonde hair and perfect blue eyes. His name was Ryan. He offered to me, what I wanted. So I followed him to the wood and he embraced me," he explained.
"What clan was Ryan?" she asked.
"Toreador, like yourself," he replied.
"Then what?" she questioned.
"Then I stayed with Ryan until I felt I could go out on my own. I stayed a decade, maybe two. When I returned to your home, you had left. So I went back to Ryan devastated. We traveled, doing anything to get me over you. We even took up residence in Ireland for some time. Then, I could stand it no longer. I left Ryan to try to find you. It's taken me half a century, but here I am," he finished.
"Here you are," she repeated.
Jonny kissed her passionately, "I still love you."
Jolee smiled back then continued to shower him with kisses.