Mistakes (Part 2)

Mistakes (Part 2)

Hello, everyone. I want to thank you all for your positive feedback and comments about the first part of “Mistakes”! Here is the second and final part of the story. I hope that you all like it! :)

Fair warning: It’s rather lengthy. Lol.

Click here to go to Part 1.

"Why?"

The tone of her voice is tensely calm. And it chills you.

"Kamilah..." You trail off, unsure of how to even begin.

For several moments, you continue to grasp for words. "I ---"

You hear her take a breath. "Stop." She says. "This isn't the place to have this conversation. Get in the car."

With her back still turned to you and without another word, she strides towards the exit of the Cavern and makes her way to her sleek black automobile. You hurry to follow her.

The ride to her apartment building is long and silent. The tension between you two hangs heavily in the air.

You silently follow her to the elevator and into her apartment. You stand in the middle of the living room, unsure of what to do while Kamilah rummages through her liquor collection at the bar.

Kamilah slams a glass on top of the counter and pours bourbon into it. She takes the glass and walks to the wall-sized windows. She takes a long sip.

“I’ll ask you again. Why?”

Her voice is still eerily calm. You feel even more chills running down your spine.

“I…” you begin to stammer.

She swirls her drink. “Go on.”

“I… I… I’m… sorry.”

She downs all of the bourbon. “Oh, you’re sorry?”

In the blink of an eye, the glass goes sailing through the air before smashing against the wall. Kamilah rounds on you, eyes smoldering.

“Is that all you have to say?! That you’re sorry?!”  Her beautiful face is twisted with anger. Her eyes are narrowed down to slits, and her forehead is creased with lines.

“Why? Why did you do it?” Although she is no longer shouting, her tone is still laced with rage.

You freeze – terror and guilt force you to remain still even as Kamilah glares at you.

“I don’t know what else to say right now.” You manage to say after a moment. “I am so s-sorry.” Your voice begins to tremble.

Your response only seems to spur the vampire even further into a spiral of rage. "Not only did you sleep with someone else, but you also slept with Priya Lacroix of all people! Do you know how stupid and foolish that was?! She could've killed you!"

She looks at her hands, which you see are trembling with anger. “Am I not good enough for you?” She asks. “Have I been lacking?! Haven’t I been good to you?!”

Haven’t I been good to you?

Amidst your feelings of fear and guilt, the last question causes you to snap out of your stupor.

And it also causes something else inside to snap. And before you know it, you blurt out your answer.

“No.”

The single word stops Kamilah dead in her tracks. “Excuse me?” She responds in disbelief.

“I said…” You begin to speak – the terror you initially felt beginning to subside to give way to something else entirely. “… no. You haven’t been good to me.”

Your answer seems to have rendered Kamilah speechless. So, you decide to take advantage of the silence to elaborate before she gets the chance to retaliate.

“Lately, you’ve done nothing but act coldly towards me.” You begin, gaining momentum. “Whenever I try to talk to you, you brush me off. Whenever I text you, you always reply with “Not now.” Whenever we’re in the same room, you act as if I’m not even there! The only time you actually acknowledge me is either when you need something from me or if you want me to shut up whenever you think that I’m talking too much!”

You notice that your voice has become raised and high-pitched. But right now, you don’t care – all the hurt and pain you’ve bottled up have started to spill over.

“So, no. You haven’t been good to me! In case you haven’t realized, you’ve actually been treating me like crap!”

Kamilah remains stunned for a few seconds. Then she comes alive again with indignation.

"In case you haven't realized, Gaius is on the loose! And he wants to conquer the world and destroy everything as we know it! The others, Adrian and I must do all that we can to stop him at all costs. I don't have time for anything else!"

Undeterred and feeling indignant yourself, you retaliate.

"You don't think that I know that? He kidnapped me, Kamilah! He used me to get the information he needed! I know what's at stake! I’m fully aware of how dangerous he is!"

"Then why are you mewling about not getting enough attention?!”

Her statement was like a slap to your face.

"I'm not asking that you dote on me or baby me 24/7! All I'm asking for is a little consideration! Even though the others are busy, they still take time to check on me. They talk to me. They make me feel that they care.

"You, on the other hand? You barely look at me! You act like you don’t care at all!"

Your retort causes her to pause for a moment. A flash of hurt similar to the one you saw in the Cavern crosses her features.

"How can you say that?! Have you forgotten all those nights we spent together? All those conversations we had?"

At the mere mention of those moments, memories begin to flash in your mind. The smiles you shared as lay entangled in each other’s arms. The small laughs during the most unexpected moments. The kisses you trailed across each other's bodies as the moon shone brilliantly from outside the windows.

At this point, the hurt you’ve been feeling seems to have reached its boiling point. You feel tears beginning to prick your eyes. “Honestly? With how you’ve been acting? I’ve started to think that you only give a damn about me whenever you want to have sex!” The tears start to flow freely. “I feel like your dirty little secret!”

At your words, all traces of fury immediately evaporate from the Egyptian vampire's face. A look of shock and hurt instantly replaces the rage.

“Are you… blaming me for your affair with Priya?”

You’re caught-off guard by her question. You stare at her with tear-stricken eyes, unable to utter a word.

Your silence seems to be the only answer Kamilah needs. She walks over to her desk and picks up a phone.

“Samuel. It’s Miss Sayeed. Take a car and come to my apartment. I need you to escort Miss Amy Walsh to her home.”

She sets the phone down.

“I called one of my Clan members to give you a lift.” She speaks in a monotone without so much as a glance at you. “Go downstairs and wait for him.”

“Kamilah…” You finally get the strength to say something.

“Leave.”

“But –”

“I said leave!”

It was all too much to bear. You turn on her heel and leave Kamilah’s apartment in tears.

--------

Three months later

It appears that the Council’s plan is working – the rotation of hiding places has kept the vial of the First Vampire’s blood secured and safe. So far, none of the already utilized hiding places have been disturbed – a good sign.

Yet, the Council refuses to become complacent. Knowing the danger and threat that Gaius poses, they regularly meet to discuss updates and strategies. And as Adrian’s assistant, and also because you are already deeply involved in their plans, you dutifully attended each meeting. No matter how difficult it is for you.

You and Kamilah haven’t spoken to each other ever since that fateful night months earlier. The memory of that night is still fresh in your mind as if it had only happened yesterday. You feel hurt, angry, and regretful all at once.

Kamilah doesn’t acknowledge you at all during the meetings – you’ve shared absolutely no eye contact or any form exchange whatsoever. Even during the times that Priya tries to make a move on you again, she doesn’t react. Due to the effectiveness of the rotation plan, she seems less tired and less on edge. But she still leads the meetings and strategy discussions with focused calculation and silent intensity.

She’s doing well. And she seems to have placed everything that’s happened between the two of you behind her.

That’s what hurts the most.

The others have noticed your sullen demeanor and have tried to coax into confiding in them. Lily, being your best friend, kept insisting that you can tell her anything. Adrian offered to give you some time off from work and assured you that he's always there to listen of you ever needed someone to unload to. Jax tried to cheer you up by touring you around the Shadow Den and by engaging in all sorts of the activities with the former Clanless vampires.

But you insisted that you were just tired and stressed because of everything that has happened and because of the possible dangers. The others, knowing that anyone would be distressed by those circumstances, accepted your explanation. But they still insisted that you go to them if you ever wanted to talk.

One day, you’re strolling across town. You’ve just finished having an early dinner and you were on your way to work.

You suddenly stop when a man steps in your way.

“Uh… excuse me.” You try to move around him, but he grabs your arm and lifts you onto his shoulder, and before you can retaliate, you suddenly find yourself in a back alley located several blocks away from where you were strolling.

“Hey! What gives?!”

When he turns to look at you, you’re met with red eyes and fangs. “You’re coming with me, missy.”

He looks around for a moment to make sure that you’re alone, and just as he’s about to make a run for it, you see a pipe leaning against the wall and immediately take it.

“Hiya!” You scream as you bash it into the side of his head with all of your strength

He grunts and drops you in surprise. You scramble to your feet, but before you can run, he lands a blow to your side which causes to fly into the adjacent brick wall. The side of your head makes contact against the dirty cemented surface, and you feel warm blood oozing from your temple. 

Through your hazy state of mind, you see a second and familiar figure approaching the vampire.

“You careless fool!” Although you’re barely conscious, you’re still able to recognize that voice. “You could’ve killed her! We need her alive for our mission to be successful!”

“I’m sorry, Lord Jameson.” The other vampire answered while lowering his head.

The scholar takes a breath and composes himself. He then turns to you. “No matter. What matters is that you’re still alive. It was wise that I came along just in case something like this happened.”

He walks over to you and kneels beside you. “Now, to find the vial." He takes hold of your head and suddenly visions of different vampires flood your mind.

 …No… Have… to… stop…

Despite the literal throbbing pain in your head and the feeling that your mind was being torn apart, you’re somehow able to stop the visions.

Scholar Jameson notices the abrupt halt of the flow of visions and presses his fingers and palms even deeper into your scalp and skin as he attempts to force the flow through his psychic abilities. But without knowing how, you’re able to counter his powers.

“What?!” The shock was apparent in Jameson’s voice. “How is this possible?!”

Even though you feel weak, you manage to smirk at Jameson. “… Take…that.” You say feebly.

Your feeling of triumph is cut short when Jameson deals a second blow to your head – causing more blood to ooze from your wound. The strike drains you of all strength, thus weakening your mental barrier.

"That's better. Now, on to business." His grip on the sides of your head tightens, and a stream of memories and visions overwhelms you.

Pain takes over all your senses. The combined force of Jameson’s powers and your own, as well as the steady flow of blood that was streaming from your injury, are all too much for you to handle. You barely hold on.

Despite all the random memories you see, you also sense your own memories. You think of the times you spent with Lily before she was Turned. All the inside jokes you and Adrian shared in-between office meetings. The moments you spent with Jax at the Shadow Den along with the other Clanless.

But out of all of them, the memories that stand out the most are your memories of one certain Egyptian vampire.

It was all too much, so you start to drift away, but before unconsciousness takes over, you hear a third voice from a distance.

“Get away from her!”

Those words are all that you hear before you black out.

--------

When you start to regain consciousness, you suddenly notice that your back wasn’t leaning against cement anymore. Instead, you find yourself lying on… cotton and silk?

You blearily open your eyes and see Adrian, Lily, and Jax by your bedside.

Lily wraps her arms around you. “You’re awake!” Her happy exclamation causes your head to throb.

“Lil… not so loud…”

“Sorry!”

“Amy.” Adrian takes one of your hands. “I’m so glad that you’re okay.”

“Yeah.” Jax moves to sit at the edge of your bed. “You scared us back there.”

You smile at them. Relieved to be out of danger and to be surrounded by friendly faces. You then move your right hand and notice that an IV line has been attached to it. “How long have I been out?”

“Girl, you were out cold for two days!”

“Two days!? W-what? What happened?”

Adrian is the first to speak, as he does, his face hardens. “You were attacked by Scholar Jameson and one of Gaius’s other followers.”

Flashes of the encounter suddenly reappear in your mind. “Oh, no!” Your own exclamation causes your head to hurt again.

“Easy there.” Jax says. “Don’t overdo it.”

You nurse your bandaged head and take a breath. “Jameson… tried to use his powers to use me to look through other vampires’ memories. He tried to get information about the location of the vial.”

The three vampires suddenly become alarmed. “Was he successful?” Adrian asks, dread lacing his voice.

“No.” You say, recalling what had happened. “I passed out before he got what he was looking for. If he saw it, then I would have seen it too.”

They visibly relax. “That was a close one.” Lily comments, her shoulder sagging in relief.

You notice Adrian’s eyes narrow in calculation. “It was. But we need to move the vial again. As a precaution.” Adrian looks at Jax.

“Already on it.” The black-haired vampire moves to stand. “I’m going to contact my Clan members and coordinate with the other Clan leaders. Lily, I’m going to need your help.” 

“You got it.” Lily looks at you and hugs you again. “We gotta go, Amy. I’m so glad that you made it out okay. Get well soon.”

 “I will. Thanks, Lil.”

Jax moves to place a hand on your shoulder. “Take care of yourself, Amy.”

You give him a smile before he and Lily leave.

You then start to notice your surroundings for the first time. You take in the polished marble floor and the soft king-sized bed. In front of you is a large screen TV, a mini-fridge to the right side of the room, and a liquor cabinet to the left. But what really caught your attention was the room’s distinctly Egyptian themed decor…

You tense up, not daring to hope. “Where are we?”

“We’re in Kamilah’s private suite in Ahmanet Financial.”

The mere mention of Kamilah’s name causes your heart to beat faster. “What?!”

Adrian leans back against his chair and smiles at your reaction. “Yes. Kamilah also has private living quarters in her company building.”

You blink unable to process what you’re hearing. “How… how did I even get here?”

The amusement disappears from his face. “When Jameson…” his expression hardens again, “… was attacking you, a member of Clan Sayeed was looking for you. Fortunately, he got there just in time.”

Your heart starts beating even more quickly. “A Clan Sayeed member saved me?”

Adrian nods. “Yes. His name is Samuel Cavanaugh – he’s one of Kamilah’s strongest clan members. Kamilah told me that she tasked Samuel to watch you closely just in case something happens. Kamilah was afraid that you might be targeted by Gaius again. It was a good thing that she had the foresight to do so.

“When he found you, he immediately brought you to Kamilah and she placed you here to keep you safe.”

You can hardly believe what you were hearing. It all felt too unreal. “Where is Kamilah?” you finally ask.

“She and some of her Clan members are on a man-hunt for Scholar Jameson.”

She’s on a man-hunt?! “So, Scholar Jameson escaped?”

He nods gravely. “I’m afraid so. Samuel was able to kill the other vampire, but Jameson managed to get away.”

Panic and anxiety suddenly start to shoot through your nerves. “But what if Jameson has more lackeys with him?! Kamilah and the others could get hurt!” You start to sit up, but a sensation of pain causes you to double over.

Your boss places his hands on your shoulders. “Calm down. It’s going to be okay.” He gently settles you down onto your pillow. “Kamilah can more than handle her own and her Clan members are not to be underestimated. And they’re also armed with UV flashlight beams and other weapons.”

You take a long and deep breath to calm yourself. “Okay.”

A phone suddenly vibrates in Adrian’s inner pocket. When he checks it, he frowns. “I have to go. Something urgent came up.” He places his phone away. “I’ll visit again as soon as I can. For now, get some rest.”

You give him a small smile. “You got it, boss.”

He returns it and leaves. Soon, you’re lying restlessly on the comfortable bed with your racing thoughts. It all seemed surreal. Things between you and Kamilah ended badly, but you just learned five minutes ago that she sent someone to protect you and that she’s on a man-hunt for your attacker.

Drowsiness and fatigue eventually overtake your senses. You soon drift off into a dreamless sleep. 

--------

You’re in a state of relatively peaceful slumber when you feel something brushing your hand. You open your eyes to see a tanned hand stroking yours with a manicured thumb.

When you lift your gaze, you immediately see a familiar pair of brown eyes looking at you with worry.

Your own eyes widen in surprise. “Kamilah…”

With great effort, you try to sit up and Kamilah reaches out to grab the pillow behind you.

“Here. Let me.” She adjusts the pillow so that you can sit more comfortably before she pulls at the comforter to give you more room to move. You lean back against the headboard and look at her. You notice that her normally well-kept hair is slightly tousled and that the collar of her blouse is ruffled.

You know that you’re wide awake, but you feel as if you’re dreaming. Kamilah is sitting at the edge of the side of the bed and is holding your hand.

“Amy…” she says your name softly as a relieved smile forms on her lips. “I’m glad that you're safe now.”

You look at her for a moment, still processing her presence. “Thanks.” You then glimpse at your joined hands before glancing back at her again. “You… sent one of your Clan members to keep watch over me?”

“Of course.” She begins to stroke your hand again. “I promised that we wouldn’t fail you again.”

“Right. You did say that…” you trail off. “Did you get Jameson?”

Fury flashes across her face briefly. “Sadly, no. He managed to slip away.” She then sighs.

You spend a few moments of awkward silence together. After everything that happened, you don’t know what to say, much less know how to continue your conversation. You look at the blank screen of the plasma screen TV while Kamilah stares at your still linked hands, lost in thought.

She’s the first to break the tension. “Amy…can we talk?”

You take in the uncharacteristically troubled look on her face and you nod. The Egyptian vampire lets out a breath before speaking again.

“When I heard that you were attacked, all I could think about was our fight… And when I saw how badly hurt you were, all I could think about was how things ended between us.

"With Gaius still on the loose, there's no telling what could happen. Or who would survive. And...”, she pauses for a moment before looking into your eyes.

“I don't want our last words to each other to be words said in anger or hurt."

You practically feel your heart quicken its pace at her words. “Kamilah…”

She gently tightens her grip on your hand. “I thought about what you said. And you’re right. I’ve treated you poorly. Ever since we learned that Gaius has returned, I’ve been focused on nothing but stopping him at all costs. I’ve been so pre-occupied that I forgot that there are other important things…” she trails off.

When she continues, you notice an unusual tone of vulnerability in her voice. “I should have been more considerate of your feelings. I realized that it’s not enough that I actually care. I should also make you feel that I do care. I didn’t show you just how much I value you… and I-I’m sorry.” Her voice cracks slightly as she says the last words.

The sincerity of her words overwhelms you, and you feel tears starting to form in the corners of your eyes. "Kamilah. I'm sorry, too." A tear slides down your cheek. "I don't blame you for what happened between Priya and me. That was my choice." More tears flow. "I'm so sorry for hurting you that way."

She gives your hand a gentle squeeze. "You did hurt me. But then again, I also hurt you... And I'd been hurting you for a long time."

Hesitantly, she lifts her other hand before using it to take your other one.

"We both made mistakes, Amy. And what's done is done..." She pauses as if she's contemplating what to say next.

"The only thing that we can do now is to try to put all of it behind us and move forward."

Your heart thunders as a mixture of anticipation and anxiety curl in your stomach. "What do you mean by that exactly?"

Kamilah stares at you with an earnest and exposed expression - a look that rarely graces her features. "I... want us to try again."

"What?" You ask again, hoping that you heard her correctly the first time.

"I want us to try again, Amy. I want to be better for you. Be better to you. Regardless of what happens. Come what may. I want to be with you."

You feel a huge smile slowly starting to form on your face as streams of tears begin to flow freely from your eyes.

"Oh, Kamilah... Yes!" You're unable to suppress the happiness you feel. "I want us to try again too.” You sniffle as more tears wet your cheeks. “I want to be with you again."

A wide, brilliant, and joyous smile begins to form on Kamilah's beautiful face as well. Her own eyes also start to glisten over.

She gently takes you into her arms, and you brace yourself against her shoulder, weeping tears of joy and relief as she strokes your hair from behind.

Her embrace is warm and comforting, and it melts all the hurt, anger, and pain away.

--------

One week later

You've recovered from your injuries, and you feel strong enough to attend the latest scheduled Council meeting. Despite Kamilah's protests, you insisted on going. And knowing that you couldn't be persuaded, she eventually relented.

You walk side-by-side as you enter the Cavern. And you see that Priya is already there, waiting for the others. The fashion designer's eyes light up when she sees you.

"Look who's finally up and about." She purrs. "Glad to see that you've recovered, gorgeous." She saunters towards you.

In a flash, Kamilah is between you and Priya. "Back off, Priya." She quietly glares at the younger vampire who raises a perfectly-shaped eyebrow.

"Well, look who decided to play hero again." She laughs lightly. "Stand down, Kamilah. Amy's a big girl." Priya leans around Kamilah to grin at you. "She can make decisions for herself."

You look at her intently. "You're right. I can." You step forward to stand beside Kamilah and hold her hand. She responds by lacing your fingers together for Priya to see.

The fashion designer's eyes widen in surprise. "Wait... seriously?"

"Yes. Seriously." You reply firmly.

The shock eventually gives way to curiosity. "Oh... so, does this mean that she's all yours now, Kamilah?"

"Indeed, she is." You can’t help but smile at how she replied without missing a beat.

You then turn to Priya. Steeling yourself, you address the other vampire. "What happened between us was a mistake, Priya. It shouldn't have happened. I'm sorry."

The fashion designer scoffs. "Hmph. It's your loss." She turns to Kamilah again, smiling mischievously. "Well, I hope you enjoy her, Kamilah... I certainly did." She laughs before stalking away. Kamilah's eyes flash red and you grip her hand tightly to stop her from attacking the younger vampire.

"She's not worth it." You tell her softly.

She lets out a growl before taking a calming breath. "You're right." She glares at the vampire who is now typing away at her phone on the other side of the room. "Besides, if I kill her, I'd just start a Clan war. Which is definitely not what we need right now."

You chuckle, and she cranes her head to look at you. Her eyes, now back to their brown color, soften. "Are you okay?"

You smile at her. "Yeah. I am. What about you?"

She gives you a small but warm smile before raising your joined hands to her lips. "I'm more than okay." She places a kiss on your knuckles.

End.