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a brief second, I feared he would ignore my request, but to my surprise he obeyed and began to talk. “My great-grandfather, Henry Hamilton, was an ambitious man—a man with a great mind for business and an even greater heart for love. He built Angel Creek in 1805 from the ground up as a grand romantic gesture for my great-grandmother, Angela.” Sebastian paused, looking over at me, trying to gauge my reaction. “Sounds corny, right?”
    “I think it sounds nice,” I smiled. I wasn’t going to let his macho act spoil the story. He was a good storyteller and it was evident by his beautiful words and the softness in his voice that he cared deeply about the tale.
    “I don’t know much about my grandfather, Christopher Sr. He was killed when my mother was very young. She was his only child and after my great-grandparents’ passing, she and my father, inherited the entire town. Shortly after their wedding, my older brother, Christopher Jr., was born, then I, then my little sister, Grace.” His voice caught in his throat as he said Grace’s name. “And that’s all.”
    I fought the overwhelming sense of anguish bubbling up inside me, struggling with the impulse to throw my arms around Sebastian.
    “Was that how you…?” I asked, motioning toward the plaque. I was searching for better word than “died” and settled on “became a vampire” instead.
    “You could say that,” he said, closing his eyes. His previously tender voice was once again curt.
    The voice of reason in my head screamed at me to quit while I was ahead, but choosing to ignore it, I decided to probe further.
    “Did it have something to do with a girl? Today, I learned that it usually has something to do with a girl—or a guy.”
    A dark shadow crossed Sebastian’s face. He rose abruptly, leaving the gazebo in a heated blaze.
    “I’m sorry!” I cried out, running after him. “I’m so sorry. That was such a stupid thing to ask,” I said, moving to stand in front of him.
    “It doesn’t matter anymore. It was a long time ago,” he said, refusing to meet my eyes. “I have to go.”
    “Wait! Are you going home?” I asked, still blocking his path. “I can give you a ride.” And hopefully apologize.
    “No, thank you. I feel like a run.” With that, he was off.
    I stood by the gazebo for what seemed like hours, looking in the direction Sebastian had disappeared, desperately wishing he would come back.
    “He’s never going to talk to me again , ” I sighed, mentally reprimanding myself for my thoughtless lapse in judgment. I had never before been so emotional, so stupidly impulsive. Angel Creek and its inhabitants were wreaking havoc on my usually calm and collected mind. If I was going to last another week, I would have to swear off all distractions.
     
    An hour later, I found myself driving back to the cottage, fresh supplies scattered across the backseat of my car. I was about to pull onto the dirt road leading toward the cottage, when I noticed that I was being tailed by a green pick-up truck. The driver waved his arms in an attempt to get my attention and, upon further inspection, I realized that the muscular limbs belonged to Ethan. As our eyes connected in my rearview mirror, he smiled warmly. I motioned for him to follow my car, conscious of my father’s orders not to reveal the location of the training grounds, but seeing no harm in overlooking the instructions. It’s only Ethan. He’s not going to interfere with the training , I reasoned, momentarily forgetting about my pledge to minimize all distractions.
    By the time we reached the cottage, the sun had almost fully vanished. A faint orange glow streamed through the trees, washing over the wooden cabin and its dusty driveway. Ethan pulled his truck into the parking space behind me, silencing the engine. I gazed in his direction as I unloaded the perishable snacks from the back seat, excited to see the dark blonde locks and friendly hazel eyes I had been searching for at