Unraveling Sarah Cresley by Marisa Maichel (best classic novels .TXT) 📖

eyes hurt. My stomach and throat protested until I drank a glass of blood. I felt my incisors grow and retract in frustration.

Why did my father feel the need to lie to me?

I did something I hadn't done in a while. I stole a cigarette from my father. I went to a secluded spot in the backyard and smoked.

"You know, smoking's illegal for seventeen year olds," Father said. I cursed and crushed the cigarette under my boot. "Relax, you're not in trouble. Actually, I wanted to ask you something."

"Shoot."

"Do you love Sarah?"

"I...I think I do. More than I thought it was possible for me to love anybody."

"Yet you only recently met her officially."

"I can't explain it. It's like we belong together. I know I'm meant to be a part of her life somehow. Before, I was too nervous, afraid she would reject me. I don't belong on her level."

"Nervous? Son, you have nothing to be nervous about if you're really meant to be. I understand where you're coming from, though. That's how I felt about your mother. I waited three hundred years to tell her I loved her. I still love your mother to this day."

"Father, there's a difference between loving someone and being in love with someone."

"I'm well aware of that, Reese. The point is, you have to make a move now."

"I did make my move. She didn't reject me, but she didn't use the L word either."

"I didn't mean in your relationship with Sarah. I mean in your relationship with your mother. Look, I know I screwed up. I really was trying to protect you."

"Father, you were trying to protect yourself. Thank you for your thoughtfulness." I gave him a mocking bow, then stalked off in the most disrespectful manner possible.

"Reese, wait," Father said, grabbing my wrist. I shook out of his grasp and continued on.

My uncle was in my room, going through my notebooks.

"Can I help you find something?" I asked.

"Reese!" He seemed genuinely surprised to see me. "I didn't hear you coming!"

"Funny, I didn't hear you snooping." I went to my desk and readjusted my notebooks.

"I'm sorry, I was looking for...it's not important. Are you really just Ariella's friend?"

"For the last time, we're just friends. Now...get out of my room." He looked slightly hurt as he left. I didn't care. I called Sarah, hoping to hear her voice.

"Hello?" She sounded exhausted.

"Hello, Sarah."

"Oh, Reese. What's up?"

"How are you?"

"I'm okay. How are you?"

"I am well. How was your day?"

"It was long. First I had to work, then I got interviewed for the trial. You'll be interviewed tomorrow."

"I know that they want my testimony."

"Yeah, they want you to testify. You basically have to tell them how you found me. That's all they want."

"Sarah, if I ever...nevermind. No, I'll say it. If there's anything I can ever do for you...I'll do it. Sorry if I'm making you uncomfortable."

"It's fine. What else have you been up to?"

"My uncle and grandfather are here. Would you like to meet them?"

"I would. When's a good time?" she responded.

"Anytime tomorrow is good. I'll be here all day. Do you want me to pick you up?"

"No, I think I remember the address." She remembered my address!

"Oh, well, I'll be here."

"Cool. Bye." She clicked off. I put my phone on its charger and fell onto my bed. She remembered my address...I felt like the luckiest guy in the world.

She arrived at one in the afternoon. I was talking to Detectives Suzanne Moon and Arastoo Armada, repeating my story. She rang the doorbell, and my father answered.

"Hello, Sarah. Please, come in," he said. Moon and Armada looked at each other, then at me.

"How well do you know each other?" Detective Moon asked.

"I've been getting to know her. We're friends." Arastoo Armada looked suspicious.

"Do you know each other intimately?" he pried.

"No, we don't. It's not like that." At least, not yet.

"Well, we're finished anyway," Detective Moon said. I was relieved. Sarah came into the room with my father as the detectives left. My future girlfriend sat beside me. She looked around, seemingly interested in the decor. I reached for her hand. She shied away from me. I gave her a hurt look and suppressed a whimper.

"Sorry," she said.

"No, forgive me, I was merely trying to..." I trailed off as my uncle entered the room. He saw Sarah, took her hand and kissed her knuckles.

"Hello, I am Soren, Reese's uncle," he greeted her.

"Nice to meet you. I'm Sarah. Excuse me for a minute." She went out to the front door, and I heard her open her car door.

"Reese, she's stunning!" My uncle's enthusiasm broke through. "And she will be even more beautiful once you change her."

"I know," I said. "And I think I'm falling in love with her."

"Son, you are already on the ground," Father reminded me. I saw Grandfather enter the room.

"What's this about love?" he asked.

"I have just met Sarah," Uncle Soren said.

"Well then, where is the girl?"

"She is getting something out of her car. Father, you will not believe your eyes once you see her. She is incredibly beautiful; it's no wonder Reese fell for her so quickly." I almost spoke up on Sarah's behalf before a knock sounded at the door. I went to let Sarah back in.

"It wouldn't feel right if I just let myself back in," she explained. I smiled at her. "You should smile more often, Reese." She thought I should smile more often? I found it incredible that she even thought about me.

"Hello, my name is Eilief," Grandfather said.

"I'm Sarah," she said as he pecked her hand.

"It is a pleasure and an honor to finally meet you, Sarah. My grandson is quite taken with you." Kill me now.

"He's a good friend," Sarah said.

A good friend. That's all I was at the moment to her. Though I wanted it to be more, and she would soon realize that she did, too. Okay, that was arrogant.

My grandfather and future wife stood there; for her it was awkward, for him, it was a chance to study her.

"Sarah, would you like to see the library?" Father asked.

"Sure," she said.

"How exactly did your family end up with a first edition of Dracula?" Sarah asked.

"My father has connections in the publishing industry," I said. "He used to be a publisher and a head editor at a large company. He was also an assistant to a head editor before that." She was currently thumbing through our fiction collection. She gazed in wonder for a bit at our first editions until I pulled out Dracula for her.

She gave the book back to me, and I put it away.

"The True History of Vampires?" she read. Damn. I knew that would come up sooner or later. You just pulled out Dracula for her, you idiot. She took it off the shelf and read the first few passages. "Who is Alexander Nicolai?" she asked.

"The progenitor, creator, and the first leader of vampirekind."

"Hmm. You know, I've always wondered if vampires could be real. That probably sounds ridiculous to you."

"Not at all," I assauged. She looked at me.

"You don't think it's silly?"

"Not at all. Sometimes so-called 'mythical' beings actually turn out to be real." I moved closer to her. She looked down and started flipping through the book. I wondered if I'd made the right impression on her that I wanted. I'd certainly made some impression on her.

I needed it to work out in both our favors. I wanted to be her knight in shining armor. She would be the princess. My princess.

She sat in a chair and started reading the book for real. I chose a random book on the shelf and joined her, sitting in the chair opposite of her.

"My sister would love this," she said. I looked at her.

"Your sister?"

"Yeah. I thought I mentioned her?"

"You might have," I said.

"Yeah, her name's Sabine, and she's thirteen."

"Tell me about her."

"Well, she's a sister. She's annoying most of the time, but I love her." Did she not think it was important for me to know every aspect of her life? Even if I wasn't to be a part of it.

Why would she want to be with me, For me, I could be happy if she wanted to stay my friend. At the same time, I would lose it if she rejected me. She stayed focused on the book. I set my book down, walked over to her, and got down on my knees. She looked at me.

"Reese?"

"Sarah," I said. My stomach twisted as I cupped her face and touched our noses together. "Sarah, I know that I've said this before, but I'm in love with you." She froze.

"Reese," she said. "I'm sorry, I can't be with you right now." I felt my heart crack. "I just don't have the time or energy for a relationship right now." My heart shattered like glass. She handed me the book.

"Forgive my eagerness," I said. I was trying not to let her know how much I was hurting inside. She got up, heading downstairs.

"Are you leaving already, Sarah?" Uncle Soren asked.

"Yeah, I have to help my mom with something. It was nice meeting you all." Then she turned to me. "I'm sorry, Reese." As soon as she was out of hearing range, my father spoke up.

"She is your mate, son. Your soulmate."

"I know." I went up to my bedroom and started crying, something I rarely did. Oh, gods. I've really screwed up now.

I put on a Creed CD and started writing a new song. I poured my love, my passion into it.

Green eyes, red lips and rosy cheeks

I don't know how long I spent working on Sarah's Song. I crossed out and rewrote lines countless times. I started to call Ariella, then remembered she'd be in band practice. I would have to endure my pain by myself for a while. I popped in Pet Sematary and watched that.

From now on, everything I did, I'd do it for her.

CHAPTER 5 - TRIALS AND CONFESSIONS

My gut twisted as the judge took the podium. Prosecutor Bill Chang stood up.

"Michael Nales case number four forty four, accused of rape in the first degree."

"How does the defendent plead?" Judge Sawchuk asked.

"Guilty, your honor," Nales said.

"Not guilty," defender Jo Lawrence corrected.

"Guilty," Mike corrected again. Judge Sawchuk looked at him warily. John Sawchuk was a dark-skinned man with grey hair. He was well-known for being just and giving offenders something to think about.

"Call your first witness, Mr. Chang."

"Reese Emerson." My father squeezed my hand before I went up to the witness stand. I could see some of my classmates gaping.

"State your name for the court, please."

"Reese Emerson."

"Tell the court how you found the victim," Bill Chang commanded.

"I heard crying, so I opened the door, and there she was. Sarah was the one crying. I asked her what happened, and that's when she told me she had been raped."

"What did you do after that?"

"I texted my friend and asked if she would take myself and Sarah to the hospital."

"Did Sarah implicate her rapist to you?"

"She did."

"Would you please tell the court whom she implicated?"

"Michael Nales," I replied.

"Thank you. Your witness, Jo." Jo Lawrence was an intimidating woman. She had platinum blond hair, grey eyes, and very little makeup. She was dressed in a black business suit. THe only jewelry she wore was a gold ring on her left ring finger.

"Reese, right,? How do you know Sarah?"

"We go to the same school, and are in the same grade."

"Do you have classes together?"

"We have the same free period, and that's it."

"Oh, that's interesting. Have you spoken before that night?"

"We have spoken briefly before." She faced the jury.

"The supposed "victim's" alcohol content was over the legal limit by five points. And what was she wearing that night, young man?"

"I don't see how that's relevent."

"Answer the question!" I paused before replying.

"Tight leather pants, and a see-through shirt."

"Was she at all fit to be out in public?" I was suddenly angry.

"Rape is rape, Jo Lawrence! No matter how the victim looks or behaves, whether she