Evanescence (Black Rose #1) (25 page)

They all laugh.

"You have forever now, Evan," Abel says.

"I'll just act like that was a compliment," I smile.

"Meet us at the top," Bianca says. "Find out for yourself."

They stand on the railing and reach above, grabbing onto the lip of the bell. I turn back to Essence.

She fiddles with a black rose bracelet.

“All I ever do is lose people,” she murmurs.

“Hey,” I say taking a step towards her.

She looks up at me and hugs herself.

“He wouldn’t want you to give up.”

She shakes her head.

“I’m not…I won’t.”

I nod slowly.

“Good.”

“Don’t give up on me neither,” she says.

“He—I won’t. I promise.”

She finds a smile.

“Until then, no sad faces.”

She gasps and smiles even brighter.

“I guess you really are still you.”

I shrug.

“He would hope so. I hope so. For everyone else’s sake.”

I look around the horizon as the water settles against the shores.

"I shall return," I say with a smile, unsure of what awaits me.

"Take your time. It was nice dancing with you."

"Dance again sometime soon?" I ask.

She blushes and looks to the ground then her eyes meet mine. She smiles.

"I'll be here," she says. "Always will be." I try not to blush, but fail. 

"I have a feeling you've told me this before."

She giggles and wipes her eyes.

"Yes."

I smile.

"Have fun, Evan," she says. "And thank you. Happy Birthday."

"Thanks."

She gives me one last hug before I climb on top of the railing. I reach for the lip of the bell and pull myself up. My family stands on the very top, and I join them, staring at the horizon and across Utica.

"Beautiful isn't it?" Mother says. We all agree with a nod.

"You guys ready?" Father says.

"What's the tradition?" I ask.

"It's a race," Bianca answers. "Down the Mohawk River Valley and back."

"Really?" 

"Mhmmm," says my mother smiling.

"Up for it, son?" my father asks.

"Why not.”

"That's the spirit!" Abel exclaims, throwing his fist in the air.

"Besides," Mike says. " I need a rematch. I have to remind you that even as a vampire, you will always come in second."

"Ohhhh!" the family exclaims as I laugh.

"We'll see about that," I assert playfully.

"I look forward to it."

"Okay," father says. "On go…On your mark!" my father says.

Everyone gets in their ready stance to jump.

"Get set!"

My excitement kicks in as I wait for the final call. Everyone, besides Mike, jumps, laughing, cheating.
Really?!
I shake my head as we watch them all dive and woo-hoo.

"Didn't see that coming," Mike says laughing.

"Same," I agree.

We look at the sun and inhale the breeze.

"Look at us, Ev," he says. "Best friends. Forever now."

"Even before all of this we would have been."

"Was only a couple months ago we were average high school students. Some of us having nightmares," he laughs a bit and I join.

"Yeah. Good times wasn't it?" I ask.

"The best."

He holds out his hand.

"No better way to spend eternity than with my best friend."

I clasp my hand into his.

"I wouldn't want it no other way."

He smiles and pats my shoulder.

"See you at the bottom."

Mike jumps from the lip of the bell and I watch as he plummets through the sky. The water below swallows him and soon, he is swimming after the rest of the family down the Mohawk River Valley.

My love for them is unconditional. We are a family, the Macrae clan, brought together by love. Mike has been there with me from the beginning, as I had tried to find what makes me the person I am today. He has been a brother, and though there have been times I feel he has let me down, in the end, he's always stood by my side, reminding me of how great a person he is.

Abel, my uncle, adds life to our family with his jokes and wit. He would make the perfect father someday, if he is lucky to find his lover somewhere, wherever she is now.

Bianca, my sister, my twin, my counselor, has been a second mother to me. She watched me while I was in school, and gives me the advice I need to here. She kept me calm throughout the rough times of my transformation, helping me keep a clear head.

My parents, Kaius and Valencia, I owe a debt I can never repay. The gift of life and the blessing of a parent's love. Sarah I have to thank as well, for her ability to work each day to prepare me for all of this.

Cedric, the misunderstood. Wherever he may be now, deserves a blessing. I can only hope he finds a calmer, clean self with his brother and sister. I can only hope he is not being led by vengeance.

Essence.

Essence LaRoux. The curly, redhead who's heart I broke. I am trying to remember everything that happened between us. Trying to piece together our bond, but I continue to fail.
Will I ever remember or love her in return?
I will try. There's a dark art behind love. How fatal. How beautiful.

About The Author

R.J. Rogue
(Rafael Johnson
) is an English major at SUNY Empire State in Rochester, New York. He writes short stories, screenplays, and novels. He graduated from Bishop Kearney High School in 2008 where he wrote for the high school newspaper his senior year. During his early childhood, R.J. had an interest in dance but a passion for writing. His early inspirations included a collection of works by Stephen King, Edgar Allan Poe, and Ernest Hemingway. With a fear of sharing his writing, R.J. focused on dance, believing this was what he was called to do. After receiving feedback from a high school English teacher on his writing, R.J. was encouraged to write as a career, he learned the importance of not being afraid of your passions, to take pride in your writing, and to dream with your eyes open.

R.J. enjoys dancing, meditating, drawing, analyzing dreams, and drinking more than enough coffee while sustaining a vegetarian diet. He grew up in Rochester, New York where his mother is the Program Coordinator for the
Pathways to Success
in Rochester, and his father is the Dean of Students at
Vertus Charter School in Rochester, NY. He is the oldest of five.

R.J. is co-author of
The Journey of a Teenage Mother: Struggle. Hope. Success. (On Demand Publishing, 2013)
and has recently completed,
National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo) 2015,
in which he received recognition for his literary accomplishment.

Youcan follow R.J. via Instagra
m@
r.j.rogueand on Twitte
r@
R_J_Rogue. You can contact him at
rjroguebooks@gmai
l
.com
.

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