With the world in what seemed to be in shambles, Antonia had been more than hyperaware of her situation. Being a vampire in the modern world was dangerous, and when your status was outed, it felt like a cruel joke that the whole world was in on, except you. The young woman had shared her fears with several other supernatural creatures, and it was obvious that New York City was under vigilant surveillance, and that increased every day. Getting out of the city again wasnât something Antonia wanted to do, nor did she feel like she really had to, but with so many people in harmâs way, she felt getting away would be safest for everyone, no matter how selfish that sounded.
Europe always held a special place in her heart, and along with it, Oliver wanted to come along too, feeling as though the city had abandoned him. And so the two were able to get away for a while, traveling, staying out of trouble, and caring for each other. And, Antonia had to admit, the company was nice compared to the last time she left all by herself.
But, she also knew all good things had to end.
This time however, there was light at the end of this tunnel. And with a single string of text messages, Antonia was ready to dump the current course of distractions she had dived into and get back into it, get back into everything.
Plane tickets were easy; two for New York, one for California.
And there was a buzz about her the second she confirmed her purchase. It was intoxicating, a feeling she hadnât had the pleasure of experiencing in a long time. One that lived up to itâs former glory, and one she was nervous, anxious, and excited about all in one. She wanted to be there instantly, she wanted to be in his arms, she wanted to hug him and never let go of all the good he was and all the happiness they had. But, the dark part of her mind -the one that had to see the bad things in life, the one that connected her to the lack of humanity that she felt every day- told her that things were bound to be different now. So much had changed, dynamics had shifted, and Antonia knew she could only hope for the best, but she needed to prepare for the worst.
Her flights were infinitely longer than she expected, taking off felt like a lifetime, and she couldnât seem to slow her breathing down, no matter how many deep breaths she ended up taking. Contained spaces never were her forte either, even with all the traveling she had done. It just smelled like an all-you-could eat buffet, but for vampires. Touching down in California left an intense urge to want to stay on the plane as her anxieties were at an all time high, but she knew that she needed this, no matter who was waiting for her on the either side. Kevin was still Kevin, he was still the man she fell in love with, and even if months and months had gone by, and even if they were across the globe from each other, she knew her feelings. She just hoped that his matched.
Leaving the terminal, Antonia had managed to squeeze through the crowd to find the right way to the baggage pick-up. And she shot off another text to Kevin, letting her know that she landed safely. Following the crowd, she got onto the escalator to reach the baggage claim and the terminal pick-up, and before she even reached the bottom, she spotted him among the fleeting crowd. He was the only one she saw in her tunnel vision after she spotted him, and she felt an overwhelming sense of emotion, tears springing to her eyes along with a huge smile lifting at her lips. And, it was as if the world stopped and her heart dropped and all other cares in the world were forgotten for that brief moment in time. The second she was free from the confines of the escalator, she sprinted towards him. âKevin!â She exclaimed before lunging into an embrace and wrapping her arms around him, the comfort of his person being enough to nearly make her melt into him.Â
A year. A year Kevin fought to keep it all together when almost everyone left. Yet, in a few short months he managed to have everything fall apart. Things had gotten too complicated, and Kevin only had himself to blame. One bad decision after another only made him feel guilty. So he did what everyone else had before. He left.Â
There hadât been a destination in mind. Most of it was just about letting go, enjoying the freedom he didnât have anymore while in New York. There was room to breathe, to run if he really wanted too. It was easier to forget his problems instead of facing them. And at the time, he didnât want to face them. The guilt never really went away. Kevin had left Ant without any word of where he was going. He hadnât even given her a proper goodbye. His phone had barely been on so as not to see if she had sent him anything. More so to prevent him from running back before he found what he wanted. Answers to questions he still wasnât quite sure of.
Sacramento hadnât been home for a long time, except Kevin had still managed to find his way there. An overwhelming sense of nostalgia had come over him when he first took in the city again, but it was undoubtedly mixed with unfamiliar sights and sounds. There were a few places here and there that hadnât changed in the time heâd been gone, mixed with even more that was completely new. He passed his old house, not finding the courage to knock on the door. It took him over a week, pacing in a hotel room for the majority of it, attempting to come up with some sort of coherent beginning to an unforeseeable conversation.Â
But nothing had gone as planned. Kevin wanted some sort of hope that things could get better. That some sort of relationship could be established with his parents in the future. It only came tumbling down faster than it had even started. The voicemail came as he sat on the bed in a seedy motel room. It took all of him not to breakdown, the tipping point approaching faster than he had liked. Kevin wouldnât have asked her to come if things were turning around, but he didnât know how to dig himself out of the hole he was creating.
The pacing never seemed to stop, even at the airport as he waited for her. His phone vibrated, seeing the text from her. Kevin took a deep breathe. He knew he didnât deserve her. The fact that sheâd come across the country without much of a notice or explanation only made the guilt worse. His eyes stayed fixed on the escalator, seeing her as if it was the first time all over again. It was the first time he had felt a small bit of happiness since leaving. Kevin wrapped his arms around her, picking her up slightly. He didnât want to let her go, relishing the brief moment he held her. Kevin stepped back slightly, his hand going up to hold her face. âIâm sorry.â It was the place he could manage to start.
