Excerpt From Chapter Eighteen (Because I’m Feeling Generous)
"Good morning, beautiful. You're up early." He ducked in and sat on the bench next to me. "Yeah, I was hoping to catch Darren's trial tonight." I shoved the scraps of my food away. I kept staring at the blackened bits of cooked meat and thinking how it might be Darren's skin in an hour. "Show moral support. Watch the train crash." I stared at the table but after a long silence I looked up at him long enough to catch something flash in his eyes. "Well, I'll go with you then. To show moral support- for you, not him. You don't have to go you know. The Hall of Flames is nasty business..." I stood, unable to stare at my food any longer. "That's exactly why I want to be there. It's disgusting... He's just a kid- I." "Celia, it's alright... it's not you there. You're not under the microscope." He caught my arm and turned me around so I was facing him, half settled between his legs as he sat on the bench. He moved hi hands soothingly over my arms. "We've been through this. Your situations are totally different. You don't need to feel any obligation towards him." "I know, but I still feel like I should be there. I want to be there. This is what the vampires leading the clan deem as okay... I need to see it." "Alright. We'll go together. Sit down, there's still time. We can finish eating first."
Fun little angsty convo between Celia and Stein about Darren’s potential impending doom.