CHAPTER 16:

JADEN'S POV:

When I wake up the next day at dusk, I shower and dress in a fashionable suit. Time to get my Catalina back. I take the elevator up to her apartment and knock on the door.

She opens it a minute later, with a scowl on her beautiful face, "Do you vampires really need to hide from the sun during the day, or is that just an excuse to sleep all day?"

"Good to see you too, angel." I quickly kiss her on the forehead before she can duck.

"I've been sitting around all day, waiting for you to come and tell me the game plan," she says impatiently.

I go to the living room and sit on a couch. I pat my lap in a gesture to let her know that I want her to sit there. She rolls her eyes and sits on a chair across from me. I hold back my laughter. Now is not the time to annoy her, no matter how cute she looks when she is angry.

I sigh for effect, "The game plan is that we go out on a real date tonight. With NO weapons, then tomorrow night, we deal with Jonathan and Daniel."

"Why can't we do it tonight?" she asks.

"Because I said so," I immediately realize saying that was a mistake.

She glares at me, "I'm out of here."

She starts to get up and I use my vampire speed to put myself in her way. She falls back into the chair, looking up at me. "Catalina, I don't mean to boss you around, but I have everything set up to get Jonathan and Daniel out of my parents' home and here, or wherever else we choose. All I ask is one night where it's just me and you, with no talk of revenge or killing."

Her face softens a little, then she looks away, "Okay."

I grab her by the waist and pull her up out of the chair, "Good, I've made reservations. Let's go find you something to wear." I guide her back to the master bedroom and into the closet.

I go over to the evening gowns and pull out a short, dark red one, that will fall just above her knees. I grab a pair of black heels and hand them to her. She looks at them, "Thanks Jaden. I don't know what I'd do if you weren't here to dress me."

"I'm always eager to help, angel. Do you need help changing also?" I ask.

I can tell that she's trying not to smile, "No thank you."

"I'll wait in the room," I walk over to a chair and sit down. She closes the closet and comes out a minute later in the dress and heels. "Aren't you forgetting something?"

She looks down at herself, "What?"

I walk into the closet and open the drawer with the jewelry in it. I punch in the code and open the glass case. I pull out a ruby necklace, matching earrings and bracelet. I walk over to where Catalina is standing in the doorway. "Turn around."

She spins around and I fasten the necklace around her neck. I slip in the earrings into her ears and fasten them. I wrap my arms around her from behind and fasten the bracelet onto her wrist. I kiss her lightly on the side of her neck, then spin her back around to look her up and down. "Beautiful," I tell her.

She looks unsure, "Jaden, are you sure I should wear all this? I mean, you aren't taking me to Applebee's, right?"

I laugh, "Yeah, we're getting all dressed up to sit in a booth and eat mini hamburgers as an appetizer. I am taking you to a very nice restaurant."

As we leave the apartment and go down the elevator, she is quiet. I want to hold her, but I know that it's too soon after what has happened the past couple nights. She looks so beautiful. I like seeing her like this, in fine clothing and jewelry. She deserves the best of everything and once she stops being so stubborn, I'll be giving her more of it.

We take my Audi to the restaurant. You wouldn't get valet parking Applebee's. Although, I happen to like their mini hamburgers. I glance at Catalina as we go through the entrance of the restaurant and notice that she looks nervous. "What's the matter Kitty Cat?" I say while rubbing her back.

She looks up at me, "This is sort of my first real date. I mean, the movies didn't count because we were only going as friends and, of course, hunting didn't count either."

"Well, we've already gotten past the whole, getting to know each other part. We're more like the established couple, out for a night on the town," I reassure her.

"I suppose," she says. I am glad when she doesn't argue the part where I call us a 'couple'. She's on her way to forgiving me already.

We are seated immediately and the server comes to give us our menus and take our drink orders. I order us both wine, but when it is brought to us, Catalina ignores it and sips her water. When the server comes back to ask what we want to order, Catalina tells me to order for her.

While we are waiting for our food, I tell Catalina about the different places that I've lived and she tells me more about the other hunters that she lives with. I want to ask about her family and the home that she still keeps of theirs. However, I know that I need to wait until she is ready to bring it up herself. She still doesn't know that I followed her there.

It's not that I like keeping secrets from her, but I can't chance anything coming between us and her closing up to protect herself from the possibility of being hurt. Not that I would hurt her. Someday, I will tell her about Jessica's attempt on her life and the fact that I killed Jessica. I was proud to tell her that I had never killed a human, so I am not looking forward to telling her that I now have. Even if it was in the process of saving her life.

Unfortunately, Catalina will easily figure out that I didn't actually have to kill Jessica. I could have subdued her in a number of ways, but all I could think about at the time, was that someone was trying to murder the woman I love.

When the food comes, I can tell that she is pleased with what I ordered for her. I ordered myself the same thing. Not that I need it. I only need blood, but I do like the taste of human food still. When we are done eating, I ask her if she wants dessert and she declines. I give the server a credit card to pay and I am thinking to myself that this date went well.

That is, until another ex shows up. I have only run into Angela a few times, in the past five years since we broke up. Thank god! This woman whined so much about marriage that I eventually had to break it off with her. It took a few tries to successfully do that, she was so determined.

She approaches our table, with a hateful look for Catalina and a seductive smile for me, "Hello Jaden, it's so good to see you."

"I'm sorry that I can't say the same, Angela," I give her a look that let's her know how annoyed I am that she is bothering us.

"You wound me, Jaden. How can you say that after all the wonderful nights we spent together?" she is deliberately trying to get under Catalina's skin. I look at Catalina and she is staring down at the table. I can't read her expression.

"Did we? I can only remember the wonderful night that we broke up," I say.

Angela ignores my comment, "So, who's your friend, Jaden?"

Catalina looks up and gives Angela a fake smile, "I'm Catalina Truman."

"My girlfriend," I add.

Angela practically sneers, she looks at Catalina with such contempt, "I once knew a Ronald and Joyce Truman. Do you happen to be related to them?"

Catalina grips the edge of the table and looks down, "They were my parents."

Angela holds a hand to her chest in fake horror, "You're their daughter? You must have been a child when they were murdered."

"I was fourteen," Catalina says.

Angela exudes fake sympathy, "I'm so sorry for your loss."

"Thank you," Catalina says, finally looking up again. I can tell that she's not buying Angela's act.

"Was there something you wanted, Angela?" I am eager to get rid of her before she completely ruins our date. She is already reminding Catalina of the worst tragedy of her young life. I wish she'd just keep her mouth shut and fuck off.

"I guess not," Angela says scowling. I have the feeling that she thought that, by approaching me, she could rekindle our relationship. Not likely. "Anyways Jaden, you look good. It's like you haven't aged a day since we broke up."

"I wish I could say the same for you," I tell her. She gives me a dirty look and walks off, back to her table and the man waiting for her. When the server comes back with my credit card, I send a drink over to the guy Angela's dining with. He's going to need it.

When we are walking out of the restaurant, Catalina asks, "She doesn't know?"

"That I'm a vampire? No. Something told me, while I was dating her, not to trust her," I say.

"Oh," is all she says. Usually Catalina is more vocal, so I am a bit worried about what's going on in her head. She is quiet the whole ride back home. I park in the parking garage and we go up to her penthouse. She is fidgetting nervously on the elevator.

When we get into the apartment, she says, "Jaden, we need to talk."

This doesn't sound good. "What do we need to talk about?"

"About us," she says.

"What about us? Did you have a good time tonight?" I go up to her and take both of her hands in mine.

"Yes, I did. Until the part where another catty ex-girlfriend showed up, again. I mean, is this what our relationship is going to be like? Constantly surrounded by your exes?" she asks.

"One thing I've learned about exes, is that they all eventually go away. When they . . . never mind, " I say.

"When they what, Jaden?" she asks

"Nothing," I say.

"Were you going to say, when they die?" she asks. My wince gives me away. "You know Jaden, I'll just be another one of those who eventually die."

I grab her and hold her tightly against me, "Don't say that Catalina."

"It's true. That's one of the reasons why I think we need to break up now. I don't want to end up like all the other women. They all still want you long after you don't want them anymore. Then, they all eventually die and you go on," she says.

"You are nothing like the other women," I tell her. "I won't ever stop wanting you."

She looks up at me, "Even if that were so, after what happened the other night, I just think that it's for the best that we go our separate ways." She pulls out of my embrace and starts walking towards the bedroom.

"So that's it?" I ask.

She stops in the hallway and turns around, "It has to be. After we kill Jonathan and Daniel, I think we shouldn't see each other again," Then she disappears into the bedroom.

I leave the penthouse and take the stairs down to my apartment. After I lock the door to my apartment, I walk over to the entry table where there is a picture of her. I took it one night at a club when she wasn't paying attention. I grab it and throw it against the wall.

I did everything I could and she still didn't want me. It all comes down to one thing, because I'm a vampire. I'd give anything to be a human like her, so that we could have a future together. The future that I've been planning for the past two years. I'll help her get her revenge because I love her, but after that I'm leaving this city and starting over somewhere new. I don't think I could stay in the same place as her and not force her to be with me. And I don't want to do that.

I yank off my jacket and tie. There is a knock at the door. I wish whoever it is would just go away. I plan to ignore it, but the person knocks again. I expect it to be Rebecca or one of the others, but when I open the door, it's Catalina.

She has tears running down her face, "I'm sorry," she says, wiping them, "I didn't even last fifteen minutes." She throws her arms around my neck, "I didn't mean what I said. I don't care about all your exes. I don't care that all of my friends think that I'm insane to be with you. I don't care that I'll die before you. Please take me back, Jaden. I won't ever stop wanting you either."

I hold her close to me, "Of course I'll take you back. I'll always take you back." I lift her chin to kiss her passionately. "I love you, Catalina."

She looks a little startled for a minute, then she smiles sweetly, "I love you too, Jaden."

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