It was past midnight when the carriage pulled over in front of Dawson's residence. The moon had moved up and high in the sky, while some of the lanterns hanging outside the houses had dimmed flames or had exhausted themselves because of the lack of oil inside them.
As Vincent sat next to the carriage door, he stepped down the carriage and turned around to face Eve, who put one foot of hers on the small stool.
"You and shoes don't get along, do you?" Vincent remarked on seeing her shoe strap had unbuckled itself again.
Noticing the pureblooded vampire's eyes on her foot, Eve tried to hide it behind her gown. But in an attempt to do that, she missed her footing. Like a cat thrown into a bucket of cold water, her hands flailed, and she used one of her hands to grip the edge of the carriage's door.
Eve placed her other hand on her chest, and she closed her eyes to calm herself from the little catastrophe she had created, which had started with Vincent. She glared at him.
Vincent remarked with an innocent expression, "I was going to catch you if you were going to fall." Where she was, and where he stood... The amount of distance between them said otherwise. He praised her, "But good catch. You seem to be getting a hold on how not to fall now."
Without being told, Mr. Briggs had already walked to the other side of the carriage, leaving his master and the governess to talk to each other. And while the trusted coachman gave them privacy, it didn't mean the others did the same.
After hearing the sound of the carriage stop inside Dawson's house, Eugene peered behind the windows. And their neighbour Mrs. Edwards from her house looked through the gaps of her floral curtains.
Eve's blue eyes flared, and she said, "I knew you wouldn't catch me."
"So much trust," Vincent hummed with amusement dancing in his eyes. He said, "Why don't you repeat what you just did and I will prove that I was going to catch you."
"You don't have to prove anything," Eve replied, ready to put both her feet on the ground.
But Vincent took two steps forward and stood right before her, giving her no space to get down.
"Go on," Vincent taunted with a cunning smile.
"Can you please step back? The evening was long and I am tired," Eve said. Her eyes looked around, hoping everyone in the neighbourhood was fast asleep.
When Eve looked back at him, she saw him staring at her with a calm expression, as if expecting her to get back inside the carriage and repeat the scene. He wasn't being serious, was he? Whenever she believed that Vincent was normal like the others, he proved her otherwise as if he didn't like her perceiving him to be normal and enjoyed pushing his weird ways on people.
"Vincent," Eve uttered his name in seriousness, hoping he would stop playing.
"Eve," Vincent said her name with the same intensity, staring back at her.
The two peepers couldn't help but try to get a better glimpse of what was happening next to the carriage. While Mr. Briggs, who heard the two of them utter each other's names, tried to keep a straight face without turning to look at them.
Eve asked him, "Aren't you tired?" She had been feeling sleepy and wanted to curl in her bed.
"Of waiting for you to fall, yes," came the solemn response from the vampire. He said, "I have all the time in the world," the smile on his lips was nothing less evil, and Eve didn't want to test her luck. "Your earlier words have cut deep into my chest, Eve."
"I apologise for doubting you. I now know you are a changed man, and would catch me if I were to fall. I am sorry for being rude," Eve apologised.
Vincent cocked his head to the side, "No."
[Music Recommendation: Little Heart- Amarante]
Eve sighed before she said, "Okay." She couldn't believe she was supposed to feign falling.
Noticing her taking her own sweet time, Vincent said, "By now you should have a certificate for falling. What are you taking time for?"
Eve slightly gritted her teeth.
He was someone who was helping her, but if she took that away, the man enjoyed annoying her. Most of the people in Meadow and the other humans would agree that vampires were the odd ones out of all kinds. But the one in front of her raised the bar higher than any other vampire.
Before Eve could step back inside the carriage, Vincent kicked the stool with his foot that his coachman had earlier placed on the ground. She quickly lost her balance, and before her body could fall to the ground, Vincent leaned in and caught hold of her in his arms.
The sleep seeping into her body quickly disappeared and her eyes turned wide.
Eve felt her heart jump at the sudden movement and clutched onto Vincent's arms. She felt his strong hands curled around her body, one around her waist, and the other on her higher back.
The silver-haired vampire's face was too close to Eve. Under the shadow and light of the moonlight, the man looked like no one could compare to him. They stared at each other while she was left speechless, clutching his shoulders for support.
Behind the window, Mrs. Edwards's eyes almost popped out of her face, and she craned her neck to look at the couple. Were they kissing?! Because the carriage door obstructed her sight. And with the carriage parked in front of Dawson's residence, Eugene noticed Eve's employer holding her, while missing the vampire kicking the stool.
Vincent remarked, "Told you I would catch you."
Eve felt her heart skip a beat as she stared into his eyes. A faint mischievous smile played on his lips.
Without needing to be told, Vincent gently pulled her towards him and let her find her footing on the ground. As he pulled his hands away, one of his hands brushed from her back to her waist. She felt the gentle pressure in them, like a snake that uncurled itself from its prey.
Dropping his hands to his side, Eve watched him take a step backwards while he stared at her. She quickly bowed to him, murmuring a goodnight and hastily headed to her house.
