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As much as Eve felt a pull towards Vincent, she couldn't kiss a man, knowing he didn't share the same feelings as her. She couldn't fool around like the few other women he had been with, whom she was sure was left with a broken heart.
Her eyes looked at the ground, and when her eyes shifted to look at Vincent, she wished she could take back her words. The grip on her waist loosened as if stunned by what she had just said to him. He stared at her.
His usual cold eyes now held a cloud of emotions, making her stomach drop. There was surprise, disappointment and annoyance, where she didn't know that those weren't entirely for her, but it was for him too.
And with one blink of his eyes, all those emotions disappeared, and Vincent stated, "It seems like you didn't listen to what I said, little girl. I told you I wasn't the one for you."
Taking the opportunity of his hands sliding away from her, Eve quickly jumped from his lap. She took a couple of steps forward, with her back facing him and said,
"I didn't choose you," it just happened, thought Eve. The silence between them was occupied by the slight grumbling in the sky.
Eve's face had turned red in embarrassment, and she closed her eyes to calm her emotions. She didn't know how to deflect. She didn't want to be part of Vincent's amusement.
She heard Vincent say behind her, who had now stood up, "I thought you were smart enough to know not to fall for me," there was a touch of disappointment in his voice as if he had expected her to follow his past warning.
Hearing those words from Vincent, Eve's heart squeezed. She knew it. She knew she was supposed to heed to his warning when he had clearly uttered it for her. But her heart had wavered for him a few seconds before it. She said,
"I am a person with a heart, and there's only this much one can bear…" Her voice trailed, and the burning log of woods crackled in the fireplace. She brought her hands in front of her, holding them. "I understand that you need my blood, and I will be happy to offer it to you, whenever you need it. But it would be better if w—"
"You don't have to," Vincent's voice hushed Eve's words and a look of seriousness entered his eyes, "Sometimes even the richest blood changes flavour and taints it."
Eve stared at the cold dark floor that was near the dining room. She could feel her heartbreak, even though the vampire hadn't made fun of her feelings. She knew the reality of where she and Vincent stood regarding their emotions for each other. He cared for her, but she doubted it was for romantic reasons. She felt her eyes prickle, and she said,
"Thank you. I appreciate it."
Vincent's eyes narrowed at the hostile air that the mermaid had wrapped herself in. He said, "You are a good woman, Eve. Better than most I have met and not someone who uses coyness to find a man for yourself. But I cannot return your feelings, nor am I the man for you."
Her chest tightened and she nodded. She said,
"It isn't the first time that I have had feelings for someone. Like others, it will pass too. It's late and I am tired, Mr. Moriarty. If you do not mind, can you please leave? I would like to get some sleep now."
Vincent stared at Eve's back for a few seconds before picking up his shirt. Eve heard the sound of his footsteps leaving the living room. When she turned, she noticed the vampire at the door, who opened and stepped out, before closing it behind him.
Eve willfully walked towards the door. Her hand reached for the handle and pulled it open, but Vincent had left.
Deep down in her heart, where the thorn-like vines that had twisted her by Vincent's charms, Eve had hoped he would stay. Even if it meant she would hear his taunting, sarcastic words. Closing the door, she leaned forward and placed her forehead on the door, and sighed.
Alone in the house now, Eve felt the coldness of the weather turn harsher than usual and her eyes glistened, but she didn't shed tears.
"It will pass too, right?" Eve questioned herself, but she had her doubts about it.
What was she going to do? Not only had she harboured feelings for the vampire, but she also worked for his family. She whispered, "Why does it hurt…"
Blowing out the fire in the fireplace, Eve picked up the candle stand from the living room and climbed up the stairs to head to her room.
A person stood outside Dawson's house, beside one of the windows with furrowed eyebrows.
It was Patrick Humphrey, who had visited an inn after finishing his work at Quintin's mansion and turned intoxicated. He wanted to drown in his wallows for how his life had turned.
Knowing Lady Aubrey and Eugene were not in the town, and Eve was alone in the house, he had decided to pass by the house only to notice the light inside, letting him know that the woman of his dreams was awake and was having a hard time sleeping.
Patrick was too drunk and he had rubbed his eyes more than thirty times since he had tried to take a look through the foggy window of Dawson's house. It was because, a few minutes ago, Eve had company! On hearing the door close, he stumbled to the front to find no one.
Where did the man go?! Mr. Humphrey quickly looked around the place, searching for the—He gasped when he felt something evil brush his leg! Looking down, he noticed it was a black cat.
"Shoo!" He moved his foot to get it away from him, but the cat returned to his side and meowed. After standing there for a minute more, he stumbled out of Dawson's residence and headed toward his own house.
That night, Eve barely slept as she tossed and turned in her bed, thinking about Vincent's words. In the morning, after getting ready, she stepped out of the house. Walking to the garden, she plucked a flower so that she could place it later on her mother's grave.
Her mood was dull, but she tried to be polite to the people on her way to the local carriage who greeted her.
"It isn't like I was waiting for him to confess to me," Eve muttered. "I wanted him to stop saying and doing odd things," she consoled herself.
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To add more to her mood, Eve noticed Mr. Humphrey walking in her direction with a bunch of flowers in his hand. To avoid him, when Mr. Humphrey looked the other way to wave his hand, Eve turned to the right and took another street.
Eve continued walking, looking around to ensure Mr. Humphrey wasn't following. When she did reach the local carriage, Mr. Humphrey called her,
"Ms. Barlow!" The man's voice was so loud that it gained the by-passers attention. Upon reaching where she stood, Mr. Humphrey said with a wide smile, "For a moment, I thought I lost you, but I know you always use the local carriage."
They bowed, and Mr. Humphrey complimented Eve, "Today you look as beautiful as the sun, Ms. Barlow. Your beauty is unmatched to anything in this world."
Eve turned to look at the sky, and so did the man, where the clouds hid the sun. She politely said, "I think it wouldn't be right to compare me to the sun, Mr. Humphrey. When a person gazes at the sun for far too long, they lose their eyesight."
She wasn't in the mood to talk to him and wanted to go on her way, but Mr. Humphrey was curious about her night.
Mr. Humphrey waved his hand and offered her flowers, "These are for you, Ms. Barlow. Lovely flowers for a lovely woman. Oh, you already have a flower. Who is it from?"
Eve didn't attempt to take the flowers from Mr. Humphrey, knowing the man would only try to claim her in front of the people. She replied, "It is from an admirer. Forgive me, but my hands are full."
Mr. Humphrey looked down at Eve's hands, where she carried her lunch box and umbrella. Not giving up, he said,
"That's fine. I will give them to you in the evening." When Eve turned, ready to climb the carriage, he said, "The rain last night was harsh, wasn't it? With the continuous thunder and lightning, it even frightened me. I hope you weren't scared as you were alone," and he waited for her to say something about it.
"I am not a child, Mr. Humphrey, to be scared about it. And we live in a town where heavy rain isn't uncommon in this part of the year," Eve responded, and the man quickly nodded.
"Of course, even I wasn't scared. I didn't want you to feel alone," Mr. Humphrey quickly covered it up, and Eve pursed her lips. He then asked, "You must have had company last night?"
Remembering Vincent right now only made Eve grit her teeth. If it weren't for the crazy vampire's habit of amusing himself, she wouldn't be feeling this way and out of sleep. She snapped at the man in front of her, "Is there something you want to tell me about, Mr. Humphrey? Some of us have work to do, and I am sure the Quintins won't be happy if you miss a day as the servants are scarce."
Mr. Humphrey fumbled through the words, "W-what servant?" He laughed, looking left and right, but some of the people had already caught on to him. "I am not a servant there. I only offer my help to Mr. Quintin because of my kind heart."
Eve stared at him and feigned ignorance, "I didn't know about it," and the man nodded. She continued, "Mr. Quintin said you stole his money and it is why you were out of job. I cannot believe Mr. Quintin would lie about such a thing."
Mr. Humphrey coughed and cleared his throat, and before he could brush it, Eve frowned and said,
"A respectable man like yourself should quit working for him. How dare he slander your good name?"
An elderly man, who was eavesdropping on their conversation, agreed and said, "Ms. Barlow is right! You should quit working for the man!" And Mr. Humphrey felt sweat on his forehead. "I say, you don't go to work and show them you have respect!"
Mr. Humphrey couldn't believe things were proceeding in such a way that he would soon be out of work! After all, if not there, he would have to knock on the mansion's door and beg for work in the high society because surely he couldn't let the people of his town know what happened!
With Mr. Humphrey immersed in his thoughts, Eve climbed inside the carriage that left for Skellington town.
