Elizabeth and the Vampire's Cabin Read Free Page B

couldn’t remember. Elizabeth didn’t think much of the woman,
despite her many good qualities. Alex sounded tough. She had her own horse
ranch, loved sports, hunting, and camping. And yet, this successful, powerful
woman was willing to marry…Austin? That right there made her lose all
credibility with Elizabeth, who had almost felt sorry for Alex. Almost. But she
decided any woman willing to tie herself to her brother for life was
undeserving of pity.
    “He’s
too selfish to do what somebody else wants to do for a change. For eighteen
years, I have done whatever someone else had wanted to do. And now it’s my turn
to do as I please.”
    “This
isn’t safe,” Arthur admonished with a head shake.
    Elizabeth
grimaced. “I disagree. I can’t understand why people are freaking out about
this. Aren’t there plenty of hermits who have lived in secluded log cabins?
What about Henry David Thoreau? He did this for two years! Is this really that
extreme?
    Arthur
was silent. The young lady was fearless. He would have been too afraid to go on
an expedition like this. What if something were to happen? There wasn’t even
phone service on the island. How could she call for help? She couldn’t. But he
knew she didn’t care about risks, so he simply said, “The island isn’t really
anything special. You should go camping in Hawaii. It’s gorgeous. I also heard
that the island is haunted.”
    “I’ve
heard that rumor too. That the island is “spooky”. But I don’t believe in
things like that. Also, I’ve been to Hawaii. It’s beautiful. And I love camping
in the most beautiful places. But I want somewhere really remote. I want a
place that no one goes to. Somewhere really out of the way. A place that is
like a secret. A place that I can make my secret.”
    It
was painful to look at her. She was on fire. She literally took his breath
away. He had to have her before he lost her. He took her small, cold hands in
his, and leaned forward to kiss her.
    Elizabeth
immediately pulled away from him.   “I’m
sorry. I really am. I know it’s cliché, but it’s not you it’s me. I don’t know how
to do this. I’m heartless. I should have never been born a woman. I’m not soft
and tender. I’m hard and firm. And I’m too cold to know how to be with a man.”
    “Are
you a lesbian?” Arthur asked suspiciously.
    “No,”
Elizabeth laughed. “I guess I’m not soft or tender enough to be with anyone. I
think that’s what I’m getting at. I’m really sorry if I led you on.” Elizabeth
looked down for a moment with a look of consternation on her face. “You know,
I’ve never really loved anyone. Not even Austin. And he certainly never loved
me. I don’t blame him. Can you imagine being only nineteen years old and you’re
suddenly saddled with raising your little sister. And not only that, both his
parents and his grandfather were dead. I can’t imagine the resentment he must have
felt. But it’s okay, because I’m just as cold as he is. I don’t know what that
means to get emotional about another person or to show affection. I don’t think
I’m capable of having a romantic relationship with another person. I’m too
independent for that. Can we just be friends?”
    Arthur
felt sorry for her. He had been fascinated by her quiet reserve ever since he
had first met her. And her self-confidence had earned his admiration. Her harsh
candor had aroused in him feelings of bitterness. But her inability to connect
with other people in any way that was profoundly soulful aroused his pity. What
a pathetic existence, he thought to himself. To go through life without love
for any other person sounded like a curse that he could not bear. Though she
related her inability to love with her fierce independence, he knew obstinate
self-reliance had nothing to do with it. There was something else, just
underneath the surface, something so very strong and yet well-disguised by her
own relentless rationalizations that kept her from