I fight evil creatures, I don't date them (Preface)

It takes a long time before Black alerts me to my misery. She licks my fingers as I sit crumpled at the foot of my front door. I scratch behind my ears and wipe some tears from my cheeks. I stand up, walk into my room, and change into my pajamas.

I half expect William's brilliant face to emerge from the light of my bedside lamp... but it doesn't

"You can't count on anyone these days..." I think as I feel Black roll up on the bed by my feet.

I stare up at the blackened ceiling and try to sleep, but all I could think of was the look on Reese's face as I walked inside. I can't sleep at all.

At 5 o'clock I decide to call it quits. I make my own pot of coffee. I don't plan on going back to the Jack's deli anytime soon... or ever again, for that matter.

"You made the right decision," I hear William say from my bedroom. He walks through the doorway into the kitchen.

"Thank you so much for your approval," I say blandly. He chuckles and leans against the doorframe of my room.

"I know you don't care what I think."

"You're right. I don't. You know, William, this isn't a great time-"

"You cried a lot," he says suddenly. I stop in mid-sentence with my mouth open.

"How do you know how much I cried?"

"You must have known that I would be watching your date," he says calmly.

"I suspected so much, yes. However, I thought you might show your face during the course of the night," I say getting up from the kitchen table. "I guess I was wrong."

"Would you have wanted me to?" he asks. I'm silent for a moment. How should I answer this so that it doesn't seem like I missed him at all?

"Does your silence count in the affirmative, then, Celeste?" I let out a breath of air and some tears escape from my eyes.

"William, we both know I made a mistake."

"You are only human," he says quietly. I turn around to face him and wipe my cheeks. He's closer than I thought and the surprise makes my cheeks flush. "I never liked that, though."

"What's that?" I ask.

"Crying. Human's do it with such ease... it makes me uncomfortable and yet, I still envy you." His dark eyes survey me calmly and I have to look away.

"Crying is nothing to marvel at. Vampires can cry," I say walking towards my room.

"We can, but not with feeling. Not with any real emotion behind it," he says. I scoff and turn to face him. I expect to see some hint of amusement but all I am met with is his sincerity.

"What did you come here to tell me?" I ask, his presence making me nervous.

"Actually, I... didn't have anything to tell you. I just wanted to see how the night treated you. I stopped watching you after you got up and went to bed."

"Thank you for the privacy," I say quietly, taking in what he's just told me.

"Of course," he says. "I must leave you now. I have some things to attend to." I nod as he walks over to my bedroom window. "I hope that you feel better on our next meeting."

When I turn to look at him he's gone and my window's left open.