Chapter 8

The silence between us felt deafening as I scrawled my signature across the bottom of the marriage contract. The pen left a trail of ink that looked like it sealed more than just a piece of paper. It felt like I was sealing my fate. Matthew’s expression didn’t change if anything, it softened slightly, and for a brief moment, I thought I saw relief in his eyes.

“Good. Now, pack your things,” he said, his usual dramatic flair kicking in. “You’re moving in with me.”

Just like that, I found myself whisked away to his penthouse. The place was exactly what I expected: sleek, modern, and so clean it could’ve been a showroom for an interior design magazine. I could almost see my reflection in the polished floors.

“Welcome to your new home,” he announced grandly, like he was unveiling a new product rather than a shared living space.

“Wow,” I said, genuinely impressed as I took in the view from the floor to ceiling windows. “This place is… huge.”

“Only the best for my new wife,” he quipped, a smile tugging at his lips. “You’ll get used to it. Just, uh, try not to open the third fridge.”

I frowned. “The third fridge?”

But before I could ask more questions, he was off, disappearing into one of the many rooms. I made a mental note to investigate later. And I did.

It didn’t take long for me to notice Matthew’s quirks. I mean, living with a centuries old vampire? There were bound to be some... adjustments. For example, I found out the hard way about his ‘breakfast’ routine.

It was a typical morning. I walked into the kitchen in search of coffee, only to find Matthew standing at the counter, sipping from what looked suspiciously like a wine glass. At first, I thought, Wow, wine before 8 AM? Bold. But then I noticed the deep red liquid wasn’t quite wine colored it was darker, almost black.

“Is that....?” I started, pointing at the glass.

“Tomato juice,” he interrupted quickly, a sheepish smile on his face.

I gave him a look." Really? Because it looks like...”

“Special blend,” he said, cutting me off again. He drained the glass in one go and set it down with a flourish. “You wouldn’t like it. It’s… an acquired taste.”

I raised an eyebrow but decided to drop it. For now. “Well, at least we know who finished the emergency supply of cranberry juice last night.”

He shot me a sly grin. “Guilty as charged.”

The next discovery came a few days later. I was rummaging through the pantry looking for a snack when I spotted a small bottle labeled ‘O-Pos’. I held it up, waving it in his direction as he walked into the kitchen.

“What kind of new age health drink is this? Are we on a juice cleanse now?” I asked, my tone teasing.

Matthew froze for a second before giving me a sheepish look. “Uh, yes. It’s a... very niche diet. Low calorie.”

“Right,” I drawled, putting the bottle back and making a mental note to ask more questions when I had the nerve.

Then there was the time I caught him… cleaning his fangs. I had woken up early one morning and shuffled groggily into the bathroom. I nearly jumped out of my skin when I found Matthew standing there in front of the mirror, using what looked like a small file on his canines.

“What the...” I started, blinking at him in disbelief. “Are you… sharpening your teeth?”

Matthew looked over at me, completely unfazed. “Of course not. I’m just... polishing them. Can’t be a proper CEO with dull fangs, now can I?”

I blinked at him, trying to process his words. “Right, because that’s the most pressing issue for a CEO.”

He grinned, showing off his pearly whites well, pearly whites with a little extra length on the canines. “Image is everything, darling.”

I shook my head, laughing. “You know, I didn’t think dental care would be so high on a vampire’s list of priorities.”

“Good oral hygiene is crucial,” he said, completely deadpan. “You wouldn’t want a vampire with bad breath, would you?”

“Right, because that’s what I’m worried about,” I shot back, rolling my eyes.

Another time, I decided to surprise him by reorganizing the kitchen. It was a spur of the moment idea I mean, who keeps bags of garlic powder in the back of the pantry? The moment he walked in and spotted what I was doing, he froze, eyes widening.

“Gabrielle,” he started slowly. “What… is that?”

I held up the jar of garlic powder, completely oblivious. “This? It was shoved all the way in the back. I figured you’d never use it since it was about to expire.”

He visibly flinched, taking a step back. “You figured right. Let’s, uh, keep that sealed, shall we?”

I narrowed my eyes at him, realization dawning. “Wait, is garlic actually a problem for you?”

Matthew looked away, rubbing the back of his neck. “It’s… more of an allergy than a weakness,” he mumbled.

I burst out laughing. “A vampire with a garlic allergy? That’s just perfect.”

He gave me a playful glare. “Laugh all you want, but at least you know how to keep me at bay now.”

Despite his eccentricities and our unusual situation, living with Matthew was surprisingly easy. Sure, there were odd moments like the time he freaked out when I tried to open the blackout curtains in his study, or when I found a tiny vial of something red labeled ‘emergency snack’ in the fridge but it was… fun.

I found myself looking forward to these little discoveries, these glimpses into his life as a vampire. It made him feel more real, more human somehow, even with his supernatural habits. And each time I caught him doing something undeniably vampire like, it only made me laugh harder.

In a way, these moments brought us closer together. They were small but meaningful reminders that we were navigating this strange new relationship together. And as strange as it was, it felt like we were starting to make this place our own.

I couldn’t deny it any longer. Maybe living with Matthew, vampire quirks and all, wasn’t going to be as difficult as I had first thought. In fact, I was beginning to think it might actually be fun.

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