Hello Neighbor

Moving to a house with the woman he loved seemed almost too good to be real. Silas had to remind himself countless times that he wasn't dreaming; this was really happening. Kerry had agreed to move in with him, and she had agreed to be his girlfriend. It didn't even bother him that they would be moving halfway across the country. As long as he had her beside him, he didn't care where he went.

Besides, starting off with a clean slate seemed like the perfect boost to their flourishing relationship. No one would know about their stepsibling identities in Hawaii, and they were free to show affection in public without constantly worrying about who saw them. He felt happier than he had in years.

"Wow, you really went all out in getting this house," Kerry said as she stared at the bungalow. She hadn't gone inside yet, but she was already in love with the beautiful yard and glass windows. It gave off a homely vibe. Plus, there was a beach a short distance away. It would always be a good way to pass the time if they got tired of staying home.

"I'm glad you like it." Silas bought the house only because he knew she would like it. It had put a noticeable dent in his account, but he didn't really care. He would buy her the world if he could. "Go on then. I had someone clean it before our flight landed, so you don't have to worry about anything."

"So thoughtful."

"Nah, you just never think that far ahead."

"Hey!!" She gave him a displeased look that didn't quite reach her eyes. The smile on her face remained as she trod up the stairs leading to the porch. The key was hanging on the knob. Whoever had cleaned must have left it there. Kerry took it and unlocked the door. She walked into the house, her eyes running through every single detail. She left Silas with the task of bringing in their suitcases while she explored their new home. It was everything she could ever dream of, the perfect place to start a family.

A family... Was she already thinking that far? She giggled because, yes, she was. Being with Silas felt like heaven, and she wouldn't mind marrying him and having kids. Could vampires and humans have children together? It was something she would have to look up in her free time.

The house had three rooms: one master bedroom and two guest rooms. Two bathrooms, a huge living room downstairs, and a kitchen which came with a dinner table. It was well furnished. Everything that wasn't made of wood was in dark gold. The smell of the flowers that were carefully nurtured on the porch filled the house. Kerry loved it. She loved it so much that she forgot this wasn't the real reason why she had agreed to come to Hawaii. At that moment, all thoughts of the vampire who hunted her dreams or her father faded to the farthest part of her mind. She was filled with so much love and comfort right now. She wanted to take pictures of every little thing and send them to her mom.

Silas, who had already taken their stuff to the master bedroom without her notice, leaned against the wall and watched her, a fond smile on his face. He didn't mind spending his entire life watching her like this. But then again, his life was much, much too long for that. It was a painful reminder of the difference between their lives. Maybe one day, he would dream of convincing her to take a bite for him. He still knew she wasn't entirely comfortable with other vampires; it had taken a long time before she warmed up to him. How would she react to the thought of being the same thing that scared her?

But that was all in the future. Right now, they could both enjoy the comfort they found in each other. Silas covered the space between them to wrap his arms around Kerry. He was very happy when she didn't even flinch at his touch. Instead, she leaned further into his chest.

"What time is it, beautiful Silas?"

"I only want the very best for you. After all, you’ll be starting college very soon, and I know how stressful that can be. You’ll need a good learning environment."

"Plus, the privacy is a bonus."

"Exactly. We can finally have kitchen sex, no need to worry about your mom walking in on us."

"Why? I never thought you had any shame for stuff like that. Don't forget I caught you making out with that girl in our kitchen."

"Have you ever thought that I did that because I wanted you to walk in on us? Maybe I wanted you to get jealous. And you didn't disappoint me."

"I wasn't jealous."

"Whatever you say, darling." He hummed as he pressed his lips against her neck. His tongue traced lines on the skin. She let him have his way with her. The level of trust made his head spin with desire. She trusted him, she wanted him. That was all he had ever wished for. His hands groped her breasts and kneaded them, causing her to arch her back and moan in pleasure.

Kerry pushed away from him when she felt his hand slide under her shirt. "No, no. I know where this is going. We can't do this now."

"Why not? Privacy, remember? We can do whatever we want."

"Sure, but I'm hungry. The kitchen is stocked full, so I'll cook."

"Kerry." Silas dug his hand into his pocket as he followed her into the kitchen. He watched her grab some ingredients from the fridge with a concerned frown on his face. "You can't even boil water."

"Well, screw you. I can boil water perfectly. I can do much more than that too. I just never had time to do stuff like that because Bill always wanted us to eat outside. But this is the perfect opportunity for me to harness my cooking skills. Do you get it?"

"I get it." He leaned against the counter. His lips curled up in an amused smirk. This should be very interesting.

"Alright. I feel like eating some pasta, so I can..." Kerry already had the image of the perfectly cooked pasta in her head. She was so sure she could pull it off. But when she swung the knife carelessly to slice some tomatoes—did she even need tomatoes for pasta?—she ended up cutting herself in the process. "Ouch! Shit."

Silas sighed. "Let me see." He had known something like this would happen. Kerry stretched out her hand, feeling more embarrassed than hurt by the small cut. It wasn't anything serious, but there was a bit of blood, which made it look gruesome. Gosh, she really didn't like blood. It made her feel uncomfortable.

Kerry's eyes widened when a pink tongue darted out to lick away the blood coating her finger. Silas almost found himself moaning at the delicious taste of the blood. He had always suspected she would taste this good. He sucked the finger into his mouth while keeping eye contact with his girlfriend.

When he released her finger from his warm mouth, Kerry found herself releasing a breath she hadn't known she was holding. "That was... pretty hot," she sputtered out. Silas laughed and leaned forward to kiss her. Kerry could taste the metallic tinge on his tongue, and she found herself not minding at all.

The doorbell distracted them before things could get heated between them. Kerry looked at Silas in confusion. "Are we expecting anybody?"

"Nah, probably a neighbor."

"Human?"

"Hm, it is Hawaii. There's very little of us here."

"Let's check it out." Kerry held her boyfriend's hand and pulled him toward the door. If this was indeed a neighbor, then she wanted to make a good first impression.

When she unlocked the door, she was met with a familiar face that left her frozen in shock. Red eyes glinted in amusement. "Hey, you must be the new neighbors. I live in the house across from yours. It's nice to meet you." Even his voice sounded the same. Kerry was sure this was no coincidence. The good-looking man standing in front of her was none other than the vampire who had tormented her dreams for weeks.

"Nice to meet you, man," Silas said,voice cheerful as he reached out to shake the outstretched hand offered to him. Kerry didn't know what the hell to do or say.