Eventually exhaustion pulled her back down, dragging on her eyelids until she swam into unconsciousness. She dreamt of the tunnels, walking through the tunnels in bare feet, looking for her shoes. Then she realised that it wasn't her shoes she was missing - it was her feet. She was walking on bloody stumps through the endless tunnels like a subterranean Little Mermaid, searching endlessly for her own two feet.
It was Jake's strangled yell that woke her again. She thrashed up through layers of grey gauze, hearing him scream again, properly this time. Then she was completely awake, heart pounding. She clutched at his arm and felt it slide from beneath her fingers, slippery with cooling sweat.
“Jake, Jake, what's wrong? What's wrong?”
“Oh God...”
He fell back onto the pillows and his arm slid from her grasp.
“What's the matter? Are you okay? You really scared me –“
He didn’t speak for a moment and when he did, there was a gasp in his voice.
“Bad dreams again - oh God - bad dreams. I'm sorry – “
He sounded near to tears and she felt panic tug at her throat. I don't know this man, she thought. Why am I naked and in bed with him?
He turned his head towards her and she could see the flat shine of his eyes in the orange-tinted darkness.
“God, I'm sorry Bella, I didn't mean to scare you. Fuck - I'm sorry. Come here.”
She let him pull her down onto his chest and felt it wet against her face.
“You're soaking - you're absolutely drenched – “
”I know, I'm sorry. God, I have such - such bad dreams, they just scare the shit out of me. I'm really sorry.”
Bella could hear his heart, thudding away through its cage of bones. She wondered if he could hear hers, beating in tandem. She breathed deeply, trying to slow the adrenaline shudders that were coursing through her.
“Do you always have dreams like that? I'm surprised you get any sleep at all.”
Jake chuckled weakly.
“You're telling me.”
Bella remembered the voices outside the door.
“What about your brother? Doesn't he hear you and get worried?”
There was a long silence. Then Jake said “No. He doesn't worry about me.”
Bella wavered, about to enquire further and then gave up. The adrenaline had gone, leaving her weak and shaky. She was too tired. Tomorrow, she thought, I'll just leave. He's sweet and funny and sexy but this sounds too much like hard work. She lay back but left her hand on his chest, patting him once, twice, before sleep claimed her again.
She woke ridiculously early. She opened her eyes cautiously, to the clear morning light flooding the room, feeling the thud and pulse of hangover in her head. Disorientated, she looked around confusedly before recollection swamped her and she turned her head to the side to see if Jake was still there.
He was; cocooned in duvet, snoring slightly, which made her grin despite her headache. His leg lolled against the mattress, uncovered by the duvet. Bella frowned. She was looking at his leg, his thigh, paler flesh furred with black hair. There were three healing cuts on the inner flesh of his leg, running almost parallel, as if he’d been scratched by an enormous cat. Bella pulled the covers up to her chin, rubbing at her aching head. For a moment, she thought about touching his leg, running her fingers over the cuts. Then she shook her head, a mistake as pain thudded through her temples. Shrugging inwardly, she dismissed the idea of looking closer and lay back down, rolling closer to Jake, feeling his warmth against her side. Despite the thudding headache, the rise of his ribcage against hers lulled her back to sleep.
When she woke again, he had gone. The covers on his side of the bed were thrown back and the pillow left dented from the weight of his head. Bella lay there for a moment, wondering what to do.
She heard the creak and thud of his footsteps on the landing outside and then his black, curly head poked around the edge of the door. The tinkle of juddering china preceded him.
"Morning.”
“Hello,” she said, feeling shy.
He put the laden tray down on the floor by the bed. Bella sat up, pulling the sheet across her breasts.
“Thought you might be hungry. Are you hungry?” said Jake.
“Yes –“
“Me too,” he said interrupting her. Slowly, he reached out and pulled at the bedclothes strapped across her chest. Blushing, Bella brought her hands up to cover herself, put them down again, not wanting to look silly, blushed harder and crossed her arms.
“No need for that,” said Jake. “Come here…”
The coffee and toast had gone cold by the time they turned their attention to it. Jake grimaced and put his lukewarm cup back on the tray.
“Disgusting. I’ll make some more.”
“It’s okay.”
Bella was lying back against the pillows, flushed and rosy. The ache in her inner thighs was just subsiding. She held the back of her hand against her hot face, smiling widely – she couldn’t help herself. Jake laughed.
“You’re amazing.”
She looked at him, surprised but pleased.
“What?”
“You. You’re totally amazing."
Bella found herself able to tease him.
“Sod off,” she said, smiling.
"Well, you are. I should know."
She lifted her head for a kiss and he obliged.
"So, what are we going to do today?"
"Today?"
"Yes, today. Why, do you have something else to do?"
Bella mouthed helplessly for a second.
"Jake - I've got to - well, I must go home at some point."
"Why?"
She burst out laughing. "Why? Because that's where I live, for a start."
He pulled her back down against him, hooking his leg around her own to keep her close.
"Don't go home. Stay here. Move in here."
Bella laughed harder. "Don't be crazy."
"Who's crazy?"
"You are. Me, move in here? You're nuts. You hardly know me."
Jake suddenly turned on his side, bringing his face close to hers. His eyes searched her face. Bella stopped laughing abruptly.
"I do know you, Bella," he said. "I feel like I know you. Look at what we've been through together. Don't tell me you don't feel it too, don't do it down. Don't pretend you feel nothing just - just for the sake of convention."
Bella was still. Her tongue felt suddenly too big for her mouth - it was difficult to get the words out.
"Jake - "
He released her suddenly, smiling.
"I'm sorry, I'm sorry. I'm freaking you out, I know. Forgive me. Forget what I said. Just - let's spend the day together. Please? Don't go home yet."
"I don't want to go home," said Bella softly. He took a long, serious look at her and nodded.
It was a beautiful day and Bella was glad when Jake suggested they go out. They walked through the Sunday-quiet streets, hand in hand, stretching their faces to the sunlight. There were lots of people about but moving slowly, doing Sunday things; washing cars, gardening, propping little children on their wobbly three-wheeled bicycles. Jake and Bella crossed the road and began to walk past a long unbroken line of black iron railings. Beyond lay a tangle of dark undergrowth and crumbling headstones. Jake pointed towards it.
“That’s Highgate Cemetery.”
“Mmm, I know. I think I went there once with my Dad. Isn’t someone famous buried there? George Orwell? No – Karl Marx.”
Jake looked at her sideways, grinning slightly.
“I don’t know about that but – “
“But what –“
His grin grew wider.
"That's where the vampires live."
Bella pushed him gently. "Don't be silly."
"It's true. Didn't you see that program? It was on, oh, years ago...some professor going on about the Highgate vampires. Perhaps if we walked down here at night, we’d see them emerging from their tombs… all in white… stretching out their arms through the railings."