Coleen: Forever (Waking Forever Series Book 5)

  Coleen: Forever

  Heather McVea

  Copyright 2015 Heather McVea

  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, and incidents are the product of the author’s imagination or are used factiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or event is entirely coincidental. This book, or parts thereof, may not be reproduced in any form without written permission from the author.

  This book is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This book may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you’re reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please return it and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

  About the author:

  Heather McVea was raised in a small town south of San Antonio, Texas. Prior to escaping to the big city, she raised Hampshire pigs, rode motorcycles at entirely too young an age, and once snow boarded behind a Ford pickup truck. She relishes a strong gin and tonic, but leans after three. Shiny twinkly things make her cringe, up to and including Hollywood vampires.

  Heather and her wife have three fur babies, and are drinking their way through all of the distillery tours in Texas. In between pints and the all too occasional Tanqueray Ten on the rocks, Heather is working on a short story due out in September 2015, set in the jungles of Mexico. She is also outlining a standalone novel slated for release in January 2016, set in early twentieth century America.

  Visit Heather’s website www.heathermcvea.com and follow her on Twitter @HMcVea.

  Playlist:

  A Home – Dixie Chicks

  Uptown Funk – Mark Ronson featuring Bruno Mars

  Riptide – Vance Joy

  The Hanging Tree – James Newton Howard featuring Jennifer Lawrence

  Shine on You Crazy Diamond – Kendra Morris

  Come With Me Now – Kongos

  Landslide – Dixie Chicks

  Magic – Coldplay

  i don’t wanna break – Christina Perri

  Shine – Anna Nalick

  The Way I Tend To Be – Frank Turner

  Perfect Day – Lou Reed

  You and Your Heart – Jack Johnson

  The Cave – Mumford & Sons

  I’m Not the Only One – Sam Smith

  The Blower’s Daughter – Damien Rice

  A Note from the Author… and a Warning

  Dear reader, this novella was not supposed to happen.

  As avid readers of the Waking Forever series might recall, my author’s note in Dying Forever, the “last” book in the Waking series, said the whole thing was over with.

  The truth is after many solicitations by readers to continue the series, I began to notice a theme. Most fans wanted Coleen to have her own book. In particular they wanted the nearly three thousand year old vampire to “meet a nice girl, and settle down”.

  This seemed unlikely given who Coleen is, but I take the entertainment of my readers very seriously; so I considered the idea that a less traditional romance might be in Coleen’s future. With that in mind I forged ahead, and I hope you will find Coleen’s story entertaining.

  And now a warning… though I would never think to discourage anyone from reading, I will let you know, dear reader, that if you have not read any of the Waking Forever series, much of Coleen: Forever will be lost on you.

  This is a novella, and as such, there is not an inordinate amount of time spent providing character backstories. References are made throughout the book that, if you are not familiar with the four previous Waking books, will make very little sense.

  Read at your own risk.

  “…the love misplaced has inside it the seed of redemption. Nothing is exempt from resurrection.”

  - Kay Ryan

  Chapter 1

  “Say something.” Emma Atman’s voice was low, her hands still as she sat across the table from her oldest friend, Coleen Andrade. “Are you angry?”

  Coleen leaned back in the overstuffed high-back chair, the dim light of the Brooklynite Bar casting her face in shadow. “No.”

  The resolve in Coleen’s voice only put Emma more on edge. “No?”

  Coleen hesitated before shaking her head. “No.” She took a long drink from her eighteen year old Hakushu Japanese whisky, the citrus and earthy notes coating her tongue.

  Emma was unable to abate the urge to explain her decision. “I’ve lived and worked in San Antonio for nearly twelve years. I should look closer to fifty, but –” Emma glanced down at herself. “Well, clearly I don’t.”

  Coleen shifted in her seat, and put her half-empty glass of whisky down on the table. “I’m not angry with you. If you had listened to me from the beginning, and not entrenched yourself in a human existence, you wouldn’t have to leave like this.”

  Emma paused. She didn’t want to fight with Coleen, and taking an extra second before countering her friend’s assertion would ensure she didn’t say anything she might regret later. “If I had listened to you, I wouldn’t have a life at all. Not to mention I wouldn’t have met Ash.” Emma crossed her legs and leaned back. She hoped the conversation wasn’t about to get tense.

  Coleen frowned, her blue eyes focused on the drink in front of her. “And what about Ash? She has family here.” Coleen shrugged. “And I suppose she’s fond of them.”

  “She’ll see them, but my interaction with them will be limited.” Emma frowned, her eyes focused on the table top. “Since her father died, we’ve –”

  “What?” Coleen leaned forward, resting her elbows on the table. Emma didn’t respond, and she couldn’t make eye contact with Coleen. “She’s started taking your blood, hasn’t she?” Coleen’s otherwise placid tone shifted to one layered with disgust. “At least tell me you aren’t feeding on her.”

  Emma’s blue eyes shot up. They were wide, her expression one of horror. “You know I would never do that!”

  Coleen held her hand out in front of her, waving Emma off. “You’re right.” She laid her hand palm up on the table, her eyes steady on Emma. “Forgive me.”

  Emma managed a faint smile, and laid her hand in Coleen’s. “Forgiven, but Ash has for all intents and purposes stopped aging; so we will need to address that at some point with her family. I don’t know how yet, but we can cross that bridge when we get to it.”

  Coleen removed her hand from Emma’s. “You’ve become so spontaneous since taking up with the shifter, Em. I remember the days when you were a meticulous planner.”

  Emma took a drink of her Glenlivet whisky. Her shoulders felt stiff. “Ash and I have been together for five years. I wish you would use Ash’s name more consistently.”

  Coleen chuckled. “As they like to say, spit in one hand and wish in the other, and see which one you have the most in.”

  Emma cocked her head to the side. “Are you resorting to clichés?”

  Coleen shook her head. “It seemed apt.”

  Emma pulled her phone from her black leather Prada handbag. Glancing at the phone’s clock, she reached for her whisky. In one long drink Coleen emptied the glass. “I need to go.” She put her phone in her purse and stood up. “We leave tomorrow, and I don’t know when I’ll see you again.”

  Coleen felt an unfamiliar pang of pain stab at her stomach. In spite of her efforts to distance herself from an exchange that was moving her further away from one of the few people she had ever loved, losing Emma hurt.

  Coleen pushed the wretched feeling down, and stood up. “I have no doubt our paths will cross again, Em. Eternity is good like that.”

&n
bsp; The corner of Emma’s mouth turned up. “I’ll miss you.”

  Coleen smirked. “I should hope so.”

  Emma walked around the table, and pulled Coleen to her. “I love you.”

  Coleen hesitated. She wanted nothing more than to hold Emma, but feared if she gave into her desire she would not be able to let her friend go. Worse, Coleen feared the thick facade of indifference she maintained in so many aspects of her life would crumble, and the absence of Emma would haunt her for centuries. That was the downside to eternity.

  Cautiously wrapping her arms around Emma, Coleen permitted herself a long deep breath in through her nose. Emma smelled of lavender and citrus. The scents invaded Coleen, and caused her throat to tighten with longing.

  Moving Emma away, Coleen laid her hand on the woman’s shoulder. “Where are you off to anyway?” Coleen needed the sure footing of details if she was going to avoid a scene.

  Emma tucked her purse under her arm. “Baltimore. Ash has been offered a position in the city’s homicide division, and I’ve taken a teaching post with Towson University.”

  Coleen’s brow arched. “Teaching?” She wanted to find fault in her friend’s choice because it was pulling her away, but Coleen couldn’t imagine a better teacher than Emma. “That – that’s perfect for you.”

  In the one hundred and fifty years Emma had known Coleen, she could count on one hand the number of times her friend had stammered. It was the only tell as to how much the older vampire was struggling with Emma and Ash’s decision.

  “You’ll come visit?” Emma took Coleen’s hand in hers.

  Coleen squeezed Emma’s hand. “I’m more a fan of New York and Boston, but for you I could make the exception.”

  Emma smiled. She attempted to pull her hand away, but Coleen held it firmly in her own. “Em, I’ll miss you too.”

  Emma stepped forward and placed a quick kiss on Coleen’s cheek. “Bye.”

  Coleen leaned into Emma, committing the feel of her lips to memory. “Take care.”

  All too quickly, Emma was gone. Coleen sat in the nearly empty bar, her chest tight. Emma had left before, and they had found each other again, but Coleen was feeling this most recent departure more acutely.

  It had been over four years since Coleen’s companion Rayven was killed. Coleen had not taken a confidant since then. She had allowed herself to be lulled into believing the friendships she had with Emma and Rachel, and even the polite acquaintanceship she managed with Rachel’s partner Sara, could sustain her.

  The now human Bryce and her wife Alison had gradually drifted away, though Coleen was grateful for those ties being severed. It had become too disconcerting to watch Bryce age, essentially dying before Coleen’s eyes.

  Coleen looked around the bar. The Victorian style furniture contrasted with the exposed concrete floor and industrial themed bar back-splash. Emma and she had spent many nights here. Their conversations had not always been copacetic, but they had been lively and often cathartic for Coleen.

  Having acknowledged her love for Emma decades ago, Coleen had eventually accepted she and the beautiful doctor were not destined to be together as anything more than good friends. Gathering her purse, and laying a fifty dollar bill down on the table, Coleen sighed heavily as she made her way to the bar’s exit.

  It was seven thirty at night, but daylight savings was forcing the days to be unnaturally long. Coleen looked toward San Antonio’s downtown skyline, cast in faint shades of pinks, blues, and oranges from the setting sun, and shook her head. She scolded herself for being melodramatic, and reminded herself Emma would be a short plane ride away.

  Unlocking her two-door, red, 2018 Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG, Coleen knew she had spent the better part of the past ninety years imagining what she wanted to hear from Emma. Sliding into the car, she knew some small, delusional part of her had still hoped Emma and she would find their way to one another.

  Pushing the start button on the center console, the car’s engine emitted a low hum as Coleen maneuvered out of the parking space. She nearly laughed at how inherently contradictory her feelings for Emma were. She loved her, but loved her enough to want nothing but happiness for her. Coleen knew Emma’s happiness lay with Ash, and not her.

  Coleen did not naturally take to self-sacrifice. It left her feeling emotionally chafed and overwrought. Deciding she was too on edge to go home, Coleen exited the highway. She felt like company.

  ***

  “Coleen – ah, hey.” Rachel Collins stood barefoot, with her hand resting on the handle of her front door. She was wearing a pair of faded Levi’s jeans, and a black tank top. Her shoulder length, chestnut colored hair was pulled away from her face with a thin black band.

  Coleen smiled, and held up the plain brown paper bag. “I come bearing gifts.”

  Rachel’s eyes narrowed as she looked suspiciously at the bag. “Oh – come in.”

  Coleen knew her unannounced visit was making her friend nervous. She had never been one to make random and unnecessary house calls. “I thought we could enjoy a few glasses of Ranger Creek rye.” Handing the bag to a still stunned Rachel, Coleen entered the house. “I usually don’t take to Texas spirits, but this one has received a fair share of accolades.”

  Rachel closed the door, and pulled the small bottle from the paper bag. “Actually, Sara loves this.” Walking past Coleen, Rachel crumpled the bag up in her hand. “She’ll be sorry she missed it.”

  Coleen sat her purse down on the small dark oak table next to the door. “Is she not here?”

  Rachel gestured for Coleen to follow her toward the kitchen. “No. She’s away on business for a couple weeks.”

  Coleen had always liked Rachel’s decorating tastes. Rachel had been raised in Poland, and turned during World War II. Her house was decorated in heavy, dark wood furniture reminiscent of her mother country, complete with leather accented pieces and thick rugs.

  “Is this new?” Coleen admired a painting that adorned the hall wall leading to the kitchen. The oil painting was of a woman with her back turned to the painter. Her red hair was extended out to her side, implying she was brushing it.

  “It is. Sara acquired it for me about three months ago.” Rachel stood next to Coleen. “Slewinski. He was a Polish artist near the turn of the twentieth century.” Rachel smiled. “I had mentioned – in passing really – that my mother had a small sketch of his in her study, and Sara thought to get this for me.”

  Rachel turned and walked toward the kitchen, leaving Coleen alone in the hall. Her admiration of the painting became tinged with something akin to sadness, as she couldn’t recall the last time someone gifted her anything.

  Walking into Rachel’s kitchen, Coleen slid onto one of the three wooden stools along the front of the island counter. “How have you been?”

  Rachel put the now open bottle of rye down on the gray marble counter top, and turned to face Coleen. “Is this about Emma and Ash leaving the city?”

  Coleen’s brow arched, and she quickly calculated the risk of being honest with Rachel. “Yes.”

  Rachel sighed, and opened the cabinet to her left, removing two old fashioned glasses. “They were over for drinks before Sara left, and had said they would be moving to Baltimore.” Rachel poured Coleen a generous glass of the rye. “I wondered how you would take it.”

  Coleen reached for the caramel colored liquor, and before speaking took a long drink. Wiping at the corner of her mouth with the tip of her finger, Coleen shrugged. “What’s to take? We all move along eventually.”

  Rachel took a sip of her rye. “True.”

  Coleen’s eyes narrowed as she looked intently at Rachel. The woman had a way of speaking volumes without saying a word, and Coleen wasn’t ready to divulge everything over a few sips of rye. Rachel and she had not known each other long. After all, what was seventy five years among vampires? “Where’s Sara then?”

  “She’s in London.” Rachel took another drink.

  Coleen had never excelled at small
talk. In fact, she loathed it, but given her own hesitancy to fully commit to this conversation, it would seem she had no choice. “I’m surprised you didn’t go with her.” Her tone had been more accusatory than Coleen had intended, and she could see Rachel’s shoulders stiffen.

  “It was work related, and we are capable of being apart.” Rachel finished the last of her rye. “Though we do prefer each other’s company to almost anyone else.”

  Coleen knew she had that coming. Ever since Rachel and Sara had met, Coleen had been less than supportive of their relationship. Even after Rachel had turned Sara, Coleen still struggled to get past what had been the starts of the relationship. Human and vampire couplings had not only historically been bad, but Coleen had personally witnessed the absolute havoc they could wreak.

  Deciding to press on, Coleen slid her empty glass back toward Rachel. “I didn’t realize she was still practicing law.”

  Rachel looked suspiciously at Coleen as she poured her another glass of whiskey. “Contract and estate work mostly.”

  Coleen nodded. “Even vampires need a good estate planner.”

  “What are we doing?” Rachel put both of her hands on either edge of the island. Angling her head down, she looked at Coleen closely.

  Coleen had meant to lie. It was the easiest and most effective way to ensure she didn’t divulge too much. “I’m feeling…”

  Rachel stood up straight, her eyes narrowed with confusion and concern. “Feeling what?”

  Wrinkling her nose, Coleen took a deep breath. The cinnamon and toffee scent of the rye mixed with Rachel’s floral scents. “It hardly matters.”

  Rachel sighed. “It matters so little, in fact, that you drove across town, and are attempting to make small talk with me over a bottle of domestic whiskey.” The beautiful woman arched her brow. “Is that how little it matters?”

  Coleen flicked her tongue across her lower lip, her eyes focused on her still empty glass in front of Rachel. “Exactly.” She nodded toward the glass. “One more drink, and I have to be going.”