This Time Next Year Read Online Free PDF Page B

here.”
    “I never have. What would you suggest?”
    Good question. As it was, they were incompatible in the most important way—longevity. But with all the old fears giving way to new ones, what could they do?
    Then it dawned on her. “Change me,” she said before she lost her nerve.
    “You don’t know what you’re asking.” He lowered her hands. “I’ve kept you safe all this time, and you want me to make you what you hate? I can’t do that to you.”
    “I hated one vampire. And if you did it, you wouldn’t have to keep me safe. We’d be together. I’d be as strong as you.”
    “One night, and you’re willing to throw away your life for me?”
    “One night, and I’m finally willing to start my life. I’m yours, Kiernan, now more than ever.”

 
     
     

Chapter Six
     
     
    “You’re certain?” Kiernan glanced at the clock. One hour before sunrise.
    Moira nodded, her hazel eyes glowing in the minimal light.
    “What about your friends?”
    “This isn’t about my friends. This is about me. And you. And us.”
    “You’ll never see the sun again.”
    “I work in a lab from sunrise to sunset. I don’t see the sun now. Besides, I’m Irish. We don’t do sunshine.”
    “You can’t have chocolate or meat. No coffee, no tea, no soda.”
    She winced. Food always made his point for him, since humans could never imagine living without their favorite treats. She pursed her lips while she considered everything she’d miss out on. Probably thinking about never having a wedding, or babies…. Hell, even getting sick was worth the cost of being human to him. Through illness, a person appreciated the benefits health bestowed on him. Being a vampire took that away, too. He floated through every night like a wraith, lacking fulfillment.
    “Eternity is a long time,” he reminded her. “And a vampire’s strength doesn’t guarantee you’ll live forever.”
    “It would be worth it to be with you. If it’s just twenty years, it’d be worth it.” She smiled wryly as tears slipped down her cheeks.
    “This is a huge decision, and this has been a crazy, wonderful, perfect night, but I need you to think it over.”
    She swallowed and buried her head in his chest, sniffling.
    Drawing back, he lifted her chin with his finger so her watery eyes met his. “Moira, I love you.” He wanted her to feel the weight of each word. “I want you forever. I always have. But for your sake, and for mine, please take time to think through your decision. You’ll miss out on so much if you do this.”
    “I’ll miss out on even more if I don’t.”
    They’d both miss out on the possibility of a beautiful life together if he refused to turn her. Still, the other possibility he hated considering lingered. “I could kill you.”
    Her eyes widened.
    “I mean, the process could kill you, and I—”
    “Stop. Just stop there.”
    Determination filled her voice. “I know what you’ve been through. Let me tell you what I have been through. I haven’t had a decent night’s sleep since I was a kid. I have dealt with nightmares in which I relive the attack every single night, and because of those nightmares, I have been alone . No one but my best friend even knows about what happened, and I can’t tell anyone else without sounding like a freaking lunatic.” She took a few deep breaths, but even in the darkness, he sensed her trembling. “Maybe to you, it isn’t worth it. But I…I can’t keep living the way I am.” After several minutes of silence, she excused herself, grabbed a robe out of the armoire, and headed into the living room.
     
    Moira beelined to the already-uncorked wine on the counter and poured herself a healthy glass. What the hell had happened? Oh right. She’d confessed her love to someone she’d practically just met and asked him to change her into a vampire.
    And he’d said no.
    Maybe that’s best . Settling onto the sofa, she took a long swig of wine and let the alcohol loosen her mind. After