Vi stirred awake, her body shifting slightly beneath the soft covers. A smile tugged at her lips as she turned to find those familiar reddish eyes watching her intently. They glimmered faintly in the dim light, unblinking, always awake. Of course, her vampire lover didn’t sleep—vampires didn’t sleep. It was a fact she had grown used to, though the irony of it still amused her. Yes, she was dating a vampire. The ultimate cliché. She rolled her eyes at herself even as the thought crossed her mind.

“You know,” she murmured, her voice still heavy with sleep, “you wouldn’t have to sit there watching me all night if you just turned me already.” It wasn’t the first time she’d brought it up. Probably wouldn’t be the last. Every time, her lover found a way to dodge the conversation, brushing it aside with the same reasons. Not yet, Vi. You need to think this through. You don’t understand the consequences.

She heard her lover sigh this time, a low sound of exasperation as they sat up beside her. She pushed herself upright, tossing the blanket off her shoulders as she turned to face them fully. “Don’t give me that,” she said sharply, her tone edged with frustration. “Come on. Just do it already. What’s the big deal? How bad could eternity really be?”

There was a spark in her eyes now, equal parts determination and defiance. Vi didn’t get it—how could she? To her, eternity with the one she loved sounded like a dream.