Chapter 36 The Hardest Goodbye

Chapter 36 The Hardest Goodbye

He gently held my face and replied. "I know I shouldn't have done this, and it was not an easy decision for me. I did it to protect you, Mia. At that time, I was facing a dangerous situation, and I believed that erasing your memories was the only way to keep you safe."

A wave of understanding washed over me, but it couldn't completely quell the lingering pain. "But why didn't you trust me enough to make that decision for myself? We could have faced the dangers together."

Flashback

Jonathan’s P.O.V.

The days with you passed by in a blur. As the morning sun gently illuminated the room, you slept peacefully while I stood beside your bed, gazing at you with pure love in my eyes.

We weren't sharing the same bed; I slept on the sofa.

I felt a sense of bliss, watching you sleep. You looked like an angel.

"Hello, Jonathan.” I froze as I heard Katrina's voice. I immediately turned to the source of the sound and saw her standing by the window with a sinister smile on her face. I furrowed my brow and glared at her, feeling my anger rise.

Without a second thought, I swiftly approached her and threw her out of the window, wanting to protect you from seeing her. Then I jumped out as well without hesitation.

"What are you doing here, Katrina? What do you want?" I roared at her, grabbing her neck and pinning her against the nearby wall. I wished I could kill her.

"Who is that girl, Jonathan? Why don't you look at me the way you look at her? Am I not beautiful?" She asked when I released my grip on her neck.

"You're a despicable person, Katrina. You ruined my life by turning me into a vampire and killing Sofia. Now you're back again. Why can't you leave me alone?" I growled at her, my fist clenched.

I fell in love with Sofia when I was still a human, but Katrina killed her and turned me into a vampire. Since that day, I have been trying to kill her, but she is stronger than me. After Sofia, I never felt a connection with another woman until I met you. You brought me back to life. Your presence brought me joy, and I never expected to love someone again.

Just as I found happiness, Katrina returned to snatch it away. Anger surged within me.

"Why can't you see my love, Jonathan? I turned you into a vampire because I want to spend eternity with you-“

I cut her off, shouting. “You only love yourself, Katrina. You're obsessed with me. You killed my first love-“

She interrupted my words. “And now I came here to warn you that I'll kill this girl too if she stays with you. If I can't have you, no one else can.” She warned me in a tern stern tone. It was then that I realized I was putting your life at risk and doing wrong.

"Goodbye.” Katrina waved at me, a devilish grin adorning her face, and vanished before I could react.

Understanding the danger you were in, I made the painful decision to leave you. I couldn't afford to lose you as I had lost Sofia.

I returned to see you one last time, knowing it would be the end.

You were already awake.

"Good morning, Jonathan.” You approached me with a warm greeting, your happiness evident in your voice.

I just stared at you with sorrowful eyes, unable to look away. The thought of leaving you was agonizing, and my heart ached.

"Is everything okay? You seem upset." You asked with concern, placing your hand on my bicep.

I forced a smile on my face and replied, "I'm fine. I'm just going back home." As the words left my lips, your expression turned sad.

“Why?” Confusion clouded your eyes, and you searched my face for answers. “Couldn't you stay a few more days?" Hope filled your eyes as you asked me.

I shook my head. "I have to go.”

"Okay, but before you leave, there's something I want to confess." My heartbeat quickened as you moved closer to my face. I understood what you were about to say.

"I know we've only known each other for three days, but I'm in love with you. These three days have been the best of my life. I love you, Jonathan.” You revealed your feelings, holding my face and locking eyes with me before planting a kiss on my lips.

Though I longed to touch you, run my fingers through your hair, and kiss you back, I stood motionless. I had to protect you. I was afraid, scared to lose you because Katrina was still alive.

For three days, I had been aching for your lips on mine, but I couldn't bring myself to do it when the moment came because I knew it was time to say goodbye.

"Say something.” You said when I didn't respond.

I closed my eyes and took a deep breath, mustering the courage to break your heart. It was incredibly difficult. I wanted to shout to the world how much I loved you, but to keep you safe, I had to do this. I couldn't put your life at risk. I was afraid and still frightened of losing you because of Katrina.

I held onto your arms and pushed you away gently before speaking in a firm tone, “You and I can't be together. You don't know anything about me."

"We'll get to know each other with time." You replied to me right away.

Once again, I shook my head. "No."

You became disheartened. "Why? Don't you like me?" Your question left me struggling to find a way to break your heart. I didn't want to steal away your beautiful smile.

"I'm really a vampire, Mia.” I finally told you the truth, hoping you would walk away.

Your eyes widened in shock. "So, you weren't joking that day. You're really a vampire?" You asked, unable to believe it.

I nodded. "Yes." I extended my canine teeth to show you the undeniable proof. You stared at me in shock, but there was no fear in your eyes.

"Oh my God, I can't believe it. Vampires are real.” You covered your mouth in astonishment.

"You deserve a normal human being. I'm dangerous for you.” I tried to explain.

"I don't care. Your truth doesn't change the fact that you're the person I love. I still love you, Jonathan.” You confessed once again, clasping my face and gazing at me with immense love. You accepted me even after knowing I was a vampire. It made me want to cry because we couldn't be together.

"No, Mia. I'm dangerous for you. You must let me go.” I removed your hands from my face and stepped back.

"I don't want to lose you. I feel like we've known each other forever. Please, don't take away my happiness.” As you begged, tears streaming down your cheeks, and I felt wretched. Your pleading eyes made it more difficult for me.

It was becoming harder to leave you. The pain in my chest grew heavier.

"I can't bear to see you like this. You have to forget about me. I need to erase myself from your memories.” I murmured, causing you to furrow your brow in confusion.

“What do you mean, Jonathan?"

“Nothing, I'm just trying to protect your life and make things easier for you. If you don't remember me, you won't have to move on from me." I explained to her with a heavy heart.

"No, you can't do this. I don't want to forget the best days of my life. I don't want to forget the person who makes me smile and completes me.” As you sobbed, my heart ached with intense pain.

“It’s best that you forget our time together, for your safety. It's the only way to protect you." Each passing second made it more difficult. I never thought I would be in this situation.

Suddenly, a smile appeared on your face, leaving me bewildered. "You're my home, and I'll find a way back to my home even if you erase my memories today.” You stated with determination, wiping away your tears. I was taken aback by your confidence.

"I love you, Mia, but I have to do this for you.” Reluctantly, I channelled my power, erasing our memories from your mind, leaving behind only a faint echo of the love we had shared.

As you blinked, I swiftly ran out of the window.

From the window, I looked at you as you stood there, puzzled for a few seconds. Then you shook your head and went to the washroom.

"Some people can only stay in your heart but not in your life. It's true.” As I murmured to myself, a solitary tear involuntarily rolled down my cheek. It was the most difficult farewell for me.

Days turned into weeks, and weeks turned into months. My decision to erase your memories haunted me every day. The pain of leaving you behind, knowing that you were living a life without the memory of our love, was unbearable. But I convinced myself that it was for your safety, for your happiness.

As time passed, I kept a watchful eye on you from a distance. I made sure you were safe, protecting you from the shadows. It was agonizing to see you move on, living your life without any recollection of the love we had shared. Yet, a part of me found solace in knowing that you were safe and free from the dangers that surrounded me.

Afterwards, I learned that Katrina is still a threat to you. So, I enrolled in college to protect you from her. You were right, you did find your way back home, and you made me realize that if our love is strong, no one can separate us. I'm sorry for erasing our beautiful memories together. It was incredibly difficult for me, but I had no other choice.

Flashback over

Mia’s P.O.V.

As I returned to the present, my eyes filled with tears. The pain of discovering that our beautiful moments had been taken from me was almost unbearable. Yet, amidst the anguish, I saw the love and sacrifice in Jonathan's eyes.

I let out a deep sigh and held his face. "I'm glad you told me everything. I understand. It must have been incredibly hard for you, but you did it to keep me safe.” I spoke softly, my voice laced with a mixture of sadness and understanding.

Jonathan nodded, his eyes glistening. "I wanted to shield you from the dangers that followed me, to give you a chance at a normal life."

A sense of bittersweet gratitude welled up within me. Despite the loss, I knew that Jonathan had acted out of love, driven by a desire to keep me safe.

"I may have lost those memories, but I found you again. Now we will create new memories and relive those moments.” I declared, my voice filled with determination. "And this time, I won't let anything stand in the way of our love."

Jonathan's face brightened, relief mingling with adoration. He took me in his arms, holding me tightly, as if trying to bridge the gap between our past and present.

"I love you, Angel.” He whispered, his voice trembling with emotion. "Thank you for understanding."

“I love you too, Jonathan. And no matter what we face, our love will conquer all." I whispered against his chest, wrapping my arms around him.

At that moment, I knew that our love was strong enough to withstand any trials that lay ahead. The truth, though painful, had only served to deepen our connection. Together, we would face the challenges of our intertwined destinies, united by a love that transcended time and memory.