Surrender [H.S]

Chapter Thirty-Six

Harry looked at me, and frowned. "You know that's not what I meant."

"Then what did you mean?" I asked him, trying to hold the bitterness out of my tone.

He sighed. "Yes, Khloe is a helpless four year old, but if she was meant to do this, then there must be a way for us to protect her by giving her the tools to end this. But nothing can be done if Justin and Emma won't allow her to train."

"They're doing more harm to her than good by shielding her," I agreed.

"All of us will need to talk to them when we get back," he said, glancing over at me. "And when I say all, I mean all of us."

"We can't gang up on them," I protested. "I know where they're coming from, Harry. We just have to find a way to make them see reason."

"We've tried that, and we've tried everything short of teaching her in secret. There's not much else we can do besides tell them the hard truth; we're all going to die if Khloe can't do this. It's what she was born to do."

"They might leave with her in the middle of the night," I said, frowning at him as he got up from the bed. "What will we do then, huh? If they leave, we won't be able to find them before Emilia does. And she'll kill them. And then we'll be screwed. We can't gang up on them."

"It's the only thing left, Layla. I wish there was something else, but there isn't. They have to understand they can't shield her from the awfulness in the world. It'll find her no matter what."

"I know," I said, and sighed. "Fine, we'll do it. But if I think it's going too far, it stops, got it?"

Harry looked at me and without a word, he lifted me from the bed so that my torso was pressing against his. His lips touched my forehead and trailed down to my lips. "I will do whatever it takes to keep you safe, Layla. Even if it means having you hate me again."

I looked at him, and I could tell that he meant every word. His message was clear; he wouldn't stop yelling at Emma and Justin, not even if I told him to. He would convince them no matter the cost.

Damaris.

I slipped out of our room after Taylor fell asleep, and I did the most stupid and impulsive thing I could do short of sleeping with some random girl. Actually this was probably even stupider than that, and it cost me a huge chunk of money.

In Vegas, it was obvious that people threw money away in gambling, but apparently, my brain didn't tell my feet to take me to the casino. Nope, it took me somewhere else.

"Welcome to Courtesy Jewelers, what can I do for you, sir?" A woman asked as soon as I entered, and I blinked, coming out of my daze.

"I..I'm not sure," I confessed, walking over to the counter. I put my hands on it, and leaned forward slightly, looking down at all of the glimmering jewelry. I'd never seen a sight that was so sparkly. "I don't even know why I'm here."

She leaned down toward me, smiling sadly as if she understood my problems. "I'm going to guess that it's a problem with a girl."

I blinked again. "How did you know that?"

She laughed. "I didn't take you for the gay type, so it was a lucky guess, I suppose." Her nails tapped against the glass as she thrummed them absentmindedly. "Now, back in the days that humans ran things, there were three reasons anyone came to Vegas, and they haven't changed to this day. Reason one, to cheat on their spouse."