Give Me Courage (Give Me Series #4)

30 - Four AM

He shrugged one shoulder. "I got hungry," he stated with a slight gesture forward with the bowl in his hand. "I didn't really eat much when we got home." Isaac rose a brow and nodded his head at me. "Why are you awake?"

I nervously fiddled with my phone before I slipped it in the pocket of my leggings. "I need to see Stiles."

"You know it's four in the morning, right?" Isaac deadpanned while he shoveled a spoonful of cereal into his mouth. He peered at me, knowingly.

"I just need to see him," I sighed. "I- I—" I hung my head and poked my tongue into the side of my cheek. "I don't like how we ended things last time we saw each other— Not like ended, but an unfortunate pause, if anything."

Dread seeped into my veins at the mere thought of our relationship coming to an abrupt end.

"You should go," Isaac agreed when he saw the look of turmoil written on my features.

His encouraging words of my late night idea brought a wave of confidence through my body. I took a step toward the front door with my hand outstretched before me for the doorknob.

"He's really torn up about it," Isaac softly added.

I froze at the statement. My hand dropped back down to my side as I hesitantly turned back to face him, keys jingling from the motion. "Did he say something to you?"

"When we left the vault, he reeked of guilt and sadness. He just kept saying how sorry he was and never meant to hurt you," he explained before he took another large bite of cereal.

My heart dropped to my stomach. I swallowed the lump gradually forming in the base of my throat. "Um..." I stumbled backward to the door. "I'll be— I'll be back soon...or whenever. I just—"

Isaac nodded. "Take your time."

I pressed my lips together and slipped out of the front door without uttering a word. The cool air of the night greeted my skin as I jogged to our car parked in the driveway.

The dimly lit roads of Beacon Hills were nearly empty aside from a few cars, perhaps on their way home after a long night shift at their jobs. Music softly played over the radio on the way to Stiles' house, yet my mind couldn't focus on which songs were playing with my thoughts solely revolving around how to fix our relationship.

The headlights of my car swept over the Stilinski household and then locked on the back of Stiles' jeep and Mr. Stilinski's work vehicle. Mr. Stilinski rose his forearm in front of his face, shielding his tired eyes from the bright lights beaming across his body. He took a step away from the opened door on the driver's side and angled his body toward my car as I clambered out of it.

"Chloe?" He called out in surprise. His arm lowered back to his side once the headlights turned off along with the car.

The keys returned to my fingers as I approached his taller figure in the driveway, shadowed by the darkness of the night and partially illuminated by the moon high in the sky.

"What are you doing here so late? It's..." Mr. Stilinski peered at the watch on his wrist. He lowly whistled at the late hour. "Four fifteen in the morning."

My lips pressed together, eyes welling with tears. "Um," I lowered my head down to stare at the driveway beneath my feet. "I- I really need to see Stiles."

A momentarily look of realization formed on Mr. Stilinski's face. He nodded to himself. "He seemed pretty upset over something when he got home from the school after everything. He wouldn't tell me what it was, but I could tell it was really bothering him."