AVERY
I hoped that Chase just needed time to warm up to me, but his disposition towards me hardly improved. He remained snobby and standoffish as ever, which seemed to piss Lydia off too as she spent a good amount of our hike glaring at him and pulling him aside to quietly argue. Not that it helped.
Thankfully, he departed the night before our Albany trip, for which I was glad. That is, until Lydia dragged me into the Capitol building for a tour that was a thinly veiled excuse to visit him. I could only do so much to hide my relief when we were told he'd taken another day off. Lydia seemed perturbed by that and remained cagey during our shopping trip.
Still, we managed to make my suitcases a bit fuller by the time I was set to leave. I'd bought a few new clothes as well as souvenirs to give to my parents. Maybe we could take a family trip one day.
Regardless of her mood, Lydia was genuinely sad to see me go. She hugged me tightly on the front porch when Travis brought the rental car around to pick me up.
"Don't hesitate to call or text, OK?" she said.
I hugged her back. "You haven't seen the last of me, I promise."
Lydia smiled wistfully and waved goodbye. I got inside the car, and Travis and I made the drive to the airport, where Nate's private jet waited to take me to my parents.
They were ecstatic to see me again and immediately sat me down with questions about my new life. I answered them as vaguely as I could, not wanting to worry them about the details of my love life. Or the drawbacks to dating a vampire. It made me feel even more distant than the first time I returned from the competition. I wanted advice on how to make my relationship with Nate work, but that wasn't something my parents' limited experience could provide.
We had dinner as a family for the first time in weeks. My parents were a lot happier now. Dad got a new job in Portland courtesy of Nate. It was a long commute, but my family could finally afford a car. Best of all, Dad's job paid enough for Mom to quit her menial gig as a grocery clerk.
After dinner, I helped Mom with the dishes and decided to take a walk through town while it was still light out. I let Travis know, and he drove up from his motel so he could follow at a discreet distance as I rode my bike. First I went to the pier, which was one of the busier parts of town. It had only been three weeks since I'd walked down the boardwalk, but I missed it. Missed the children running around, the couples walking hand in hand, and the fishermen casting their reels over the railing. I savored the sights, knowing that I probably won't get to visit again for a long while. The town surrounding Rosethorne Hall had its own pier, but going there just wasn't the same.
After that, I rode my bike along the cliffside road that leads out of town, letting the wind whip in my face as I inhaled the familiar salty air. Once I came to the scenic overlook, I stopped my bike and went to peer over the railing.
An odd feeling crept up my spine as I took it all in once more. It was so strange being here again — the place where it all began. Well, technically it began in my living room because that was where Melanie showed up to tell me about the competition. But this particular spot felt more significant. This was where I first met Nate. Where he'd saved my life.
I gazed down at the waves below as they crashed over the rocky surface of the cliff. The memory of how I felt that day made me shudder. It was the darkest place I'd ever been in. I just felt so betrayed by everyone, that I'd wanted to end my life rather than have to face another day. I was glad to leave those feelings in the past.
I'd made up with my parents. Rowan on the other hand... I doubted the two of us could ever be close again. His betrayal had cut me deepest of all. Back then, I honestly believed he was my soulmate. But he ended up showing his true colors but voicing his foolish plot to kill Nate. What would he do if he learned we were together now?
Ironically, I was now in the best position to carry out his ridiculous plan. Nate had completely let down his guard around him. If I actually wanted to kill him, he'd never see it coming. I'd never get away with it, but that wouldn't matter to Rowan. My life would be a necessary sacrifice for his cause. That was what he'd asked of me, he'd called me selfish when I refused.
I heard the crunching of gravel as someone came towards me. I turned, expecting to see Travis walking up to enjoy the scenic view. Instead, I found myself looking at the last person I expected to see. Rowan stood in front of me, as if my thoughts conjured him out of thin air.
"Avery," he said quietly, his dark eyes stern and somber.
"Hi Rowan," I stammered. My eyes darted towards Travis, who stood outside his car, watching our interaction closely. His right hand hovered over the gun holstered at his hip. I gave him a tentative thumbs-up to show that I wasn't in danger.
Rowan glanced back at him as well, eyebrows raised. "You've got bodyguards now?"
"It kind of comes with the territory," I replied.
"So you won." His voice was flat and void of surprise.
I shrugged awkwardly. "Not exactly, but I am with the king now."
I half expected him to sneer and insult me, but he simply shoved his hands into the pocket of his gray sweatshirt and looked down at his feet. "So how long until you become one of them?"
I sighed. It was a loaded question. and I didn't have an answer for anyone, let alone him. Besides, it wasn't his business. It stopped being his business when he threw me out of his life.
"I'm not some immortal-wannabe gold digger," I said, crossing my arms. "We're just two people who care about one another, trying to figure things out one day at a time. Like everyone else."
Rowan nodded, but I could tell from his guarded expression that he didn't believe me. "So it's not that serious? Your relationship, I mean."
I balked. "Of course it's serious!"
"Then how do you plan to make it work?"
I grit my teeth. That wasn't any of his concern. But a nagging voice in the back of my head told me he was right. Turning into a vampire was the only way to make things work between Nate and me. It was the only way for us to truly be on equal footing. If I remained human, he'd always desire my blood. And I would age and die while he remained forever unchanging. That was the unfortunate reality of our union. Either I changed, or we didn't stay together.
I didn't want either of those two options. But I didn't dare voice my thoughts out loud.
Instead, I opted to change the subject. "So where've you been off to all this time?" I'd feared Rowan had gotten tangled up int he rebellion, but him being back in town was probably a good sign.
He scratched his head, looking off into the distance. "I got a new job out of town, so I had to move."
I had to admit, it pleased me to hear that. Whatever his new job was clearly paid more than the construction gig he used to have, or he wouldn't have taken it. Maybe his family could have a little peace of mind with the extra income. I didn't doubt he still supported his mom and sisters, like always. For all his faults, he always loved his family.
"That must be exciting," I said. "What do you do now?"
Before Rowan could answer, I heard the unmistakable sound of a bullet tearing through the air. It was the same high pitched pop with a supersonic echo, like what preceded Nate's fall aboard the Empress. Panicked, I turned to see Travis slump to the ground, a bloody crater in the back of his head.
I screamed.
A figure moved in the distance. In the rocky field on the other side of the road, on top of a cluster of boulders, was a man dressed in all black. He stood with his rifle in his arms, looking straight at me.
My eyes shot back to Travis's still form. He was supposed to protect me. He was supposed to prevent this from happening, but he was dead. I stumbled backward, my back hitting the railing painfully. The water crashes against the rocks below. There was nowhere to run. Nowhere to go but down.
Then I saw the keys. They'd fallen out of Travis's hand and now lay discarded next to his body. They were only a few yards away. I could make it. I could take the keys, get into the rental, and drive away to safety. I didn't know how to drive, but how hard could it be?
I glanced briefly at Rowan. He might know, somehow. We could escape together. I didn't want him to get killed on my account.
"Listen, I'm going for the keys. Follow me," I said, right as the sniper took aim.
My heart leaped into my chest as I lunged. But I didn't get far. Rowan seized my arm and pulled me back, crushing me against his chest.
"What are you doing? He's gonna kill us!" I cried out, struggling against his grip. He was able to hold me back with just one arm. I didn't remember him being this strong.
"I'm sorry, Avery," he whispered in my ear. The words were like sandpaper against my skin.
Before I could fully comprehend what he meant, I felt a painful jab in the side of my neck. Rowan had stuck a needle into me.
"You bastard," was all I had time to say before my vision grew hazy and I fell limp into his arms.