Bella:
We went back to the apartment without Halle. She had asked Riley to go back with us, stating it was risky for him to drive back to the Dusk Pack, knowing that vampires lurked around the mountains on the deserted roads at night. When we asked where she was going, she gave us a warm smile, saying, "Adults worry about children, and not the other way around."
With that, she vanished.
Soon, we made it to the parking lot of the apartment where Kai and Ryder were waiting for us. As soon as our cars came to a stop, they rushed toward us. We got down from the car, and then they rushed at me. Kai pulled me to himself first.
"We had a feeling you were in danger, and I kept telling Ryder, but we shrugged it off, thinking Finn would call," Kai said. I pressed my body harder into theirs.
"What matters is that we are okay now," I said to him, and then he kissed my cheek before pulling away from me.
I looked at Ryder, whose face was drawn down.
"I am not dead, Ryder," I said to him, then he threw his arms around me, kissing my face.
"You had me worried, and we've been outside waiting."
"I know." I patted his back gently before we pulled away.
Then he walked over to Finn and Kai, who were conversing. He pulled Finn in for a brief hug before they walked over to Hazel and Riley, who were leaning against Riley's car. We were used to strange activities, but Riley seemed shaken,
and I couldn't blame him. He had wanted a cool weekend, but he had been on his toes since.
"Hey man," Ryder said to him, and Riley took his hand, shaking it as though he was lifeless.
Hazel and Kai shared a brief hug.
"Riley is tired, and I think we just need to freshen up," Hazel glanced at me, and I nodded my head, so we all made our way into the building.
Shortly, we were in the apartment, and the triplets found their way to the living room.
"You and Riley can stay in any of the rooms apart from mine," Ryder said to Hazel, and she grabbed Riley's hand and left the space.
I sat with the triplets.
"Is it me, or is Riley acting strange?" Kai asked, and I sighed.
"He has been through a lot, and I do not think he is used to this. He has been driving for almost two days, given he came to pick Hazel up yesterday, and he is back today," I said to him, and he shrugged.
A part of me feared what Riley would do. I knew he loved Hazel, but what if we have managed to scare him away? THIRD PERSON POV:
"Riley, you've been so quiet since we got here," Hazel said, breaking the silence in the room.
Riley, who had been lying on the bed, let out a sigh. Then he looked at Hazel, who sat close to him. He sat up.
"I love you, Hazel, I swear," he began, then he reached out to hold her hands. "But this whole thing is scary. What if I am not right for you?" Hazel felt her heart skip a beat when he said this.
"Is this you breaking up with me?" she asked, and he looked at her with wide eyes.
"What?" he asked, then he cupped her face in his hands. "Sometimes I try to act as if I am okay, as if nothing is going on, but I realize I am only fooling myself."
"What are you talking about?"
"You saw what happened today. I was scared one of us was going to die, and I used to think magic was cool, but after today," he shook his head. "It hurts people, and if vampires are using it, then we are probably going to die. What if I cannot protect you, Hazel? I was weak out there. Bella and Finn did most of the work."
Deep down, his words scared Hazel, but she tried to act neutral about it. She was used to this, and she needed to comfort him, so she let out a forced laugh that caused him to stare at her.
"We are not going to die," she blurted out, though deep down she wasn't sure. "You did great, as you were brave enough to leave the circle when your friends needed help, and that counted so much. All we have to do is train, and no matter how old the vampire is, we are going to take it down," she said, then she stroked his hands.
Riley felt a sense of warmth for the first time all day. Then Hazel pulled him into a hug, and he wrapped his arms around her. This felt safe, and he was going to hold on because of Hazel. Even if they were going to die, he was willing to live in the present with her.
"We should freshen up and go to bed," she said to him.
**
Bella threw her eyes open to find herself lying on the grass. The atmosphere was bright, and the clouds looked down happily at her.
"Do
you like it?" she heard a familiar voice, which made her look to her left to see her best friend, Bonnie, lying close to her.
Bella was shocked and scared at first, but Bonnie reached out to her, grabbing her hand, which made Bella feel safe. "Bonnie," she managed to pronounce her best friend's name, then she sat up at once.
Bonnie sat down close to her, then she threw her arms around her.
"I have missed you so much, Bella. I watch over you every day, and I am happy you have found your mates. You are fitting in perfectly, too, and although it is sad I cannot be there with you, I love seeing you happy."
Tears streamed down her face as she pressed herself tightly into Bonnie. She could feel her flesh to flesh as though she weren't dead.
"Do not cry, Bella," Bonnie said, pulling away from her. Then she looked into Bella's eyes, bringing her hand to Bella's face to wipe her tears.
Bella sniffed as she stared at Bonnie, who raised her hand, bringing to Bella's notice a familiar bracelet.
"You haven't worn this since I died," she said, and Bella reached for the bracelet, running her hands over the pendant, which was embedded with "B&B 4EVA."
"Bonnie and Bella," Bella voiced out, and Bonnie chuckled lightly.
Suddenly, Bonnie began to fade away, causing Bella to panic.
"What... what is going on?" Bella asked, and Bonnie smiled at her, waving her goodbye.
"It's time for you to go now."
When she said this, Bella jerked up from sleep at once, her body drenched in sweat, and she opened her eyes to see the triplets staring at her.
"Bella, are you okay?" Ryder asked first, with concern etched on his face.
"You were crying in your sleep, and..."
"What's the time?" she cut Finn off.
Kai grabbed his phone. "Ten minutes past five."
Her face lit up at once, and she got out of bed immediately.
"We need to get to Howlstone right away," she said to them, and they looked at her in confusion. "I know it is early,
but the gate opens in twenty minutes, and we will get there just in time."
The triplets glanced at each other.
"You know we cannot leave Hazel and Riley here. We cannot wake them up either," Finn said.
"You guys go ahead, and I will stay back," Ryder said, and the twins stared at him. "Whatever it is must be urgent," he added, and Bella nodded.
The twins agreed, and Bella rushed to the closet to get dressed. When she was done, she kissed Ryder goodbye, then left with the twins, who still had no clue what she was rushing to get to.
Just as she had predicted, they got to school when the gate was opened, and the twins made their way onto the premises, stopping at the parking lot. The moment the ignition stopped, Bella got out of the car, rushing toward the hostel, and the twins went after her.
"Slow down, Bella!" Kai yelled, but she wouldn't stop.
They got into the elevator, and she tapped her feet on the ground, waiting for it to stop. When it did, she rushed to her room. Upon getting there, she dashed to her closet, ransacked it, and pulled out a box, taking out her pink bracelet and clutching it to her chest.
"Bonnie came to me in my dream, and she had one of these. We've had it on since we were seven." Her voice was high, then it softened as she said, "We would have celebrated ten years this year, but..."
The twins pulled her into a tight hug as they noticed the heaviness in her voice...