by Amanda Carol
“Yes, ma’am. Me and my girl are on a road trip and we just need a place to crash for a few hours. We should have planned this out better,” I say.
She looks up at me through dark lashes and gives me a shy smile.
“Shame,” she murmurs softly. “Anyway, I have a few rooms available, two doubles or a queen. Or I can upgrade you to a king for ten dollars more.”
She looks at me expectantly.
“I’ll take the king,” I reply, handing her cash.
“Alright, check-out is at eleven a.m. If you need anything, just call down to the front desk. I’ll be here until six.” She hands me two room keys and I shove them in my back pocket.
“Thanks, ma’am.” I smile at her and turn to walk back out to the car.
“Please, call me Nichole,” I hear her say when I reach the front doors.
I turn to face her and nod. I grab mine and Aria’s bags and take them up to our room. Then I come back down and wrap her up in the blanket and carry her inside. Nichole gives me a curious glance as I walk back through the lobby.
“She’s a heavy sleeper,” I shrug, trying to play it cool.
“Yeah, my sister is a heavy sleeper too. I’m pretty sure you could light fireworks in her room and she still wouldn’t wake up.” Nichole laughs. “Would you like some help?”
I smile, flashing her my dimples. “No, thanks. I think I’ve got it. Thank you, though.”
“Okay. Well, I’ll be here talking to my girls if you need me.” Nichole winks, holding up her phone, and I laugh.
I’ve only just met her, but Nichole seems like a really cool chick. She reminds me a lot of Kat.
I get in the elevator and bend my knees so I can hit the button to the third floor. When I reach our door, I curse under my breath. The key is in my back pocket. I lay Aria down on the floor and get the door open. I quickly run into the room and grab my bag to place in front of the door to keep it open so I can carry Aria into the room, then pick her back up and lay her down gently on the bed. I leave her in her green dress, but I take her shoes off and cover her up. Then I kiss her cheek and grab my bag from the door, shutting it quietly. Not sure why I bother; she hasn’t really moved since we left New Orleans.
I grab some fresh clothes and take a quick shower, not wanting to be too far away for when she wakes up. I sit in the chair and open the link to Bennett.
Dude, you awake?
Well I hope that fucker is.
I am. I’m sitting with Declan, Ciera, and Abby at the moment, he says.
Just then, my phone starts to ring in my duffle. I grab it and head outside on the balcony.
“Hey,” I answer.
“Broski! Long time, no talk. I thought I would use a cell phone to talk to you because Declan wants to know how Blondie is. You’re on speaker phone, by the way,” Bennett says.
“Aria is fine, but she’s still sleeping,” I reply, turning and looking at her on the bed. “Abby, when will this stuff wear off?”
“I’m not sure. My mom gave her a heavy dose that would keep her out for a while. It should wear off soon,” Abby answers.
“You know, you could always try true love’s first kiss,” Bennett suggests, and I hear a loud smack. “Ouch, Ciera! Hitting is not nice!”
I pinch the bridge of my nose, shaking my head and trying not to smile. “Benny, that won’t work. I’ve already kissed her.”
“Right. Then sorry, bruh. I’m all out of suggestions,” Bennett replies.
I hear some rustling, and then it goes quiet. I pull the phone away from my ear, making sure they didn’t hang up on me.
“Hunter, it’s me.” Declan’s voice is the only one I hear now. “Look, shit will hit the fan when she wakes up. She trusts you, so you just have to get her to listen. Have her call me when she wakes up and I’ll do what I can. And please, bring my sister back home.”
I can hear the break in Declan’s voice as he talks to me.
“I will. I’ll keep you guys updated,” I tell him.
“Good. All right, I'm going to sleep. Talk to you later.”
Declan and I say goodbye and hang up, and I suddenly feel exhausted. I walk back into the room and plug my phone in on the nightstand. I crawl into the bed and pull Aria to me, her back flush with my front. I’m hoping this plan will work and she’ll wake up soon. I kiss her shoulder, then let myself drift off to sleep.
Aria gasps awake next to me, pulling me from a deep sleep. Her breathing is erratic as she sits up in the bed. I sit up and put my arm around her shoulders as she clutches onto her chest.
“It’s okay. You’re safe,” I murmur into her hair, trying to calm her down.
I hear her hard swallow as she brings her hand to her mouth.
“I’m going to be sick,” she mumbles into her hand and quickly runs into the bathroom.
She makes it to the toilet just in time before she starts puking. I grab her hair and rub her back as she retches. After a few moments, she lazily brings her arm up and flushes. Aria pushes herself off the toilet and I help her sit back against the counter.
I quickly get her a cup of water; she thanks me when I hand it to her. She sips on it while I get a damp washcloth for her. Her forehead is all clammy as I dab the cool cloth against her pale skin. I’ve never dealt with a sleeping potion before, so I'm not sure if this is a side effect or not. I make a mental note to ask Abby about that.
“I’m sorry you had to see that,” she says, looking up at me through long lashes.
“It’s okay, baby. How are you feeling?” I ask, placing the washcloth on the counter and kneeling down in front of her.
“Like I got hit by a bus,” she mumbles, leaning her head back. “I’d like to take a shower.”
“Are you sure you’re up for that?” I ask.
She nods. I help her up and she stands on shaky legs. I turn the shower on, and when I turn around, I see her struggling with the zipper on her dress.
“Let me help you,” I whisper, grabbing her shoulders and turning her around.
She flinches at the contact, but continues to let me help her. My fingers find the zipper that starts in the middle of her back and ends just above her ass. My hands lightly caress her back as they make their way to her shoulders. The straps of her dress fall when I slide my hands down her arms. Our gazes lock in the mirror as her dress falls to the floor.
Fuck me. I feel myself growing hard as my eyes travel down the length of her body in the mirror. I bend down and place a kiss on her shoulder. I hear her sharp intake of breath when I kiss my favorite spot on her neck, just behind her ear.
“You go ahead and get in the shower. I’ll bring your bag in here,” I whisper into her ear, then leave the bathroom.
If I hadn’t left right then, and if she kept looking at me with those dark green eyes, I’d have had her bent over the counter and watched in the mirror as she came undone. But I won’t do that until I get her back. After I set her bag in the bathroom, I change into fresh clothes and call Abby.
“Hey, Hunter. How’s our girl?” Abby’s voice is optimistic when she answers on the second ring.
“She’s in the shower, but she did throw up. Is that normal with a sleeping potion?” I ask.
“Hmm. Not typically, but it can happen. Aria has been through a lot, so it could be just a combination of everything. If she continues to get sick, call me. But I’m sure she’ll be fine,” Abby explains.
I let out a sigh of relief. “Okay, good.”
I hear the shower turn off.
“Thanks, Abby. I have to go, but I’ll be in touch.”
“Okay. Bye!” Abby replies.
I hit the end call button on my phone just as the bathroom door opens.
Aria comes out into the room, dressed in skinny jeans and a t-shirt. She places her suitcase on the bed and sits down, folding her hands in her lap. I don’t say anything; I just watch her. The air is thick with tension. Then she looks over at me. Tears are filling in her beautiful eyes, but she doesn’t let them fall.
&
nbsp; “Why did you let them do that to me?” she whispers, and my heart breaks all over again.
I quickly get up from the chair and kneel down in front of her, placing my hands on each of her thighs. “We didn’t know what else to do. Fuck, Aria, I didn’t want to do that to you. The last thing I wanted to do was put you through that.”
She pushes my hands away and gets up from the bed.
“Then why did you? Do you have any idea what that felt like?” she asks, swiping a tear away.
I run my hand through my hair as I watch her get angry with me. I deserve it.
“It reminded me of…” she trails off.
“It reminded you of what Isabella did to you,” I finish for her.
Her wide gaze catches mine and she nods.
“Aria, I'm so sorry.” I start to walk over to her, but she puts her hand up, stopping me.
She covers her face with her hands for a moment, then drops them down to her sides. We stare at each other for a few long moments, neither one of us speaking. I’d give anything just to hold her right now.
“You’re worried about Declan, aren’t you?” I finally ask.
She nods again.
“Well, I can promise you that he’s safe. Bennett is staying with him until we get back. And Declan promised to stay in the Compound. He also wanted me to have you call him when you woke up.”
I watch as relief crosses her delicate features, almost like a weight has been lifted off her shoulders. But it’s gone as quickly as it came. I reach into my back pocket, pull out my phone, and hand it to her. She looks up at me as she takes it, then turns to walk outside on the balcony.
After talking to her brother for a while, Aria comes back inside and hands me the phone.
“I’m not going to take a bus back or jump out of the car. But I am still worried about Declan’s safety.” She takes in a breath before continuing. “You guys are right. There is something I haven’t told you about that night I was captured. I’m not ready to talk just yet, because I'm still pretty pissed at you right now. It’s a long drive to Maryland and I make no promises that I will want to go back to my old home, but I will tell you what happened with Isabella.”
“Declan told you?” I ask.
“Yes, he came clean about everything. I even spoke to Abby for a minute. They reassured me that Declan will be safe. Bennett and Ciera will be staying at the cabin until we get back. Kat and Grace said they would come over and hang out too while Knox has patrol,” she says, wrapping her arms around herself.
“Aria,” I walk over to her and place my finger under her chin to get her to look at me. “We are going to Maryland. I have friends that are going to let us stay with them for a night or two. But the decision to go back to your old home is completely up to you. If we get there and you don’t want to go, we won’t. But if you decide that you want to go, to say goodbye or whatever, I’ll be there for you every step of the way.”
I lean down and kiss her softly, surprised when she doesn’t push me away.
“Okay,” she whispers against my lips.
“Okay,” I whisper back and kiss her again.
I pull away, grabbing our suitcases and leading us downstairs to the lobby to check out, surprised to see that Nichole is still behind the counter.
“You’re still here?” I ask as I set our bags down and hand her the room keys.
“Yes. I had an employee call out this morning, so I had to stay.” She looks up, and her hazel eyes flick to Aria. “Ahh you’re awake! I hope you were comfortable last night. Your boyfriend here is quite the gentleman. I’d hold onto him if I were you.”
Aria looks up at me, and I grin at her, flashing her my dimples.
“Yeah. I think I’ll keep him around for a while.” She smiles up at me, then turns her attention to Nichole as she hands me a receipt.
“Thanks for staying with us.” Nichole gives us a warm smile.
We wave goodbye and walk out to my Impala. I put our bags back in the trunk, while Aria hops in the passenger seat.
“Where are we? Wait, how long was I asleep?” Aria asks as I get in the car.
“Too damn long. And we’re in Atlanta. We have another eight hours or so to go before we get to Maryland.” I put the key in the ignition and start the car, smiling as I listen to my baby come to life. “Such a beautiful sound.”
“I will never understand guys and their love for cars.” Aria shakes her head.
I laugh as I pull out of the parking lot and onto the road.
We stop at a diner for breakfast and then hit the road. She doesn’t eat much, but it’s more than I’ve seen her eat in a while, so I’ll take it. She hasn’t really talked much either, but she seems to be in better spirits after talking with Declan and getting reassurance that he’s safe. Aria turns on the radio and starts to flip through the stations, but I hear “My Own Worst Enemy” by Lit on one of the stations.
“Oh, go back!” I yell.
She flips the station back, and the song starts playing through the speakers. I reach forward and turn the volume up and start singing along to the lyrics. I’m not a terrible singer, but I prefer to play the music instead of sing. Aria watches in amusement as I sing to her.
I'm not sure what comes over her, but she starts laughing and sings along with me, both of us bobbing our heads to the music. She starts to get animated in the seat, and when the last part of the song comes on, I howl as she sings along to the words. When it comes to an end, I turn the radio down and she’s giggling next to me.
Our eyes lock when I glance over at her. She bites her lip, then unbuckles her seat belt, sliding over in the seat, closer to me. She kisses me on the cheek and lays her head on my shoulder and I wrap my arm around her, content to have her in my arms. The radio plays quietly in the background, but the hum of the engine drowns out most of the noise, so we don’t really hear what’s playing. I kiss the top of her head as she snuggles in closer, glad to see a glimpse of my girl finally coming back.
“Isabella cornered me in the bathroom that night,” she confesses.
My body freezes, but I don’t say anything.
“She threatened to have all of you killed if I didn’t do what she asked. And I knew she wasn’t bluffing, because she had her hand wrapped around my throat.”
My jaw clenches and I pull her closer to me. One day, it will be my hand wrapped around Isabella’s neck, and I’ll enjoy the look on her face as I drive a stake through her heart.
“I heard you, you know. In the warehouse. I could hear you through the link, but I couldn’t respond because of the amulet. Hearing your voice kept me strong. I knew that you would find me. I just had to hold on.” She plays with the hem of my shirt, and just when I think she isn’t going to say anything more, she continues. “She stripped me down and placed a bucket under my feet. I needed to buy time, so I kept her talking. That’s how I figured out she was the original vampire.” She pulls away and looks up at me. “You know she never cheated on Apollo like in the story that Luna told us? Apparently, Apollo fell in love with another woman named Daphne and left Isabella to live out eternity all alone.”
“What? That can’t be true,” I say, shocked at this revelation. “She had to be lying.”
“That’s what I thought too. But think about it. If Apollo really loved her, why isn’t she with him?” she asks.
“You got me there. But she could still be lying.”
“Maybe, but I really don’t think so. She has no reason to lie.” She turns her body toward me. “She’s the original vampire, Hunter. She’s lived thousands of years; she gets nothing out of lying. She gets her rocks off by telling the truth and watching people suffer.”
She turns back around in her seat and stares out the window. I get the feeling there’s more to this, because she’s choosing to believe a vampire and she doesn’t do things without justification. If there is anything I’ve learned about Aria, it’s that she’s fiercely guarded, and the only time anyone can get anything out of her is if it
’s on her terms.
“I’m hungry,” I say, changing the subject, which earns me a soft chuckle from Aria.
I see an exit for food and take it. We are four hours away from Maryland now, so I pull into a gas station to get gas and Aria goes inside to buy some snacks for the road. I pull out my phone and text Zach Jacobs.
Me: Hey, man. It’s Hunter. Aria and I are four hours away. Is it still cool if we crash with you for a night or so?
Zach: Absolutely. I talked to Benny earlier and he filled us in on a little bit of what’s going on.
Me: Thanks. I’m hoping that this trip helps.
Zach: It will. Haylee will be here, and so will my sister, Dani. Maybe girl talk will help.
I haven’t met Dani, but during their trip, Zach and Haylee told me about her.
Me: Maybe. Anyway, we’ll be there soon. Thanks again.
Zach: Anytime. See you soon.
He sends me their parents’ address and as I'm plugging it in the GPS, Aria gets back in the car with a bag full of food. She hands me a sandwich and a bottle of Gatorade. I lean over and purse my lips; she chuckles as she leans over and kisses me.
“We’re four hours away from Maryland. We’ll be staying with some old friends of mine and Benny’s,” I say, pulling away from the pump and onto the road.
“Oh?” Aria raises a brow as she takes a bite of her sandwich.
“Yeah. Long story short, Zach, his girl Haylee, and their friend Kyler came to New Orleans on vacation. One vulgar comment from Bennett, and Haylee punched him. Then he ended up shifting in front of them. My father never found out about that, and we’ve been friends ever since. They were pretty chill about it too. So, we don’t have to hide anything when we get there,” I explain, then use one hand to open my sandwich and take a bite.
“What did Bennett say?” Aria asks, folding the other half of her sandwich in the wrapper and putting it back in the bag.
“Bro code, babe. If you want to know you will have to ask the man himself,” I laugh.
She narrows her eyes at me, and then she gets this determined look in her eye and I know she’ll find out soon enough.