“Elizabeth?”
At the sound of my name, my head snapped up. I turned around and saw David standing there, clad in all-black like always.
“Hey,” I said softly. “Steven, go ahead, I’ll catch up with you in a second.”
Steven narrowed his eyes. “I’ll stay with you,” he said.
“No,” I said quickly. “It’s fine, just give me a minute. I’ll be right there. It’s okay,” I added. “It’s Monica’s boyfriend. I just…want to say something to him.”
Steven frowned but reluctantly turned on his heel and kept walking towards the parking lot.
David looked supremely uncomfortable. He shielded his eyes from the sun, then stepped into the shade of a tree.
“I didn’t see you in there,” I said, gesturing to the building. “Were you in the back?”
David shook his head. “No. I couldn’t bear the thought of being surrounded by those idiots who didn’t know her.”
Just being next to him was making my heart pound faster.
“Are you going to her parents’ place?”
“No,” David said. “I just came to say goodbye, Elizabeth.”
I narrowed my eyes. “Where are you going?”
David shrugged. “I don’t know yet,” he said. “But I have to get out of here for a while. I don’t…” He trailed off. “It doesn’t matter,” he added. “I just thought I should say bye.”
“Oh.” Everything in me wanted to throw my arms around David and pull him close, kiss him deeply, beg him not to leave…or to take me with him.
“Yeah,” David said. He held out his hand. After a few seconds, I pressed my palm against his. David lifted my hand to his mouth and gently kissed my fingers. A thrill shot through my body.
“Bye, Elizabeth,” David said quietly. “Good luck.”
When I realized he wasn’t going to say anything else, or suddenly confess desperate love for me, my heart sank.
“Bye,” I choked out. The word felt strangely inadequate. David tore his eyes from mine and walked away. I watched him until he disappeared, hoping he’d look back at me.
But he never did.
“Hey, Elizabeth, what was that?” Steven tapped me on the shoulder and frowned. “That guy seems like such a creep.”
“It doesn’t matter,” I said bitterly. “He’s leaving, and he’s not coming back.”
Steven put an arm around me and squeezed me. I had the sudden urge to put my hands on his chest and push him away, as hard as I could.
“Come on,” Steven said. “We should get going.” He took my hand and started leading me to his car.
What else could I do? I had no choice.
Chapter Six
Elizabeth – Three Years Later
I stayed numb for a long time. For weeks, for months, even for years. I felt like a zombie, barely in control of myself, barely able to make even the most basic of decisions. By some miracle, I finished my sophomore year in one piece – looking back, I’m pretty sure that the school took pity on me because of Monica.
I looked for the coven almost every day. I spent countless hours in the woods, searching for Henrik, Ligeia, Monica, or any trace of the other witches. But despite all of my heartache and sadness, I never found it again. I never found anything even resembling the clearing.
Sometimes, I wondered if everything had been a weird dream.
Steven and I stayed together. He graduated from high school and then went to college in Vermont, where David had been planning to go. That was my only consolation – David wasn’t there now, no one had heard from him in years – but sometimes when I went to visit Steven, I’d look at the buildings and wonder what David thought when he saw the same places.
When I graduated, I joined Steven there. My mom was thrilled – every time I called home, she’d make jokes about wedding bells. Even after leaving Jaffrey, I still felt the fog of the past clinging to me with each and every passing second of time.
But little did I know, things were about to change.
“I just don’t see why you have to go for a whole semester,” Steven said. He narrowed his eyes and pulled the glossy brochure from my hands. “Or why you couldn’t have done it last year, when I was still eligible?”
“Because the U doesn’t let freshmen study abroad,” I said crossly. “And you know I’ve always wanted to do this. I’ve talked about it for years, even back in high school.”
“Well, what if we just took a trip together? Like a vacation, we could go for a couple of weeks over the January term?”
“Steven, that’s a totally different thing,” I said, shaking my head. “I mean, yeah, that would be great. And you can come visit! But I really, really want this. Please don’t make me choose,” I added.
“I just want to know that you’re committed to me,” Steven said. His eyes lit up. “We could get married! They probably have housing for married students.”
My heart sank. “Steven, I’m only nineteen,” I said softly. “I…I’m not really ready for that big of a step yet.” I reached for his hand and squeezed it. “This is just a little space. Lots of people do it. Kurt and Brittany did it last year,” I added. “And he’s your best friend! And they’re still fine!”
“You’re my best friend,” Steven said stubbornly. “And they took a ‘break’ while she was in France, and I know for a fact that they both slept with other people.”
“Well, I don’t really see how that’s bad,” I said slowly. “They’re fine now.”
Steven looked aghast. “Elizabeth, how can you say something like that? You’re mine,” he growled. “And I don’t want you going off like that without me!”
“We can talk every day,” I said, shaking my head in exasperation. Standing up from the bed, I walked over to the window. “I promise, and we can text all the time.”
Steven sighed. “I just don’t like it,” he said stubbornly. “And I don’t understand why you have this sudden need for space,” he added in a derisive voice. “Is this some bullshit about finding yourself? Do you just want to go so you can sleep with every guy in sight and get drunk every night?”
“Ouch,” I said. “God, is that really what you think of me?”
Steven glared. “I don’t know what to think,” he said sourly. “It’s like, you’re this whole new person just because you want to go to England for a year.”
“For a semester,” I corrected. “That’s less than six months! We’ve been together four years, Steven! That’s nothing!”
Steven crossed his arms over his chest and stuck out his lower lip. I rolled my eyes – sitting there on my narrow dorm bed, he looked like a sullen child.
“Don’t do this,” I said. “Come on, it’s not a good look. You know I don’t want anyone else, Steven. I just want you, okay? But I want to travel, too – and this is a really good opportunity. I already got a scholarship, and my parents hardly have to pay for anything.”
"I think you're just using it as an excuse," Steven said angrily. He stood up and began pacing back and forth, stomping like an angry kid.
“I’m not!” I protested. “You’re not even listening to me. I mean, come on – didn’t you think about how cool it would be to study abroad? Meet people from other parts of the world? Get to explore an old city?”
“I never wanted to be away from you,” Steven said hotly. He crossed the room in one giant stride and took my hands, pulling me close. “I always wanted to be with you, Elizabeth.”
My shoulders sagged. “Steven…please don’t make me do this,” I whispered. “Please don’t make me hate you.”
“How could I do that,” Steven said tenderly, leaning down and kissing my forehead. I resisted the urge to push him away. “I love you, Elizabeth.”
“I love you, too,” I said. Although I don’t really feel like it right now, I thought angrily. Controlling bastard.
“How about this,” Steven said. “You go for a shorter time, and when you get back, we move in together? Does that sound good?”
>
“I still have two more years of school,” I said. “I…don’t feel ready for that yet.”
“When then what do you fucking feel ready for, Elizabeth,” Steven asked angrily. “Because I get the sense you don’t give a shit about me!”
“I’m ready to stay in a relationship with you,” I said firmly. “And I’m ready to go to England for a semester, and study there, and continue being in a relationship with you.”
Steven rolled his eyes. “So nothing,” he said. “I mean, right? We don’t want the same things.”
“You’re two years older,” I said softly. “Give me time, Steven. I’ll get there. I know I will, okay?”
Steven didn’t reply.
“If you make me choose between this and our relationship, Steven, I’m going to resent you,” I said softly. “And I don’t want to do that, but I need you to cut me a little slack. I’m going, but I promise, we’ll Skype every night, okay? I’ll never be out of touch for too long. And I don’t want to take a break.”
“And when you come back, we’ll talk about moving in together?”
I bit my lip. “I’ll think about it,” I said slowly. “That’s…that’s all I can promise right now, Steven.”
Steven rolled his eyes. “Yeah, whatever,” he said dismissively. “Have fun in London, Liz.”
He stomped to the doorway and threw the door open, slamming it shut behind him.
I knew I should chase after him, cry, say that I was sorry.
But I wasn’t sorry – if anything, I felt more alive and awake than I’d felt in years.
--
Classes at Oxford started a few days after classes at the U. Steven told me he wanted me to stay on campus with him, but I declined. Instead, I packed up my stuff and drove home to spend a few days with my parents. I hadn’t really been back since I’d left for college the year before – most holidays I spent with Steven’s family, outside of Jaffrey.
It was strange to acknowledge how free I felt as I drove south, my favorite playlist blaring from the speakers of my car. Maybe this is the start of something new, I thought as I coasted into Jaffrey at the end of the afternoon. Maybe Steven will be less controlling now, maybe he’ll get used to some space.
The truth was, our relationship hadn’t been doing well lately. I hadn’t told anyone – it felt weird talking about my personal life with friends – and everyone still thought of us as the perfect couple. But Steven had been even moodier and more suffocating than usual. His best friend, Kurt, had recently moved in with his girlfriend and despite the fact that they were both two years older than me, Steven had begun treating it as some kind of competition.
I was desperate to live on my own, at least for now. Sharing a room with three other girls my freshman year had been a terrible adventure…I wasn’t looking forward to doing that again, at least, not so soon. My mom seemed confused that I wasn’t chomping at the bit to move in with Steven, but at least she never said anything too rude about it.
I wondered how many people thought I was a total idiot for not committing to him with every fiber of my being. As much as I wanted to think it didn’t matter, I knew it did. It mattered to Steven, and unless I came around, I had a feeling our fights would get even worse.
Being back in Jaffrey gave me chills. As I pulled into the driveway, I looked around, half-expecting to see the ghosts of my past floating out of the woods and threatening to haunt me forever. But my parents’ house looked just the same as always: lawn neatly trimmed, clean-yet-cluttered interior.
It even smelled the same.
“Mom?” I called. “I’m home.”
There was no answer. Frowning, I left my bags in the foyer as I walked into the kitchen.
“Hey.”
The rough, scratchy voice made me jump. Whirling around, I saw my brother, Aidan, and gasped.
“You look so different!”
Aidan laughed. He was finally taller than me – by at least a head and a half – and he stood there, smirking and shaking his head. There was a hint of dark scuff on his cheeks and neck and his Adam’s apple protruded from his throat.
“Yeah,” Aidan said. He pulled me into a hug and I was surprised to feel the strength of his arms around me. “I’m all grown up, I guess. You look the same, though.”
“No shit,” I said, pulling away and reaching to ruffle his hair. Aidan ducked and we both burst out laughing.
“Mom’s out, doing something,” Aidan said. He wrinkled his nose. “She wanted me to stay home because there’s something in the oven. God, I’m starving,” he added. “You hungry?”
I shrugged. “Not really.”
Aidan pulled a huge container of fruit out of the fridge and made himself a plate, complete with a sandwich and three dill pickles.
“God, that’s a lot of food.”
Aidan raised an eyebrow. “You should hear Mom and Dad,” he said, wolfing down a huge bite of pear. “They keep talking about how they wish I was a girl, cause you barely ate when you were in high school.”
“That’s what they get for having more than one kid,” I said with a smirk. “How are things around here, really?”
Aidan shrugged. “The same, I guess,” he said. “I mean, it’s weird.” He cleared his throat and wiped his mouth with a napkin before leaning back in his chair. “I guess I never really noticed when I was younger, but I dunno…” He trailed off, his cheeks turning pink.
I narrowed my eyes. “What? What do you mean by that, exactly?”
Aidan shrugged again. “Nothing, it’s just…I don’t know, there’s kind of a weird energy around here,” he added, wrinkling his nose. “I know that makes me sound queer, but it’s like, you can’t ignore it.”
“Has anything happened at school? Like, has anyone disappeared? Or died? Or gotten hurt in a really weird way?”
Aidan took the last half of his sandwich and devoured it whole, chewing thoughtfully.
“Yeah,” Aidan said. “I mean, no one died, or disappeared, or anything. But like, this one class that started – it wasn’t there when you were still in high school – about how to navigate in the woods and make trails and shit, well, they all got lost in the woods for a couple of days. They were okay, but like, none of them would talk about it afterwards. I think it was probably scary or some shit.”
My heart jumped into my throat.
“Which woods?”
“The woods behind Monica’s old house,” Aidan said. He bit into a banana, eating half of it in one bite. “Her parents aren’t there anymore,” he added. “They moved a couple of years back.”
“Oh.”
It was all I could say.
“Anyway, England, huh? That’s cool,” Aidan said. “You excited?”
I nodded. “Yeah,” I said. “I am.”
“Lucky,” Aidan said. He yawned, stretching his hands high up in the air. “Nothing exciting ever happens around here. I’d kill to go to England.”
I licked my lips. Yeah, I thought, staring at my baby brother and wondering just how much evil was still lurking in Jaffrey. You’re lucky, you don’t know the half of it.
That night, I went for a walk in the woods, hoping to find the coven. But the woods remained elusive, and when the sun was starting to peek over the horizon, I knew I didn’t have a choice.
---
The next morning, Mom drove me to Logan airport. She hugged me for a long time and stared at me critically, narrowing her eyes.
“I hope you’ll email me every now and then,” Mom said. I could tell she was trying to a light tone but she sounded like a woman sending her own daughter off to the slaughter. “I’ll miss you, honey.”
“I’ll write every week,” I said. “Well, I’ll try.”
“You have your passport? And your money to get exchanged?”
I nodded.
“And you called your bank, and said you’re going to be in England for six months, and that they shouldn’t authorize any U.S. purchases?”
“Yes,” I said. I loo
ked down. “Mom, I love you, but I have to go – there’s a huge line by security, and I don’t want to miss my flight.”
My mom nodded. “You really are grown up, sweetie.” She pulled me into a hug. “I’m proud of you. You know, you can always come back if you don’t like it.”
“I think I’ll be okay,” I said, trying hard not to sound too excited to be fleeing. “I love you, Mom.”
“I love you, sweetie.” Mom kissed me on the cheek. “You be safe, okay?”
“I will.”
Mom gave me one last hug and then I wrestled my two huge suitcases inside. The line to check in for United flights was trailing back, almost to the doors, and I groaned as I realized I was going to be standing for a long time. Fortunately, as soon as I was there, the line started moving almost instantly. I barely had time to wrestle my passport and driver’s license from my wallet when it was my turn to check in.
After I got through security, I bought myself a pretzel and settled into a chair by the gate. To my immense irritation, I saw that I had fourteen messages – all from Steven.
“Good morning, babe. Have fun with your mom on the way to the airport!”
“Hey babe, miss you already. Kurt says hi.”
“Hey, Elizabeth, you okay?”
“Elizabeth, are you getting these messages?”
“Are you at the airport?”
“When is your flight, can I have the flight number? I already forgot?”
“Elizabeth, I’m really worried. I’m calling your house.”
“Okay, your brother said your mom just got home, so where are you?”
“Elizabeth, where are you?”
“Babe, please, answer me – are you mad at me?”
“Because if you’re mad, I’m really sorry!”
“Elizabeth, answer your phone!”
“I’m sorry just please answer me I miss you so much.”
“Elizabeth what the fuck”
I rolled my eyes and texted him back: “Hey, sorry! Phone was off. Getting on the plane now, I’ll text you when I land!”
I powered my phone off and slipped it into my pocket. Part of me was almost paranoid that he’d do something crazy, like show up at the airport with a huge bouquet, a flash mob, and a proposal. It scared me so much that I kept twisting around in my seat and making sure that there weren’t any guys with dirty blonde hair in sight.
The Uprising (Moonlight Wolves Book 3) Page 53