Un•A•Were

27| Starting Over

Amanda's POV:

I step into a huge room with sage green walls and a king-sized bed situated in front of two large windows. In the corner, I see two French doors that lead to a private balcony. The room is well designed and relatively clean for a guy. I hear the door shut and I turn to face Bryan after four years of silence. I pray my confidence stays with me and my nerves remain in check.

"We need to talk." I repeat. A sly smile crosses his face.

"You said that already." With a slight chuckle. "Let me just grab a shirt. You can take a seat on the bed or the couch. Whichever makes you comfortable." He disappears into his walk-in closet. I won't lie, a part of me is disappointed with the thought of him covering up, but it's probably for the best, since I need to focus and don't need any distractions. I feel the butterflies return to my stomach as I make my way over to his bed and take a seat.

I'm staring at my hands as I rub them nervously together before I realize Bryan has re-entered the room. He walks over to where I'm sitting and places his hand over mine, taking a seat in the space next to me. I feel tingles of electricity flow between he and I. It's a unique feeling reminding me of my first kiss. Our first kiss together.

I look up to meet his eyes. They are sad, longing, almost nervous and filled with so much emotion. I swallow and take a deep breath before beginning.

"So, I've been given a lot of information. I know what you are, what most of the town is, and I'm coming to terms with that. However, there are still secrets." I feel him tense up beside me, but he doesn't remove his hand from mine. Before I continue, I see him slip to his knees in front of me. I watch him curiously.

"I'm so sorry for causing you so much pain. If I could fix it, I would. You don't know how many times I've wished I could bring your father back. I just wish I had never kil—"

"You didn't kill my father!" I shout, unable to let him continue. This secret had to come out and I couldn't keep it any longer. I see his eyes go wide.

"What did you say?" He whispers.

"That's why I'm here. You didn't kill my father, Bryan. He died from poisoning." I reveal. He shakes his head, still reeling.

"But I was there. I grabbed him with my claws. I saw my claws go into his skin. I told you it was a knife because you didn't know about our world, yet," he explains. I scrunch my nose at the details of his memory. "Sorry....I just can't understand what you're saying right now." He rises to his feet, running his hands through his hair as he begins pacing his room.

I watch him before I have this incredible urge to wrap my arms around him. I ponder what to do as he continues to pace, mumbling under his breath.

I get up from his bed and close the space between us. I stand in front of him and wrap my arms around his waist, holding him still. He stands tense, unsure of what to do. I finally feel his strong, protective arms around me. I won't lie, I didn't want this hug to end, but I knew I had a story to finish. After I felt him lean down and inhale a few calming breathes, I grab his hand and lead him over to the couch. I position my body to face him before telling the story my mom told me earlier today. I take his hands in mine. He follows my lead, squaring his shoulders toward me, and gently squeezing my hands and rubbing small circles with his thumb.

"My mom revealed what really happened that night. My father had been working for this bad man. Apparently, my father has some special talent. I'm still not sure what that's all about, but anyway, it was a valuable talent that could make this man very powerful, which is exactly what he wanted. When my father realized he was being used, the man began using different tactics, including threatening me and my mom." A low growl escaped Bryan's mouth, but he didn't speak. He waited patiently for me to continue.