Always & Forever

Chapter 27

Ethan was walking in the dark woods when he felt eyes on him, and he turned seeing Stella look at him. She was only ten inches away from him.

"Stella?" Ethan gasped as his eyes widened and he ran to her and cupped her face. "How are you alive?"

"I escaped the fire." Stella answered.

"Where's Kylie?" Ethan asked as he rubbed her right cheek.

"I'm sorry," Stella sighed and held onto his hands and made him drop them. "But Kylie didn't live... she was the one who was killed."

"Where have you been all these years?" Ethan asked.

"Hiding and waiting." Katherine softly murmured. 

"Waiting for what?"

"My one true love." Stella answered in a soft whisper as she smiled.

"I knew it was me," Ethan responded and smiled wide. "I knew you loved me." Ethan finished and laid his forehead against hers. 

"Ethan," Stella sighed and slowly pulled away. "It was never you." Stella said and frowned at him.

"But I thought you loved me," Ethan mumbled. "Was I wrong?"

"Ethan, Ethan, Ethan," Stella laughed as she shook her head. "I was never in love with you."

"You... you lied to me?" Ethan replied as his face fell.

"Please," Stella snorted. "You have always, always been pathetic. Who would love a boy like you?" Stella laughed and grinned at him.

"They were all right about you." Ethan whispered.

"I needed an army, but I thought Noah and you were dead." Stella responded.

"You really loved Noah, didn't you?" Ethan asked.

"Yes, I did." Stella answered coldly.

"You're the one who's been killing people around here, aren't you?" Ethan asked and raised an eyebrow.

"Once I found out the two of you were alive, I knew what I had to do." Stella responded.

"What does three dead people have to do with you?" Ethan snorted.

"Four dead people now, five almost." Stella giggled and shrugged.

"Katherine?" Ethan whispered as his eyes widened.

"Relax, she is not dead... yet, anyways."

"What did you do to her?" Ethan growled.

"Nothing but her daddy is dead." Stella laughed.

"I'm going to kill you." Ethan growled.

"This is rich," Stella laughed hard. "You love that worthless human."

"You're wrong about her and me." Ethan hissed.

"I know what I'm going to do," Stella started to say. "I'm going to frame you for their deaths, expose you as the monster you are, and I reunite with Noah, and we have our happily ever after." Stella explained.

"How is this plan of yours supposed to work?" Ethan chuckled.

"It will," Stella responded and snapped his neck, knocking him out. "Trust me."