Always & Forever 2: On The Road

Chapter 1

If you leave, I'll hate you forever. I hate you for doing this to me. Katherine's words echoed in Noah's mind as he stared straight ahead of the road as Stella drove. You have to do this. Let her go. Let her hate you. It will keep her safe. Keep telling yourself this so you don't end up backing out now. Noah thought to himself. 

"You're quiet." Stella said, breaking the silence. 

"I usually don't break up with my girlfriends and go on the road trip from hell with an ex-girlfriend." Noah snorted.

"Trust me, my love," Stella sighed. "This is a good thing."

"How?" Noah sarcastically laughed.

"You'll fall back in love with me eventually." Stella whispered softly.

"You killed four people, two of them were my girlfriend's father and the other was her best friend." Noah snapped.

"Correction," Stella started to say. "Your ex." 

"Like that makes things any better." Noah argued. 

"I'm sorry about that." Stella apologized.

"Yeah, right."

"I want you to see that girl who you fell in love with all those years ago," Stella responded. "The girl I actually am."

"That girl was a monster and a liar."

"I never stopped loving you."

"Then why were you hiding? Where were you all these years? I thought you were dead so, I moved on." Noah replied.

"I was scared so I hid, I thought it was safer for you." Stella answered.

"Or was it safer for you?" Noah shot at her. 

"Okay," Stella sighed in defeat. "I'll shut up and let you cool off."

"By the way, you're kidnapping me." 

"You agreed to go with me."

"You threatened Katherine and Ethan's lives." Noah pointed out.

"Touché." Stella mumbled and continued to drive.  

"Just because I agreed to this doesn't mean I'll fall in love with you again." Noah coldly said.

"You never know... things can change."

"If I fell in love with you right after this then I'd have Stockholm Syndrome because I forcefully came with you." Noah pointed out.

"It worked in Beauty and the Beast and people still love that story." Stella murmured.

"That is a fairytale," Noah responded. "This is real life."

Katherine was on the couch, crying and then she heard the front door knock. Is it Noah? Did he change his mind? Katherine thought as she got up and ran towards the front door. She quickly wiped her tears and took a deep breath and smiled. Be chill. Act cool. Katherine thought and she slowly opened the door and her face fell when she saw Ethan as the sadness and disappointment hit her in the chest.

"Hey." Ethan mumbled.

"Hi." Katherine murmured and gave him a weak smile.

"Are you okay?" Ethan asked as he studied her face. Her cheeks covered in tear marks.

"Noah broke up with me," Katherine sighed and frowned, not trying to lie to Ethan. "He's leaving town."

"I'm so sorry." Ethan whispered and walked in and hugged her tightly. He felt guilty for not telling her the truth. He wanted to tell her the truth but Noah begged him not to. What can I do? Ethan thought to himself. Ethan couldn't bare seeing Katherine in so much pain.

"Was I the problem?" Katherine softly cried and buried her face in his neck as Ethan held onto her and she wept.

"No," Ethan answered and rubbed her back. "You're perfect."

"Then why did he leave?" Katherine asked and pulled away.

"I don't know." Ethan lied and frowned.

"I just lost my dad and my best friend."

"I know."

"Am I too much for him now? Am I too damaged?" Katherine asked as she shut the front door.

"You're not damaged." Ethan responded.

"I am," Katherine huffed. "My mom left me when I was a baby, my boyfriend's ex kills my best friend and my father and Noah was all I had left and now he's gone." Katherine sobbed.

"You won't be sad forever, Katherine."

"How can you be so sure of that?"

"I just do."

"Thank you." Katherine mumbled and nodded slowly.

"You're welcome." Ethan responded.

"Before my dad died," Katherine started to say. "He told me that I come from a family of vampire hunters."

"Vampire hunters?" Ethan repeated and his eyes widened.

"Yeah." Katherine answered with a quick nod.

"Did you move anything of his after he died?" Ethan asked.

"No, I didn't."

"Then you must not have found his weapons," Ethan started to say and look around the house.

"What are you doing?"

"Looking for his weapons."

"Why?" Katherine asked.

"You need to learn how to use them," Ethan answered. "So, you can protect yourself."

"Why bother when you're here?"

"I can't always be around of every second of your day, kitten." Ethan answered as he looked through the downstairs closet.

"Well there's nothing down here, not even in the closet." Katherine responded.

"Maybe they're in his room?" Ethan suggested and went upstairs.

"In his closet?" Katherine asked, following him. "He never let me look through there." Katherine whispered to herself.

"Bingo!" Ethan cheered and looked around the upstairs hallway. "So, where is his room?"

"Here." Katherine mumbled and walked him there.

"Thanks." Ethan said and headed toward the closet and searched in there. "There we go!" Ethan cheered.

"Weapons?" Katherine replied.

"Weapons." Ethan repeated and showed a crossbow and gun.

"So, that's why I was never allowed to go in here." Katherine whispered.

"Exactly," Ethan said. "Ready for lesson one?"

"Nope." Katherine answered, popping the p.

"Well, you are gonna get it and you need it." Ethan responded.

After Ethan left, Katherine had gotten ready for bed. But Katherine couldn't sleep as she tossed and turned in her bed. She had cried for so long after she watched Noah leave, she couldn't cry anymore. Her eyes were swelling. Katherine couldn't stop thinking about her dad, Ashley and Noah. The memories of them were way too painful for her. She wanted to forgey everything. She just wanted to fall asleep so she couldn't cry anymore.