Forgotten Fates

Chapter Two

Alice

I look out the back window that still had the crack in it, and watch Finn's house. His window is closed, and I can't tell if the house is empty or full since it's the middle of the day.

It was about two in the afternoon when we arrived back in town, and Paige wanted to pick up food from Dot's. However, I freaked out at the possibility of Finn being there, or even seeing us driving around. She offered to go alone, but I also figured that he would have figured out that we left town together. If he saw she was back, then he would know I was back and come looking for me. Just having Wanda parked out front was enough to make me anxious. I wish I had organized the garage after moving in so we could hide the car inside it right now.

"Do you want to come hide out at my house?" Paige asks. "He probably won't find you there." She offers me a sad smile, but I tell her no thanks.

"I would actually love to hide at your house, but unless I want to go to school naked tomorrow, I need to stay here and do laundry."

"Yeah, I should probably do some of that, too," she sighs, "And I need to check in and let my parents know I'm alive and stuff."

"Then you should go." She opens her mouth to protest, but I stop her, "I will be fine, and I have Tyler here, too. You go see your parents and do what you need to do."

"Should I come back when I'm done?" she asks.

"Honestly, I'm kind of sick of you Paige," I tease, then smile and give her a hug. "I'm kidding! Yes, I want you to come back, but I understand if you need to stay. I will be fine for one night."

She reluctantly agrees and once she's gone, I glance back towards Finn's window one more time before turning to Tyler. "Can you make sure she gets home safe?" I ask him. "That shadow is still lurking out there somewhere. We're not safe yet."

"What about you?" he asks.

"I won't leave the house," I promise him.

Then when Ty is gone and I am all alone in the house, I head upstairs to gather up the rest of my dirty clothes. As hard as I try, I can't stop myself from looking at the bed where Finn and I spent that beautiful heartbreaking night together. And I feel the tears fall from my cheeks as I spot the remains of my virginity on the sheets. I strip the bed and head to laundry room, and as the tub fills with soap and water, I watch as the memory gets washed away.

Next, I grab the load from the dryer that I never got around to folding before we had to leave and take it into the living room. I check the clock, but I'm not sure enough time has passed for the guys to have made it back to school yet. Deciding to text Eli anyway, I quickly let him know that I am home safe, and hope that he would just let Cole check his phone if he's driving. I also ask him to call when he can.

With several hours left in the day before I can claim it to be a respectable bedtime, I start to clean the house. Doing everything I can to keep my mind away from the house of a certain somebody. Including, making a list of food I will need to get for the week, and folding three different loads of laundry.

When Elijah finally calls two hours later, he apologizes, saying Cole made him stop several times and it took them forever to get home. Then I only get to talk to him briefly before he also has to get started on laundry and grocery shopping of his own, but promises to call again before bed. Really, I think he just wants to get off the phone because talking right now is painful. I swear with every mile of distance that was put between us, I could feel my chest get tighter and tighter. And I'm sure he felt it too.

Once the sun begins to set and I can't see around the house anymore, I empty out Tyler's cure box and break down the cardboard to place in the bathroom window.

"What are you doing?" Tyler asks me.

"I am going to take a shower and don't want the light to be visible."

"You don't think you are going a little overboard?"

"Nope. The last thing I want is a Finn confrontation, so I will do whatever necessary to fly under the radar for as long as I can," I tell him. Even though I know school tomorrow will be the breaking point.

Then once I am clean and in bed, I wait for Eli to facetime, and since both of us couldn't find the strength to hang up we end up falling asleep on the phone together.

Ω Ω Ω Ω Ω Ω Ω

When I wake up it is three in the morning. I'm not sure what woke me up, but I feel like someone was calling my name or something. I look around the room, but all I find is Elijah's sleeping face on the screen of my phone. I smile, thinking he probably made a noise or mumbled something, and lay on my back and stare up at the ceiling feeling wide awake.

Unable to go back to sleep, I leave Eli on my bedside table and go downstairs to watch T.V. with Tyler.

"What are you doing up?" he asks as I trudge down the stairs.

"No idea, but up I am." I am looking for the remote when movement out the back window gets my attention.

I can see Finn making his way out onto his roof. He sits cross legged and then I watch him bring a bottle to his lips and tilt his head far back as he practically chugs it. I also get the feeling that it's not something as innocent as lemonade he's drinking either. Tyler did say he had been spending time out there drinking.

I try to take in his appearance the best I can from a distance, but the only thing I can really point out is that he is wearing a short sleeved t-shirt despite it being about thirty degrees outside.

He turns his head to face my house and I remain perfectly still, hoping he can't see through my window from this far away, but afraid that if I move I would give myself away. He doesn't give any indication that he notices me though, and instead pulls his knees up to his chest and rests his head on his legs. It's hard to tell, but his body appears to be shaking.

I think he is crying.