Blood Money (1) | The Inheritance Games

XXXIII. evermore

"I had a feeling so peculiar, that this pain would be for evermore."

I spent my entire evening in a filthy alleyway getting high on my own. Not the most productive use of my time, but it was ultimately better than being around Emily.

It's not until I hear the paparazzi stir up again, calling familiar names that I let my barely stable feet lead me down the alleyway and around to wear the venue entrance is.

"Avery! Is it true you were spotted this evening dancing with Xander?!" Someone's voice asks.

My ankle nearly snaps in half when I capsize in a stoned state. I reach the crowd and find Noah, Maja and Avery sharply strutting towards the black SUV waiting on them.

"Hey! Wait up!" I call to Noah. He looks around and then his eyes meet mine with confusion. "Where've you been?" He asks, to which I shrug dramatically.

Maja notices my state and steps in. "What's it gonna take for you to not get any pictures of this?" She sighs to the five or six people holding cameras.

As she negotiates with them I grin brightly and flop into Noah's strong arms. 

"I'm sorry about earlier. I wasn't myself." He excuses. It takes me a moment for my mind to rack through everything thats ever happened before I realize what he's referring to.

"I should've said yes. God I wish we fucked in that gallery. That would've bene one to tell the Grandkids." I snort.

"Are you drunk?" He furrows his brows at my looser persona.

"She's high. We caught her going down that alleyway with some cigarettes about two hours ago." A paparazzi guy tattletales.

"Snitches get stitches dude." I growl.

"You were smoking? Why? You haven't smoked in a while." Noah comments curiously.

"Emily." I answer simply, all three heads turning towards me.

"What about her, baby?" Noah hums sadly, rubbing my bare goose-bumped shoulder. 

"She's here." I say as if it's obvious.

Avery's whole body slumps.

"That's Avery. It wasn't intentional." Noah soothes sympathetically.

"I know that, silly. Avery dressed up as her, that was fucked up. But it wasn't her. She was still here." I explain calmly.

"Where?.." Maja's the only one with enough balls to ask.

"In here." I tap the side of my head.

"I always tell her to leave me alone, but she won't shut up. Just like when she was alive." I explain softly.

Nobody says anything, Noah just pulls me into his chest and cradles the back of my head.

"We going home already?" I question, sauntering out of his hold towards the car. "We're gonna head to Hawthorne House. Jameson and Grayson are waiting." Noah explains with a genuine smile.

"Why? What we doing?" I smile at him, his joy being contagious.

"We're following the Blackwood clue." Avery tells me with a grin. "I have a feeling. I think this is it." She adds enthusiastically.

"Shit.." I laugh gently, gathered outside the car, we open the doors, Avery and I slip inside.

"Noah?! Maja?!" A loud and furious sounding voice booms from the entrance to the venue. I watch as the twins Father races down the stairs leading to the large marble porch.