Diary of the Unbroken (BOOK #4)

The Addict Part Two

Liv 

"Liv? Can I talk to you?"

I swallowed, shoving the pill bottle back into the drawer and turning around to face him. "Why do all of our conversations begin with you at my door?"

He shrugged, stepping into the room. "Maybe because you never come to mine."

I rubbed my hands together, suddenly feeling clammy. Was that another side-effect?

Hanson plopped down on my bed. "So that was quite the turn of events, don't you think? This Daniel guy being Ava's dad and all. And the fact that he wants her. The whole child of Unnatural thing. You don't think—"

"Ava's pregnant?"

He raised an eyebrow.

I rolled my eyes. "Of course she is. Explains a lot actually."

"For you two being friends, you don't seem to care much."

Lately, Ava and I being "friends" meant little. Ever since I told her about my condition and then her mother dying and then, well, my rapid, somewhat recovery. She had her own issues too, obviously.

I shrugged. "Friends tell each other things. She didn't tell me about this—one of the most important things you can ever tell a friend. Simple."

"And how much have you kept from her?" Hanson's crystal eyes found mine, seeing right through me the charade I threw up right then. "How much have you kept from me?"

I avoided his gaze. "I don't know what you're talking about."

The room grew tense. Suddenly I found myself unable to breathe. But not because of my imminent death or the pills. No, because my worst nightmare was coming true right now. The man who stood by my side now looked at me like he wanted to run.

He stood, slowly coming towards me. "You getting better—it's not just a fluke. It's not some after-effect of the cure, is it?"

I sunk into the dresser, wanting to disappear. The man who started this all. Who had come so far. This was it. This was how Olivia Richardson broken Hanson's heart.

God, Liv. Why?

"Liv," he said lowly. "What are you doing to yourself?"

Finally I sighed. "Hanson—"

"All this time, I honestly thought you were somehow getting better, Liv. I thought that maybe what Celia gave you wouldn't be the end. But you're just putting it off aren't you? Have you completely given up on finding an actual cure?"

I licked my lips which had grown dry in the iciness of the room. "There's nothing I can do, Hanson. There's nothing we can do. What Celia gave me nearly killed me. This, this thing I have now—it's delaying the effects. It's helping me, Hanson. I feel better than I have in a long time."

"But you're still going to die."

"You can't just escape death Hanson. Becoming a vampire—that's as far as you can get."

His brows pulled together. But instead of anger, I was met with something far worse.

Hope.

"We'll find a way," he said. "We have to find a way."

"No, we can't," I told him, barely a whisper. "This is it, Hanson. This is how I—"

"Don't you dare say this is how you die! I'm not giving up that easily, Liv. Not after everything we've been through. You and me, we've made it this far. We do this together. You can't keep this kind of stuff from me."

"I-I didn't want to hurt you, Hanson. I thought withholding the truth...I don't know. I thought that would help. That it would make it easier in the end."

"It doesn't, Liv," he hissed at me, hope gone and overran by anger yet again. "It won't. God, why would you do this?"

Now I found myself bursting at the seams. I wished I could be emotionless again. Have no humanity in me like I had in my short time as a vampire. It would have made it less painful. My heart wouldn't hurt so badly at the look on his face. My stomach wouldn't sink under his gaze. It would be easier.

"I'm sorry," I begged of him. "Hanson, please forgive me—"

His head shot up. "How long?"

"What?"

"How long do you have? With...whatever you're taking. Whatever you're doing to prolong your life. How long does it give you?"

I swallowed. "They...they didn't say."

"Who didn't say?"

I hesitated. "The Hunters."

He threw his head in his hands and began pacing, but before I could get another preaching, the door burst open. I heard screaming down the hallway. Angelina came in out of breath.

"What?" I snapped at her.

"It's William. He's here."