The King's War

13. Welcome Home

AVERY

I hoped that Chase just needed time to warm up to me, but his disposition towards me hardly improved. He remained snobby and standoffish as ever, which seemed to piss Lydia off too as she spent a good amount of our hike glaring at him and pulling him aside to quietly argue. Not that it helped.

Thankfully, he departed the night before our Albany trip, for which I was glad. That is, until Lydia dragged me into the Capitol building for a tour that was a thinly veiled excuse to visit him. I could only do so much to hide my relief when we were told he'd taken another day off. Lydia seemed perturbed by that and remained cagey during our shopping trip.

Still, we managed to make my suitcases a bit fuller by the time I was set to leave. I'd bought a few new clothes as well as souvenirs to give to my parents. Maybe we could take a family trip one day.

Regardless of her mood, Lydia was genuinely sad to see me go. She hugged me tightly on the front porch when Travis brought the rental car around to pick me up.

"Don't hesitate to call or text, OK?" she said.

I hugged her back. "You haven't seen the last of me, I promise."

Lydia smiled wistfully and waved goodbye. I got inside the car, and Travis and I made the drive to the airport, where Nate's private jet waited to take me to my parents.

They were ecstatic to see me again and immediately sat me down with questions about my new life. I answered them as vaguely as I could, not wanting to worry them about the details of my love life. Or the drawbacks to dating a vampire. It made me feel even more distant than the first time I returned from the competition. I wanted advice on how to make my relationship with Nate work, but that wasn't something my parents' limited experience could provide.

We had dinner as a family for the first time in weeks. My parents were a lot happier now. Dad got a new job in Portland courtesy of Nate. It was a long commute, but my family could finally afford a car. Best of all, Dad's job paid enough for Mom to quit her menial gig as a grocery clerk.

After dinner, I helped Mom with the dishes and decided to take a walk through town while it was still light out. I let Travis know, and he drove up from his motel so he could follow at a discreet distance as I rode my bike. First I went to the pier, which was one of the busier parts of town. It had only been three weeks since I'd walked down the boardwalk, but I missed it. Missed the children running around, the couples walking hand in hand, and the fishermen casting their reels over the railing. I savored the sights, knowing that I probably won't get to visit again for a long while. The town surrounding Rosethorne Hall had its own pier, but going there just wasn't the same.

After that, I rode my bike along the cliffside road that leads out of town, letting the wind whip in my face as I inhaled the familiar salty air. Once I came to the scenic overlook, I stopped my bike and went to peer over the railing.

An odd feeling crept up my spine as I took it all in once more. It was so strange being here again — the place where it all began. Well, technically it began in my living room because that was where Melanie showed up to tell me about the competition. But this particular spot felt more significant. This was where I first met Nate. Where he'd saved my life.

I gazed down at the waves below as they crashed over the rocky surface of the cliff. The memory of how I felt that day made me shudder. It was the darkest place I'd ever been in. I just felt so betrayed by everyone, that I'd wanted to end my life rather than have to face another day. I was glad to leave those feelings in the past.

I'd made up with my parents. Rowan on the other hand... I doubted the two of us could ever be close again. His betrayal had cut me deepest of all. Back then, I honestly believed he was my soulmate. But he ended up showing his true colors but voicing his foolish plot to kill Nate. What would he do if he learned we were together now?