AURORA ☾ Leah Clearwater ✔

Chapter 9... Unforgivable

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Emily

Silence hung heavily in the Clearwater's truck as we sped along the winding highway. My forehead was pressed against the cool glass of the passenger side window, and I was gazing out into the forest that lined the road. The sun was sinking deeper and the purple touch of twilight began to bled through the trees, casting long shadows across the pavement. Slowly, as light was leeched from the world, the world turned into a blue and grey blur as the scenery whipped past us.

This wasn't at all how I had expected the weekend to end.

Auntie Sue shifted in the driver's seat. She hadn't said a word since we had left La Push. Usually she'd pass the time by asking a million questions about me, about school, about life, about my (non-existent) love life. But now she only sat in stiff silence, focussed only on the road.

She must be tired, I told myself. That's why she doesn't want to talk. This wasn't exactly a relaxing weekend, after all... And now she has to drive three hours to take me home. Originally, it had been Leah who was supposed to drive me back to Neah Bay on Sunday evening, but after—well, she hadn't really been up for it.

As I thought of her, Leah's tear-streaked face appeared my head, and I winced at the sight of it. It hurt me to think of her in pain, but I couldn't stop myself from remembering. Remembering that night, and how I had found her curled on the couch, wet and shivering, tearfully whispering his name, over and over and over. Sam. Sam. Sam.

She had looked so broken. I had no idea what exactly had happened after he had come back that evening to speak with her, but whatever he had said, it had broken her.

Sam had broken her.

Hate bubbled up in me, and my hands clenched into fists. How could he do that to her?! After all she's done for him, after all she's given him. But as Leah's devastated face burned in my mind, the hate turned inwards. I couldn't help like I had failed her, somehow. I should've tried harder to protect her, to warn her, because I had known this was going to happen. Ever since the day Sam had returned, I had known that he was going to end up breaking Leah's heart. With all his hiding, with all his secrets, it was just a matter of time.

And now the time had come and I was proven right, but I had no desire to gloat. My chest ached as I thought of Leah. I had seen how deep the roots went in Leah and Sam's relationship. It must be indescribably painful to rip them all out.

This was all his fault, an angry voice in my head hissed. Sam is to blame for all of this. Damn him. Damn him to Hell.

Just as I cursed his name, he flashed before my eyes. I jolted up in my seat, startled. It was just for a moment, but I swore I had just seen him in the passing shadows of the forest.

"What's the matter, Emily?" Auntie Sue asked, breaking her silence at last.

"I-I thought I saw someone," I muttered, and relaxed into the seat again. But that's impossible, my rational self told me. All the way out here, in the rainy, dark woods, miles from town? No way. "I-It was probably just my eyes playing tricks on me."

"You must be tired," Auntie Sue offered. Her voice was oddly distant, missing all of it's usual cheerfulness. "I know this wasn't exactly a fun weekend, but I appreciate you staying to help with Leah's..." Her voice trailed away, leaving me to fill in the blank.

"It's fine," I said, fighting back the blush that rose in my cheeks. "I didn't really do anything. I just sat there." It hadn't been like last time, when Sam had disappeared. Then, Leah had cried a lot, but she was still willing to talk. This time she just kind of shut down. She barely managed to say more than five words for the whole weekend.