Cravingz [Editing]

Ch.41 (Betrayal)

Ash pov

I couldn't help but think about what I had discovered recently—Stefan and Timiria. Maybe I wasn't cut out for this vampire romance after all. His ex had been around longer than me, and she was so much prettier. What could I possibly offer him?

After Jess dropped me off, I was furious, hurt, and mostly betrayed. How could he? Just like that, as if it were nothing. And then there was Timiria, rubbing it in my face, adding insult to injury.

I stood in front of the mirror, staring at my neck where the mark was, its scribbled shape so odd and incomprehensible. I didn't want this mark to define me or distract me from the unknown threat my grandmother had warned me about. "The more you stay away from each other, the quicker it finds you," her words echoed ominously in my mind.

Sighing, I realized I was a soulmate to a vampire centuries older than myself. What a dream, right? But why now? Why me? So much had happened this year, and it was all a blur. My life as I knew it had become a nightmare.

Vampires looked like regular people, witches had their magic, and werewolves were real. Even my best friend was dating one.

What if my parents' deaths weren't an accident? But then again, I was adopted, so that felt like a distant memory. My grandmother was a witch—what if my parents' deaths were linked to something supernatural? Did that mean Chadwayne was part of this world?

He would tell me, right? All of this and so much more ran through my mind. This semester had been a series of events one after the other, and nothing felt normal.

I walked straight into the kitchen, opened the fridge, and grabbed a bottle of water. As I removed the cork, the silence in my home felt deafening. It was getting late, and I felt defeated. I tried calling my brother to see if he'd be home soon, but the call went straight to voicemail. I attempted to reach out to Jess, but her voice chimed in with her voicemail message too.

I just wanted to talk to someone—anyone at this point—but I didn't want to call Stefan. Sighing, I leaned over the sink, lost in thought. Distracted, my phone suddenly began ringing. I looked at the screen quickly; it was Stefan. I hesitated before letting it ring out. I didn't want to talk to him.

Once more, the phone vibrated, and I ignored it again. When it finally stopped, a sigh of relief escaped me.

I leaned against the sink, pushing my hair back to feel the mark on my neck. It didn't hurt, but it felt burned into my skin. Sighing again, I let my emotions take over.

Sobbing loudly, I sank down onto the floor, pulling my knees up to my chest. Once I released all that pent-up emotion, I dragged myself up the stairs and to my bed. Laying there, I felt helpless, with more questions than answers. I didn't want to be alone, but here I was.

Suddenly, a knock on the door broke the silence, followed by a familiar voice calling my name. "Ashleyonna, are you home?"

Puzzled yet cautious, I grabbed something sharp from the nightstand and opened the door.

"Oh my god, Ashleyonna, are you okay?" Chloe exclaimed, concern dripping from her voice as she rushed in and wrapped her arms around me. I was confused but grateful for her presence.

"I didn't know you knew where I lived," I smiled faintly and closed the door behind her.

"Are you kidding me? I mean, I know we don't talk much, but after that one time at school, I never got a chance to thank you or exchange numbers," she cooed, standing in the living room.

"Plus, you've lived here since we were in elementary school. We just never got around to being friends since Jessica was all that you needed," she finished with a light laugh.