The Last of the Pure

Twenty-two

Sorry it's taken so long for me to update! I know where I want this story to go, but getting it there has been rough lately. 

*****************************************************************************

“Who is this?” I whispered.

I snuck a glance at Sam from the corner of my eye and saw his face contort with worry before a chuckle erupted from the other side of the line.

“Nora, calm down,” the voice said gently. “It’s Paul, your aunt is here with us. She just fell asleep.”

“Paul,” I breathed, feeling my heart calm just a fraction as I looked over at Sam. “What is she doing there? How did you find her?”

“Serena,” he laughed. “We’ll explain, just come over.”

When I hung up, Samuel was popping the passenger door of his Jeep open for me and I smiled gratefully at him before hopping in.

“Let’s grab something to eat and head that way?” He suggested once he’d settled in the driver’s seat. “Give her a chance to get some sleep.”

I nodded and we headed back toward town, stopping at a small highway diner on the way for lunch.

When we got to their house, Paul, Serena, Thomas and Katherine were waiting on the porch, drinking tall glasses of pink lemonade.

“What’s going on?” I asked, scaling the stairs with Sam close behind me, and perching myself on the railing behind the table they were seated around.

“She’s still asleep,” Serena said, standing up from her spot and crossing the porch to wrap her arms around me. “How are you doing?”

“Better,” I told her, hugging her back. “Where are Nate and James?”

“James is with Henry,” Katherine responded, moving from her seat to stand beside me against the rail. She reached her hand out to grab mine and gave me a soft squeeze. “I’m so sorry, honey. It’s not fair what’s happened to you.”

“Thanks, Katherine,” I squeaked, not able to meet her gaze.

My eyes wandered to Sam who was staring intently at his brother—both of them looking like they were having a conversation—an unreadable expression on his face. When he looked back at me, he looked worried at first, but he quickly concealed it and gave me a small smile.

He hadn’t left the stairs of the porch yet, like he was still unsure, and I slid down from my spot on the rail to move toward him. Once I reached him, I grabbed hold of his hand and tugged him up the stairs of the porch and returned to my spot next to Katherine.

“Where is Nate?” I asked Thomas, who was still back and forth between a stare off with Samuel.

“Uh—he’s inside.”

Thomas stood up then, jerking a nod in Sam’s direction before walking down the steps of the porch. Sam followed him down with Paul following along and I was prepared to join them until Sam dropped my hand and Katherine and Serena tugged me toward the house.

“Nate is going to want to talk to you,” Serena told me as I followed her up the stairs. “Probably alone.”

“What’s going on?”

Serena turned to face me at the top of the stairs with a large smile. I could tell it was forced and once I’d made it to the top I pinched her cheek a bit roughly.

“Don’t pinch the messenger!” she shouted, slapping me on the shoulder. “Just talk to Nate.”

We walked through the door of the guest room I’d once stayed in, Serena opening the door softly and entering the dark room as quietly as possible.