Chapter Twenty-Eight

-listen-

I stared down at the small piece of plastic in my hand. This can't be happening. I'm 17. My hands shook so hard I nearly dropped the test. What do I tell Lauri? What do I tell Reece?! I braced myself on the sink to keep from collapsing. Lauri had come home from work not too long ago, and I'd locked myself in here saying I felt sick again. At least I know why now. I took a deep but shaky breath and opened the door.

The house was eerily silent.

"Lauri?" I called to the empty room. Leaving the  bathroom door open I stepped outside into the front lawn.

I turned another corner and felt my heart drop into my toes.

I screamed. Lauri's body was slumped against the house, a clear knife wound stained her clothes red. 

"Lauri! No!" I screamed again moving to get closer.

A pair of strong arms caught me around the waist, holding me back. Fear pummeled my stomach into the same place as my heart. I screamed again, my voice cracking into sobs.

"LET GO, LET GO OF ME!" I shrieked trying to twist out of the man's grasp. The arms turned me around.

"B-Blu?" The familiar face stood before me. I couldn't help but glancing down at my last family remaining family member.

"No, no, no, no, no." I sobbed, starting to sink to the ground. Blu and his arms followed.

 "Vinnie...don't look-" His arms held me again as I shied away from Lauri's body, burying my face into his vest. I cried into his chest, my lungs and throat ached.

"This isn't happening. This isn't happening!" I cried over and over hysterically.

"Vinnie you need to get out of here." Blu said firmly.

"My aunt is dead! What are you talking about?!" I felt so utterly destroyed and he didn't seem to care. The time-jumper pulled my chin up.

"You. Need. To. Leave." His green eyes stared into mine. "You are in incredible danger and if you don't leave right now, you'll never see anyone you love ever again. Do you understand me?" I nodded, gulping in air to breathe. He pulled me in for a tight hug.

"You'll be okay." He murmured. I felt a tear from him hit my neck. "Go to the train station, there should be a backpack there for you." I didn't respond.

"You can do this." He said, pulling away. "Goodbye little sis, just run." I stood up. He whispered something in my ear before disappearing.

And I ran. I didn't stop to think about what he had just said to me. I didn't grab anything from the house. Not my phone or anything.

 I love you. He had said.

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I had found the backpack alright, I dropped onto a bench. Pulling Reece's sweater closer I inhaled his scent. I missed him horribly.

"Excuse me?" An elderly woman stood in front of me. "May I sit here?" I wiped my eyes.

"Sure." I responded hoarsely.

The woman and what seemed to be her granddaughter sat beside me. 

"My dear, are you alright?" The woman leaned over. 

"Oh yes, I-I'm fine." I replied, sitting up.

"You seem like a sweet girl, you got a nice young lad back home?" The lady said with a smile. A tear raced down my cheek as I thought about Reece. I shut my eyes, fighting back a sob.
"I do. I mean, I did." My fingers ran over the fabric of his shirt.
"Oh, did you break it off?" She wondered. "I don't mean to pry."
"No, he's..." I wiped my eyes again. "Dead." She gasped, her dark green eyes widening. I don't know why I said it, but it felt right. I'd probably never see him again. VINNIE! A voice screamed in my head, startling me.
"Dear, I'm so sorry to hear." The woman said.

"You remind me so much of my daughter. Maddison was her name." She said. I raised my eyebrows. "She and her sister ran off to Bridgeport many years ago. I haven't heard from them since." I gasped, my heart rate spiking as I pieced the clues together.
"Maddison? Was..was her sister named Lauri?" I asked, my voice breaking.
"Why yes. How do you know?"
"I-" Something in my mind told me to lie, so I did. "knew Maddison's daughter." A smile grew across the woman's face.
"A daughter? My Maddy had a daughter? Oh do you know where they live? Do you know the girl's name? What does she look like?" She gushed, wanting to know every detail. Part of me wanted to tell her they were living happily, but the other cried for the truth.
"Her name's Vinnie. She has brown hair and green eyes. They live in Bridgeport." I lied smoothly. "I haven't seen them in some time so I'm not sure of their address."

 "This is just wonderful news!" She cried. "What's your name-" She was cut off my the sound of the train. The woman stood up to board the train, giving a wave as the door closed.
"My name's Vinnie." I cried to no one, waiting for the next train.

Chapter Twenty-Seven

"You know what I haven't thought about in awhile?" I said from my spot on the couch. It was Friday night and the three of us had gathered for a girls night.

"What? Or who?" Lauri asked, her blue eyes glued to the screen.

"Abbey."

"That bitch." Kaya grumbled.

"I mean, we had our whole lives together and she just threw it all away to be popular with Maria." 

"What...what do you think she would say if she heard about...you know." Kaya mumbled as she pulled her knees closer.

"I don't-" I sat up suddenly.

I wrapped an arm around my stomach and slapped my hand over my mouth. My stomach churned and I scrambled off the couch. Lauri and Kaya watched as I tripped over my feet rushing to the bathroom.

"Vinnie?" Lauri called as I shut the door behind me.

After emptying the small contents of my stomach I propped myself up on the rim of the toilet, arms shaking. Kaya banged on the door.

"Vinnie are you okay?" 

"Uh yeah. Must have caught something from someone." I called weakly. I moved away from the toilet and sat against the wall, breathing heavy.

It felt like someone was punching my stomach repeatedly. I ran a hand through my hair, white strands twisting around my pale fingers. Lauri shouted something through the door but her voice felt so distant. The tiles beneath my feet sent shivers up my legs and I shakily stood up.

I opened the door to two serious faces.

"Jesus Christ Vinnie, you look like hell." Lauri exclaimed, looking me up and down.

"Maybe you should lie down." Kaya said worriedly. I sighed and stumbled over to the couch.

"I'm fine," I lied. "Must be some 24 hour bug." I let Kaya and Lauri fuss over me for a few minutes before shooing them away.

I pretended to be asleep, listening to their conversation on the back patio.

"Lauri what's wrong with her?"

"I don't know! I highly doubt she has a 24 hour thing, the only people she's been around for weeks is you, me, your boyfriend, and-"

"Reece." Kaya gasped. "You don't think?!"

"No she...she wouldn't. She isn't."

"I don't know, it all adds up."

"Oh my god. Look just, be normal around her okay?"

"Alright." The door slid open and they stepped inside.

"Get some sleep." Lauri whispered. I couldn't believe what I had just heard. They think I'm pregnant! Do they really have that little faith in me?

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The next morning I put myself back together. Threw on a dress, tights, and a hat. Lauri had caught the first train into Twinbrook for a family problem and Kaya was spending the day with Axel, so I was finally alone. Just as I left my room there was a rapid knock on the door.

"Coming." I groaned.

 The second I opened the door Reece threw himself against me, kissing me fiercely. I pushed him off gently, his gold eyes searched my face worriedly.

"Well hi." I gasped.

"Are you okay?" He sputtered. His hand brushed a stray hair away from my eyes. I grabbed his wrist and lowered his hand.

"I'm fine." I reassured him. Reece sighed and leaned his back against the door, running a tired hand through his hair.

 "Calm down, I don't need saving every ten minutes." I joked with a smile, sliding my hands around his waist. His eyes narrowed for a moment before his expression relaxed and he pulled me closer.

"I know, I know." He sighed, placing a gentler kiss on my lips.

"Wanna move over to the couch?" I murmured.

"Yes." His breath mixed with mine as he lifted me off the ground.

I kissed him again in agreement as he stepped toward the couch, lowering me down to my knees.

"I've missed you." He said between kisses. I closed my eyes and pulled him closer, I didn't want to talk about the weeks earlier events. Reece moved his lips down my jaw to my neck and I slid off the couch, I felt his fingers tense at my waist. Instead of the kiss I was expecting, a hot pain slid into my neck.
"Reece..?" I said, not hiding the fear in my voice. He didn't respond. The pain grew slightly worse and I tried to push him away, but he was too strong.

"Reece!" I felt blood dribble down my neck, I'd never seen this side of Reece. His grip tightened, crushing my body against his. 
"Reece! Stop, you're hurting me!" I screamed, pushing against him. My cry seemed to snap him out of it and he let go, I dropped to the ground.

"Oh my God. Oh my God!" I cried, holding a hand against the bite. Reece fell to my side, his hand hovering by shoulder.
"Vinnie, I'm so sorry! Oh my God, I just....I just bit you!" I looked up through tears at his face, watching as streams of red faded out of his eyes. I jumped back and kicked him away.
"Get away from me!" Reece stood up in shock, a stream of blood my drying on his mouth.

"Vinnie I didn't mean-"
"Get OUT of here!" I shrieked. When I looked back up at him he was gone, I pulled my hand away from my neck.

It came away dark red. I closed my eyes, exhaling heavily. The bite itself was shallow but my neck was smeared with blood. I hurried to the bathroom to clean up before anyone got home.

I couldn't get the image of Reece's eyes out of my head.