Chapter 196 Audrey

Silver arrows rained down from a dark sky. Straight toward my mother, laying in her hospital bed, ho**d up to countless tubes and machines. "No!"

I ran to my mother's sleeping form and threw myself over her just moments before the first arrow hit, shielding her from the shower. I made it just in time; though the arrows pierced my back, blinding pain shooting through my body, she was safe. Protected.

Or so I thought.

When the arrows finally stopped coming, I pulled back, arms still wrapped around her.

"Mom-

I felt my stomach sink. My mother.... She was choking on my blood.

Liquid silver had seeped out of my wounds, pooling around her, soaking into the hospital sheets. As if it had a life of its own, it rose up and slipped into her mouth, her nose, her eyes, crept up her arms and legs and across her torso until she was completely covered.

Then, it covered me, too.

I didn't scream. Although I didn't know if that was because of the silver quickening in my lungs, or because I had lost the will to fight back.

I jerked awake with a gasp, my heart pounding in my chest. For a moment, I was disoriented, the nightmare still clinging to the edges of my consciousness. But then I realized I was in bed, in Edwin's apartment. How had I gotten here?

Last night's memories slowly began to fade back in, clouded as they were-Edwin carrying me out of the hospital, changing my clothes like a child, feeding me. It was all such a blur, I had been so fogged by three sleepless nights.

But I had slept through last night, it seemed, seeing as how the sun's light was just barely beginning to peek over the h**n.

As my eyes adjusted to the dim light of dawn, I saw Edwin moving around the room, pulling clothes out of drawers and shoving them into a duffel bag.

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12:40 Mon, Sep 23

Chapter 190

My clothes.

voice **rse. "What are

his face.

his question. "Why are you packing a

face tightened, his throat bobbing as he swallowed. He didn't

away.

"Edwin..." I warned.

cottage for a while," he finally said, turning away to stuff another sweater into my bag. "Until this whole situation blows over." "What?" I struggled to sit up, my muscles screaming from days of sitting upright in a chair with no rest.

with my father last night. He... he gave me an ultimatum. Either we break up,

my gut. "What?" I sat up fully now, even though my back ached immensely. "You're breaking up

felt some of my coiled muscles relax-but only the slightest bit. "But I've decided that the best course of action is to make it appear as if we've broken up. You'll go to the cottage, somewhere safe and our of the

had nothing

my head, struggling to process this information. "No, I don't want to go. I want to stay here, with you and my friends and... and my mother. I

to the dean. You can finish your classes online," Edwin replied. "I'm sorry, Audrey, but it's

in my chest. I struggled to

is more important than a graduation ceremony," Edwin said, a bit coldly- as if the words pained him and he was trying to quell

40 Mon, Sep 23 Chapter

hot fury burst through me at that. I stormed up to him with what little strength 1 had and ripped the bag from his unsuspecting hands,

tensed, jaw clenching,

his chest. "You promised you wouldn't treat me this way. That

eternity, Edwin's face was ashen as he quietly said, "I know I promised, and I know that right now, I'm breaking. that promise. I'm sorry. But I have

"There's always a choice."

and picking up my things. "The car is

him, feeling betrayed and furious. "I can't believe you're

love

away? Taking away my right to choose my own fate?"

I was too angry to care. Turning on my heel,

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