Chapter 31

" D o you need a ride to the airport tomorrow?" Willa asked a while later. We sat on the couch at hers and Sophie's apartment, watching reality TV. "What time is your flight, anyway?"

"It leaves at five in the evening," I said, a knot twisting in my stomach. "Addie was supposed to take me."

"She'll be here," Sophie said, squeezing my knee.

The sun was setting, and I hadn't seen my sister since that morning. Holland texted Sophie a few hours ago saying he'd found her and was taking her home, but we hadn't heard anything since. We were supposed to have a movie night on my last night in Paris, but it felt wrong knowing Addie was mad at me.

I needed to visit Simon tonight, before I ran out of time.

I was beginning to worry he'd changed his mind. And if he did… I was out of options.

More than ever, I dreaded returning home. I no longer wanted to live with my parents in the room I grew up in. I didn't want to waste my life working. I didn't want to have unfulfilling sex with men who would inevitably leave me.

But if I couldn't find Simon, I would have no choice. Addie would not come around, and that meant her friends wouldn't help me. I could try to find another vampire, but I didn't know how long that would take. I couldn't afford to stay here without Holland paying for the hotel, unless I wanted to sleep on a park bench.

There was a knock at Sophie's door. I perked up, watching as Sophie stood and crossed the room to answer it. My heart fell, then turned ice cold when I realized it wasn't Addie, it was Eliza.

She killed my sister.

I didn't even think about what I was doing. I launched myself off the couch, rushing across the room with a battle cry and a raised fist.

"Whoa!" Eliza lifted both her hands in surrender.

"Indy!" Sophie gripped my arm to pull me back.

I tried to shake her free, but she was much stronger than me. "You took her from me!" I screamed at Eliza, flailing and using every ounce of my strength to try and get to her. "You killed her, you piece of shit."

She stood one step inside the doorway, raising her perfectly plucked eyebrow and watching me like I was a hysterical child. I hated her. I hated her so much. I wanted her to ache like I ached, suffer like Addie suffered.

"Fucking monster!" I screeched.

Willa appeared next to Sophie, grabbing my other arm and pulling me back. "Easy, Indy, it's okay. This has been taken care of."

"Not by me," I snarled. "She's my sister and you hurt her. I want you to burn."

"Indy."

Addie appeared in the doorway next to Eliza, her brow furrowed. Behind her, Holland's eyes were wide. Eliza stepped away from Addie, bowing her head in respect. I stopped pulling against Sophie and Willa, realizing my shoulders ached with the strain of trying to free myself.

"Why does everyone I love leave me?" I whispered suddenly, my voice cracking.

When I slumped to the ground, Sophie and Willa let me fall.

For a moment, I was entirely alone. My boyfriend was gone. My baby was dead. My sister was dead, living a life that didn't include me. The weight of my loneliness and my terror sank into my soul, pulling me deeper and deeper into my despair.

Until Addie sank to her knees in front of me and wrapped her arms around me.

I slumped into her, sobbing softly.

"I haven't left you," she whispered against my shoulder. "I'll never leave you."

She already had, though. She came to Paris, found a new life, died, and left me behind without a second thought. There was no room for me in her life anymore. I wondered why I'd bothered trying to become a vampire in the first place; I wasn't sure Addie would want me around for eternity.

I said nothing, letting tears stream down my face and seep into her sweater.

After a while, I realized everyone had frozen in place around us, too afraid to move. The door remained open. Eliza stood with her back to the door, and Holland lingered in the doorway. Behind me, Sophie and Willa stood next to each other. The only change was that Willa held her cat in her arms to keep it from escaping out the open door.

"I'm sorry," I whispered, sitting up.

Addie's eyes searched my face. "Are you okay?"

I forced a smile. "No, but I don't want to spend my last night in Paris crying. Can we rewind?"

Addie stood and helped me from the ground.

"For the record." Holland's sharp voice caught my attention. He was talking to Eliza, his eyes dark. "I would gladly let Indy rip you to pieces."

Eliza swallowed thickly, her eyes darting nervously between Holland and Sophie; while she'd been indifferent to my attack, she seemed genuinely afraid of Holland. I remembered what Addie said about Holland killing Eliza. Not for the first time, I wished I would have seen that.

"Can we not do this tonight, please?" Sophie begged. "I made homemade pizza dough and sauce, and I found pineapple for Addie and Indy. I don't want it to go to waste."

There was another long moment where Holland glared deeply at Eliza, who shrank under the gaze of the other vampire. Then, Holland turned and stepped inside fully. Eliza closed and locked the door, giving Addie and Holland a wide berth as she approached Sophie, who drew her into her arms protectively.

"I'll start the oven," Willa blurted when the silence lasted too long.

I looked at my sister. "Can we be okay?"

She sucked in a breath. "I'm still mad at you for putting yourself in danger."

My heart twinged. "I was safe, Addie. As safe as you were when you decided to frolic around with vampires."

"I ended up dead, Indy."

"And I'm leaving tomorrow," I said, even though I didn't know if that was true. "It was a one-night stand, it's over. I'm fine."

She narrowed her eyes but sighed. "Okay, fine. I believe you."

"So, we're okay?"

She nodded. "We're great."

Her bright smile was almost enough to make me believe her.