26. Millie

26

MILLIE

The sound of branches breaking underneath my feet and leaves brushing against my body is not enough to overcome the sound of blood rushing in my neck, chest, and ears. At this point, I don't care if Hayden knows I'm trying to leave. I can't lose the fight in me. I can't let the complexity of our relationship blind me forever. My shoes are in my hand as I trip multiple times, but I manage to keep my balance.

"Smells Like A Teen Spirit" by Nirvana plays from the stereo I left behind, and I focus on it to stay somewhat calm as I run through the trees. As I get farther, the volume feels like it's being lowered.

After a few minutes, I make it to the car. My throat burns from breathing in the cold air, and my tongue dries. Even though the temperature is cool, sweat forms above my brow, and I swipe it with my hand. I palm the tinted window of the silver forerunner and try to open it, grasping the handle and trying to pull it, but it's locked.

I pull on the handle desperately over and over again, but to no avail. I'm shaking all over, and I think about ditching the car and Gerard, but then someone grabs me by the shoulder. I squeal and palm my mouth with my hand to muffle the scream.

It's Gerard.

"He's looking for you already. Let's go." He jabs me with his words.

He opens the door, and I glance at the empty seat. I don't know why I hesitate, but something in the back of my mind screams at me to ask the question.

With tears running down my cheeks and adrenaline pumping through my veins and into my fragile, petrified senses, I ask, "Where is he?"

"I told him you went back into the Cathedral. We have to go if you're going to have any shot at leaving this town without him thinking I had something to do with it. Get in my car now, Millie!"

He races to the other side and unlocks his vehicle, and I hesitate to open it. The guilt of leaving Hayden hits me like a train. His ominous ultimatum to submit to him echoes off the walls of my racing mind, and I do a double take from the passenger seat and the Cathedral.

"Get in! What are you waiting for? I'm going to give you five fucking seconds before I change my mind!" Gerard whisper-yells at me as he holds the passenger door open for me while he leans over the console. His eyes are beaming red, but his urgency isn't sufficient enough to snap me out of the chokehold my captive vampire has me in.

I turn back to the black-colored, incredibly detailed architecture, with bright red stained glass in every window…and it stares back at me like it's alive. I see figures moving through the halls of the Cathedral, and the reminder of what I saw on the News Network screams at me.

My family needs me. My father, who was desperately trying to right his wrongs with me, is waiting for me. My mother needs someone to remind her every day that she can get her happily ever after, and I will be that person despite the horror I've seen and been through. My brother and I can strengthen our sibling connection when I return.

I climb into the vehicle and close the door. Gerard puts the vehicle in reverse before I can even put on my seat belt. The tires rasp against the grass and branches, and he turns his car around so fast that I hit my head on the window violently; a pained moan leaks into the air from my throat, and I palm my head.

Ouch .

"Shit! I'm sorry. I have to get you out of here before he catches on." Gerard explains in a jumpy tone and a shaken voice. "Cars are usually slightly faster than us when we run."

After rubbing the spot where I hit my head, I realize that the burning sensation doesn't falter right away. There's a familiar wet sensation. I drop my hand to see blood on my palm, and I swallow. My hair clouds my vision, and I pull it behind my ear. Even through the darkness of his car, the moon gives me just slight illumination to see the extent of my injury. I have a cut on my forehead.

Gerard finally turns us around and puts the car into Drive. The uncomfortable space between us makes me wonder. I ran from one vampire to another, but he's a stranger. I know nothing about him, but I trust he can do the right thing…right?

"Why are you doing this? Why are you helping me?" I place my hand on the center console, with my palm facing the ceiling of the car, not wanting to get my blood on anything.

We're barely nearing the end of the trees when Gerard tilts his head to the side like he's amused and entertained. His eyes turn red, and he grips my bloody wrist tight. Deja vu of the first vampire that took me while I had just gotten off work comes back clearly. A sinister smile replaces his once-welcoming one. "Because it's the right thing to do."

He doesn't get to finish. A loud, animalistic snarl roars behind him, and the window to his side shatters, making the car swerve for a second before it slows down.

I scream and scream at the top of my lungs as I watch Gerard's head get detached from his body in a split second, and dark blood splatters everywhere in the car, but it misses me entirely. I can't watch more death surround me. I'm going to have a heart attack.

I leap out of the car and fall over to my knees, greeting the forest floor unforgivingly. My knees scrape rocks and branches as I try not to hurl my stomach acid. One of Hayden's friends is there, as if he expected me to climb out. He restrains and stands me up, turning me around and making me face a raging Hayden. I jump like a scared cat when I see what Hayden has done to his innocent close friend who tried to help me. I watch Hayden walk toward me; each step is slow and unforgiving. He towers over me with murderous eyes and vengeance written all over his handsome face. He looks at me like he wants to punish me, yell at me, and devour me at the same time.

The moon shines over us, and a large number of bats start to flap their wings vigorously and chirp as they fly over our heads under the moon and out of the trees. They fly over him as he continues to look at me like he's in pain. I did promise him that I would stay with him, and now…I'm caught. I went back on my promise.

The rest of Hayden's friends show up behind him with bright red eyes and fangs over their bottom lips. These men are truly loyal to him and out to drag me back here with him. They're all breathing heavily as they come toward Gerard's body and continue to dismember him like nothing. Each limb turns into ash. They laugh like they're going to enjoy watching Hayden punish me. Their laughter dies down as they head towards the bonfire that's still going behind us.

I don't think I'll ever get used to watching Hayden murder people.

His friend lets me go, and I take it all in while the blood on my forehead still drips down my face and onto the side of my cheek.

The horror of it all sends sickness to crawl into my system, and I'm tempted to throw up. Bile rises in my throat as nausea takes over my dizzy head. Gerard is dead because I asked him to help me. The guilt starts to eat me alive already, even when his true intentions are still hazy.

I don't know why I thought running now would work, but I tried.

I turn around and take one step, but in a flash, I feel his strong arms cage me in and pull at my waist roughly. Hayden throws me over his shoulder with so much force it gives me a whiplash. I start to kick, scream, and cry with distress in every pull of my muscle.

"Please! Let me go, Hayden!" I pound on his hardened, muscled body, but it doesn't work.

He lifts my dress up as he trudges into the Cathedral and slaps my ass in a vindictive way. Immediate pain floods the area, and I wince. My skin throbs in response, and I try to pull my dress down, but he doesn't let me.

Slap .

He does it again and harder. I close my eyes as I continue to wiggle and pull at his wrists, but he's too strong, and I'm just a human. I can't kick him in his balls from here. He releases an animalistic growl with no words, vibrating against my hip.

"I'm sorry! I'm sorry, Hayden!" my firm apology goes through one ear and out the other. He doesn't care. I'm returned with silence. And that scares me even more. His silence says more words than anything, and I just know I'm in fucking trouble.

He's beyond pissed off .

I'm scared of what he'll do to me now. Will he chain me up in his room? Will he finally kill me now that he realizes I lied? As I continue to thrash in his torturous hold, I close my eyes and prepare for the worst.