…Chapter 10…

My eyes opened, I panicked, I instantly sat up as fast as I could. That's when the pain hit, the pain in my leg from my little fall. The fall that was caused by that horrid letter, the letter! I thought, I have to go tell mother and father!

"Whoa there," I heard a voice say from the corner of my darkened room.

"Audrey?" I asked.

"Yes. It's about time you woke," she said coming out of the shadows near the window and over to me.

"What happened?"

"Well, you were reading that letter one second—"

"I remember that, I mean how did I get up here?"

"Ummm, you're father brought you up here a few hours ago right after it happened…"

I got out of bed, ignoring the rush of even more pain down my leg, "I have to go see them, ask them exactly what that letter was and—"

"I can't let you do that," Audrey said blocking me.

"What? I'm perfectly fine Audrey and—"

"Sit down, I have to tell you something," she said sitting on the bed; I sat back down beside her.

She continued, "You see, your father, he knows about the letters, he's known for seventeen years—"

"Seventeen years?" I exclaimed.

"Yes, keep your voice down, we don't wan your mother or mine finding out about them."

"I'm confused, you say my father's knows of them, but what about my mother?"

Audrey took a deep breathe, "When your father started receiving these letters, he was young. They both were, and with your mother pregnant with you he was afraid to let her know of these… threats."

I was lost for words, "So, she still doesn't know?"

"Not that I know of."

"Thank you for telling me Audrey," I said trying to smile.

"That's what friends do," she smiled back, "I don't know if you're supposed to know this or not but… my father knows too. So if you do have any other questions about all this, then you can come to us," she smiled.

I nodded my head as she stood up and continued, "It's late, get some rest. You'll need it for tomorrow," she said turning for the door.

"Huh? What's tomorrow? I may have fell but I did not hit my head," I smirked.

She turned around, "Oh you and I are taking a little trip to the village, I'm not going to wait forever to meet this," she started mocking me, "ever-so-wonderful Lyle."

I laughed lightly, "I guess a little trip wouldn't hurt," I said sarcastically.

She laughed going out the door, "Good night."

"Sleep tight," I replied.

Then we both said in unison, "Don't let the bed bugs bite."

We both laughed once more, "Don't you think we're getting a little bit old for that?" she mocked.

"Excuse me but you said it too," I smirked, "And no, we'll never grow out of that… And Audrey?"

"Yes?"

"I better find you sneaking off to Chip's room in the night," I winked.

She looked at me for a second, "Scarlett Guinevere, what are you implying?"

"I'm not implying anything. What are you implying Audrey Clarisse?"

"Good night you crazy book worm."

"Oh love you too," I said sarcastically as she left the room.

I laughed to myself, good god we were always and would always be like two five year olds.

Audrey's POV

I closed the door and started down the hall, maybe there is still hope for me and Chip, Chip and I, Audrey and Chip, Chip an—

My thoughts were interrupted by the sound of someone calling my name quietly; I whipped around to the voice.

"Audrey!" it whispered, "Addie!"

Could it be? I exclaimed in my thoughts, only one person calls me that name… please, please, please! I headed towards where the voice was coming from only to be caught by the arm and whooshed down the stairs.

"Chip! What are you doing?" I whispered.

"Shhh."

He then led me outside and to the garden.

"Chip, seriously," I laughed, "What are you doing? It's late and—"

"I didn't see you at dinner, I over heard your father and Scarlett's talking about someone fainting. I thought it was you, to tell you the truth it kind of scared me you know—"

"You were scared, for me?" What's going on! I thought.

"Of course, you're my friend Audi."

I love it when he uses pet names! Wait, he's using pet names again, Scarlett was right! He has to like me! I thought.

"But then I over heard Scarlett's father telling her mother at dinner that she had 'fallen asleep' in the library so I assumed that you were with her where ever she was."

"Exactly."

Why did I only say exactly, none of this is making sense!

"So…" he said.

"Yeah…" I said back. Say something smart, something that will impress him. Something like, " I read the most amazing the story the other day." Uh oh, I didn't read a story…

"Really? What was it about?" Chip asked, I could tell he was genuinely interested.

"Well," think Audrey think! "It's about this girl…"

"Uh huh."

"Who has this friend who's a guy…"

"Uh huh."

Come on Audrey! WAIT! I've got it! " And they've been friends for as long as they can remember. But one day, the girl realizes that she might like hi as more than a friend. She immediately stores away the thought because she believed he could never love her, plus they are so different yet—"

"Yet so alike."

"Exactly. Then one day, just as she is beginning to give up, he starts to show that he may have feelings back. Thinking that the whole thing is a dream, the girl takes a chance and tells him how she feels. To her surprise, he admits that he too has had hidden feelings for her and even though they are so different, he still can't help but be in love with her."

"What a beautiful story," Chip said sweetly.

"You have no idea…"

"So, do they live happily ever after?"

I was looking out to the forest, "… Yes."

"This girl, she has secretly liked him for how long? In the story of course."

"A lon—g time, since she was very young."

"And the boy, how long has he loved her?"

"He was oblivious to his feelings at first but one day finally realized them…"

"I wish real life was like that…" he said looking out towards the forest while I did.

"Like what?"

"Like in the stories, you know, all that 'and they lives happily ever after'. I know it sounds weird coming from a guy but everyone deserves a happy ending. My parents had it, your parents have it…"

"It's not weird for you to think that Chip, it's actually kind of nice to know."

"So Audi, what are your plans for happily ever after?" he asked looking to me.

"At the moment…" I laughed uneasily.

"You'll have yours Audi, I know it for a fact," she smiled. I loved his smile…

"How?" I asked bluntly.

"Some man will come along and sweep you right up from under your feet, and whisk you of into the sunset where you'll live happily every after," he said sweetly.

"I... I need to go," I said turning for the castle and running in. What are you doing?!! Go back to him! That was the opportune moment to tell him!

I didn't look back to him, I couldn't, I went straight to my room…

Chip's POV

"Addie! Audrey wait!" I began running "I…" I stopped and watched her run to the castle. It's no use… "I love you," I whispered to myself…