Okay, so this chapter starts where the last one left off, meaning it includes the little sneak peek you guys got last week. Enjoy!
"What? No way! I can't leave my friends in this mess!"
Amelie gave Claire a cold, disapproving look, "Claire, me mustn't risk your safety."
"I won't. He only attacked once and he barely did any damage. I was just caught off guard. We can protect ourselves now, we're prepared."
"Exactly. You were caught off guard once, you can be caught off guard again."
"I won't." she repeated, "Please, Amelie. If it's so dangerous that you want to send me away, then it's too dangerous to leave my friends."
Amelie eyed Claire for a long moment and Claire's brief sense of victory at her brave speech vanished as she worried if she still had a choice in staying, or if she ever did and Amelie was just humoring her.
"Alright, Claire. You may stay, on one condition."
"Uh oh." Eve muttered and Claire looked at Amelie uncertainly, to which she took as agreement.
"You may stay on the count that if Brandon attacks again, you will have no choice but to flee to sanctuary that I have chosen immediately. That, or leave now."
Claire mulled over the condition until Shane said, "Claire, do it. I'm all for you staying here but I can't watch you get hurt again. If he comes close to you, I want you safe as soon as possible."
Claire looked into his dark brown eyes and saw worry and love. Sighing, she grudgingly agreed that if Brandon were to attack again, she would leave Morganville.
When Amelie decided she would leave, Michael showed her to the door as Claire stayed frozen on the couch. It wasn't from shock, or fear, or pain, but from being so tense. She told Amelie that she could take care of herself, and she meant it— she was forever growing tired of being treated like a kid, but she didn't feel the confidence that she had forced into her words.
Would she be able to face leaving if she couldn't protect herself from Brandon? Leave her friends behind?
Shane?
What if they wouldn't let her keep her memory? Claire couldn't stand the thought of forgetting Shane, or the hurt that would put him through.
No, Amelie had to let her keep her memory. Otherwise, Claire wouldn't know why she was being sent to whatever destination Amelie had chosen and, therefore, would feel no reson to stay. That could prove problematic, not only for Claire's safety, but for Amelie.
She was taken from her thoughts as Shane pulled her against his chest. Kissing her hair, he whispered, "Just stay safe."
She nodded against him and Eve, feeling uncomfortable, requested a movie when Michael walked in. They all agreed on watching some cheap horror movie but Claire didn't mind. She was much too tired and enjoyed being able to focus on a fictional character's problems for a while.
It didn't take long for Claire to fall asleep, her head in Shane's lap. He let her be until the end of the movie and carefully picked her up and carried her to her bed.
As Shane curled up beside his sleeping girlfriend, he realized just how tired he was and was soon dead to the world as Claire curled into his side.
Short and boring I know, but it's letting you know whats going on in between. More and exciting chapters to come!