CHAPTER 11

The next morning Jane helped me finish packing, with an overcast day Jane was able to stay by my side all the way to the airport. Hearing that my plane was boarding I turned to Jane.

"Well… This is goodbye then."

"Yes. Hopefully the next time I see you, you will be returning to Volterra."

I was sad to leave Jane, and in the few short hours we spent together she comforted me like my own sister never did. Without thinking I wrapped my arms around Jane and hugged her tightly, this surprised Jane as she stiffened, not returning the hug which didn't bother me.

"Take care of yourself Cecilia."

"You too, Jane. Be safe on your trip back to Italy and… tell Alec I miss him."

Jane didn't respond, only nodding her head before she left as I ran to board my flight.

A day later I sat next to Renee as Bella sat on the other side of her. For the most part, we sat in silence soaking up the sun as Edward sat inside pretending to study.

"Aren't you going to miss this, Bella?"

"Yeah, mom. I will miss this."

Renee may have been referring to the sun and the beach but Bella was referring to the fact this was probably the last time she would see our mother.

"You know, if you go to the University of Alaska, I will never see you."

"They have good programs, mom."

I huffed in annoyance, pushing myself up out of the chair as Renee gave Bella a knowing smile as she sat up in her lounge chair.

"Don't you mean an Edward program?"

I didn't want to hear this conversation, it would only make me mad at how selfish Bella was. Walking around the house I went into the open garage where Phil was tinkering with something.

"Hey, Phil. I'm gonna go skate in town."

Phil, not looking up at me, waved his hand that he heard me as I grabbed my skateboard and rolled down the driveway.

I spent the rest of the day at the skatepark, even after the sun dipped over the horizon I stayed sitting on the park bench. Soon the park was empty but I wasn't ready to go home to my neive, inept mother and my sister who is deceiving our entire family and her vampire boyfriend who invades my private thoughts whenever I am near him.

"Hey, pretty girl."

Looking up I saw three guys that looked to be in their late 20's holding beer cans. It was obvious that they were drunk and not good company, so I picked up my skateboard and turned to leave when they called out to me again.

"Hey! We are talking to you!"

I didn't realize how close the three guys had gotten until one reached out to touch me, I jerked away from them before I took off running. I could hear their pounding footsteps as they chased me but I didn't look back to see how close they were. I had run four blocks and my lungs were burning with every breath I took and I was slowing down. I could no longer hear their footsteps so I took a chance and looked behind me causing me to trip and fall. Hitting my head on the pavement I was disoriented as I watched my skateboard roll down the street. I groaned in pain as I felt several hands grab me and start to drag me into an alley, I struggled and kicked and screamed for help. Someone grabbed my head and bashed it against the brick wall before dropping me to the ground. My eyesight was blurry before everything went black but not before I heard someone yell my name.