CHAPTER 24

I looked at my dad for a second, I knew that he was able to lie, was he lying about this? I turned back to my mother, "Mom, please tell me you're joking. Tell me that this is all some cruel trick."

"Anthony, you need to listen to me. You need to actually listen to me, don't let these words just pass over your head. Okay?"

I nodded my head, what he had to say must have been important, "Continue."

My mother continued for him, "Alice saw that Abigail is still very well alive, the Volturi just didn't want you to get her pregnant. They don't want to harm her because it would upset us, and they know that we have connections. Everyone else already went over there to try and reason with them. We're going to get on a plane and go over there. But I need you to keep calm, especially around the Volturi, we don't want to anger them."

I nodded my head to show that I was paying attention, but allowed her to continue, "Abigail is going to be fine, you just need to stay calm, we are simply going to reason with them, you cannot flip out and do what you want, okay? We are going to get her back, all will be fine. Now, we're going to run over to the airport and get on a plane. Okay?"

All I could do is nod my head, try not to freak out, my dad then said, "Anthony, we are going to get her back. And we will straighten this all out with the Volturi, and everything will be okay. I promise you."

I tried not to think on our run over to the airport. I usually thought most when I was running, it was easy to clear my mind of things. But ever since that day in math class when I saw her beautiful eyes and her soft, beautiful hair, there was only one person on my mind.

I just couldn't lose her. She was my life now.

We got on the plane, my mother had to sit in a different section because there weren't enough seats. My dad sat next to me, he wanted to pick at my thoughts the entire ride there I could tell. I didn't really want to talk to him, but I knew that he was better than mom, he knew a little more about what I was going through on some level.

We were about an hour away from the airport at Italy. My dad tried to get me to sleep for the ride but I was unable to, I found it hard to sleep when I wasn't around Abigail, I relied on her too much. Suddenly everything came to me. I could not live without Abigail. I was simply unable to.

I felt a few tears roll off my cheeks as I remembered the last words she said to me, "I'll be right here."

Of course she wouldn't know that the Volturi would take her. I immediately winced at the thought. They probably took her with force, it must have been painful, what if they brought Jane with them? My sweet Abigail didn't deserve that. She was probably scared out of her mind right now. I wanted to turn back time, I shouldn't have left. I should have stayed with Abby forever, never let her go, I should have been more careful. I should have done my job and protect her.

"Anthony, it's not your fault."

I growled at my dad, "Shut up dad, just shut up. I don't want you to try and convince me of anything. It was my job to protect her, to make sure that nothing would happen to her and I failed in doing that, so I really don't want to hear it."

He sat there stunned for a minute but then just turned his head back to whatever he was looking at before. I had never spoken to my father like that. I sighed, "I'm really sorry dad. I didn't mean to snap at you. I'm just worried and stressed. I'm not mad at you, just at myself."

He nodded his head, "I understand to some extent. I know that it's a lot to handle. But I'm making a promise to you, we're going to get her back." He sighed, "You're my son and I love you. And Abigail makes you happy, I've grown to love her like a daughter. It's weird because physically we're all the same age, but I love you both, she's part of our family now. And I would do anything to protect my family."

I smiled a little bit, "That means a lot to me dad. It really does."

"I'm proud of you son, I really am, I've always been proud of you, but now in particular."

I sighed then took the tiny little box out of my pocket. I bought it at the mall once I came back from hunting. I took it out and played with it in my hands, I saw my dad looking at it empathetically. He whispered, "You were going to…"

I nodded my head and wiped away a few of the tears that were falling on my cheeks, "Yeah, I was going to propose to her."

I opened the velvet box to see the shiny ring. I didn't make it too big. It was a simple diamond ring with a few emeralds mixed in. It was expensive, probably more than mom's ring was worth, and hers was from the late 1800's.

My dad held his hand out, wanting to inspect it. I handed it to him and he spent a few moments looking over it, "You have nice taste. How much was it?"

I shrugged my shoulders. "It was…enough. Do you think Abigail would have liked it?"

"She will still like it. It seems to fit her perfectly. When were you planning on asking her?"

"That night I guess, I wasn't going to do anything too fancy. Something simple yet romantic, take her running maybe. Or just ask her in bed. I wasn't going to put it in her wine glass or anything like that."

"You guys have been drinking? You let Abigail drink? You both are only 18, how did you two get alcohol, do you know how dangerous that could have been?"

I rolled my eyes, "Dad, I was just talking about Spider-man for a moment, it was just an example. You know when Peter puts the ring in her wine glass…whatever. No we have not been drinking. Don't worry about that."

He handed the ring back to me. I closed it up and put it back in my pocket ever so gently. Then the pilot's voice came from above us, "Please put your seats to your upright position, and get prepared for landing."

We followed the orders and got ready for landing, I'm coming Abigail.