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Chapter 7

Ash POV

Meeting everyone wasn't as bad as I thought it would be. Only I just met the guys that were there. All of the girls were out on a trip until Wednesday. Luckily for me all of the guys said that they understood what was happening with me and agreed to help as much as they could.

During the last few days I tried to stay busy. James and Quinn both helped me do that. A lot of the time we would go out to a club and try to find more vampires. We were really lucky, almost every time we went we found at least three vampires. That took up most of our nights.

Every now and then I would look up at the stars and imagined myself with Mare. Lying beside her and looking up at the stars together. Being completely alone with her for the moment.

It hurt thinking what I would be doing with her right now. It hurt just thinking about her. I called Jade often for updates. It was scarce when Jade would call me. I was gratefully about that. I told her only to call if it was an emergency. She called once asking what she should do seeing as Mare wasn't really talking to them. I gave her my best advice and she never called me again.

Tonight was going to be hectic. From what the guys were telling me about the girls I knew that this was going to be tricky. Poppy was one of the ones that I knew wouldn't except this right away. There were several that the guys thought would want to try to kill me without even thinking about it.

We all came out with a giant plan that we all thought would work. I would wait in the room several down from the main door. The guys would each talk to their soulmate and explain how people could change. Then when I get my cue I would walk into the same room as them.

It was a perfect plan except that it didn't go anything like that.

I was pacing in the room. Wondering what was going on in the other room. They thought that it would only take five minutes at the most to convince their soulmates to accept the idea that someone could change. Then I would get my cue to go in. Yet it was fifteen minutes since they all left and I was still in the room waiting.

When it hit twenty minutes I lost my patience. Very carefully I walked up to the other room. It wasn't long before I started to hear voices loud and strong.

"People who are one way their entire lives can't change. . ."

"It would be a lot easier if we knew who you guys are talking about. . ."

"You all can just trust us that he changed completely. He's been here almost the entire time that you girls were gone and he's helped out a lot." I could hear Theory loud and clear talking above the others.

"He, James is it him!?" I could tell Poppy was just starting to understand who the guys were talking about. Just as I could tell that she just lost her mind as she realized this. "After everything he's done you guys really think that he's changed for the better!?"

"Trust me, he has." That was James everyone else was quiet and he was the only one that knew what Poppy was talking about right now. "He's done a lot just for being here a couple of days."

"I don't care what he's been doing the last couple of days. What was he doing before that made him change his mind about everything that he's done? It's not like he woke up one day and decided to change." Poppy was getting into hysterics. I decided now was the best time to step in. The guys didn't need to explain it to them. I did.

"I met a girl last summer." Everyone turned to look at me. When they saw me they froze with their mouths hanging open. I took the opportunity to tell them more before they started to argue again. "She's the only girl I've ever met-other than my sisters-who will stick up to me. She wanted me to change and he I am doing the best that I can to change for her." I shrugged my shoulders and that itself unfroze most of the girls.

"You're, you're-" I didn't look around to see who was talking. Instead I was watching Poppy.

She was staring back at me. Her jaw was set and her lips were pressed together in a hard straight line. If looks could kill. Her eyes were hard and narrowed at me. With her hands on her hips she looked like she seriously wanted to kill me right there. If it wasn't this type of situation I would be on the floor from laughing so hard.

"You really think that you've changed so much just because one girl didn't want you?" Poppy started walking towards me; I stayed exactly where I was.

"He has changed Poppy and it's not just for any girl." James walked up and placed a hand on her shoulder. "He's here because he needs some help staying focus and doing what he can to help."

Poppy turned her glare to James and it quickly lightened a little. Before I knew it though, she was standing right in front of me. We both just stared at each other for minutes.

"I remember-" It was the same person that was talking from the beginning. I still didn't look away from Poppy. It would feel like I was scared of her for the moment, and I'm not afraid of anyone.

This time the girl was interrupted from Poppy's hand. Just as quickly as she was in front of me her hand moved fast and hard until it made contact with my face. My entire head turned from the contact and before I knew it I had to control myself.

My jaw tightened and a growl bubbled up to my lips ready to come out at Poppy. My hands automatically tightened into fists as I turned my gaze back to her. Heavily breathing I tried to think of what I knew I shouldn't do.

Everyone else was completely still. I didn't think anyone of them actually knew why Poppy was acting like this with me. If they knew than I wouldn't be standing here right now.

Before anyone could move or say anything I turned my back on them. I wasn't going to stand around here and let Poppy keep on hitting me until the others realized the truth. Instead of walking back deeper into the house I decided to just walk out for now.

Making sure that no one was in my way I started walking. It shocked everyone that I wasn't reacting to Poppy slapping me. None of them knew how much I've changed until the moment I started walking.

No one tried to stop me. No one said anything until one person did when my hand was grasping the handle.

"I remember you from the club." It was quiet but everyone heard. I recognized the voice of the person that always getting cut off by Poppy. Looking back I saw who talked. She stepped closer to me, with a boy following right behind her. When I looked at her I knew that I saw her before.

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