One unwelcome aspect of being a werewolf was how emotionally connected she was to her pack brothers' lives. It was rarely an issue while she was awake, but when she slept, their desires seemed to leak into her dreams. It was irritating. She used to dream about Bella Swan—fortunately, those dreams ended after Bella became a vampire and Jacob imprinted. Leah had confronted Jacob, but as he pointed out, none of the guys ever dreamed about Sam over her thoughts. She figured that, as a female, she was inherently more sympathetic and in tune with the emotions of others.
Though Leah hadn't phased in months, she was still so attuned to their feelings, Kat seeped into her dreams tonight.
They were standing together on First Beach, illuminated by the moonlight. Leah kissed her slowly, then faster, as if they were in a hurry. Her face was perfectly smooth, and her skin was soft. She tasted like Fireball from the bar.
"We're running out of time," Kat said as she pulled away, looking up at the sky. She took Leah's hand in hers and pulled her forward. The pair ran together down the beach. Leah was barefoot, but Kat wore a pair of red Crocs. Leah dropped her hand from Kat's and leaped forward, landing on her paws. She turned to Kat and saw a second, brilliant silver wolf running silently beside her. They ran together, faster. Leah felt the ground disappear from beneath her paws, but she didn't slow. She rose slowly until she was running through the air, soaring above Kat.
The scene disappeared as Leah stirred awake by the sound of nearby movement. She figured it was probably Kat heading out. She rose from the chair so she could move to her own bed.
It took her a minute to process what she was seeing. It was Ian who had disturbed her sleep, not Kat.
"Sorry, I didn't mean to wake you," he apologized.
"That's alright," Leah yawned. She slept a lot longer than she was intending. "Where's Kat?"
"She made it back to the sorority house. She texted me," Ian said. "Seth's still not back, but Jacob said not to worry about it."
She could tell by his tone he wasn't impressed by whatever excuse Jacob had come up with to explain Seth's absence.
"How are you feeling?" Leah asked.
"Peachy," Ian said. He folded his face in his hands. "Tonight may go down in history as one of the worst first dates of all time."
Leah nodded. "I won't lie, that was pretty bad."
Ian responded with an embarrassed laugh. "I have no idea what got into me. I swear, I'm usually not that guy."
"I hope not, alcohol is expensive," Leah said.
A look of horror crossed Ian's face "I forgot to close out the tab!"
"It's alright, we took care of it," Leah assured him.
"Oh no, Leah, I can't let you do that," Ian pulled out his wallet and started counting bills. "How much was it?"
"Don't worry about it," Leah said. If she told him, he might try and set up an intervention.
"I have to pay you back somehow," Ian said. "I seriously can't bring myself to ask for a second date after that. How about a do-over instead? Let's forget tonight happened."
"That shouldn't be too hard for you," Leah teased.
Ian looked down in shame. "You're probably right."
"We'll see," Leah said, not wanting to shut whatever door was open now.
"I should head out," Ian said without looking up.
"How about I drive you?" Leah offered.
"That'd be great," Ian accepted.
She threw a jacket on over her pajamas and grabbed her keys. Despite the horrible date, Leah wasn't in a hurry for the night to be over.
After hearing Kat's story, she couldn't help but think back to Sue's words. The horrors of the human world were starting to weigh on her. If Ian and Seth hadn't been there tonight, she would have been fully capable of handling the situation herself. But what if she were a normal woman? She probably would've needed to resort to using pepper spray—something she hadn't kept on her person in years. Leah shuddered at the thought. She made a mental note to buy a new can as hers had long since expired.
Was she making herself vulnerable to a threat far more common than vampires? She wasn't in the mood to confront that crisis. She'd rather spend a little more time with Ian. She didn't need him to protect her, though she knew he would try. His energy was infectious. For some silly reason, he made all the dangers seem distant. She could almost believe she was living in a world where her biggest concerns were student loans and prank wars.
She parked her car in front of the KEN house. There was ample space along the curb at the ungodly hour.
"This is where you're staying?" Leah said.
"Yeah, I can show you my temporary room if you want," Ian said.
Leah inexplicably accepted. The next thing she knew, she was inside the frat house. A boy she didn't recognize smirked as he saw Ian leading her down the hall.
Ian's room was mostly bare aside from a pair of suitcases and a grey bedsheet on the top bunk. Stacks of boxes made the space feel cramped.
"This room is usually used for storage," Ian said.
"Homey," Leah said as she took a seat on the futon. He sat down next to her, so close they were nearly touching. She was already completely sober, all traces of alcohol gone from her system, but she wondered about him.
"I'm just going to be frank," Ian said, analyzing her expression. "You're giving me mixed signals and it's driving me insane."
"You're not wrong, I'm being rude," Leah looked away. "I should leave."
"You say 'should' and yet I don't think you want to," he pointed out. "Otherwise, you wouldn't be here already. You seem pretty forward, so I'm just going to get to the point. You were having fun tonight, right? Before I went ahead and ruined it."
"I was," Leah admitted.
"And you don't mind me hanging around at the café?" Ian asked.
She agreed.
"But you aren't willing to commit to another date?" Ian said.
"Ian, I don't want to do this," Leah said.
"We don't have to, not if you don't want to," he said. "I just want to understand where your head's at."
"You don't know me," she said. "I don't want to hurt you."
"Leah, I've had my heart broken before, I can take it," Ian put his hand on her arm. "What I can't handle is staying away from you. Not when I know you feel the same way about me."
Leah shook her head, refusing to let him know he was right. "You don't understand."
"I want to," Ian insisted, "but I can't unless you help me."
"One of these days, I might have to leave," The words started spilling out faster than she could stop them. She wanted to tell him. She, at the very least, owed him an explanation for her behavior. "I won't be able to give you any warning and I won't be able to explain why."
Confusion joined the determination in his eye, but it didn't replace it. "Are you planning on leaving soon?"
She closed her eyes to escape the vibrant blue eyes. As he held her close, she could still smell traces of alcohol on his breath. She vaguely hoped he was still drunk enough for his memories of this moment to be murky. She knew she was saying too much. "Maybe, maybe not. I don't know. It may not even happen, but I don't want to take that risk. I've been on the other side of this. I'd never forgive myself if I let myself hurt you the same way I was."
Ian brushed her hair out of her face. "You're here now. I'm not asking you to promise me forever. Right now, I'm only asking for tonight. Give me that much and we'll see where it goes. If this ends horribly, you never have to speak to me again."
He leaned in slowly, giving her time to pull away if she wanted—she didn't. He pressed his lips against hers. This kiss was different than the previous one. He moved his lips slowly as if he was savoring every movement, memorizing the shape of her lips against his. She opened her mouth, inviting him on.
She ran her fingers through his hair. It was soft and fluffy against her touch. He moved his hand under her shirt and placed it on her midriff. He pulled back from her lips to better gauge her reaction as he inched his fingers upwards.
"Tonight?" he asked.
What the hell, she'd been telling herself she wanted to live, was she really going to let fear stop her every time happiness was right within reach? "Tonight," she agreed. She pressed her lips back against his.
She swung her leg over his so she was facing him on his lap. She moved her lips back to his as her fingers moved their way down the line of buttons on his shirt. She pulled his shirt off and both their pants soon followed.
He explored every inch of her body with his fingers. She didn't stop him, only repositioning her body as needed to allow him to explore more thoroughly. He ran his hands along the shape of her back, his touch left a trail of fire behind.
Only the thin fabric of his boxers and her oversized t-shirt separated them from each other. Leah wanted the barriers gone, but she couldn't bring herself to remove either. She was keenly aware of his fraternity brothers on the other side of the thin wall, eagerly waiting to find out if their brother had "scored." Plus, she couldn't deny the taste of the alcohol that lingered in his mouth.
She had no doubt that he would be equally receptive whether drunk or sober, but this wasn't how she wanted their first night together to go down. She didn't want him to look back on tonight and wonder if he'd pressured her into doing something she wasn't comfortable with. As she made her decision to limit tonight to a scantily clad make-out session, she realized she was planning a tomorrow.
What was it about this boy that kept her from being able to stay away? He was intoxicating. This wasn't like her relationship with Sam. This wasn't the serendipitous tendrils of first love. This connection was two winding paths weaving together for a short while.
Life is a journey. It's better with company, but when paths start to divulge, sometimes it's better to part ways. Young love can be blinding, convincing you to forge a single path together instead of taking a chance apart.
Both she and Ian were adults, several years wiser than most other college students. Neither of them had life figured out, but they both had a firm grasp on what direction they were headed. They both could see the bigger picture. Either the other person would fit into that existing picture, or their relationship wouldn't work out.
She couldn't explain imprinting to Ian, but he could understand that breakups aren't always personal. Sometimes, there are forces in life bigger than the both of you. All you can do is wish them well. Maybe Ian wasn't her forever, but he could be her tonight. She could be here tomorrow.
He reached back to recline the futon into a flat bed. He wrapped his arm around her, pulling her with him as he laid back.
She moved her hands along his face, tracing his jaw, then down his neck. She rested her hands on his shoulders before continuing lower. She felt his heart speed up in his chest as she explored his body.
His lips moved more fervently. She and Ian moved with each other like dance partners finally finding the rhythm. There was no music, but he followed her lead as their bodies pressed together.
Leah was planning out her next few moves when a sharp howl pierced through the night. Something was wrong, very wrong.
Leah bolted upright, jumping backward off of Ian. She was on her feet in an instant.
She recognized the howl as Seth. The sharp cry had been one of urgency and panic. Leah wasn't willing to sit around and wait for Jacob to respond. He'd already let her down once tonight.
She leaped out the door, glancing back at Ian as she left, his lips still puckered from their last kiss. She bolted out of the frat house and down Greek Row, heading for the woods. She held her oversized t-shirt down with one hand as she ran, grateful that she was even still wearing it.
"Leah!" Ian called out behind her.
She felt a twinge of guilt as she realized he was chasing after her, but it was not enough to slow her. She knew she was too fast for him to catch up. As soon as she reached the cover of the underbrush at the edge of the forest, she pushed herself to transform. She felt her body quiver, but it wasn't enough. With the months away, she was so close to being done for good. She was so close to being free.
She let her anger flow through her. She thought about how Jacob had let her down tonight. She thought about Kevin and everything he'd done to Kat. She thought about Kat and her refusal to denounce the bastard. She thought about the Cullens and the Volturi and the Child of the Moon and her dad's death and her mother's disappointment in Seth and her engagement to Charlie.
Every single thing she'd been telling herself that was fine. She let it all come to the surface now, all at once.
With a single cry of rage, Leah exploded into a silver wolf. She stumbled forward as her center of gravity shifted. She landed squarely on her paws, not allowing the disruption to slow her stride.
Seth's panic flooded her mind. She was hit with a wave of relief, as she saw that Seth wasn't in danger.
The relief was only momentary as she processed the horror scene that was unfolding.
Seth was standing over an unconscious man—still alive, but bleeding out rapidly. Renesmee was crouched in a tree, her face covered in his blood.
The bloodsucker broadcasted her thoughts at Seth urging him to stand down. He's a monster. An abuser. Let me finish him and Kat will be safe.
Seth, what the hell, Leah thought, recognizing Kevin in his thoughts.
I don't know! I found her attacking him, Seth showed her the scene he'd walked in on.
We have to stop the bleeding. Leah was at Seth's side in an instant. Leah growled at Renesmee.
I'll cover you, Leah thought. Seth phased so he could utilize opposable thumbs to wrap the man's wounds with his own hoodie. She lunged at the vampire hybrid, snapping her teeth in warning. Renesmee stood her ground, knowing no werewolf could lay a claw on her.
Jacob's thoughts joined the conversation.
Leah, stand down! Jacob ordered in the voice of the alpha.
Leah's stance loosened and her head dipped. Sensing the opening, Renesmee lunged.
Seth, who'd just finished tying off the hoodie, phased, careful not to land on Kevin. The bloodsucker crashed into the wall of fur.
Is she okay? Jacob asked.
She? Leah grumbled.
Jacob processed the situation. We have to get them out of here. We can't let anyone find her covered in blood. He could only think about protecting Nessie and how this would put her in danger.
We need to get him to a hospital! Seth shouted.
He's still alive, Leah thought at the same time. But Leah couldn't deny that Jacob had a point. If Kevin survived, he could put them in danger of the Volturi.
That wasn't an option for Seth. Kat's words echoed in his ears. He knew what Kevin meant to her. He had to try to save the man.
Let's take him to Carlisle, Seth suggested.
He'll be at the hospital, Jacob told them. He was on board with this plan. Carlisle would know what to do. At the very least, he'd know where to hide a body.
Seth picked Kevin up carefully in his jaw. They didn't have time to wait for Carlisle to get to them. Leah raced ahead to find the vampire doctor. Her months of absenteeism did nothing to slow her.
Jacob stayed with Nessie. She tried to keep up with Seth. When she couldn't, she had Jacob give her a ride. Leah was skeptical of the arrangement, but the leech seemed to realize she wasn't going to convince them to let her kill Kevin.
Seth did his best to grip Kevin gently, but it was hard to keep hold of the inert form without his razor-sharp teeth digging into his chest.
Seth was disgusted by the man in his mouth. All his rage from the bar had returned, but it was harder to contain while in his wolf form.
Leah saw details in Seth's mind that she hadn't noticed at the bar. He recalled the shape of the scar he'd felt on her back while they were making out. As he was carrying her home, foundation coating her arms started to sweat off. Purple discoloration peeked through. How badly had he hurt her?
A red haze crossed his vision, urging him to clamp his teeth down harder and end it for good.
Seth fought back against the intrusive thought. He knew he needed to figure out how to get her to move on, but losing Kevin like this would be a blow she'd never recover from.
Jacob's path verged from Seth's. Nessie seemed to realize where he was headed.
"Don't take me home," the killer begged. "They're going to be mad."
Jacob slowed in response to the request. He couldn't deny she was right.
Are you kidding me? Leah snarled. Take her home, Jacob. She tried to kill a man. She deserves whatever wrath they dish.
You're right, Jacob said.
Leah came to a halt. She was close enough to the hospital that the bloodsucker would be able to hear, but not the humans. She threw her head back and howled.
Come on, leech, get out here, Leah snarled. Urgency filled her howl.
Carlisle responded to the sound. He joined her in the woods.
"Leah," Carlisle said. "What's wrong?"
Leah took a few steps back the way she came and gruffed, signaling for him to follow. He nodded in understanding and followed her. Leah ran faster than he could keep up, knowing he'd follow her scent trail. It went against every instinct to turn her back on a vampire and she wanted as much distance between them as she could.
Leah met Seth in the woods. He placed Kevin gently on the forest floor. The doctor dropped to his knees at his side. "What happened to him?"
Leah growled. There wasn't time to phase back and chat.
"He's lost a lot of blood," Carlisle said, assessing Kevin's pallor. "I'll make sure he gets medical attention."
He didn't dare remove the hoodie from the wound in the woods. He scooped Kevin up off the ground and disappeared back towards the hospital.
Leah and Seth breathed a sigh of relief. They'd done all they could, the situation was out of their control. The wolves had a moment to process the situation as they jogged in the direction of the Cullen's house.
Nessie attacked someone, Jacob said. The horror of the situation sinking on him.
Jacob made it to the bloodsuckers' house. The mind reader was outside in an instant. His face was held in a stiff mask, but the anger was clear in his eyes. A low hiss escaped his throat. He glared at Renesmee on Jacob's back.
Leah made no attempt to censor her thoughts. Throwing accusations at his character and his parenting. Jacob's thoughts had a defensive edge, but he didn't stop Leah.
The attempted murderer slid off of Jacob's back and hung her head, unwilling to meet her father's eye.
"What's wrong?" Bella asked, following her mate out the door.
"Nessie attacked a student," Edward explained.
"What?" Bella cried. "I knew this was a bad idea. It's too soon. She's too young."
"No, it was intentional," Edward growled.
"What," Bella's voice dropped multiple octaves.
"Where is he now?" Edward asked.
We took him to Carlisle, Seth answered.
"Did you tell him what happened?" Edward asked.
He doesn't speak wolf, Leah growled.
Edward groaned. The other members of the coven started to gather outside. Edward pulled out his phone.
"It's too late," Alice said. "He's already back at the hospital. He'll know when they unwrap the wound."
"What has gotten into you?" Bella hissed at her daughter. "We raised you better than this."
Leah tuned out Renesmee's defense. She didn't want to hear the murderer's justification.
I should go back, Leah said, thinking about the situation she had run away from. Poor Ian.
"That's smart, you should make sure you have an alibi," the mind reader pointed out. "The next few days could get ugly."
Leah's stomach twisted. She'd been so focused on saving the life nearly taken, now they would have to focus on protecting themselves. Of course, the bloodsucker would know what to do. How many times had they done this before? Kevin was just another in a string of slip-ups. Not the first, certainly not the last.
A shudder rolled through Jacob at Leah's thoughts. In the years they'd known the Cullens, they'd never faltered in their commitment to sparing human life, he could almost forget what they really were.
Leah knew Jacob and Seth were naïve. That's the thing about the pale demons. It's only just a matter of time before their nature gets the best of them. Treaty or no treaty, this was an inevitability. Jacob was a fool if he thought this was a lone outlier.
The redhead's eyes hardened. "This isn't something we take lightly. I can promise you; we'll handle it. This is a family matter."
Seth winced at the clear dismissal. He and Leah turned to head back to their house. Jacob stayed where he was, clearly considering himself to be the family pet.
Leah and Seth listened to the coven's reaction to the news through Jacob's thoughts. Leah was disturbed by how few of them expressed any sympathy for the life that was on the line. Nessie stated her case, explaining the atrocities Kevin was accused of.
Nobody seemed to want to hear it. The leader's mate was the only one who seemed to give a damn about Kevin as a person, but even her empathy only went so far. "She's definitely her father's daughter," she said as she smiled wryly at her adoptive son. They all only cared about themselves and their precious reputation. What did Kevin see? What will he say?
"He'll survive the night," the little vampire said, "but he'll be in a coma for a couple days."
A shudder of relief raked through Seth. For Kat's sake, he was glad the man wasn't dead, but he had conflicted feelings about whether or not he wanted Kevin to get better.
Maybe he'll get amnesia and forget about her, Leah joked.
That would be amazing, Seth agreed as he realized there were no good outcomes.
"When will he be released?" asked Rosalie.
"I… I'm not sure," Alice admitted. "Something is interfering with my vision. If he's released, it won't be for a few weeks."
"What are the other possibilities?" asked Jasper.
Alice shook her head in frustration. "I can still see glimpses of his funeral, but I can't figure out how he gets there."
"Does that mean…" Esme's voice trailed off. She glanced at Renesmee.
"That's one possibility," Edward answered the question in her head. He glanced briefly at Jacob.
Heat rose in Leah's chest. They did everything in their power to save the guy, but the bloodsucker had the audacity to imply they might finish him off.
I don't think it's that farfetched, Seth admitted. He remembered his anger. Kat may have thanked him for sparing Kevin tonight, but what if something changed in the next couple of weeks?
A knot twisted in Seth's stomach. His path deviated back to Greek Row.
Seth, we need to go home. We need an alibi, Leah reminded him.
I know, but I need to see her, Seth said. He wanted to spend as much time with her as he could before something turned him into a murderer.
Leah wanted to protest. They didn't know it would be him, but she had to admit, it did seem like the most likely scenario. She phased and hurried into the house through the back door. She threw on some clothes. She glanced out the window and saw Ian sitting on her front step. She sighed in relief. He could vouch for her. He had been with her for most of the night. She rushed downstairs and swung open the door.
"Ian, I am so sorry," Leah said. He was still wearing nothing but his boxers.
"Don't worry about it. It's not the first time a girl has run out of my room in a panic," Ian joked dryly. "Though, usually they wait until my boxers are off."
Leah realized he was clutching his foot in pain. There was blood pooling in his hands.
"Are you alright?" Leah asked.
Ian shook his head. "I stepped on a glass bottle. Do you think you could give me a ride to the emergency room? I'm going to need stitches."
Leah's heart pounded. The hospital was the last place she wanted to be right now. "Can you wait a couple hours until the urgent care opens? I don't think it's that bad."
Ian shook his head. "No, they aren't on my insurance."
"Um, alright," Leah said. "Let me grab my car."
She gave Ian a towel before running back to the frat house for her car. She drove Ian to the house so he could grab a change of clothes before making the drive to the hospital.
"What happened?" Ian asked. "If I came on too strong—"
"It's not that," Leah said. Ian waited for her to elaborate, but she didn't.
"I guess I can't be mad," Ian said. "You did tell me you might run off without warning."
"I'm sorry," Leah said again. The fifteen-minute drive to the hospital was painfully long. The roads were mostly empty on the Monday morning, but Leah wanted to be heading in the opposite direction.
When they got to the ER, they sat in the waiting room for what felt like an eternity. Leah caught a glimpse of the vampire doctor standing down the hall talking to a nurse. He met her eye and flashed her a warning glance.
"I need to use the bathroom," Leah excused herself and disappeared around the corner. The bloodsucker met her by the water fountain.
"Leah," he said. A shiver ran down her spine as he said her name. "I saw his wound. Do you know who…"
"Nessie," she spat.
The leech breathed a sigh of relief. "She's not venomous, that makes things easier."
"Great," Leah growled. "Handle it."
She strode back to the waiting room.
"Hey," Ian said, sensing her anger. "If you don't want to wait on me, you can go. I'll text Holly when I'm done."
Leah shook her head. "It's fine, I'm just tired. It's just been a long night."
Ian nodded.
A couple of police officers entered the waiting room. Leah tried to ignore them. Ian rolled his eyes when a campus officer joined the city police.
A nurse moved them to a room. Leah sighed with relief.
It wasn't long before the vampire entered the room. His sickly-sweet scent burned her nose in such close proximity. Leah started shaking. Now that she had phased recently, she could feel the previously dormant wolf close to the surface, itching to explode.
"You should be more careful," The doctor said as he quickly stitched up Ian's foot. "I think Pacific University has had enough tragedy for one day."
He was just finishing up when the campus police officer made his way into the room. "Do you mind if I speak with him for a moment?"
"I'm afraid I do mind," The doctor defended. "This individual is my patient."
Ian nodded from his seat. "'Sup Frank. Miss me?"
"Have you been in contact with Kevin Lupus recently?" Officer Frank asked.
Ian rolled his eyes. "I'm not talking to you without my lawyer."
"There's no need for that, we just need you to answer a few questions," the officer said.
"And I'd be happy to do so once my lawyer gets here."
"We can arrest you for obstructing justice."
This had Ian laughing aloud. "Oh please do that. We'll have a field day in court."
"We're just trying to figure out what happened to him."
"Maybe Kevin should stop picking fights he can't win," Ian muttered.
"Are you saying you were in a fight with Kevin?" the officer asked.
"What happened to Kevin?" Leah asked the cop before Ian could further incriminate himself.
"The helicopter is here," said a voice in the hallway. They saw a team of nurses rush a stretcher past the door. Leah immediately recognized Kevin's lifeless form. The black streaks of ink down the sides of his face were clearly visible under the hospital's harsh light.
Ian froze. "Was that Kevin?"
"Why are you covered in blood?" the officer asked.
Ian looked down and saw his hands were still streaked with his own blood. Leah saw the gears turning in Ian's head as he processed how the situation must look to the officer.
"Lawyer," he said.
"You're under arrest for the attempted murder of Kevin Lupus," the officer said.
Ian's jaw dropped. He snapped it shut and covered his mouth with his bloody hand as if he was afraid more incriminating evidence might spill out.
The officer put a pair of handcuffs on Ian and practically dragged him down the hospital as he struggled to hop quickly enough to keep pace with the officer.
Leah turned to glare at the vampire doctor.
"So now what?" Leah hissed. "You're just going to stand by and let us take the fall?"
"I don't want that," answered the leech.
"I don't care what you want, this is your mess. Leave me and my family and my friends all out of this," Leah snapped. She stormed out of the hospital.
When she got back to the house, Seth was attempting to take a nap on the futon. The soft sound of the door closing was enough to cause him to stir.
"Hey, where've you been," Seth asked.
Leah explained her morning.
"What? He was arrested? That's not fair," Seth said.
Leah shrugged. "I think there were cameras outside the club."
"Do you think I might get in trouble too?" Seth fretted.
"I don't know," said Leah. "I guess we'll just have to wait and see how things play out."
A few hours later, Kat stopped by to retrieve her boots from Leah's room. Leah hadn't realized she'd left them.
"Have you seen Ian?" Kat asked Leah. "Nobody has seen him all morning and I'm kind of freaking out."
"Ian's fine," Leah said. She told Kat about her morning. "The police arrested him."
"What? That's bull. Ian's the nicest guy I know. It was Officer Frank, wasn't it? He has it out for Ian, I swear," Kat ranted.
Leah and Seth exchanged a look.
"I mean, what are they even trying to charge him with this time?" It was a rhetorical question, but Seth answered.
"They think he attacked Kevin," he said. She was going to find out sooner or later, better she heard it from him.
Kat stopped in her tracks. "What? That's ridiculous. Kevin threw the first punch."
"No, something must have happened after that," Leah explained. "I saw him when I took Ian to the hospital. He was in pretty bad shape."
"That's impossible," Kat said. "Yeah, I know he got shoved around at the bar, but trust me, he's tougher than he looks. He's fine. I talked to him after."
Leah and Seth exchanged a look.
Kat pulled out her phone and started dialing. "Come on, pick up the phone. Pick up the phone."
She was sent to voice mail. She immediately tried calling him again, with no luck.
"Seth, can you drive me to the hospital?" Kat said.
"He won't be there," Leah told her. "He was airlifted to a different hospital."
"Did he have his phone on him?" Kat asked without looking up from her phone.
"I have no idea," Leah said.
"He does," Kat answered her own question. "He's in Portland."
"Are you tracking him?" Leah asked. She suddenly realized he was probably tracking her as well. That would explain how he was able to find them at the bar.
"Don't worry about it," Kat said dismissively. She turned to Seth and looked at him with pleading eyes. "Seth?"
Leah glared at her little brother, but he didn't notice. "I'll grab my keys," Seth said.
"Let's think this through," Leah tried to reason. "What are you going to do when you get there? They probably won't let you in."
"I don't care," Kat said. "I have to see him."
Leah lost the argument by miles. She watched uselessly as Seth followed Kat to his car.
Chapter Playlist:
What Do You Mean? - Justin Bieber - Ian
Pumped Up Kicks - Foster The People - Renesmee
Whatcha' Say - Jason Derulo - Kevin
Troublemaker - Olly Murs - Jacob
I Knew You Were Trouble (Taylor's Version) - Taylor Swift - Leah
How to Save a Life - The Fray - Carlisle
