"Let's go! Izzy is waiting for us. Ander, Abbie, and Jett are there. You can go hang out with Abbie. We need to get out of here." I say frantically as I grab her overnight bag, rummage through her dresser, and throw clothes into it.
It's normal for us to go to Izzy's house after Liam's outbursts. My parents never fight us on going. They're usually too mentally exhausted to protest, and I think they appreciate me trying to keep Natty's mind off of all this shit.
"I'm not leaving."
Her words hit me like a Mac truck.
"What?" I ask, spinning to face her. She is sitting on the edge of her bed, staring at me head-on, but she looks deflated.
"I don't want to leave this time."
"Natalie!"
She shakes her head, wipes her tears as she stands, and heads for her bedroom door.
"I'm fine. Anyway, I think he left. It's quiet now. I want to go check on Mom and Dad."
I nod. She's my clone. Once her mind is set on something, there's no changing it. I could fight her on it, but it would be useless.
I drop her bag on the floor and hurry to chase her down the stairs.
"If you don't want to go, we can stay. I'll call Ander—"
"No!" She shouts as she spins to face me, and a soft, sympathetic smile graces her face.
"Go! I'll be fine. It's your birthday."
I scoff, "You know I'm not leaving you here. He could come back. You know he probably will. He always does."
She nods. "So, I'll hide again. Don't I always?" She raises a challenging eyebrow at me.
I let out a sigh, feeling overwhelmed and frustrated.
I hate leaving her, but I can't stay here.
Ander came all this way to see me, and god, I fucking miss him. I need to get out of here. I need to be with him.I need peace.A peace that only he can bring.
"Do you promise?"
Natty nods. "Duh," and I'm blessed with a theatrical eye roll.
I can't help but chuckle. She is so feisty; I love that about her. I bring her in for one last hug, and I plant a kiss on her hair.
"If you change your mind, call me or Izzy, and one of us will come get you!"
"Okay, now go!" She says with a smile. She continued downstairs, and with an ache in my heart about leaving her behind, I ran to my room and packed my own bag.
Chapter five
Ander
I'm already parked in Izzy's driveway, waiting for Via, when I see her car cut around the corner and head this way. My heart starts to pick up its pace just at the sight of her, and I can't ignore the way my cock twitches, just knowing I'm about to be near her again after damn near a year without physically seeing her. Jett and Abbie are getting their stuff out of the truck and hauling it inside Izzy's house when Via's car stops next to my truck.
Her door swings open, and she flashes a lighthearted smile my way as our eyes meet. I can see she's containing her excitement about seeing me. There's also a tinge of sadness in her face. I hate that Liam showed up today, of all days. I know how much he drains her soul with his presence. I lean against my truck, propping a foot up on the tire, and cross my arms as I take in the sight of her as she gets out. Damn, I've fucking missed this girl. She's effortlessly beautiful, and it just does something to me.
I smile back at her and push off the truck to walk her way. Before I can make it two steps in her direction, Jett, Izzy, and Abbie beat me to her as they all come running up to her,drowning her in hugs and screaming Happy Birthday as loud as they can. I can't help but let out a laugh at the foolish ass sight. Jett is the worst one. For the guy who prides himself on being the oldest out of all of us, he sometimes acts like a grade school little girl.
"Alright, that's enough," I say after a beat as I push through them to get tomy girl.
