“I don’t believe this,” Molly cried. “You’ve been robbed! As if this night could get any worse!” She groped frantically in her pocket for her cell phone. “I’m calling the cops.”
“Molly, wait.” Gabriel reached out and grasped both her hands to calm her. “This doesn’t look like a robbery.”
Xavier and I followed my brother’s gaze across the living room, where one word had been scrawled across the wall in an angry red marker: WHORE.
“Oh, no,” I groaned.
Molly’s hands flew to her mouth and her eyes filled with tears.
“Molly, he’s psycho.” Xavier tried to sound reassuring. “You can’t take this seriously.”
“Oh, my God.” Her hands started to flap at her sides. “He’s going to kill me!”
“Nobody’s killing anyone,” Xavier said.
“This isn’t exactly a surprise,” Gabriel said. “We’ve always known Wade was unstable.”
“What do we do now?” Molly cried.
“We get out of here,” I replied.
Just then, a door slammed upstairs and a shadowy figure moved across the landing. Wade stood motionless when he saw us—a crowbar in one hand and a demented look in his eyes.
“Yep,” Xavier muttered. “I’d say it’s definitely time to go.”
Molly screamed when Wade came bolting down the stairs toward us. With a flick of his wrist, Gabriel brought down the banister, tripping him up and blocking his path.
“Let’s move,” my brother instructed, herding us out.
As we ran down the path and leapt into the car, I wondered why Gabriel, a powerful archangel, was running from a human, even if it was a crazy one. Just as he slammed his foot on the accelerator, an even-more worrying thought crossed my mind.
“Wait! Where’s Ivy?”
Xavier craned his head back in alarm. “She was in the house when we left!”
“Ivy can take care of herself,” Gabe answered. He sounded so certain, I didn’t doubt him for a second.
As we veered off the main road, it wasn’t long before we left the twinkling lights of Oxford behind. As the dark and endless highway swallowed up the car, the misery of being back on the run hit me full pelt.
“Where to now?” I groaned, not bothering to hide my weariness. “I’m not sure I can do this anymore.”
“Yes, you can,” Xavier said firmly. “We’ve done it before and we can do it again.”
“Why are we running anyway?” Molly protested, looking more confused than alarmed. “Why can’t we just call the police?”
“Wade isn’t the only threat in this town,” Gabriel said. “Something tells me he didn’t do all that damage on his own. Trust me. Right now, it’s safer if we just clear out.”
“Where to this time?” I asked softly, understanding now the reason behind his decision to run. “Is there anywhere left to go?”
When Gabriel caught my eye through the rearview mirror, it was as if I could read his thoughts.
“Maybe, it’s time we headed home,” he said.
At that moment, there was nothing that could have lifted my spirits more. Home. It felt so far away, like a distant memory or a place I’d only read about in stories. I knew the battle with the Sevens was far from over, but I had a feeling we could use the advantage of being on our home turf.
* * *
I could smell I was home even before the tiny town of Venus Cove came into view. The scent of the sea found its way to us. It flowed in through the open windows, wrapping around us like the arms of an old friend. When we drove through the town, I saw that nothing had changed. It was as sleepy and untroubled as when I’d first seen it. The quaint storefronts and the white courthouse with its columns and clock tower seemed to magically erase the uncertainty of the past few months.
It was late in the evening by the time we pulled onto Main Street, looking for a place to eat. I wanted to go to Sweethearts, but Gabriel said too many people would recognize us there and we needed to lay low for a while. So, we chose a local steakhouse where the waitresses didn’t know us. But the patrons still glanced up with curiosity when we walked in. They looked Gabriel and me up and down suspiciously, like they recognized us from somewhere.
“Reckon they’re vampires?” I heard one whisper as she wiped down the bar.
“Girl, you have got to stop watching True Blood,” her friend said, shaking her head in mock concern.
Molly and Xavier shared a chuckle while Gabriel and I looked on blankly.
Xavier patted my knee. “I’ll explain later.”
* * *
AFTER dinner, I was looking forward to spending the night in my old room at Byron, but Gabriel had other ideas.
“I’m afraid it’s too dangerous right now. It’s the first place they’d look.”
“Who’s looking for us?” asked a puzzled Molly.
“I’ll tell you everything later,” said Gabriel with a stern look.
“Where will we stay then?” I asked.
“We’ll check into a hotel. At least until we can work out our next move.”
Much as I didn’t like it, Gabriel’s plan made sense. We really couldn’t risk going anywhere near Byron. Besides, what was the point of going back to our old home only to be uprooted again when the next attack hit? I couldn’t go through that again; I already felt like I didn’t belong anywhere anymore.
Before we headed to the hotel, Xavier and I offered to stop at a drugstore to pick up some toothbrushes and other essentials we’d neglected to bring after leaving in such a hurry. Gabriel and Molly went off on foot to check us into the Fairhaven on the esplanade, and then try and work out what had happened to Ivy. Gabriel didn’t seem overly concerned, but I knew he’d feel better once our sister was back with us.
We made the trip to Walgreens short and sweet, hardly even checking what we threw into our basket. When we were done, Xavier surprised me by making a detour and veering back onto Main Street. I guessed what he was thinking as soon as he pulled up outside our old haunt, Sweethearts.
“Feel like taking a trip down memory lane?” he asked. Looking at him, with one hand on the wheel, the other slung lazily behind my headrest, I felt catapulted back to our first date. Nothing had changed. I could see the backdrop of the Mercury Cinema through the car window, so old-fashioned it seemed like a theater set. The boy in front of me hadn’t changed, either. He still had the same soft, honey-colored hair that swooped gently across his forehead, he still wore the same cross that sat just in the hollow at the base of his neck, and his eyes were still the same glittering turquoise that seemed to reflect all the colors of the ocean. Only now, there was something different about his eyes. His expression was wiser, perhaps darker than it had been before. He had seen things, and fought for his life and for the lives of those he loved. I wondered if others would see it too.
“Do you think it’s a good idea?” I asked cautiously.
“We won’t be long.”
Sweethearts hadn’t changed a bit. But we had. It was strange to see new faces at the tables sharing sodas and fries. So much time had passed since I first came to Venus Cove. The days of Molly and her gang were over. The jukebox still played old-time rock and roll and the waitresses still wore roller skates, but there wasn’t a single face in there we recognized. Our school peers had moved on to colleges around the country. We didn’t belong here anymore.
“Is it just me or…?” Xavier began.
“Nope.” I took his hand. “This is weird. I feel old.”
We gravitated toward our old booth, but found it already occupied. We stood uncertainly for a moment before a voice interrupted us.
“Hey, honey, long time!” It was one of the older waitresses, recognizing Xavier. “Always nice when the high school studs come back to visit.”
“Hey.” Xavier flashed her his best lazy smile. “I’ve missed this place.”
“And it’s missed you.” She winked playfully at him. “If you’re looking for your sister, she’s out back.”
She jerked her thumb toward the exit and waggled her eyebrows meaningfully. Xavier frowned.
“Nikki’s here?” He checked his watch. “It’s after eleven.”
I recognized his sister Nicola’s voice as soon as we walked through the café’s back kitchen and out into the alleyway. It was lilting, high-pitched, and overly confident. We emerged to see a bunch of tenth-graders sitting in the back of a dusty pickup truck parked between the Dumpsters. They were all talking and texting at once. A few of them were swigging from beer cans and passing around cigarettes. The freckled boy at the wheel looked barely old enough to drive, despite the tattoos on his biceps and the toothpick twirling in his mouth.
Xavier folded his arms and scowled at the scene in front of us. “No way,” he muttered.
If I’d been expecting an emotional reunion, I couldn’t have been more wrong. Nikki froze when she saw her brother and a range of emotions crossed her face—from surprise to relief to sheer rage. She’d changed in the time we’d been gone. She’d lost weight and looked leggier. Her curly hair hung down her back and her bitten nails were painted with black polish. Her skirt was too short and the laces of her Doc Martens were undone. Her sassiness had morphed into real attitude. She eyed Xavier coolly as she sat smoking and swinging her legs over the side of the truck.
Xavier strode calmly up to her without unfolding his arms. They stared at each other for several long moments. I would have crumbled under his intense gaze, but Nikki just took a long, deliberate drag of her cigarette and blew the smoke nonchalantly into his face.
“Look who’s back.”
Xavier didn’t react. I had to hand it to him. He seemed to know instinctively how to deal with his rebellious younger sister. He plucked the cigarette casually from her mouth before she had time to protest, and put it out under the heel of his boot.
“Did you miss me?” he asked with a smirk.
Nikki’s expression darkened. “You can’t just show up here and pull the big-brother act. Where the hell have you been?”
“Beth and I had some things to take care of.”
“Things to take care of? You’ve been gone six months. Mom’s been going crazy.”
“I couldn’t contact her. I couldn’t contact any of you.”
“What a load of crap! That’s the lamest excuse I’ve ever heard!”
Xavier sighed as the other kids sniggered, enjoying the show. “Nikki, it’s complicated.”
She rolled her eyes. “’Course, it is. You’re so unbelievably selfish.”
“Don’t talk about what you don’t know,” Xavier snapped. “You have no idea where I’ve been or why I had to leave.”
“So explain … I’m listening,” she said with biting sarcasm. Xavier’s face fell. It was not going to be possible to offer Nikki any explanation that would have made sense.
“I can’t get into it.”
“Then just piss off!”
“I think I better get you home.”
“I’m not done here.”
“Yeah. You are.”
The driver of the truck spat his toothpick onto the ground and turned to Nikki in a show of solidarity.
“I can give you a ride home,” he offered.
Xavier gave him a withering look. “She’s got one.”
The boy shrank into his seat. Knowing her brother wasn’t about to back down and wanting to avoid a public confrontation, Nikki jumped from the truck with an exaggerated groan.
“This isn’t over,” she muttered with a sidelong glance at Xavier. But she followed us back to our car.
“Sorry if I embarrassed you,” Xavier said. It was clear he didn’t want to fight with his sister so soon after his return. “But Mom and Dad are bound to be worried about you.”
“That’s real funny,” Nikki snorted. “I don’t think breaking curfew even comes close to skipping town without telling anyone.”
“Touché.”
“And you!” she said, turning to me. “I don’t know if you want to be showing your face around our place. My mom isn’t your biggest fan right now.”
I looked at Xavier anxiously.
“Don’t worry,” he said. “I’ll talk to her.”
“Are you sure?” I whispered.
“She probably won’t even notice you,” Nikki said. “Not after the prodigal son returns.”
“Okay, Nikki. That’s enough.”
I remembered the two-storied house with its wide front lawn and windows that glowed like lamps. Two SUVs were parked side by side in the driveway. It struck me as odd how normal it felt being there.
When Bernadette Woods opened her shiny black front door, the dishcloth she was holding slipped from her grasp. She stood rigid, her eyes fixed on Xavier.
“Mom?” he said, trying to gauge her reaction.
She reached out and gripped her son’s arm, still speechless. Nikki stormed past us, stomping noisily upstairs to her room. We heard her bedroom door slam shut. Even then, Bernie didn’t react. She looked as if she didn’t quite trust what her eyes were telling her. Nikki was right; it was as though I didn’t exist at all. And I was grateful. It was a relief when Xavier’s father walked out of the kitchen to see what all the commotion was about. There was a sharp intake of breath when Peter first saw us, then his face broke into a smile. He seemed to absorb the situation in an instant.
“Don’t mind your mom,” he said, gently shuffling her aside. “Come on in. Honey, why don’t we fix them some tea?”
Still staring, Bernie stepped mechanically aside to let us in.
“So Nikki hasn’t changed much,” Xavier said casually.
“She’s in a hurry to grow up,” his dad replied. It was as if they’d spoken yesterday.
Things should have been strained, but they weren’t. The bonds in this family were too deep to be erased by time. Just like my love for Xavier would outlast eternity.
We sat facing each other on the overstuffed sofas in the formal living room. I was too nervous to make eye contact with anyone, so I just stared at the toys that Madeline and Michael had left on the floor. An oversized ginger cat was asleep in a basket just as it was the first time I’d come over. That seemed like centuries ago now.
“We thought we were never going to see you again.” Bernie choked on her words and her eyes had misted over. I had to bite down hard on my lip to keep my own emotions in order. I didn’t dare speak. Xavier had to handle this one.
Bernie wiped her eyes with the back of her hand. “I’ve been praying for you every day. Praying you were safe and that you’d come home.”
“I know, Mom. I’m really sorry.”
“Where exactly have you—” she began, but Peter raised a cautionary hand, as if to say, now is not the time. The relief of seeing his son alive and well outweighed any need for explanations. Bernie picked up on her husband’s signal, coughed, and changed her tone.
“All that matters is that you’re here now. Have you eaten? Can I fix you something?”
“We’re okay.”
“And you’re safe?” Peter asked.
“Yes,” Xavier nodded. “And I want you to know, I never meant to hurt you … or our family.”
I waited for Bernie to respond, but she had gone silent again. Xavier followed her gaze as it fell on the soft sheen of the diamond I wore on my ring finger—her mother’s antique ring. Bernie’s face seemed to cloud over, and I squirmed in my seat and tried tucking my hand underneath my knees.
“Mom, Dad, there’s something you need to know,” Xavier said, even though there was little he could do now to minimize the shock.
“Oh my God.” His mother covered her mouth with her hands. “No, it can’t be true.”
“Don’t freak out,” Xavier said. “I know you weren’t expecting this.”
“You’re married?” Bernie sounded heartbroken. “My son is married?”
“We wanted to tell you,” Xavier said. “But there wasn’t time.”
Bernie suddenly jerked in my direction, addressing me for
the first time that night. “Are you pregnant? Is that what’s going on here?”
“No!” I exclaimed, feeling myself flush deeply. “Nothing like that.”
“Then why?” She waved a hand at the ring. “And why didn’t you tell us?”
“I’m sure they had their reasons,” Peter said softly.
I was impressed with the way Xavier’s dad was handling things. He must have had a million questions of his own, but he was making a real effort to be our ally and make this reunion go as smoothly as possible. He stood up and pumped Xavier’s hand. “Congratulations, son,” he said, before pulling me to my feet and enfolding me in a vigorous embrace. “Welcome to the family, Beth. We’re proud to call you one of the Woods.”
“Um … thanks,” I said, taken aback. Surely, they must have blamed me for taking their son away from them. But I couldn’t see any anger or accusation in Peter’s face, only openness and genuine happiness. The warmth of Xavier’s hand reaching for mine was all the reassurance I needed. I was Xavier’s wife, part of him now, part of his family. I finally felt like I belonged somewhere, and nothing was ever going to change that.
“We need to celebrate with some champagne,” Peter declared, rubbing his hands together.
“Dad, we can’t stay.”
Bernie looked distressed. “But you just got here!”
“We’ll be back as soon as we can.”
“I don’t like this,” Bernie said. “I don’t like all these secrets. What’s going on? Why won’t you let us help you?”
“You both mean the world to me,” Xavier said earnestly. “And there isn’t anything I wouldn’t trust you with. But Beth and I have to handle this on our own. And I need you to trust me. I’ve never lied to you before; I’ve never let you down. Just trust me, okay?”
His mom nodded mutely. I could see in her eyes that she would never understand what had caused her son to abandon his home, but she knew she couldn’t argue with him.